I'm leaving tonight for a Minnesota-North Dakota trip. These mark my 48th and 49th states, leaving only Hawaii, where I'm headed later this summer! Stay tuned for my thoughts on North Dakota and a race update. If you're new here, I'm kayaking alongside a friend who is a competitive open water swimmer on the longest swim race in North America 😬
Hot Takes on Queer News
At this year’s virtual Travel Unity Summit, there was plenty of inspiring talk about inclusion, DEI, accessibility, and how political travel should get in times when who gets to travel, where and how have become politicized for us.
These are the kind of questions I nerd out about all the time, and I was excited to listen in. I even got salty in the group chat when it came to LGBTQ+ inclusion!
The talk of inclusivity hit all the right notes — until we got to the part where some DMOs are quiet quitting the LGBTQ+ community under pressure from conservative governments.
These are destinations who say, “We still support the LGBTQ+ community. We just can’t say that out loud right now. Not even the LGB part.” Or, “We had to remove LGBTQ+ from our website but we promise, we’re still doing the work.”
Basically - "Everyone’s welcome here, so we took away the special invitation to you folks. Because you’re included in ‘everyone.’ Right?" 🤦♂️
On one hand, I get it.
Industry context: DMOs are tied to state and government infrastructure. They rely on hotel taxes, government subsidies, state officials with Very Big Feelings about rainbow flags and bathroom signage to fund their operation.
So the pressure they're feeling to dial it down is very real - I'm not trying to minimize this.
But here's the thing: Queer people don’t want to go back in the closet just because you got nervous.
We’re savvy consumers. We’re loyal. And we take note when our allies disappear, whether that's Target pulling Pride merch off shelves, Florida tourism taking down their LGBTQ+ travel website or a small, formerly-inclusive city pulling some queer erasure when it's no longer convenient to wave the rainbow flag.
If we are welcome, then just say it. Like, actually say it.
As Ed Salvato put it:
“I think you can get away with it, but I think a lot of your travelers are going to say, ‘What the hell? There’s something missing here.’”
(This is the point where I went all-caps in the comments)
That “something missing” is called specificity.
It’s never been about slapping a rainbow on your homepage in June. It’s about showing up consistently, in word and action, across campaigns, platforms, and policies.
Queer travelers pay attention — not just to where we feel celebrated, but where we are being strategically sidelined. We notice marketing that feels vague, sanitized, or like a diversity checkbox exercise. And while we once might have been content for scraps, now we know better.
Smart destinations aren’t going quiet. They’re not hedging on principles. They’re sticking to their values and showing up even when it’s uncomfortable. The best ones, like Marriott are pointing to their history, telling the story that this is how they've always been.
And guess what? That lands. Those are the communities that are going to win our trust now — and our vacation business for years to come.
This is bigger than travel. Just like we’re punishing Target for caving under pressure and walking back LGBTQ+ support, destinations that waffle are going to take a hit.
Target’s lost market share. Costco, meanwhile, doubled down on DEI and is gaining ground.
Bottom line: Some destination marketing organizations are ditching the DEI language to appease politicians. They're claiming that everyone's welcome, but that isn't cutting it with LGBTQ+ travelers. We deserve better, we know it, and the DMOs that show they get it will win our business, just like Costco vs. Target.
New posts
While I'm updating some older posts to reflect [these times], I'm sharing some old favorites. If you haven't read these much-loved posts yet, check them out.
Plus in honor of Pride month, here's a fun BONUS that I wrote for the now-defunct Yes Magazine earlier this month on the power of boycotts for queer liberation.
When midwinter sets in and it’s cold and dark by 4 pm on the East Coast, I crave a vacation. I tend to want to go somewhere I can be active, since I’m cooped up in my house. I want somewhere warm and sunny. The most logical place for folks in the Northeast is the Caribbean. Each time I plan a trip to the Caribbean, I make sure I pick an island where I can really relax. That means an LGBTQ-friendly island where we can be ourselves without worry of discrimination. These 11 destinations have deserved reputations for being the most LGBTQ friendly Caribbean islands.
Outdoor gear is expensive. So when we’re putting a good chunk of change down on needed equipment, why not support brands with track records of standing up for equality?
The 10 brands listed here have all taken action in direct support of LGBTQIA lives.
They go beyond Pride month merchandise and donate money directly to LGBTQ-led organizations. They’ve made statements of support on gay marriage and trans rights. They recognize the ways LGBTQ folks have historically been made to feel unwelcome and unsafe outdoors, and they’re working for change.
Boycotts Are Back: Queer Travelers Fight Bigotry With Their Wallets
At a time when our government is denying the existence of trans people, erasing trans rights and generally undoing the progress made toward LGBTQ+ equality in the U.S., boycotts are an outlet for collective anger and a means of fighting bigotry.
LGBTQ+ history is filled with powerful stories of queer and trans people advocating for our rights by using every tool available, whether it’s seeking justice through the legal system or pushing back against police violence—yes at Stonewall, but also at Compton's Cafeteria and the hundreds of other, lesser-known protests that came before
