LGBTQ+ Volunteering Abroad

Pod Volunteer welcomes LGBTQ+ travellers on all of our volunteer projects, but we are conscious that attitudes around the world towards LGBTQ+ travellers vary significantly and can be very different from what you may be used to at home.

As a LGBTQ+ solo traveller or LGBTQ+ couple or family travelling together, you may want to factor in the laws, levels of tolerance and acceptance in each country and location when choosing where to volunteer overseas.

The best way to have a great trip and to avoid any issues when travelling is to prepare well and research your destination. We have put together a set of resources below which will help you do this, providing information on each country as well as lots of great general help and advice for LGBTQ+ travellers.

At Pod Volunteer we have also carried out our own assessment, reviewing the resources below as well as using our expertise and country project knowledge to pick out what we consider are the most welcoming countries and projects for LGBTQ+ volunteers. We would recommend the following as fantastic choices of projects to support combined with LGBTQ+ friendly places to visit:

• Costa Rica Turtle and Wildlife projects
• Greece Marine and Turtle Conservation projects
• South Africa Animal Rescue, Wildlife Conservation and Marine Conservation projects
• Thailand Animal Rescue and Marine Conservation projects

In the more cosmopolitan and touristic cities and regions of these countries, there is generally a good level of acceptance for LGBTQ+ travellers, but it is still good to be aware of local attitudes, especially in more rural and conservative areas. Unfortunately public displays of affection may still attract unwanted attention.

If you have any questions about this guidance or would like to discuss any of our projects or locations with us, please get in touch anytime. We look forward to continue welcoming more and more members of the LGBTQ+ community to come and volunteer with us!

Useful resources

• International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association - includes world map of sexual orientation laws by country
• Equaldex - a collaborative knowledge base and world map of LGBT rights by country
• International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association - travel resources and information
• Foreign Commonwealth Office - advice for LGBT tourists travelling abroad
• Fitfortravel – Information on how to stay safe and healthy abroad