What exactly is “gay travel?”
Incidentally, it looks a lot like “straight” travel, in that no matter where we land on the infinite spectrum of the rainbow — gay, lesbian, trans, non-binary, queer, and everything inbetween — we all just want to create incredible memories, eat like a local, and see awe-inspiring sites. The world is a big place, and we want to find our place in it, too.
Of course, travel is political — some countries and locales can be unwelcoming to our LGBTQ+ brethren, and as such, there’s an added layer of planning. Whether traveling with your gaggle or your partner, worrying about a country’s reception of your identity can cast a pall before you even get there. Are there safe neighborhoods? Will a house rental host kick you out once they find out you’re LGBTQ+? Does the government offer protections for queer people? Where does a gay person find a decent party in this town, anyway?
If you’re wondering how best to spend your rainbow dollars, we’ve gathered together a list of our favorite destinations where the locals are just as quick to ignore your LGBTQ+ status as they are to welcome you. These places not only show their pride, they embrace it, with sympathetic laws protecting LBGTQ+ people, raucous gayborhoods, and warm locals, gay or straight.
