Read the inspirational messages from queer and lesbian travelers around the world!
top left: @elseundilse
bottom right: @free2bethatway
Love for travel is accepted worldwide, but unfortunately all types of love around the world aren’t still fully respected or accepted.
Read the amazing interviews we had with lesbian and queer female travelers about how they feel navigating the world.
What we can do to improve traveling for them and how having a local greeter could help them navigate destinations safer.
Sarah & Kokebnesh
-Germany
Have you ever felt unsafe to travel as a woman?
Luckily there has never been a situation (yet) while traveling, where we felt unsafe.
We do think however, that this has a lot to do with the destinations we have traveled so far, which for the most part have been bigger cities and countries, where rights for women are clearly established and the general feeling is more liberal/ open minded.
Have you experienced some discrimination while traveling for being a lesbian couple?
Whenever we travel, we obviously want to enjoy our holiday as any couple would, which for us includes holding hands, while exploring the surroundings, giving us a kiss here and there or having a romantic date night.
Presenting this way has of course resulted in weird looks, uncomfortable stares or nasty comments.
Fortunately there has never been anything worse than that, but we definitely are very aware of our surroundings and cautious about what we can and cannot do.
Are there some destinations you wish to travel but don’t because of how conservative they are?
Sadly yes. One of the countries we would really love to visit in the near future is Ethiopia, because it’s the country where my (K) dad was born and raised. I have a lot of family members who still live there and it would mean a lot to me, if Sarah could meet them and visit this beautiful country with me.
And although my family is very liberal and would welcome us with open arms, it could potentially be very dangerous for us to be there. Homosexuality is still illegal in Ethiopia and can be punished with jail time. So as much as we’d love to plan our next trip there, this is obviously a huge concern, we need to take into account. And while we probably could pretend to just be friends traveling and not draw too much attention, it would also mean to hide who we are.
This also applies for other very conservative countries, that are dangerous for same sex couples.
Would you feel safer traveling if you had a local female guide that understood your needs and respected who you are?
Definitely!!! That sounds absolutely amazing. Having a female (and possibly also queer) guide is something we need EVERYWHERE and we are sure a lot of women would feel even more comfortable and enjoy their travels more care free.
“Having a female (and possibly also queer) guide is something we need EVERYWHERE and we are sure a lot of women would feel even more comfortable and enjoy their travels more care free.”
What are some tips you would give other female travelers?
We think the best and most important thing you can do beforehand is doing your research, to get a feeling of the place you want to visit and know the laws and regulations.
Additionally for us as a same sex couple we always find it really helpful to look for other queer people on social media, who live in a place or have traveled to a place before, that we want to visit so we can read up on their experiences or even get in touch with them.
And never forget: ENJOY YOURSELVES! ♥️ you deserve to have the best time ever!
FOLLOW THEM AT:
https://www.instagram.com/sarah.and.kokebnesh/
Bree & Chantel
-Atlanta
Have you ever felt unsafe to travel as a woman?
We usually feel very safe during our travels except for when we visited Thailand back in 2017. We usually plan all of our trips, but this trip we wanted to go with the flow. We had a very sketchy airport taxi driver in Phuket that made us feel very uncomfortable to the point we were ready to jump out of the car. We also had a small encounter in Bangkok when we walked past a group of Thai men & they started whistling/cat calling. We just continued to walk quickly past them.
Have you experienced some discrimination while traveling for being a lesbian couple?
We often get plenty of stares when we travel together. There was an instance when we were in the Santorini airport and the security guard gave Chantell a pat down. Before she cleared Chantell, she turned to her coworker to say something in Greek then turned back to Chantell and blatantly laughed in her face. We were so upset!
Are there some destinations you wish to travel to but don’t because of how conservative they are?
We would love to visit Dubai & Saudi Arabia, but with their religious views and strict rules, we will just dream.
Would you feel safer traveling if you had a local female guide that understood your needs and respected who you are?
“Absolutely! Feeling safe while traveling really changes the whole outcome of your trip. Having someone to relate to also puts the icing on top. ”
What are some tips you would give other female travelers?
Make sure to share your travel itinerary with family or friends. Try to do as much as you can during the day. If you have to travel at night, just be aware of your surroundings. Take public transportation such as the bus or train because there are always people around. Never venture off alone with a stranger. Mind your alcohol consumption in public, especially if traveling alone. Mind your attire. You never want to welcome any unwanted attention.
FOLLOW THEM AT:
https://www.instagram.com/luxeliveliberate/
“The Winstons” Mell & Liz
Have you ever felt unsafe to travel as a woman?
Yes there was 1 incident in Playa Del Carmen, Q.R, Mexico where we were followed at night by a car. We were a few feet from our Airbnb so we were able to get into a safe location. However, although we were able to get to safety, we observed the car and they waited for about 2 minutes to see if we would come back out. Other than that incident we have felt safe traveling.
Have you ever experienced some discrimination while traveling for being a lesbian couple
No we haven’t. We are truly grateful for not experiencing discrimination thus far.
Are there some destinations you wish to travel but don’t because of how conservative they are?
Yes, countries in the middle east.
Would you feel safer traveling if you had a local female guide that understood your needs and respected who you are?
Yes we would feel safer. Being connected with someone who knows the area would be beneficial because some of the questions we may have that we may not feel comfortable asking in forums, or groups we would be able to address with the local female guide.
What are some tips you would give to other female travelers?
