Delve into the vibrant history of New Orleans' queer culture with Professor Frank Perez, renowned as "French Quarter Frank"! This lecture explores New Orleans' hidden LGBTQ+ history topics, including: how gay men a hundred years ago preserved the French Quarter, the city's climate of hostility toward the queer community in the mid-twentieth century, the evolution of …
In response to hundreds of urgent identity document questions from transgender, gender-nonconforming, nonbinary and intersex (TGNCNBI) people across the country, Lambda Legal will present a special virtual info session on what TGNCNBI people need to know on YouTube on Wednesday, February 26 from 3:00-4:00pm ET / 12:00-1:00pm PT.
This session will use the Forum’s publication, Supporting Transgender and Nonbinary Students in Education Abroad, to create a foundation of knowledge for attendees. It will address program design, marketing, advising, orientations, health and safety, and housing. Attendees will hear practical examples from institutions that have successfully implemented these guidelines. The goal is to encourage inclusive …
This poster session highlights results from a study investigating how organizations support LGBTQIA+ students in study abroad. Organizations (n = 64) identify their strategies to support LGBTQIA+ student throughout the study abroad student journey: marketing, pre-departure, advising, in country support, and re-entry. Key findings show no demographic data capture, reactive advising strategies, and collaboration with …
Not able to make it to NAFSA in person this year? Please join the Rainbow SIG for a virtual pre-NAFSA restorative circle! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/Bo6pT99WvhR6o8Z79 Restorative circles create a space for equal opportunity sharing, shared power, and active listening. Through a facilitated process, we will engage in deeper conversation guided by open-ended questions from …
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act, a panel of early career international exchange professionals with diverse disabilities share their experiences with access and inclusion. They offer strategies and future aspirations to build more inclusive cultures for international education professionals and participants.
Body diversity is a vital (and often overlooked) topic in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts for international education. Antifatness and size discrimination create inequitable experiences for plus-size students. This session explores the impact of systemic antifatness on study abroad and offers strategies to make programs more inclusive and accessible to diverse body types.
This session outlines how education abroad professionals can allow for students to be their most authentic selves abroad and embrace queer joy. Panelists share personal narratives from students and colleagues, highlighting how their queer identities helped guide them through their study abroad experience and into the professional world.
This session equips participants with strategies to respond to identity-based incidents abroad and promote safety, resilience, and inclusivity. Through guided discussions, case studies, and practical demonstrations, attendees learn key response components, the importance of predeparture training, and techniques for field professionals.
In this session, audiences can learn about NAFSA’s Representation, Inclusion, Support and Empowerment (RISE) Fellowship Program. RISE fellows will share how the fellowship has helped their professional development. There will be an overview of the program, mini storytelling session among participants, and Q&A. Location: SDCC Room 7A
Join this interactive session to explore the topic of identity and better understand how to help students cultivate identities as global citizens. Together, reflect on how identity can be salient when traveling abroad and how identities may shift after return. Expand awareness of social and projected identities and build vocabulary in articulating how those identities …
Attacks on LGBTQ+ people are on the rise, fueled by national hate groups pushing for the freedom to discriminate without consequence. Trans, non-binary, and queer communities are facing increasing levels of stigma, violence, and systemic barriers. A wave of anti-trans legislation is targeting basic rights, seeking to block access to safe restrooms, gender-affirming healthcare, participation …
Supporting LGBTQ+ students abroad requires culturally aware guidance and proactive planning. This webinar empowers study abroad professionals with the tools to navigate destination-specific challenges, address safety concerns, and uphold students’ dignity, privacy, and protection. Learn how to foster inclusive, informed support systems that help LGBTQ+ travelers thrive while studying abroad. Registration is Required (Free)
In an era of rapid global change, education abroad professionals must be equipped with tools and strategies to navigate disruption and foster student success abroad. Through interactive sessions and expert insights at this day-long seminar, participants will gain an understanding of how global events and shifting geopolitical priorities influence the education abroad experience. Hosted by …
The 2025 Leadership Institute invites LGBTQ+ leaders to gather in community, grounded in purpose and mutual support. This year, we center collective care, trans and gender expansive leadership, and intersectional learning as vital pathways for sustaining ourselves and one another. In a time of political uncertainty and cultural change, we lean into connection — building …
In her book, Teaching Queer: Radical Possibilities for Writing and Knowing, Stacey Waite writes that learning is akin to grieving as learners discover that the world is not what they thought it to be. In this process, they lose their sense of certainty (p. 46). International education is not exempt from melancholic experiences. In fact, …
This presentation will examine Michigan State University's Office for Education Abroad housing policy and subsequent iterations to provide education abroad practitioners with an case study surrounding both the nuances and challenges of implementing an on-campus housing policy in a global context.
This session explores best practices for advising LGBTQ+ students in education abroad, informed by recent research on the diverse experiences of LGBTQ+ students and effective advising approaches. Participants will gain insight into how LGBTQ+ students navigate identity while abroad and how advisors can foster more inclusive, affirming, and equity-minded advising environments. Drawing on themes from …
Conversations about queerness in global education often stop at risk. This session does not. Instead, it examines what global education gains when queerness is treated as knowledge rather than something to manage. Using Respectful Disruption Leadership, presenters explore how queer realities surface hard truths about power, mobility, belonging, and decision-making across borders. This session centers …