Since the PCCA is home to\u00a0 personal collections for over 200 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RCPVs), I have reason to believe that at least a few identify within the LGBT+ community. Yet, even if I were to find traces of homosexuality or transgender experiences, it feels unethical to disclose personal information without the donor’s permission.<\/p>\n
That said,\u00a0 I poked around online and found quite a few Peace Corps groups that offered guidance and support to LGBT+ volunteers, as well as blog posts written by LGBT RPCVs.<\/p>\n
![\"Julie](\"https:\/\/media.giphy.com\/media\/qH3n13KWYgM9i\/giphy.gif\")
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, 2004.<\/p><\/div>\n
In this belated\u00a0LGBT+ history month post, I want to formally request Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Asexual RPCVs (From 1961 to present-day) to consider donating their materials to the PCCA so that we can represent a vast array of PCV experiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n I would also like to emphasize the incredible work of Jim Kelly and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Association<\/a>, while touching on the milestones of LGBT+ Peace Corps history.<\/p>\n In many countries around the world, identifying openly (or \u201ccoming out of the closet\u201d) as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender is illegal. In others\u2014including the United States\u2014 LGBT+ continue to face discrimination, violence, and even death. Those who appear to fit into the heterosexual societal expectations of gender and sexuality incur the trauma of loneliness and shame from the lack of recognition and acceptance for who they are. LGBT+ Peace Corps Volunteers often have to choose between the call to \u201cpromote world peace and friendship\u201d and their own mental or physical health.<\/p>\n When Kennedy created the Peace Corps in 1961, the organization\u2019s stance on homosexuality corresponded with that of the United States federal government. During the 1950s and \u201860s, the United States collectively feared Communist spies. Government agencies rooted out potential security breaches, focusing largely on anyone suspected of being a homosexual.<\/p>\n In this cultural environment, RCPV Jim Kelly applied for the Peace Corps. Kelly recounts the application process and facing the survey question: \u201cAre you a homosexual?\u201d<\/p>\n For a young gay man in the 1960s, his only option was to commit perjury\u2014and convince all of his friends to lie as well. While he enjoyed his service in El Salvador, Kelly mentioned feeling anxious of discovery and lonely for a community supportive of his true self.<\/p>\n Listen to Kelly\u2019s 2017 interview at OUTSpoken in Chicago:<\/p>\n\n Fast forward to 1992, Kelly completed a master\u2019s thesis called \u201cHidden dimensions of diversity: gays and lesbians in the Peace Corps,\u201d where he interviewed 80 RPCVs and recommended widespread institutional changes to the Peace Corps. Kelly\u2019s study was foundational to initiating worldwide conversations around sexual orientation and gender identity within the organization.<\/p>\n The National Peace Corps Association currently encourages LGBT+ applicants and same-sex couples to serve abroad. Considerably more resources and support systems are available to volunteers during their time overseas, however individual experiences vary depending on the person and social climate of the country. Presently, the Peace Corps <\/span>reports 18 countries with medical clearances to support HIV+ volunteers and allows applicants to choose specific countries of service.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Do you identify as a LGBTQ+ Peace Corps Volunteer? The PCCA is interested in preserving your materials and understanding how your identities shaped your service. We accept both digital and physical blogs, journals, correspondence, videos, photographs, training materials, and more! Reach out to us at archives@american.edu.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDiversity and Inclusion<\/a>\u201d Peace Corps Preparing to Volunteer in Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n An example of policies posted by the Peace Corps regarding LGBTQ experiences in certain countries.<\/p>\n James B. Kelly \u201cDiversity\u2019s Hidden Dimension: Gays and Lesbians in the Peace Corps<\/a>\u201d, 1991<\/p>\n Kelly\u2019s thesis for his master\u2019s degree at Antioch University in Illinois. He conducts a series of interviews with LGBTQ RCPVs from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and then offers various recommendations for improvement to the Peace Corps.<\/p>\n Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Association<\/a>:<\/p>\n The organization was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1991 and continues to \u201cprovide information about the LGBT experience in Peace Corps for members of our community who are considering Peace Corps service.\u201d\u00a0 The WordPress website features articles written by current and past PCVs, LGBTQ Resources, and programs to sponsor mentors.<\/p>\n Manuel Col\u00f3n, \u201cBreaking Barriers: How RPCVs Advocate for LGBTQ Volunteers Here and Overseas<\/a>,\u201d October 1, 2019.<\/p>\n Manuel Col\u00f3n, the National Coordinator for the Steering Committee for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Returned Peace Association, briefly introduces the history of LGBTQ people within the Peace Corps. He expands on the recent\u2014and not so recent\u2014incidents involving policies against accepting HIV+ volunteers. Col\u00f3n also highlights the mission of the LGBT RPCV organization to recruit and support LGBT volunteers.<\/p>\n Manuel Col\u00f3n, Hidden Dimensions of Diversity: Gays and Lesbians in the Peace Corps<\/a>, 2015.<\/p>\n Col\u00f3n interviews Jim Kelly about his experience in the Peace Corps and writing his dissertation.<\/p>\nA Brief LGBT+ History of the Peace Corps<\/h3>\n
\nFor further reading:<\/p>\n