Traveling for Pride

Traveling for Pride is not new, but it seems to be a lot more popular, or easier to share, now. Pride is a celebration and a party, and a sense of community wherever you are. I love the idea that people want to experience Pride outside of their hometown, but also that they may not have celebrations at home, or even feel safe there, so they go where they can be themselves. 

The LGBTQIA+ community experiences similar discrimination wherever they are, so being able to engage with others is always joyful, celebratory, and has a feeling of understanding. Pride is so accepting and lovely, that I love going to events as an ally. It's one of those atmospheres where I always feel safe in the people around me and I hope that's how everyone feels. 

Outside of Pride celebrations, there are other ways you can learn about the history of Pride when you travel. A few places that are very important to the protest that has gotten us to where we are today:

California

The Black Cat in Los Angeles might sound familiar to you, as it was the site of a peaceful protest of 200 people in 1967; however, the LA area has many other great places to learn about the city's place in Pride history. 

You already know that San Francisco is sort of a gay mecca, but did you know that it also has the world's first official transgender district? I didn't, and I think that's amazing.

Georgia

The Atlanta Eagle bar is a leather bar that has moved locations, but still kept its community and welcoming atmosphere, plus it has officially been declared a landmark as of 2020.

Florida

Despite all the politics and intolerance of the state of Florida right now, it still houses one of the U.S.'s more important museums for Pride history. The World AIDS Museum in Fort Lauderdale. Wilton Manors is next door and is one of the country's most welcoming and LGBTQ-friendly communities. Now you can frequent a bunch of queer-owned businesses and historical sites, but you can also indulge in some of the many Pride events they put on every June. 

Louisiana

New Orleans is known for it's good times and party vibes, so it's no surprise that Pride has it's foothold there, too. Café Lafitte in Exile opened in 1933 and is the oldest continuously-operating gay bar in the U.S. (according to them). 

New York

Stonewall Inn in New York City is the beginning of most people's knowledge of Pride and where it all went down. But it's not the only landmark in New York that's important. Here are 14 other places to visit while you're there.

If you're traveling to New York during the warmer months and hope to get away from the city, there are even quite a few "gay" beaches, so bring your suit and sunscreen and relax at one of these places.

Texas

While religious organizations aren't really known for being that accepting of the LBGTQ+ community, but Dallas's Cathedral of Hope is known as being the largest LGBTQ+-welcoming congregation in the U.S. Their Interfaith Peace Chapel was designed by famous gay architect Philip Johnson.

Before it became known for it's accepting and "weird" reputation, Austin had a small district where the LGBTQ community found a safe space to be themselves and Oilcan Harry's was one such place, known to invest quite a lot in the art of drag, it is the city's longest-running gay bar.

A hotel in Port Aransas known for welcoming everyone, the Seahorse Inn has been a site for activism, art, politics, community, and also leisure and recreation. Not only was Pride a big part of the Seahorse, but you can enjoy the mid-century modern architecture, too. 

I hope this helps you find more Pride in your travels and life in general. We can all use more tolerance, diversity, and rainbows in our world. Do you have a favorite LBGTQ+ business, destination, or event?

The Top LGBTQ-Friendly Destinations

Pride isn't just for June, but it's a great time to give you another overview of the safest and most accepting travel destinations for queer travelers. Whether you're going to immerse yourself in the community and history, or you just want to know that you're not going to be uncomfortable out sightseeing with your significant other or just being yourself. 

Personally, I like to know that I'm spending my travel dollars in more progessive and tolerant places. Knowing that a destination is queer-friendly is a good indication that it's great for solo women travelers, too. I want my money to go to people who have everyone's best interests in mind and are working to make the world a better place for all travelers, because travel is for everybody. 

What are your favorite cities for queer travel, acceptance, and history?

Infographic by me:

New York City, New York - The birthplace of Pride, it has an established scene of gay bars, drag fests, and nightlife. Visit queer landmarks including the Leslie-Lohman Museum of LGBT Art, CubbyHole, & NYC Aids Memorial, then stop at Big Gay Ice Cream.

