Originally published here.

Recent human rights movement has engendered significant changes in the political and social landscape for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) people around the globe. Given this nascent international shift in attitude, this chapter aims to provide an overview of career issues emerging from recent literature and global events. In particular, this chapter endeavors to address issues of career adaptability, employability, and resilience for LGBT individuals related to (a) equality and workplace climate, (b) international migration and intersectional identities, and (c) identity and career development for LGBT youths, from an international perspective. Implications for research, practice, and training are discussed within each section, and the chapter ends with summative suggestions for future directions.

The field of LGBT career counseling has made vast strides over the past three decades, in both research and practice. In this chapter, we reviewed current events and literature to facilitate a better understanding of LGBT career issues in the present day global village. As we delve deeper into the complex experiences of LGBT identities to empower our clients, we must concurrently de- and reconstruct the rhetoric of a single “gay”or “lesbian”narrative, and expand our horizon with an open mind. To truly understand the career lives of LGBT individuals, we must seek to understand and integrate the various cultural contexts and international environments that impact them, as well as the policies and political realities that shape their world. With this knowledge, we will be better prepared to gain insight and offer compassion for our clients’struggles, reinforce our clients’existing strengths, and promote career adaptability throughout their lifespan.

You can read the complete articel here.

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