It’s Pride Month, and at United Planet we’re celebrating the LGBTQ+ community worldwide! Although much progress has been made globally in fighting discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities, there’s still much work to be done in attaining equality for everyone.
Fighting Bias and Discrimination with the Intercultural Approach
In a presentation, our ICYE Honduras coordinator Rodolfo Bueso-Clark spoke about the roles bias and discrimination play in shaping our views on topics such as sexuality. He believes that bias can be prevented and dismantled through intercultural approaches, saying, “The intercultural approach encourages one to recognize that you don’t have the only right answer. There are many ways to look at it. The intercultural approach invites you to go to other parts of the world, look at their world views, and look at other ways to do things to solve a community issue.”
What does an intercultural approach look like? Music and art are two forms of it. For instance, music has a great ability to connect people. Many LGBTQ+ singers such as Frank Ocean and Duncan Laurence are popular even amongst people who have or previously had a negative bias towards the LGBTQ+ community. By using music as a bridge to reach people, LGBTQ+ musicians are motivating people to take a liking towards a community they may have previously had negative opinions on. Opinions can change in a positive way with the power of this intercultural approach.
Volunteer Online to Help the LGBTQ+ Community!
Want to support LGBTQ+ communities in other countries from the comfort of your home? We have two Virtual Quest options to help you do just that! You can either volunteer to support local LGBTQ+ communities in India, or Honduras.
India
In the bustling streets of Mumbai, there’s an organization working to promote and enhance the health and rights of LGBTQ+ community members. Its mission is to promote safe sex and reduce HIV and STI prevalence amongst the local LGBTQ+ community. This organization is also India’s first organization created to support male sex workers.
What will you do to help? You’ll work to promote the organization and its mission by designing flyers, social media posts, and other multimedia materials. You’ll also run a crowdfunding campaign, and help with administrative tasks.
Honduras
Most cases of violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community in Honduras sadly go unnoticed. Discrimination in employment, education, and healthcare is a huge problem for the LGBTQ+ community in Honduras. If you want to fight against this discrimination, step in to support an organization in Honduras fighting against violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ youth.
Based on your skills and what you want to do, there are several tasks you can do to help. You could help with fundraising, website development, app development, social media posts, and community management working with other local organizations. Additionally, this is a project where if you want to practice speaking Spanish, you’ll have the opportunity to do so with your coworkers at the organization.
Read More: Is a Virtual Internship Worth It?
Going Abroad as an LGBTQ+ Traveler
At United Planet, we welcome volunteers of all sexualities and gender orientations. Anybody can volunteer with us. However, local attitudes and legislation on sexualities and gender orientation vary from country to country, and sometimes from region to region within countries as well. The United Planet programs team and our in-country coordinator will walk all volunteers through pre-departure training to equip volunteers for international travel. All volunteers are welcome and encouraged to speak to our coordinators about any concerns or questions! We’ll also equip you with a handbook of any resources (also listed below) before you travel abroad.
TIP: We recommend you research LGBTQ+ laws in your destination before traveling.
Resources for LGBTQ+ Travelers
- The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association
- US Department of State’s Official Information for LGBTQ+ Travelers
- Equaldex Map
- AFAR: Best LGBTQ+ Travel Resources Guide
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