Some tips we’d give to other female travelers are to always be aware of your surroundings. No matter how “safe” the destination you may be visiting is, you still want to remain alert at all times. If you’re traveling solo, avoid walking in areas that aren’t well lit at night. Also be sure to educate yourself on that area and know what is or isn’t appropriate attire. I.e. designer or revealing clothing,
FOLLOW THEM AT:
https://www.instagram.com/thewinstonstrippin/
Lindsey & Whit
-Dallas TX
Have you ever felt unsafe to travel as a woman?
In general, it’s unfortunately kind of ingrained to feel generally unsafe in unfamiliar environments, and that’s never more the case than when traveling especially if we haven’t visited there before. The vigilance we show moving about the world as women is equal to and a bit more than the norm - but with proactive measures the same as in our typical environments (no dark parking garages at night, no walking and looking at a phone or having earbuds in so you can remain aware of your surroundings, go places in pairs whenever possible, etc.) It’s unfortunate, but it’s a reality of being a woman today.
We do look up reviews and read blog posts for different destinations, places to stay, and activities with safety as one of the main things we value when choosing.
Have you experienced some discrimination while traveling for being a lesbian couple?
No, thankfully. We are very privileged in that we do both present as white cisgendered blonde haired/blue eyed women - most people we encounter assume we are sisters traveling together - so it’s saved us from more overt discrimination experiences we know others in our community might face.
We don’t always correct people who think we are sisters, but when we do thankfully there’s never been an issue.
Similar to the first question though, we actively research and seek out destinations, hotels, and experiences that are devoid of those concerns based on reviews, etc
Are there some destinations you wish to travel but don’t because of how conservative they are?
Yes and no. I was excited to visit Dubai, but obviously as part of the UAE it’s a very conservative part of the world. We know not everyone’s beliefs will match ours, and Dubai itself is relatively liberal compared to the rest of the UAE so I (Lindsey) never felt unsafe as a solo female traveler there. I did disable my social media and tracking features on my phone, since I saw in a couple blogs that it’s legal for those things to be monitored in that country and didn’t want to give anyone a reason to seek me out for what I have on my phone about myself and my sexuality.
That said, we do not wish to invest any of our tourism dollars into any country that demonstrates active violence towards LGBTQ+ persons culturally or within their domestic policies. There are plenty of other places on the planet to visit, enjoy, and bring our dollars to!
Would you feel safer traveling if you had a local female guide that understood your needs and respected who you are?
“Absolutely! We’ve really enjoyed some smaller activities and excursions we’ve found on AirBnB, and read reviews to see if people leading them are LGBTQ+ friendly. We’ve had amazing experiences with things like that and would love to support female entrepreneurs leading those types of tours and activities. ”
Absolutely! We’ve really enjoyed some smaller activities and excursions we’ve found on AirBnB, and read reviews to see if people leading them are LGBTQ+ friendly. We’ve had amazing experiences with things like that and would love to support female entrepreneurs leading those types of tours and activities.
What are some tips you would give other female travelers?
Do your research! I’ve learned so much reading blogs from female and LGBTQ+ travelers about great (and safe) places to visit, stay, etc.Unless you’re in an overtly dangerous situation or interaction with someone, don’t shy away from connecting with people around you. If we were hyper vigilant and didn’t speak to anyone we wouldn’t experience so many of the wonderful things that come from travel - learning about different cultures, communities, foods, and much more.
FOLLOW THEM AT:
Else & Ilse
Have you ever felt unsafe to travel as a woman?
Traveling together, we didn’t feel unsafe (yet), but Else did a few times when she traveled solo.
Have you experienced some discrimination while traveling for being a lesbian couple?
We experienced quite a few incidents of sexualization (and stares!) while traveling, but otherwise, we luckily had only positive experiences.
Are there some destinations you wish to travel to but don’t because of how conservative they are?
We would like to travel to every country at some point, but we certainly won’t visit countries where same-sex love is punished by death.
Would you feel safer traveling if you had a local female guide that understood your needs and respected who you are?
Absolutely!
What are some tips you would give other female travelers?
Always do your research and respect local culture.
FOLLOW THEM AT:
https://www.instagram.com/elseundilse/
Johanna & Lisa
-Berlin
Have you ever felt unsafe to travel as a woman?
(Lisa) - A little sometimes, especially in the dark / at night in some big cities! Also when I was in Australia in the outback, with only another girl, it was a little scary!
Have you experienced some discrimination while traveling for being a lesbian couple?
Sometimes guys say things like ‘uh lala, can I join’ or anything which is not really nice! In some places people are also staring at you like you’re an alien, it’s not the best situation to be in.
Are there some destinations you wish to travel to but don’t because of how conservative they are?
Yes! Barbados for example, but there is still the death penalty. That’s too bad.
Would you feel safer traveling if you had a local female guide that understood your needs and respected who you are?
I think yes, especially if she has some tips where to go / where not to go and stuff like that! Just to feel more safe
What are some tips you would give other female travelers?
Just do things that make you feel comfortable, safe ! If you feel more safe carrying pepper spray - do it! If you feel safer switching sides on a street, do it. Don’t put yourself at risk or do stuff you’re insecure about.
FOLLOW THEM AT:
https://www.instagram.com/free2bethatway/
Greether is working on recruiting women around the world who wish to help female travelers feel safer while discovering new places.
We believe this is a solution towards reducing risks for women and facilitating the discovery of destinations that seem impossible due to safety concerns.
If you are someone who would like to become a verified greeter or a traveler that can relate to the struggles that women face while traveling please contact us to get involved or sign up as a traveler or to become a verified greeter in your local community.
Special thanks to all the amazing travelers that collaborated with us on this feature.
Greether team
