Next year im going to Bolivia as a foreign exchange student. Bolivia is a somewhat homophobic country and im worried that all of the progress ive made towards accepting myself is going to be undone by another year in the closet
What you need to look at is that the country isn't as developed as yours and the people are different. You don't have to spend that year in the closet, you can always come out when you feel comfortable and think that the people around you will be accepting or even if they aren't. Just be yourself and do what feels right. Don't worry about the future and what COULD happen. Be positive in the present because we can't change the future in the present, you can only change it when you're in it. Good Luck -Bonnie<3
If Wikipedia proves to be credible, there is an anti-discrimination law that is in effect there. However, it is said that it is not as effective as it should be. I would say that you should be immensely careful there. Although you should be relatively safe, there's no guarantee that people will be too welcoming. Try asking EC Advisors for advice. They can help you immensely with your situation.
definitely not the best place to be for any of us. I would look at it not so much as going back into the closet as showing proper discretion in any new situation. take your time getting to know the people and the place. one thing that you can be sure of, is that there are plenty of gay people there, they're just harder to find. you may want to look for some gay travel guides to see what they say about bolivia.
Some places seem to have a large gay community. The anti-discrimination laws seem a little lacklustre, but it probably just depends on where you are. Is it an urban place you are visiting? If so, people could be more accepting. As noangeleither said, exercise discretion. Be safe. Good luck.
