Issue #8: What if LGBTQ Travel Didn’t Start With Fear?

WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN THIS ISSUE:

• A reflection on the invisible mental load queer travellers carry

• The fear vs freedom planning mindset

• 3 tips for easing into more ease

• Your take: how do you navigate it?

Start planning with joy, not warnings.

We still check the ILGA map and LGBTQ+ forums, but we open Google Maps first. We dream a little. We imagine where we might hike, eat, watch the sun rise.

Then we filter for safety. That small reordering helps more than you’d think.
Maybe it’s simply not having to code-switch for three days straight.

This isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about being prepared. It’s the invisible labour we carry before we’ve even packed a bag — a mental load that straight travellers often don’t have to think about.

And it shapes everything: the destinations we choose, the activities we avoid, even how we carry ourselves once we get there.

We’ve learned to scan booking platforms for rainbow flags or “LGBTQ+ friendly” badges. We read between the lines of TripAdvisor reviews.

Furthermore, we search for subtle clues in travel vlogs. And often, we settle — not for the place we most want to go, but for the place that feels safest. Or safest enough.

Quick Tips for the Journey

1. Name the fear. If you’re asking, “Will we be safe?” — say it out loud. It gives the question less power.

2. Set filters early. Use LGBTQ+ affirming apps, reviews, and community blogs upfront — it reduces decision fatigue later.

3. Let the trip breathe. Every moment doesn’t have to be optimised. Give yourself space to land and feel things out.

Plan for emotional safety, too.

Some places are technically safe, but feel performative or alienating. Others are low-key, not marketed to us at all but feel surprisingly warm. Trust your gut. Choose energy over aesthetics.

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for queer travel. And yes, fear will probably show up sometimes especially when we’re exploring somewhere new. But we get to choose whether fear is the engine or just the passenger.

Let’s build our itineraries around what makes us feel most like ourselves not just what makes us invisible.

Because adventure should feel like expansion, not contraction.
And safety should be a given, not a trade-off for joy.

Use real community experiences, not just lists.

Instead of generic “most gay-friendly cities” lists, we look for blog posts or Instagram stories by queer folks who’ve actually been there recently.

That lived experience is gold and it’s more nuanced than a rating system.

The point is presence. Not productivity.