In Florida, all queer content has been removed from the official tourism website: the most beautiful gay beaches, the best pride events. Do they no longer want to see queer travelers there?
“If someone goes on a trip, then he has something to tell,” the German poet Matthias Claudius once wrote. And if someone who belongs to the LGBTIQ community goes on a trip, then he or she should think carefully about where the trip should take them. Or not?
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For example, all queer content has just been deleted from the official tourism website of the US state of Florida. Previously, the website listed the most beautiful gay beaches and named the best Pride events, but now it seems that queer travelers no longer want to be in Florida. This continues the conservative “Don’t say Gay” policy of the queer-hostile governor Ron DeSantis, which has been on the rise since a law from 2022 that states that queer content is no longer allowed to be discussed in a school context.
It is unclear whether there is actually a direct connection between the deletion of the tourism content and Governor DeSantis. The tourism office is keeping quiet. However, the Human Rights Campaign, the largest queer organization in the USA, had already issued a travel warning for Florida last year.
Would I personally travel to Florida? Probably. But the question of which travel destinations are acceptable for queer people is certainly interesting. Where do you draw the personal line? Turkey? Egypt? Dubai? Russia?
We don’t necessarily have to walk along the beach holding hands, but we don’t want to pretend on vacation either.
My partner and I don’t care about “gay holidays”. Apart from visiting a gay bar or club, our sexuality does not determine how we spend our free time. A gay cruise, for example, would be my worst nightmare and festivals like the “Circuit” have lost their appeal over time. Although we did head to Gran Canaria last year, a popular gay destination, we felt much more comfortable sitting by the hotel pool next to well-heeled pensioners with a book in our hand than if we had been climbing around in some dunes. We don’t necessarily have to walk along the beach holding hands or kiss on the promenade, but of course we don’t want to pretend on holiday either.
Above all, we don’t want to be afraid when we’re on vacation and want to kiss or touch someone – carried away by the moment. Feeling afraid is a highly individual feeling and so each of us draws our own individual boundaries when it comes to tolerable travel destinations.
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Countries with deeply rooted anti-queer policies and which criminalize homosexuality are definitely not on my travel list. ILGA World, an association of queer organizations operating worldwide, regularly publishes world maps that provide information on the legal situation of the LGBTIQ community. The Gay Travel Index also provides information on this. Many countries are popular but unethical travel destinations because queer people face prison sentences or even the death penalty.
Do you want to spend your money in these countries? I say clearly: No. Wikipedia also has a ranking of countries according to LGBTIQ tolerance and rights. This shows that the tolerance perceived by queers themselves and the actual rights sometimes differ greatly. I have personally come to terms with the fact that I will probably only know the onion domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow or the opulent Golestan Palace in Tehran from photos or from television for the rest of my life. Does it sometimes make me sad that as a queer person the whole world is not open to me? Absolutely. But fortunately there are more beautiful places in the world than you will ever be able to visit. And the feeling of being “welcome” there adds to their beauty.
In addition to the question of ethical responsibility, it also makes a difference – at least for me – whether I travel with my partner or alone. A few years ago I accompanied my boss to Morocco and we had wonderful days in the coastal town of Essaouira, visiting the souks and baths and mingling with the people. Would I have been looked at strangely if I had been there with my partner? Maybe yes, maybe no. And no matter where you are, cultural customs and laws must be respected in any case. You want the same for visitors who are on holiday in your own country. The type of holiday also makes a huge difference, of course. If I plan a club holiday in Egypt where I don’t leave the resort and let the sun shine on my belly by the pool, I probably have nothing to fear. If, on the other hand, I want to explore the hinterland on my own, things might be different.
So I wish travel-loving queers the courage to keep redefining their boundaries, but also the courage to stay true to their own principles and categorically rule out certain travel destinations. I’m off now, packing my bags. A few days in Poland. With my partner. In Poland, too, the previous conservative government was not exactly gentle with LGBTIQ. After all, we’re going to Warsaw, the city with the biggest Pride in Central Europe (MANNSCHAFT reported). Have a good trip everyone!
*The opinions of the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial team.
A homosexual threesome from San Diego had two children whose birth certificates contain the names of three fathers (MANNSCHAFT reported).
