Holidays in Anti-LGBT destinations?
54% of you said no.
Reading all your thoughts I kept coming across the following keywords.
NOs: safety, money, no support, unwelcome.
YESes: educate, support, solidarity.
Some of us were made brave to explore the seas and the stars, to take risks and challenge the world. Some of us were made cautious to make plans, ensure we survive and heal the wounds. We are all needed to be successful.
Before reading your opinions I would like to ask some maybe rhetoric questions:
If I were an LGBT person, living in an anti-LGBT territory, would I want other LGBT people to visit my place? If my country turns to become anti-LGBT should I run or should I stay? Should I be safe or impactful?
These are all questions I can’t confidently answer myself. I agree with most of the answers below — if not all, so adding my opinion wasn’t needed.
Let’s read your opinions
Should we travel to anti-LGBT destinations?
No. We definitively should not holiday in these destinations, any money spent indirectly supports the status quo, as does pretty holiday snaps that encourage others to go there.
Travel as a result of your job night be harder to avoid, but where possible HR and Management should be made aware of your discomfort in having to go there (depends entirely on how progressive your workplace is) — Kernunos83
I am not sure. I would not be so keen for all the obvious reasons. I know that often not going there is not just a choice based on where you would feel more comfortable but also as a way to punish them. I don’t particularly like boycotting strategies: it seems like fighting an enemy using his/her weapons hence accepting and validating a certain bullying approach. More than making a point, it’s blackmail: an aggressive reaction to force them to change their mind: ‘Come to my side or I ‘ll ruin your economy’. Plus I find it helpful to go to anti-LGBT countries and talk to people when possible. At times making friends with the locals as gay people and explaining issues can be fruitful and productive. — Giuseppe
No, if we are not safe, or welcome definitely not we just spent or money elsewhere. — Proud and no will to take second best anymore. Fox9003712@hotmail.co.uk
No. I personally don’t feel safe travelling to anti-LGBT destinations as a traveller. If I want to visit somewhere, I usually want to experience that place without fearing for my safety or having to deal with homophobia or risk a prison sentence. I think the activists of the world (like Panti) should make it their business to make these countries better for LGBT communities that live there, and then we can safely visit. — Anonymous
No. I assume those destinations are countries where are LGBTQ people persecuted, travelling to those destinations it’s pretty much financial support for them. — Ridick
I am not sure. I got mixed feelings about that. At one hand, we should sanction these countries by avoiding them. On the other hand, we could start a process there with our presence. — dominik.cavalli@gmx.ch
Yes. Educate them — Seanherlihy@gmail.com
No. I don’t go where I’m not welcome — John
No. I do not want to contribute to the economy of anti-LGBT countries. — Wayne
No. To do so betrays those persecuted and even murdered for being LGBTQ. To do so also see your money being used to support such regimes. To do so, makes one a coward and hypocrite. — c_frewen@hotmail.com
Yes. We march in Pride to show solidarity to our queer brothers and sisters who still need equal rights all around the world. I wouldn’t necessarily avoid anti LGBT+ places as I know there are still LGBT+ people there to connect and empathise with. In some cases counter-protest is also something we can offer to them, assuming we are prepared to accept a certain level of risk. — Brian McCabe, co-founder of Kweerball in Zürich @kweerball
Yes. How will they ever learn how normal and awesome gay people are if we allow those who would oppress us in those countries stop people seeing us? — D
I am not sure. I dunno I think we should avoid. — Felippe F
Yes. Yes!!! — DC
Yes. I really think you should have an “it depends” answer available. I chose “yes” because “no” is too absolute and some countries are mildly anti LGBT like Russia, while others put gay people in concentration camps/murder them. I wouldn’t personally go to Russia but stop short of saying people “shouldn’t” go there. We shouldn’t travel to places where the laws put gay people in prison or worse. — Anonymous
No. I wouldn’t want to support an anti-LGBT country and on top of that I would not feel safe. Big no. — Ste
Yes. To show the gay people there that we care. That we love them. That they matter and to challenge any regime that works to make us feel lesser or inadequate. We are human and deserve the right to life. To love. And to live in safety. — jtkearney@gmail.com
No. We are potentially putting ourselves in physical danger, or at risk of prosecution. I will not travel to a place that I have to go back into the closet. Even travelling with straight friends is not safe, as social media could be used against you, as has happened in some countries. — N
No. I won’t support an economy who thinks me a second class citizen — Iano
No. Systematically anti-LGBT countries — where laws and/or anti-gay rhetoric by politicians translate into hostility among the population — don’t deserve our money or tacit condonation. — Anon.
