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Overview

“I wanted to go to Europe, because I knew that living my homosexuality in Vietnam wasn’t easy, with many frustrations and many worries. ” (Huu, 57 years, Vietnam).

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Overview

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  1. “I wanted to go to Europe, because I knew that living my homosexuality in Vietnam wasn’t easy, with many frustrations and many worries. ” (Huu, 57 years, Vietnam)

  2. Homosexual Identity, Stigma Management and Sexual Migration in Belgium -Wim Peumans, M.A.(Interculturalism, Migration and Minorities Research Centre, K.U.Leuven)

  3. Overview Objectives and research questions Methodology and theoretical framework Results

  4. Objectives and research questions • Ethnographic objective: sexuality and migration • Theoretical objectives: - traditional stage models homosexual identity - representation in LGBTIQ-studies

  5. Objectives and research questions • Research questions: 1) What stigma management strategies could the migrants employ in the country of arrival? 2) What was the influence of migration on their sexual identity?

  6. Methodological and theoretical framework One year (March 2008 – February 2009) Exploratory: limited sample of narratives Book ‘Sex and Stigma Across Borders’ (Peumans, W., ‘Seks en Stigma over Grenzen heen’, expected fall 2010, Acco - Leuven)

  7. Methodological and theoretical framework Narrative method Semi-structured interviews + participant observation Participants: 11 M / 1 F, 22 – 75 y.o., countries of origin (Algeria, Chile, Egypt, Italy, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, the United States and Vietnam) 10 sexual migrants, 8 migration as stigma management strategy

  8. Methodological and theoretical framework Social constructivist theories (Goffman, Burke and Jenkins) Post-colonial theory (Saïd, Abu-Lughod)

  9. Results: stigma management strategies 1) Magazines and the Internet 2) Focus on particular aspect of their lives 3) Access to information on (the history of) homosexuality 4) Psychotherapy 5) Participation in the gay scene

  10. The gay scene: bars, saunas, cafés and discos The meaning of the gay scene Imagined community

  11. The gay scene: support groups • Meaning of support groups in terms of stigma management • Two notable facets: • Similar ethno-religious background • Participation in a gay pride * self-affirming * higher visilibity : permanent and transnational consequences

  12. Participant observation ‘Gay Pride Brussels’ (May 2008)

  13. The gay pride “Some of my neighbourhood called my brother. Last year in 2007, when I worked in Eurogames as a volunteer, some Pakistani guy saw me working for it. On that time I have courage to tell them: ‘I’m gay now and I’m open about it.’” (Amzir, 34 years, Pakistan)

  14. Results: stigma management strategies • Magazines and the Internet • Focus on particular aspect of their lives • Access to information on (the history of) homosexuality • Psychotherapy • The gay scene • Romantic relationship

  15. Results: the experience of ‘coming out’ In light of cultural context and geographical distance created by migration

  16. Results: the experience of ‘coming out’ • Example: “I never told them literally. Why? Out of respect for their feelings, their culture, everything (...) Western culture is very verbal, very strongly verbal. With us it’s more contacts, more feelings, a different way, I don’t know, we do it differently. (...) Maybe it’s easier because I’m here and they’re there. For someone who is still in Egypt, it’s more difficult of course. But I’m happy and I don’t feel the need to tell them.” (Khalid, 34 years, Egypt)

  17. Conclusion • Difference between life in country of origin and arrival • Limits to newfound freedom dependent on: * absence legal status + low socio-economic position + ethnic solidarity + living in neighbourhoods with a considerable ethnic minority population * belonging to ethnic group/’race’ • Intersectionality of citizenship status, social class and ‘race’/ ethnicity

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