{"id":1493,"date":"2019-05-06T17:57:30","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T17:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/?p=1493"},"modified":"2019-05-06T17:57:32","modified_gmt":"2019-05-06T17:57:32","slug":"lgbtq-travel-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/?p=1493","title":{"rendered":"LGBTQ Travel in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LGBTQ Travel in 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2019 might just be the queerest year ever in\ntravel. How come? One word: Stonewall. The New York City bar uprising that\nkicked off the modern LGBTQ-rights movement turns 50 in June and you better\nbelieve nearly every Pride event worldwide will be celebrating, big time. Not\nthat Pride events are the only reason to pack our bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From gorgeous beach destinations to dynamic\nurban experiences, LGBTQ travelers are always looking for that next\n“new” place to visit. But the queer community still has some old\nstandbys, places that are accepting and hold a special place in its collective\nheart. Here are the top 20 places that should be on the radar\nfor queer travelers in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montreal, Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to being perhaps one of the most\nEuropean cities in North America, Montreal hosts one of the largest Pride\nevents in the world. Why spend the money and the time to fly over to Paris,\nwhen there’s a lovely alternative that’s less than a two-hour flight from most\nof the East Coast?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brno, Czech Republic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Prague has been hot for many years,\ngay travelers are also discovering the Czech Republic’s second largest city and\nthe fantastic surrounding Moravian countryside. There is a small town feel to\nthe city, which is sometimes called the country’s Biggest Village. Visitors\nhere enjoy the blend of ancient and modern architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myanmar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Southeast Asian gem has only opened up\nto the rest of the world in the last decade. The country is actively courting\ntourists in areas, and the American dollar goes extremely far here. While the\ncountry’s laws (like many others in Asia) are not friendly to LGBT citizens,\nmore queer visitors are exploring the country’s cities and religious sites and\nhave reported hospitality and acceptance in tourist areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York City<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New York is always a queer travelers’ hotspot,\nbut 2019 looks to be something special, with the city’s hosting of World Pride\n2019 as well as recognizing the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. Visitors can\nparty, see the sights and also reflect on how far we’ve come and what work we\nstill have to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thailand<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the urban excitement of Bangkok to the\nbreathtaking beaches of Phuket to the amazing religious architecture of Chiang\nMai, there’s an endless variety to see in this Southeast Asian country. Queer\ntravelers have been warmly welcomed here for many years, and it’s inexpensive\nto get around and explore. Throw in cheap massages and what more can you want?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago, Illinois<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hang out next summer at Chicago’s lovely\nHollywood Beach, also called the “gay beach” in Edgewater. Chicago\nhas a seemingly endless supply of gorgeous men, and you’ll find many of them\nhere all summer long, not covering up any more than necessary. Plus, this Midwestern\nfavorite is everything an American city aspires to be with great cuisine,\nimportant architecture, a friendly vibe, and impressive lodging to boot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sitges, Spain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Barcelona is on many best-of lists one\nof the favorite new queer destinations is this idyllic beach town located about\n25 miles southwest of the Catalan giant. Sitges has long been an artistic hangout,\nand LGBTQ travelers will also enjoy the thriving nightlife scene here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tel Aviv, Israel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queer visitors to this urban mecca come back\nyear after year for its famously sunny weather, miles of great beaches, and\ngay-friendly vibe. In fact, some people even describe this second largest city\nin Israel as the gayest city on the planet. Tel Aviv is full of great museums,\ninteresting architecture, hip restaurants and plenty of clubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin, Texas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locals in Austin promote the concept of\n“Keep Austin Weird”\u2014you’ll even see it on shirts and hats. So LGBTQ\ntravelers will find a naturally welcoming place here. Austin is known worldwide\nfor great live music, and its restaurant scene gets better every year. In\naddition to being an urban paradise, there is plenty of nature close by, so\nmost anyone will find something to love here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there’s really no bad time to visit\nthis Mexican city, perched on a graceful bay, queer travelers seem to take it\nover each year from October through May, when temperatures across much of the\nU.S. are colder. Hardly a month or two pass by without a major annual event,\nfrom Pride to New Year’s to the White Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asheville, North Carolina<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This magical North Carolina city is set\namidst the state’s western mountains and is perhaps most famous for the nearby\nBiltmore Estate. But there is a vibrant and active LGBTQ community here, and\nvisitors will enjoy this progressive town’s college vibe, extensive