How to stay safe when travelling to anti-LGBT countries

Being born in an anti-LGBT country and conservative culture towards LGBT+ people, I never knew anything in regards to LGBT+, not even the word gay. I started coming across the terms LGBT when I left Malaysia and was living in Australia, where the LGBT+ community is more present and more unapologetic, even though marriage equality wasn't legal at that time, most LGBT+ people were protected by the law and could not be discriminated.

After coming to terms with my own sexuality (and also got exposed in class while I was still figuring myself out), it changes my perspective and how I was more cautious when travelling back to Malaysia during the holidays. The Malaysian government have recently been more active on the topic of LGBT and encourage conversion therapy, even though there are a fair amount of LGBT citizens, most are closeted fearing prosecution or being abandon by their family.

This does not only apply to Malaysia, but there are also many other countries where governments are opposed to the idea of accepting LGBT people. For example, Singapore is a fairly conservative country and culture, although the younger generation is more accepting of it, the law allows the prosecution of LGBT people. The actual prosecution however is small, and not often enforced. This cannot be said for other countries, especially in the Middle East, where strict Islamic law is enforced to every person and they can prosecute anyone who is in their territory.

So, should you be avoiding all countries that can prosecute LGBT people? That depends on the individual and how comfortable they are being in those countries. There will always be risks, but they can be small if managed and planned.

The first step

is to do your research, find out how strictly the law is enforced, and whether there's a high risk of arrest. Some countries may deport foreigners, but some will not, of course depending on the court system but by looking at historical information, it would provide a good picture of how the system works.

The second step

is to get information from other travellers or residents of the country. They will know how safe it is for you to be travelling there. There are forums and groups that are dedicated to travellers, such as the LGBTQ Travel group on Facebook. The people there will be able to paint a better picture and give you invaluable information before you embark on your journey.

The third step

is not putting attention towards you. What does that mean? Well, the very first and obvious thing that people will notice is your clothing. Make sure to dress appropriately and more conservatively if you are used to wearing something much more "interesting" or "fashionable". Also don't hit on guys/gurls anywhere you go, that is definitely putting a big target on your back.

Since we're in the topic of hook up, there have been instances where authorities use fake profile to arrange a hook up and then arrest them at the hotel. It is best to avoid hook up app, but if you decide to go through with it, make sure to take every precaution. Avoid posting your face if possible and try to meet somewhere public, somewhere you have control of and can escape, also that is the safest place since people will not be able to do anything to you in public. Of course there will still be risks, undercover cop and such. Let people you trust know where you are and what you are doing, so that if you do not respond within a certain time, they can alert others and try to locate your whereabouts.

Using VPN for your devices can also avoid authorities from tracking your exact location, in saying that, some wifi may not allow you to use VPN services. Some VPN has the feature to change your GPS location, which will mask the location of your choosing, this is an additional security measure to avoid being detected (also depending on individual devices as not all may allow the masking of location).

If you are travelling with your partner, make sure that you are aware of your surroundings and try not to show affection in public. Anything that happens inside your bedroom would most likely be fine. Show sensitivity towards their culture will go a long way in helping you to travel safely with your partner.

If you have any other good tips, please share it on the comment section below.