“ It felt like walking in the dark ”

A Collaborative Autoethnography on the Challenges of Conducting LGBTQ+ Research in Southeast Asia

Bibliographic Data

ID19217035
AuthorsMuhamad Alif Bin Ibrahim (0000-0002-9849-5413, National University of Singapore, corresponding author), A H G Pamoso (0000-0001-9335-8914, Australian National University), Quynh Truong (0009-0003-0685-7662, University of California System), Jun Wei Liow (0000-0002-3140-1144, Sunway University), Junix Jerald I Delos Santos (0000-0003-0452-3987, Ateneo de Manila University), Rattanakorn Ratanashevorn (0000-0003-3855-6760, Lewis & Clark College), Timo T Ojanen (0000-0002-6477-043X, Thammasat University), Nay Lin Htike (Independent researcher), Lita Widyo Hastuti (Soegijapranata Catholic University), Andrian Liem (0000-0002-1746-7235, Monash University Malaysia), K K H Tan (0000-0001-6831-7045, University of Waikato)
Year2026
Pages1-26
Publication date2026-05-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Homosexuality (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0091-8369 • E-ISSN: 1540-3602
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00918369.2026.2676172
PMID42171408
OpenAlexW7162105910
LanguageEN
References cited36

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

Autoethnography · Ethnography · Nature versus nurture · Politics · Qualitative research · Queer · Reflexivity · Southeast asia · Thematic analysis · African Sexualities and LGBTQ+ Issues · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics

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