Whether you're traveling to an exotic (and hopefully gay-friendly) location here or abroad, these tips will help you make the most of your trip.
1. MEET THE LOCALS
Use
your apps! Grindr, Scruff and Planet Romeo have long been touted as
some of the best gay social networking and meetup (or is it hookup?) apps. But
you can also use them for PG-13 purposes! Create a friendly profile, let people
know you’re a tourist and ask around for local tips, suggestions on the best
bars or little-known tourist sites. There’s also a new gay app out, Distinc.tt, which aims to connect LGBT
individuals in more meaningful ways through events and networking.
2. Visit local drag shows
They’re
not only a great way to connect with the local LGBT community, but the
atmosphere at drag shows is often light-hearted and fun. I’ve been to drag
shows in cities as diverse as Helsinki, Berlin, Bangkok and Jerusalem. People
are talkative at the shows, there’s sometimes even audience interaction and
they’re just generally a lot of fun.
3.
Use filters when searching for hotels
When
booking your accommodation during a trip, especially when traveling with your
partner, many booking sites offer the option to filter results by a number of
different characteristics. I always look out for “gay/LGBT-friendly” because
then I know I’m staying somewhere that’s actively agreed to identify themselves
as gay-friendly, meaning you’re bound to get much less hassle for the dreaded
“two beds or one” question. You can also search for gay-friendly hotels by
looking out for TAG-approved
properties.
4. Book on LGBT-specific websites
One
way to make certain you’re staying in gay-friendly places is to use
LGBT-specific websites for booking, whether it’s hotels (World Rainbow
Hotels) or holiday apartments (EBAB and MisterBNB).
5. Do a bit of research before you go
I’ve
spoken about this countless times, but it’s worth mentioning again and again.
Spend a little bit of time before traveling to a new destination learning
quickly what the LGBT rights issues are. Wikipedia is a great place to start
with their helpful article onLGBT rights by
country, but there are other sites more tailored to gay travel which
might have more accurate information. Your country might even offer LGBT travel
information for travelers in foreign countries (as the USA State
Department does).
6. Go to the gay bars and coffee shops
That’s where
you’ll find flyers, maps of the nearby gay-friendly establishments and local
LGBT information. Plus there’ll be beer. And cocktail happy hours. And
cake. There’s almost always cake.
7. Travel during pride festivals
Gay
pride festivals can be a great reason to travel to a new destination.
And if you’re traveling Europe during the summer, you might even
accidentally stumble upon them. Pride festivals are usually multi-day affairs
and coincide with LGBT film festivals, family-friendly events, pride marches
and music concerts depending upon the human rights situation of
the location. For more information, read why I believe gay pride is so important.
8. Book a gay trip
Companies
like OUT Adventures, Detours and Olivia (for women) sell group tours
targeted for LGBT travelers. I was originally hesitant about the idea, but
after joining an OUT Adventures trip last month to Thailand, I quickly realized
what a great experience these types of trip can be. Traveling with a group of
other LGBT individuals makes a gay holiday that much easier. The guides
are often gay themselves and so can easily point you in the right direction for
local gay nightlife. And knowing that the trip was organized by LGBT travel
specialists means you likely won’t encounter any potentially awkward situations
with hotels or other travel providers. Gay group trips really make for a great
experience and I highly recommend them for LGBT travelers of all ages.
9. Visit LGBT hotspots
There’s
no doubt that some destinations are considered more gay-friendly than others.
And while everyone has their own travel interests, I think you’ll find many of
the more popular LGBT travel hotspots around the world are continually ranked
among the best cities and places to visit—regardless of your sexual
orientation. Cities like Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, NYC and San
Francisco continually make the top of “best LGBT destination” lists — and
that’s because they’re just such big, exciting and (importantly) gay-friendly
places. If you’re looking for authentic travel experiences, you don’t have to
avoid them — they’re just as likely to make for a great trip as other places.
10. Visit unexpected LGBT
destinations
Okay, here I’m going to contradict myself. While the top LGBT travel hotspots can make for great trips, there are also countless cities which might be unexpectedly LGBT-friendly. I’ve stumbled into gay and overtly gay-friendly bars in places as far away as Luanag Prabang (in Laos) and Amman, Jordan. Then there are smaller, perhaps second-tier cities such as Austin, Texas or Stockholm, Sweden which have a lot to offer LGBT tourists.
11. Report any problems
If
you are traveling and do experience harassment, make sure you report it. Local
LGBT organizations will be able to inform you of where and how to report. Many
cities have LGBT centers which offer STD & HIV testing in addition to
volunteers to help with LGBT rights issues.
12. Read gay travel blogs for
inspiration
There
are countless gay travel publications which cover both typical and atypical
LGBT destinations, but sometimes the best advice comes from smaller
publications. Sites likeGay Cities and Out Traveler have useful city guides,
but this list I’ve
made of gay travel blogs contains links to personal travel blogs from writers
big and small.
13. Have fun & be safe!
As
you might imagine, I’m a huge believer in the importance of travel. Seeing new
places, meeting new people and experiencing new things are some of my favorite
reasons for exploring so much of this world of ours. And while LGBT rights
might vary across the world, you don’t have to let that hinder your own travel
experiences. Be safe, trust your instincts and enjoy the world!
reblogged
from: http://travelsofadam.com/2014/06/gay-travel-tips/