No. I don’t think we should support regime’s that would rather kill or jail us than allow us to lead an everyday life. — Seany444de
I am not sure. I think the intention behind travelling to certain countries is important. but for leisure/tourism absolutely not why should we generate tax revenue for governments and other state-sponsored institutions that actively promote hate and discrimination against the LGBT community or any other minorities for that matter, by spending money in their economies. — E
No. We shouldn’t put ourselves in a dangerous position — Sean
Yes. Because it’s a form of defiance in a way, as long as you are careful not to disclose that you are gay to people. It can also help put you in contact with local gays, but them in contact with people abroad and also *maybe* you could get to know people whose minds will be broadened by knowing you. — no
I am not sure. Depends on the intention. Travelling for work, or a solid interest in history or culture, for example, is a lot different than travelling to sip cocktails while laying on a beach. — Brian
Yes. We should, with precaution, but we should. You are visiting those countries because you are exploring new territories, new cultures and in the end, you will meet good people in those countries too. It’s like any other country: the legislation does not represent the whole country. — Andres Rivera
No. It’s dangerous. — Claudiosrocha89@gmail.com
No. Countries need to evolve and not be stuck in the past making people suffer. Why support the regimes and economies — Daznorris@gmail.com
Yes. Sexual preferences are not a defining factor for this matter — Athens guy
Yes. Travelling to these countries allows anti-gay governments to collect taxes from us. Many countries may be tolerant of lgbt+ tourists while still persecuting their own citizens in an abhorrent double standard. — Chris
No. Reduce the amount of money we spend in such places. — Tom C
No. For my own safety and also I wouldn’t spend money in a country which mistreats its LGBT citizens — Firminorui@gmail.com
No. I believe that it could be unsafe for the community to do so also feeding the economy of a country that doesn’t acknowledge our existence is heartbreaking — 90aaronbyrne@gmail.com
I am not sure. It depends on the country. Exposure always goes towards people becoming more accustomed to things they don’t understand but if this exposure comes with a high cost of personal injury or worse it’s best that the person weighs up the pros and cons. — geaney.simon@gmail.com
No, it is not safe especially if they have anti-LGBT laws, you don’t want to end up in prison — Wayne
No. I don’t want to put my or my wife’s life or freedom at risk. I don’t want to have to hide that I’m queer, I did that for too much of my life already. I don’t want to support an economy by spending money in a place where people like me don’t have equal rights to others. — Dee
No. There are plenty of places that accept our lifestyle out there where we should invest our money in. If they can’t accept us in a country then they don’t deserve to accept our money. — J
I am not sure. 30 years ago, almost everywhere was anti-LGBT+. Things have changed because we proactively and collectively decided to protest and demand change, travelling to places would help show that we’re here and not going away, it may help those there feel less isolated and perhaps empower them to seek the same changes we worked so hard to achieve. However, it’s a big ask to tell people that they should risk their safety on such a trip, for this reason, I answered that I’m unsure. Hope that helps 😊 — thomasmgrace40@gmail.com
Yes. Just because they don’t like one aspect of you doesn’t define you full, and to witness the world in its entirety does make you a better person. Also, it highlights exactly what LGBT people face in these counties — Lestatie_2000@yahoo.com
No. It’s dangerous It’s giving tacit support to the haters. — J
No. Safety of us travellers. Supporting economy that promotes bigotry. And besides, if someone doesn’t like you, why would you want to rub yourself at their nose. The world is luckily big enough. — Reek
No. l reasons, I won’t travel to a country I could be arrested in, detained and or jailed for my sexuality. Being out, proud and vocal in my community it wouldn’t take long for authorities if they so wished (in somewhere like Chechnya) to find out who I am. Secondly, by paying taxes you are helping to support a country that is anti-gay. — John Cunningham-Ryan
No. Travelling to these locations puts us at risk and also puts our cash into their economy and economically supports their anti-gay administrations — BER
I am not sure. In two minds. Yes we should create visibility of LGBT people in these countries and no because of safety concerns — marknewmandesigns@gmail.com
Yes. Visibility for the locals; Ireland outlawed gay sex until 1993 — should people have visited Ireland before then? — seamus.white@gmail.com
No. In travelling to any destination we are likely to spend money there contributing to the overall economy. I don’t believe we should be supporting in any way (financially or other) any country that is anti LGBT. From a safety perspective, I wouldn’t feel safe in that environment. If I am travelling, I am likely to be on holiday with my wife, I want to feel safe to act like a couple when I am on holiday. On another note, we worked extremely hard to campaign for our equal marriage but as a country and at home as a couple, we canvassed were on committees, my wife has been part of setting up pride parades and has worked in supportive capacities with the LGBT community for her whole career, I don’t think either one of us want to go to a country where our marriage that we fought so hard for is not recognised. Also from an emergency perspective, we wouldn’t have rights of our marriage wasn’t recognised in whatever country we were in, should one of us be in hospital etc there. In short not good sense to travel to these destinations, from a moral, safety or equality perspective. — Kate
No. We shouldn’t financially support regimes that don’t tolerate us — Atomic
Yes. There is no evidence that not travelling there has any impact. Perhaps travelling to these countries and engaging with LGBT people there might give some insight into how we can more genuinely support their struggles — Maria McLaughlin
Disclaimer: Answers were posted in the order they were submitted. Responses that only chose Yes/No/I am not sure were not included but were counted on the top chart.