Shifting Countries, Shifting Identities? Oral History and Lesbian and Gay Migration to Australia

Abstract

Sexuality has been an underexplored element of migration history, within Australia and transnationally. For lesbian and gay migrants, leaving one country for another can bring both challenges and rewards. Oral history provides a unique means of interrogating this subject. This chapter deploys four in-depth oral histories conducted as part of the “Australian Lesbian and Gay Life Stories” oral history project in collaboration with the National Library of Australia to investigate the meanings and experiences of migration to Australia for men and women who identify as gay or lesbian. The interviews selected allow for a greater consideration of intersections surrounding gender, race and sexuality. Does the mobility of migration enable lesbian and gay individuals an opportunity to reshape their sexual subjectivities?