By Abhijit Sen, Sex and Sexology

Migration touches roughly 3.7 percent of the world’s population, with society’s regulation of movement and desire deeply entwined [un.org]. Simultaneously, sexuality remains a core axis by which communities confer inclusion or exclusion. An intersectional lens—attending to the interplay of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation—reveals how worlds of movement and desire co‑construct each other. From forced displacement of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers to economic migration of women constrained by sexual morality laws, sexuality both propels migration and is reshaped in transit. This article traces these dynamics historically—from colonial impositions to contemporary globalization—and highlights the persistent hierarchies privileging straight, white, male elites, often at the expense of racialized and queer communities.

Colonial Legacies: Regulating Sex and Subjects

European colonial powers enforced strict sexual hierarchies to assert control over colonized populations. Laws criminalizing same‑sex relations in many former colonies derive directly from Victorian‑era statutes [amnesty.org]. Maria Lugones’s concept of the “coloniality of gender” explicates how European gender norms were imposed on Indigenous peoples, disrupting communal relations and interpreting sexuality through racialized lenses. Women labor migrants under colonial rule—often confined to domestic service—found their sexual autonomy tightly policed; pregnancy outside wedlock, for instance, could prompt immediate expulsion. These colonial controls established patterns: sexual regulation became a tool to delineate worthy from undesirable subjects, reinforcing boundaries of belonging and citizenship.

Sexuality as a Driver of Migration

Persecution and Asylum

Persecution for sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI) constitutes a recognized ground for refugee status under the 1951 Refugee Convention. UNHCR guidelines emphasize that SOGI‑based persecution is grounds for international protection, urging states to apply an age, gender, and diversity approach when assessing claims [emergency.unhcr.org, refworld.org]. Between 2010 and 2020, asylum claims on SOGI grounds increased by over 50 percent in Europe and North America, reflecting both heightened visibility and ongoing discrimination. Many LGBTQ+ individuals flee threats of violence, “corrective” rape, or criminal penalties, seeking environments where their sexual identities can be safely expressed.

Love, Labor, and Livelihood

Beyond asylum, queer love and economic survival can also prompt migration. In Lionel Cantú Jr.’s seminal work on Mexican‑queer migration, men crossed borders not only to escape homophobic violence but also to pursue relationships and community networks unavailable at home. Meanwhile, transgender migrants often relocate to access gender‑affirming healthcare or employment opportunities in more progressive labor markets. For many, the absence of discrimination in host countries’ labor laws is a powerful magnet; restrictive family or inheritance laws tied to sexual morality can leave LGBTQ+ persons economically marginalized, making migration a necessity rather than a choice.

Migration’s Impact on Sexual Identity and Practices

Spaces of Exploration

Crossing borders can catalyze profound shifts in self‑understanding. Diaspora communities often provide “safe spaces” for sexual exploration absent in origin contexts. According to a chapter in Sexuality and Migration, migrants navigate new sexual subcultures—attending pride events, joining support groups, or accessing online platforms—in ways that reconstruct their sexual identities [onlinelibrary.wiley.com]. This renegotiation is not uniform: transnational ties and home‑country pressures can both enable and limit the expression of queer identities, shaping a hybridized sense of self.

Vulnerability and Survival Sex

However, displacement can exacerbate vulnerability. Studies of urban refugees in Beirut and Kampala found that up to 95 percent of transgender women reported engaging in sex work—current or past—as a survival strategy, citing lack of alternative livelihood options [womensrefugeecommission.org]. Such contexts expose migrants to further sexual and gender‑based violence, trafficking, and health risks. Host‑country policies that criminalize sex work only intensify marginalization, pushing LGBTQ+ migrants into unsafe underground economies.

Global North vs. Global South: Ongoing Power Imbalances

Visa Privileges and Exclusions

Contemporary migration regimes continue to favor straight, white, male professionals from affluent nations. Skilled‑worker visas, entrepreneur permits, and family‑reunification pathways often implicitly privilege those with resources and social capital. By contrast, migrants from the Global South—especially women and LGBTQ+ individuals—face barriers in accessing regular pathways. Gulf‑state “kafala” systems, for example, bind predominantly female domestic workers to employers, prohibit sexual activity outside marriage, and criminalize pregnancy, leading to imprisonment and deportation for violations.

Racialized Sexual Hierarchies

Intersectional discrimination intensifies when race, gender, and sexuality intersect. Postcolonial theory highlights how non‑white queer migrants confront layered stereotypes: racialized as hyper‑sexual or morally inferior, they may be denied both refugee protection and social acceptance in host countries. Amnesty International notes that anti-LGBTQ laws in many ex-colonies perpetuate colonial-era racial dominance, disproportionately harming racialized queer communities [amnesty.org].

Contemporary Dynamics: Globalization and Digital Mobilities

Digital Diasporas

The digital age expands migratory imaginaries. Dating and social apps—like Grindr, Hornet, or Tinder—facilitate transnational queer connections, enabling migrants to maintain cross-border relationships and community ties. Digital platforms also serve as informal support networks, offering information on asylum procedures, legal clinics, and healthcare providers in destination countries.

Transnational Activism

Migrant and diaspora LGBTQ+ activists bridge local struggles with global movements. Organizations like the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and Rainbow Railroad campaign for rights of LGBTQ+ refugees, pressuring governments to expand asylum avenues. These transnational networks underscore how migration both disperses and galvanizes queer political solidarities.

Toward Inclusive, Intersectional Policies

Addressing the entanglement of sexuality and migration demands policies that acknowledge layered oppressions. Recommendations include:

• Age‑Gender‑Diversity Assessments: Unpacking how intersecting identities shape persecution risk [emergency.unhcr.org].

• Regular Pathways Expansion: Creating specialized visa categories for SOGI refugees and economic migrants.

• Community‑Based Support: Funding LGBTQ+ refugee-led organizations for culturally competent services.

• Decolonial Legal Reform: Repealing colonial-era anti-LGBTQ statutes and adopting human-rights-centered frameworks.

Only by dismantling the colonial and capitalist legacies that privilege certain bodies and desires can societies foster migration regimes where all—regardless of race, gender, class, or sexuality—find belonging and safety.

Through an intersectional lens, sexuality and migration emerge not as isolated phenomena but as mutually constitutive forces shaped by histories of empire and contemporary global inequalities. By illuminating these entanglements, we move closer to policies and practices that honor the dignity and agency of every migrant, in all their sexual and social diversity.