Teaching English as a foreign language abroad has become an extremely popular endeavour among native and native-like speakers of English as a way to travel and live abroad while still getting paid. But what are the best countries to teach in as an LGBT person?
Spain
Apparently the most gay-friendly country in the world, Spain is also a great place to get work teaching English as a foreign language in Europe, especially if you’re an EU citizen, as there are no visa requirements in that case.
Madrid
There is a lot of demand for native speaker teachers in Spain, so you really have your pick of schools and regions to work in if you want to work there. From an LGBT perspective, Spain ticks all the boxes: marriage equality was introduced in 2007, individuals have the right to legally change their gender before surgery, strict anti-discrimination laws are in place to protect the LGBT community and to top it all, Madrid is reportedly home to Europe’s largest pride event.
Taiwan
Taiwan may be one of the most lucrative place to teach English as a foreign language in Asia, meaning it is an increasingly popular choice with native speakers. This in turn means that competition can be high, and trying to land a job before arrival may not be the best way to go about it.
As for LGBT rights in Taiwan it may be one of the best place in Asia too. While there is no marriage equality, there are anti-discrimination laws in place to protect LGBT people and there are also lots of good reasons to visit as a gay traveler.
Thailand
While the reality for LGBT Thais may not be as easy as you might expect from one of Asia’s most gay-friendly country (for example, marriage equality has not been introduced and there are no anti-discrimination laws), there is little to no violence against the LGBT community and, at least in urban areas, openly same-sex couples and transgender people are broadly accepted and generally do not draw unwanted attention. (Source)
Bangkok
Teaching work is also relatively easy to come by, and while salaries are not as high as in some other Asian countries (like South Korea or Japan, for example), there is still a lot of demand for native speakers, meaning you can be reasonably picky.
Argentina
As Latin America’s first country to introduce marriage equality, Argentina is well known as one of the forerunners in LGBT rights in the Americas, and the capital, Buenos Aires, is arguably the gay capital of South America.
There is of course the tricky point of the failing economy and black market for currency meaning it may not be the best place to legally teach English in order to earn decent money. Word of mouth and personal recommendation is king in Argentina, so getting in touch with potential employers before arriving may be a waste of time; better to turn up and look for work.