art\nscene and abundant natural beauty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mexico City, Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Queer equality has been a reality in much of\nMexico for years, and gay travelers will find a vibrant, active community in\nthe country’s capital city. The bar scene here is fantastic, and the enormous\nmetro area offers something for everyone, with world-class museums, great food\nand plenty of outside options, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tokyo, Japan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This city is looking forward to hosting the\n2020 Olympics, and queer travelers can get a head start on experiencing the\ncity’s vibrancy in 2019. This densely populated metro area is more accepting of\nLGBTQ citizens than some expect, and you’ll find the requisite bars, saunas,\ndance clubs and more. Check out the new Toyosu Fish Market, which recently\nreplaced the venerable Tsukiji market, which had to close due to Olympic\nconstruction. The new market is almost twice the size of the old one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Francisco, California<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City by the Bay has long been a mecca for\ngay travelers, and it continues to be an important global destination for LGBTQ\ntourists. From the nightlife in the Castro to the views around every corner to\na thousand magical spots to discover, like the Palace of Fine Arts (pictured),\nthere’s something for everyone in your gay gaggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

London, England<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

London is a natural magnet for queer citizens\nin the United Kingdom and across Europe. It offers a fantastic array of\nattractions, along with plenty of history, an art and theater scene beyond\ncompare, and plenty of architectural eye candy, both old and new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copenhagen, Denmark<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This accepting city will be hosting World Pride\nand the EuroGames in 2021, so get a head start on your friends by checking out\nthe Danish capital in 2019.Denmark was the world’s first country to recognize\nsame-sex partnerships, in 1989, and the nation remains one of the most\nqueer-friendly places you’ll find today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zurich, Switzerland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zurich, located on the picturesque shores of\nLake Zurich, may bring to mind banking and finance, but the largest city in\nSwitzerland also boasts convenient access to the Alps, beautiful waterfront\npromenades, and a liberal mindset that has resulted in a vibrant gay and\nlesbian scene. Come for the annual Pink Apple Film Festival or the city’s gay\nAngel parties, which happen four times per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hong Kong<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hong Kong often walks a tightrope between\nChinese and Western values, and its past treatment of LGBTQ people has not been\ngood. But change is in the air here, and the city was recently awarded the 2022\nGay Games, giving the local queer community something exciting to build around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mykonos, Greece<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You certainly can’t go wrong with traveling\nto a Greek island. But this very tolerant island continues to hold a special\nplace in the hearts of queer travelers, thanks to its turquoise waters,\nwell-preserved architecture, and fantastic weather. Head to the beaches on a\nsunny day, and you’ll find a plethora of gay and lesbian sunbathers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Las Vegas, Nevada<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship between the gay community\nand not-queer-enough Vegas has always been somewhat of a bad romance. Dang, we\njust totally gave away our reason for including Sin City on this list. Yup,\nLady Gaga will spend the bulk of 2019 parked at the Park Theater boasting not\none, but two shows (\u201cEnigma\u201d and \u201cJazz and Piano\u201d) right in the heart of the\nStrip and thus securing the city\u2019s place as a must-visit destination for queers\nin the coming year. Also playing the Park in 2019? Britney and Cher. It doesn\u2019t\nget any gayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courtesy of MSN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LGBTQ Travel in 2019 2019 might just be the queerest year ever in travel. How come? One word: Stonewall. The New York City bar uprising that kicked off the modern LGBTQ-rights movement turns 50 in June and you better believe nearly every Pride event worldwide will be celebrating, big time. Not that Pride events are the only reason to pack our bags. From gorgeous beach destinations to dynamic urban experiences, LGBTQ travelers are always looking for that next “new” place to visit. But the queer community still has some old standbys, places that are accepting and hold a special place in its collective heart. Here are the top 20 places that should be on the radar for queer travelers in 2019. Montreal, Canada In addition to being perhaps one of the most European cities in North America, Montreal hosts one of the largest Pride events in the world. Why spend the money and the time to fly over to Paris, when there’s a lovely alternative that’s less than a two-hour flight from most of the East Coast? Brno, Czech Republic While Prague has been hot for many years, gay travelers are also discovering the Czech Republic’s second largest city and the fantastic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1494,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[1265,679,8,1933],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1493"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1495,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1493\/revisions\/1495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestandardps.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}