LGBTQIA+ Travellers Are Claiming Their Space Worldwide

By Mischa Smith

“Most people think about flights and hotels when they plan a holiday… I start by checking whether it’s legal to be me in that country,” says Tate Smith, an award-winning activist and trans rights advocate. He’s not alone. Data shows that safety is top of mind for LGBTQIA+ travellers, many of whom rely heavily on trusted queer word-of-mouth and verified welcoming accommodations, according to insights from Booking.com.

Tate says he often feels braver abroad though. Anonymity, he believes, can be protective.“I don’t get my top surgery scars out in the UK,” he says. “The stares, the sensationalism—it’s exhausting.” But in a beach cave in Jersey, post-lockdown, after an afternoon of swimming and feeling the waves crash against his new, flat chest, Tate stood shirtless. “I felt liberated and free. That’s why I was there—to feel nothing but trans joy.”

Even so, he’s cautious. He refuses to visit countries where his true self wouldn’t be welcome, no matter how well he “passes.”

“I won’t contribute to the economy of any country that doesn’t support my community.” At a time when search interest in “transgender” is at a record high and 70% of LGBTQIA+ travellers say authenticity is crucial when choosing where to go, affirming spaces and solidarity matter more than ever.

As it does for so many people, travel gives Tate a chance to clock off—and that includes clocking off from being trans. “I can just be like any other British guy walking around shirtless, going into a bathroom; something I’d never dare to do at home. I feel so defiant and free.”