Migrants are people who move away from their home country to another place for various reasons such as work, study, family, politics, etc. Queer refers to people who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or asexual. These identities can be categorized into different groups based on gender, sex, and sexual orientation. They face many social challenges like discrimination, exclusion, isolation, violence, and trauma due to their identity. Social attitudes towards queer migrants can evolve over time depending upon the culture, religion, and government policies of that particular place. There are four types of attitudes towards them such as tolerant, ambivalent, hostile, and uninformed. Tolerant attitude is when they are accepted by society irrespective of their identity, while an ambivalent attitude is when they get mixed reactions from society. Hostile attitude is when they face severe discrimination and violence. Uninformed attitude is when they are unaware of the LGBTQIA+ community. Internalised stigma is when a person accepts negative stereotypes about themselves. Acculturation stress is the psychological distress experienced during adjustment with a new culture. Community integration means being part of a group and participating in its activities.
Social Attitudes Towards Queer Migrants
Social attitudes towards queer migrants vary across cultures, religions, and countries. Some societies accept them wholeheartedly, while some have strict norms against them.
Same-sex relationships are legal in 29 countries and partially legal in 10 countries in Europe, but illegal in 78 countries and partially legal in three countries in Africa. The acceptance rate varies from 50% to 60% in European countries, whereas it is only around 30% in African countries. The social attitudes also depend on the individual's personal beliefs and values. A study conducted among Canadian nurses showed that most of them had positive attitudes toward queer individuals, although there were some differences based on gender and sexual orientation. Women tended to have more positive attitudes than men, and heterosexual nurses had higher scores than lesbian nurses. Another study found that Mexican immigrant adolescents who identified as gay or bisexual faced more social exclusion than those who did not. The findings suggest that social attitudes can be shaped by cultural factors like religion, tradition, and upbringing.
Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Internalised Stigma
Internalized stigma refers to when an individual accepts negative stereotypes about themselves. It can occur due to various reasons such as social pressure, lack of self-esteem, internalization of homophobic messages, and fear of rejection. Queer individuals may feel ashamed of their identity and hide it from others, leading to internalized stigma. They may experience anxiety, depression, and low self-worth due to this. Studies show that internalized stigma is associated with poor mental health outcomes such as suicide attempts, substance abuse, and risk-taking behaviors. Some researchers believe that exposure to negative media portrayals of LGBTQIA+ individuals contributes to internalized stigma.
A study conducted in China revealed that exposure to negative images of gay people led to increased internalized stigma and decreased self-esteem.
Acculturation Stress
Acculturation stress occurs when a person adjusts to a new culture and experiences psychological distress. This can happen when they encounter different values, beliefs, norms, and practices. The stress level depends on the degree of cultural difference between the original and new cultures.
Queer migrants face acculturation stress in countries where same-sex relationships are illegal or socially unacceptable. They may have difficulty fitting into society and finding support networks. A study among Mexican immigrant adolescents found that those who identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender were more likely to experience discrimination and isolation than those who did not. Another study showed that queer immigrants in Europe experienced higher levels of stress compared to non-immigrants. It suggests that acculturation stress is a significant issue for queer migrants.
Community Integration
Community integration refers to being part of a group and participating in its activities. Queer migrants may find it challenging to integrate into their communities due to social stigma, discrimination, and violence.
Some organizations and movements like Pride Parades promote community integration by providing spaces for queer individuals to meet, socialize, and celebrate their identity. Studies show that these events reduce social isolation and increase mental well-being among LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Online platforms like Grindr, Tinder, and OKCupid provide opportunities for queer individuals to connect with each other worldwide.
Social attitudes towards queer migrants evolve over time, and psychological mechanisms underlie internalized stigma, acculturation stress, and community integration. These factors can affect an individual's mental health outcomes and adjustment to the new culture.
How do social attitudes towards queer migrants evolve, and what psychological mechanisms underlie internalised stigma, acculturation stress, and community integration?
The issue of sexual orientation has been controversial for decades. Societies have developed different views on how people should express their sexuality openly or not. In some cultures, same-sex relationships are still criminalized and regarded as unacceptable behaviors while others promote them as normal. Queer migrants who come from conservative communities experience difficulties when they move to liberal societies that accept same-sex partnerships.