Amsterdam, Netherlands - A trailblazer in queer history, it’s home to some of the oldest gay rights organizations, was the first country to legalize gay marriage, and even has a (homo)monument to remember those lost in WWII. Get your queer merch and city info from Pink Point, then hit up some of the best queer bars and nightclubs.

Taipei City, Taiwan - The first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, Taipei has cemented itself as one of the best and safest cities for queer travelers. Specifically, the Ximen and Zhongshan neighborhoods are brimming with bars, clubs, and even speakeasies.

San Francisco, California - The home of iconic Harvey Milk, everyone knows the City by the Bay is a haven for queer activity, but did you know they also have the world’s first transgender district? Enjoy the rainbow crosswalks, the Aids Memorial Garden, and colorful murals.

Bangkok, Thailand - Not only is Bangkok known for being very queer-friendly and progressive, it’s also budget-friendly, so you can party and sightsee for less than most destinations. Take in the nightlife, markets, history, and more!

Sydney, Australia - Called a queer capital the world over, Sydney also puts on the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Pride is a BIG deal there. It has the largest collection of queer-owned establishments. You can even head out to Darlinghurst & Surrey Hills for a quieter, rainbow-filled visit.

Barcelona, Spain - Open and accepting to all, the city has it all. Gaixample, the official gayborhood is the heart of the queer community, filled with gay shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as the “hetero-friendly” gay-owned Axel Hotel.

Reykjavik, Iceland - In 2009, the first openly-gay Prime Minister was elected. Already one of the safest cities for women and solo travelers, Reykjavik became a safe haven for queer travelers, too. Pride sees 100K visitors and Rainbow Reykjavik celebrates the nature of Iceland over 3-10 days.

Berlin, Germany - With a long history of LGBTQ community, you can learn about the city’s queer story at the Schwules Museum, see a queer show at House of Presents, pay your respects to those persecuted at The Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism, and choose a safe hotel from the Pink Pillow Collection.

Free Road Trip Stops

I'm a road trip girlie. I have been road tripping my whole life, so even on short trips, I look into all the places I could stop along the way. Earlier this month, we were going to an engagment party for a cousin in Vegas, but decided to fly in and out of Burbank to visit my uncle. We were going to rent a car anyway, so this was the perfect blend of fly and drive trip to me.

Now, you already know that I am an expert at finding roadside stops, from using AAA guidebooks before the internet, to using Google Maps now, if there's a cool place to stop, I'll find it. 

We've driven between Los Angeles and Vegas before, so we thought there probably weren't too many things we may have missed, but apparently that's not true. Knowing that, you can imagine how many cool things there are along any route wherever you're driving. One of my favorite things is an outdoor museum or sculpture park.

Sometimes you know a thing is there, because you've driven past it so many times. Sometimes you find out about it from Google or a blog post. Sometimes you just see it from the highway and figure out where to get off to look at it. Here are some cool places we've seen on road trips:

Liberty Sculpture Park - Yermo, CA

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Jacob Two Trees the Troll - Issaquah, WA

The Sunsphere - Knoxville, TN

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Goldwell Open Air Museum - Goldwell, NV

The Original Del Taco - Yermo, CA

International Car Forest - Goldfield, NV

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Bravo Farms - Traver, CA

Seven Magic Mountains - Las Vegas, NV

Old Tonopah Cemetery - Tonopah, NV

Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial - Goldendale, WA

Mine Heritage Exhibition - Wallace, ID

There are so many cool little places to stop when you road trip, and a lot of them are free! There's a whole botanical garden in Southern Oregon along I-5 that I want to visit on another trip down. Free is a good price, and it helps to break up the monotony of a road trip and lets you stretch your legs without having to be at a rest area or a place to eat. Sometimes, you even learn some stuff!

What's your favorite roadside attraction?