SAN FRANCISCO — Dr. Molly Merryman felt confident she was making a sound choice in a male colleague to accompany an LGBT study-abroad group to Greece last spring.
The colleague had chaperoned another study-abroad group while employed at another institution, prior to joining Kent State University, where Merryman is a longtime associate professor in sociology. Furthermore, the man is openly gay.
“He was nowhere to be found,” she said dryly, referring to her colleague and fellow traveler.
For instance, the students relied on Merryman and another Kent State faculty chaperone for support and reassurance during airport security checks that all passengers must undergo, which included patdowns. Because the student travelers were separated into two lines, Merryman looked around for her male colleague — only to learn that once he had passed the security check, he strolled off.
Then, when they reached their sleeping quarters in Greece, the staff at the front desk issued only one key per room — even though each room was housing multiple Kent State students. When Merryman sought out her male colleague for suggestions — figuring his previous study-abroad travels included bridging different cultures — she discovered he had left the group again.
So, whenever educators organize a study-abroad group for LGBT constituents, “make sure to vet everyone carefully,” Merryman said, referring to chaperones and partnering organizations domestically and abroad. “There isn’t much literature about this subject among study-abroad programs overall, and not everyone will respect the sensitivities of LGBT students.”
