The U.S. State Department Has a Special Message For Gay Travelers

Earlier this week, I posted about Spartacus’s annual Gay Travel Index, which rates countries on their gay-friendliness according to a whole list of criteria, like gay-marriage laws, anti-discrimination policies and whether or not the country has a legit marketing strategy for gay tourists. From that list — and a good dose of common sense — we have a pretty good idea about what destinations to avoid this year, but now the State Department is chiming in with some of its own travel advice on its  LGBT-specific travel information page. The info ranges from tips on what documents LGBTQ families should carry when traveling abroad to policies regarding transgender passports and HIV entry requirements for foreign countries. Other noteworthy tips include:

• Avoid excessive physical displays of affection in public, particularly in more conservative countries or regions
• If you intend to frequent Internet chat rooms or other meeting places, it’s wise to find out about the local situation – police in some countries have been known to monitor such sites and locales with the intention of carrying out entrapment campaigns
• Be wary of new-found “friends” – criminals sometimes exploit the generally open and relaxed nature of the LGBT scene
• If you receive unwelcome attention or unwelcome remarks, it’s usually best to ignore them
• Some resorts or LGBT neighborhoods can be quite segregated. Be aware that local residents may not approve of expressions of sexuality when you are in surrounding areas
• You’re more likely to experience difficulties in rural areas, so exercise discretion
• Some hotels, especially in rural areas, won’t accept bookings from same-sex couples. It’s best to check before you go.

If you made travel plans before seeing this, you can get an idea about your destination’s tolerance of the LGBTQ community on the State Department’s Country Specific Information page, or turn to the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, which is a reliable and well-researched tool that delves even deeper into gay-travel issues than these .gov pages. Happy, safe traveling!

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