Security for LGBT Peace Corps Volunteers

-Mike Learned, Editor

Last year the Dayton Daily News ran a week long series on security problems in the Peace Corps. It was a carefully researched and linked group of reports that went back many years and included interviews from many former volunteers who had experienced various forms of crime and violence during their Peace Corps assignments, mostly from local people. A few of the examples described in the series involved violence against a volunteer by another. There were objections from both Peace Corps and many former volunteers that the series was not balanced; that it did not portray an accurate view of the Peace Corps experience. The series also resulted in congressional hearings about the “problem” and Peace Corps’ plans to address these issues of crime and violence against volunteers overseas.

A good friend of mine lives not far from Dayton and subscribes to the Dayton Daily News. I asked him to save the series for me. One Sunday morning I spent three or four hours reading the entire series all the way through. I thought it was a good piece of journalism, and did what the News’ editor stated as the newspaper’s purpose: to document long-standing problems regarding the security of Peace Corps volunteers and to call for improvement of safety and security policies for volunteers. As I read through many troubling stories that described the murder, rape, beatings, robbery and burglary of volunteers, I looked for information that might identify some victims as lesbian or gay. There was nothing explicit that would identify any of the volunteers chronicled or interviewed as gay. If there was one demographic group among volunteers that seemed particularly vulnerable, at least as described in the series, it was young heterosexual women, often living alone in troubling urban environments or remote rural areas.

Particularly since 9/11, Peace Corps Director, Gaddi Vasquez, and his management team have stressed a volunteer security agenda. The Director has spoken of the importance of volunteer security throughout his tenure. Peace Corps has initiated security policy change and enacted new country evacuation plans that have been used over the last three years. Almost all of the examples in the newspaper series of poor security and its consequences described instances that occurred before 9/11/01.

Over the years, as LGB RPCV Group Leader and Newsletter Editor, I have heard stories, often second-hand, of gay or lesbian volunteers who have experienced violence of some sort, or intimidation and/or discrimination from local people because of their sexual orientation. My overall impression, based on my limited knowledge is that lesbian and gay volunteers experience no greater degree of safety and security problems than other volunteers, but I simply don’t know whether my perceptions reflect what actually happens. Until recently Peace Corps did not keep track of “hate” crimes committed against volunteers, acts committed particularly when the race or sexual orientation of the volunteer was a factor. It is my understanding that Peace Corps is now doing this.

LGBT volunteers are always coping with issues of sexuality in the communities in which they serve. Most decide to remain quite discrete about their sexual orientation, usually confiding in only a few trusted host nationals. In recent years Peace Corps diversity training has included gay and lesbian volunteers as part of Peace Corps’ diverse family, and there are a number of LGBT Peace Corps volunteer support groups around the world.
On March 30, four congressmen introduced H.R. 4060, a piece of legislation that addresses many of the issues revealed in the Dayton Daily News series and subsequent hearings. It would amend the Peace Corps Act to establish an Ombudsman and an Office of Security of the Peace Corps and for other related purposes. It is titled “Health, Safety and Security of Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2004.” I have read through the seven or so pages of the bill, and find its provisions reasonable and in many cases obviously needed.

LGBT applicants and invitees often ask our organization about issues of acceptance, tolerance, discrimination and violence towards LGBT volunteers in different parts of the world. Our archived articles on the Articles page of our web site (www.lgbrpcv.org) and the several years of newsletters available on the Newsletter page describe the experiences of dozens of lesbian and gay volunteers serving over the years throughout the world. Applicants and invitees using our Mentor Program usually ask their mentors specific questions about safety and security. Such questions also appear on the LGB RPCV and LGB RPCV Washington, D.C. listservs. On the other hand, our newsletter and web site have described only a few instances of violence or overt discrimination against LGBT volunteers.

I would like to run an article or articles in future issues of the newsletter (next one is August 04) that specifically address the safety and security issues of LGBT volunteers. So I’m asking readers to contact me with experience, stories, observations, which would paint a picture of the real world out there. You can email your contact information or observations to Mike Learned at lgbrpcv-news@lgbrpcv.org.