Transnational Migration and Family Formation of Sexual Minorities

A Case Study of Korean Female Migrants

Abstract

This study is intended to elucidate the influence of sexual orientation on international migration and urban spaces using a case study of female sexual minority migrants from South Korea. In the era of globalization, discriminatory social norms and repression against sexual minorities can cause them to migrate to countries where same-sex marriage is legalized or equivalent systems are in place. These migrants consider factors such as the possibility of family formation with same-sex partners, their careers, long-term stay visas or permanent residency status, language, culture, climate, and other preferences. As a result, they strategically plan and conduct transnational migration, settling in major metropolitan areas of Global North countries, where they experience a legal and social environment that is friendlier to family formation and human rights.

However, these destination cities are home not only to sexual minority migrants but also to heterosexual migrants, who bring social norms from their home countries. Consequently, these destination cities become complex hubs where migrantsʼ human networks and values intersect on multiple levels. In essence, the dual effects of transnational migration, namely, individual sexual liberation and new relationships between sending countries and destination cities, drive social and spatial changes in the host society.