Bin Ibrahim, Muhamad Alif, Pamoso, Aron Harold G., Truong, Quynh, Liow, Jun Wei, Santos, Junix Jerald I. Delos, Ratanashevorn, Rattanakorn, Ojanen, Timo T., Htike, Nay Lin, Hastuti, Lita Widyo, Liem, Andrian, and Tan, Kyle (2026) "It felt like walking in the dark": A Collaborative Autoethnography on the Challenges of Conducting LGBTQ+ Research in Southeast Asia. Journal of Homosexuality. (In Press)

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Abstract

The extant literature has shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities face considerable barriers in pursuing higher education and achieving their academic aspirations. To date, a critical gap remains in scholarly understandings of the enablers and barriers faced by researchers conducting LGBTQ+ research in Southeast Asia (SEA). This study aims to illuminate the challenges of conducting LGBTQ+ research in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. As researcher-participants in this study, we conducted a Collaborative Autoethnography, critically reflecting on our work and research with LGBTQ+ communities across these SEA countries. Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Through four themes, we illustrated the significant barriers encountered as we navigated the social, legal, and political contexts of SEA societies and academia. The neoliberal Western gaze in SEA academia further compounded these challenges. We grappled with how to garner trust from and represent our respective LGBTQ+ communities in our research. We also faced threats that negatively impacted our overall well-being. Our study underscores the urgency of creating safe spaces for LGBTQ+ researchers and their communities to collaborate on meaningful research agendas and interventions. Collaborative, multisectoral partnerships from various stakeholders can nurture an equity and social justice-based LGBTQ+ research agenda in the region.

Item ID:	91993
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1540-3602
Keywords:	LGBTQ+ researchers; LGBTQ+ research; Southeast Asia; ASEAN; LGBTQ+ in Southeast Asia; diversity, equity, and inclusion; autoethnography
Copyright Information:	This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
Projects and Grants:	Southeast Asian Indigenous Psychology (SEAIP) Network Seed Grant 2024
Date Deposited:	16 Jun 2026 02:17
FoR Codes:	44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4410 Sociology > 441004 Social change @ 50% 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5205 Social and personality psychology > 520501 Community psychology @ 25% 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4410 Sociology > 441006 Sociological methodology and research methods @ 25%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280123 Expanding knowledge in human society @ 50% 13 CULTURE AND SOCIETY > 1399 Other culture and society > 139999 Other culture and society not elsewhere classified @ 50%
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