There are some places in the world that are well known for being friendly towards LGBT people, but some of our favourites are lesser known. Let’s take a look at our favourite LGBT destinations of 2016.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Denmark was the first nation to recognise same sex partnerships, and the home of the first openly gay bar, Centralhjornet. When staying in Copenhagen, lots of accommodation is completely gay friendly. It also has a calendar filled with LGBT events.
How to get there: You can get affordable return flights to Copenhagen with Ryanair.
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, the slightly lesser known cousin of Los Angeles, has long been known (jokingly!) as ‘the gay retirement village’ for Californians. Aside from this, it has the largest selection of male/female only accommodation in America, and clothing is optional. It also has a great gay nightlife.
How to get there: Did someone say roadtrip? Palm Springs is two hours drive from LA. Fly to LA with British Airways.
New Zealand
New Zealand was the first place to adopt the ‘lesbian/gay friendly’ label for its accommodation and businesses back in 1998. The country also makes an effort to actively promote same sex marriage tourism to other countries. It also has one of the most diverse LGBT event calendars, with Gay Ski Week in Queenstown in July a highlight.
How to get there: You may have to stopover in Australia en route, but you can fly with Emirates.
Toronto, Canada
The Village is the ‘queer hub’ of Toronto with theatres, galleries and lots of gay oriented businesses. Toronto also hosts many LGBT events such as the Pride March, Dyke March and Pride Week. The city is the home of the world’s first gay-focused athletic centre. If you go in time for Halloween, make sure to go to the Halloween block party which is less vampires and mummies, more Lady Gaga and Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
How to get there: Fly with the Canadian airline Westjet.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is one of the most gay friendly cities in the world. It’s gay history dates back to the 1920s. Three of its districts are famous for their gay friendly clubs ,bars and restaurants. The city also has a world famous Gay Pride march as well as the lesser known ‘Easter Fetish Week’.
How to get there: Fly with Easyjet.
Sitges, Spain
Sitges was the home of the first gay disco back in the 1980s. Since then, it has become one of Europe’s ‘big four’ destinations for LGBT travellers, alongside Gran Canaria, Ibiza and Mykonos. There are many stretches of clothing optional beaches to tan yourself on.
How to get there: The closest airport to Sitges is Barcelona, so find the cheapest flight then hire a car for the short journey with Hertz.
New York City
New York is an important destination for LBGT travellers as it is the place which sparked the birth of the modern gay rights movement. In 1969, there was riots in Greenwich Village between oppressed homosexuals and the police, after the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar which catered to LGBT people. These riots are the reason Gay Pride events are held around the world. Besides that, New York is also the home of some of the world’s most famous LGBT landmarks such as the Harvey Milk School and Christopher Street.
How to get there: Fly to New York directly with Virgin Atlantic.
Mykonos/Skiathos
Skiathos and Mykonos have long been popular with LGBT holidaymakers. The latter has been a destination of choice for gay men since the 1970’s and is a very glamorous spot. Skiathos is a little more relaxed, for a low key authentic Greek experience. In Mykonos, the Elysium hotel caters exclusively to gay men.
How to get there: Easyjet offers flights to Mykonos where you can island hop to Skiathos.
Antwerp, Belgium
Antwerp is the largest city in Belgium, with many gay bars. LGBT rights in Belgium have also been described as the most progressive in Europe after the country was amongst the first to legalise same sex marriage and adoption. Antwerp also has a large LGBT monument near the train station which lights up each night with the Pride flag.
How to get there: You can get a flight to Antwerp direct from London City Airport.
Reykjavik, Iceland
This year, Reykjavik will host its 18th Gay Pride March, one of the oldest in Europe. In September, the city will host the ‘Bears on Ice’ social meet, for men, to introduce them to Reykjavik’s gay scene. Iceland is another country where LGBT rights are very progressive, with same sex marriage legalised in 2010.
How to get there: Easyjet flies directly to Reykjavik.
Sadly, some countries are still way behind on LGBT rights, so here’s where to avoid:
- Uganda- There is a bill to make homosexuals face life in prison and this could become law at any time.
- Russia- Here, it’s illegal to educate children about ‘non-traditional relationships’.
- Malaysia- There are laws against cross dressing here, and guidance on how to spot ‘symptoms’ of homosexuality.
- Jamaica- Some popular musicians here write songs with hateful homophobic lyrics.
- India- India reversed legislation which decriminalised homosexuality.
- Nigeria- In some areas, homosexuality is punishable by death.
- Ukraine- Ukraine is considering putting in place the same anti-gay laws as Russia.
- Turkey & Latin America- These areas have a high number of transgender murders.
