Advising LGBTQ+ Students in International Education

This resource is essential for ensuring that LGBTQ+ students have successful, positive international education experiences. Designed for educators working with both international students coming to the United States and U.S. students participating in education abroad experiences, this practical guide helps advisers take action and deepen their holistic support of students. It draws on the experience of experts in the field and provides real-life examples of the situations that can arise when LGBTQ+ students navigate their identities in new environments.

Topics include:

• understanding intersectionality and identity formation;
• developing welcoming environments;
• creating sustainable cross-campus collaborations;
• forming relationships beyond the institution; and
• navigating legal considerations.

About the author: Charlotte West is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to NAFSA’s International Educator magazine. Since 2015, she has served as the author of NAFSA’s Internationalizing the Campus, which features profiles of the institutions receiving the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. West earned a master’s degree in political science from Stockholm University, where she did a Fulbright Fellowship to Sweden in 2002. She has previously worked as an adviser for international students at Green River College and Edmonds College in Washington state. West also taught history and government at Broward College’s international center in Lima, Peru.