How Gay Travel is Different ?

In an effort to expand the site, I’ve been adding more guest contributors and, today, I’m announcing a LGBT column for the website. In this column, we will hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and, overall, advice for other LGBT travelers get the most out of their time on the road!

So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce everyone to Niky, He’s going to be the lead for this column (though we’ll shortly have writings from other voices in the community too!).

“Gay” travel can be an awkward topic for many, mostly because to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) is really to be a part of an incredibly diverse group of people. There are gay families who travel, solo gay travelers (like myself), solo lesbian travelers, ones who travel for festivals or nightlife or honeymoons, those that take cruises or splurge on luxury trips, and ones who rough it camping and backpacking in faraway places.

And just like every other type of traveler, we travel for our own personal reasons. Every aspect of what makes us unique also contributes to how, where, and why we travel. I travel because I love to travel, and I just happen to be gay.

That’s not to say I don’t also travel gay. Sometimes my sexuality also influences the how, why, and where I choose to visit a place. For example, I chose Berlin because I’d heard it was a gay hot spot, and I purposefully timed my trip to visit during the city’s annual gay pride celebrations, the Christopher Street Day parade — a time when I knew there’d be plenty of gay parties to attend and guys to meet. I was looking for a gay holiday (a gaycation, if you will), and I found it. Glitter and all.

But what does LGBT travel really mean?

It’s about safety, it’s about comfort, it’s about politics. But it’s also about welcoming events, friendly accommodation Sewa Bus Pariwisata, and having fun with similar travelers.

The issues that LGBT travelers face are different than other travelers. To travel as a solo gay guy (hi!) is different than traveling as a lesbian couple or as a transgender person. There are different festivals and events, different meet-ups — and different reasons to worry.

There are still plenty of places around the world where being gay isn’t safe, nor is it comfortable — for locals or for tourists. But that doesn’t mean traveling as an LGBT individual is always dangerous. It’s frequently just a matter of having to know where and when one can disclose one’s sexuality through words or actions, and also the dangers or consequences (if any) for doing so. This is something straight people or opposite-sex couples almost never have to think about.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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