LGBTQ+ Travel Safety
LGBTQ+ Travel Safety
Traveling as a same sex couple is an incredible way to explore the world, but it often requires an added level of awareness to plan confidently and stay safe while traveling. While many destinations are becoming more LGBTQ+ friendly and recognizing the rights of the queer community, others still have restrictive laws or lower levels of social acceptance.
The Statistics
As of 2026, more than 60 countries still criminalize same sex relationships, making it important for LGBTQ+ travelers to understand the legal environment before visiting a destination. In some places, same sex relationships can result in serious penalties including fines, deportation, imprisonment, forced anal examinations or even death sentences. Many countries do not recognize same sex marriage or nonbinary gender markers on identification documents, which can create additional challenges when passing through immigration.
Our Experience
In our travels as a same sex couple, we’ve visited many welcoming places as well as some that were less accepting. That doesn’t mean you should avoid destinations that are more challenging, but it does mean being informed and prepared. Even in LGBTQ+ friendly places, situations can arise. Through our experiences, we share recommendations and resources to help LGBTQ+ travelers navigate destinations respectfully and safely.
Do Your Research
As travelers in a marginalized group, it’s important to research the laws, cultural norms and general attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people before visiting a new destination to avoid unexpected challenges. Legal protections, religious beliefs, and social attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals can vary widely from country to country. Taking time to research your destination, including any layovers, in advance is one of the most important steps LGBTQ+ travelers can take to plan a safer and more informed trip. Here are some of the resources we reference before and during our travels.
Equal Dex. A valuable resource for understanding how a country or region currently compares in terms of LGBTQ+ equality. The Equality Index tracks the status of LGBTQ+ rights, laws, and freedoms, along with public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people around the world.
Amnesty International. An international organization dedicated to preventing and ending human rights abuses worldwide. They publish current articles and reports on human rights issues across the globe, making it a useful resource for finding the most up-to-date information about a country.
IGLTA (International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association). An organization dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ tourism and promoting equality worldwide. They offer LGBTQ+ tailored travel guides, safety recommendations as well as highlight events, tours and accommodations that are welcoming to the community.
Western Governments. Many Western countries provide detailed and up-to-date guidance for LGBTQ+ travelers. We often review multiple sources before a trip to compare perspectives and gather the most current information.
Precautions for Unfriendly Destinations
When traveling as a same sex couple to destinations that may be less accepting, especially in places where being gay is criminalized or punishable by law, we have taken a number of difficult but necessary precautions before and during our trips to help maximize our safety.
Review Accommodations. Book stays with well reviewed hosts or at international hotel chains. Make sure accommodations have separate beds or multiple bedrooms. This raises less questions and prevents assumptions. Make sure both beds or bedrooms look utilized.
Expect Personal Questions. Expect people to ask personal or insinuating questions. Plan responses and rehearse them for times when it could be dangerous to share the truth. If traveling as a same sex couple, decide who responds to avoid answering at the same time. Here are some common questions we’ve been asked and the responses we’ve given:
Question 1. “Are you gay?”
Response 1. “No” Respond firmly and seem insulted. Quickly change the subject, end the conversation or remove yourselves from the situation.
Question 2. “Are you married?”
Response 2. “No. I prefer to be single.” This answers the question and redirects the conversation away from related follow up questions.
Question 3. “Are you a couple?”
Response 3. “No. We’re step brothers.” This answers the question and creates slight moment of awkwardness for the person asking. It helps explain why you seem close, look different and have different last names.
Never Volunteer Information. We enjoy meeting people while traveling, but in certain places it’s important to keep your distance and be careful about what you share. Avoid volunteering personal information, as there is a risk of entrapment, miscommunication or someone overhearing.
Have A Code Word. When traveling as a same sex couple, we often use a code word or phase to quietly raise our alert or let the other know we’re uncomfortable in a situation. Choose a phrase that can be easily woven into conversation. Often, we would say something related to “ice cream.” Some examples being, “I’m craving ice cream.” or “Let’s find somewhere to get ice cream.”
Avoid PDA. Avoid all displays of public affection such as standing too close to one another, making long eye contact, holding hands, kissing, using pet names, etc.
Manage Your Appearance. Remove wedding rings or leave them at home before traveling. Dress modestly, either try to blend in or look like the average tourist. Avoid wearing shorts, most of the world wears pants. Don’t wear anything with rainbows or LGBTQ+ symbols.
Social Media. Make social media accounts private and log out before entering or exiting immigration. Avoid sharing profiles with strangers. Avoid tagging locations if posting while in the country.
Stay In Contact. Maintain contact and communication with close family or friends back home. Share your itinerary and travel documents before traveling and send daily updates with selfies while traveling.
Register With Your Embassy. Register your travel plans with country’s embassy or consulate prior to traveling. Save their location and keep their contact information accessible during your travels.
Purge Devices. Remove photographs together from home and lock screens. Hide or remove photos and certain apps. Turn off fingerprint and Face ID. Lock devices and apps with a passcodes. Turn off devices when transiting immigration. Do not completely wipe your devices. All of this helps if your device is lost, stolen or confiscated.
Have A Burner Phone. Purging devices takes a lot of work. The easiest alternate is bringing an old phone with minimal information stored on it.
Final Thoughts…
We’ve learned not to let who we are keep us from exploring the world and experiencing new cultures. Safety is always a priority when we travel, especially in destinations that may be less accepting. These precautions have helped us many times, but ultimately it comes down to your own judgment and comfort level. To quote Anthony Bourdain, "Travel isn't always pretty. It isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that's okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind."
