LGBTQ migration, social isolation and distress: Liberation, care and loneliness

Overview: ‘Pathways between LGBTQ migration, social isolation and mental distress’, is a research project that ran from September 2020 – September 2022. It was a collaboration between researchers from the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender at the University of Brighton and the Brighton-based LGBTQ mental health charity, MindOut. The research was funded by UK Research and Innovation via the Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network, hosted at University College London.
The project aimed to understand the significance of LGBTQ people’s migration histories and how they shape their experiences of mental health, loneliness/belonging and social isolation/inclusion. The project looked at both international and intra-national displacement and relocation, where sexuality and/or gender identity were factors in the move to Brighton. This report presents the findings from this project, which were collected through in-depth interviews and creative methods. These included the participants annotating maps of Brighton and drawing representations of their migratory journeys.