Vacation with Pride
By Lola Méndez
Vacation with Pride
By Lola Méndez
Delta Vacations offers getaways to places that celebrate diversity and embrace acceptance.
While many queer travelers visit some of the biggest gay hubs in the world such as Sydney, New York, and Madrid—intrepid gay travelers know there are many other welcoming cities around the world. These are some of the best unexpected destinations for LGBTQ+ travelers that you can reach with Delta Vacations, who makes it easier than ever to “Vacation with Pride” with routes to many LGBTQ+ friendly destinations around the world and special getaway packages that include flights and hotels for top LGBTQ+ global events.
Time to Tango
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina was the first country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010. The capital city is home to many gayborhoods, queer-friendly tango halls (milongas), and the annual Buenos Aires Pride in November. Seeing Tango in Buenos Aires is a must, so go to La Marshàll on Monday nights for the LGBTQ+ milonga. Sitges Cafe in San Telmo is one of the oldest gay bars in Buenos Aires. San Telmo and Palermo are the gayborhoods of Buenos Aires. The latter is where Peuteo Gay Bar, one of Buenos Aires’ most popular LGBTQ+ clubs, is located. Don’t miss their drag shows!
Time to Tango
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina was the first country in South America to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010. The capital city is home to many gayborhoods, queer-friendly tango halls (milongas), and the annual Buenos Aires Pride in November. Seeing Tango in Buenos Aires is a must, so go to La Marshàll on Monday nights for the LGBTQ+ milonga. Sitges Cafe in San Telmo is one of the oldest gay bars in Buenos Aires. San Telmo and Palermo are the gayborhoods of Buenos Aires. The latter is where Peuteo Gay Bar, one of Buenos Aires’ most popular LGBTQ+ clubs, is located. Don’t miss their drag shows!
Midwest Charm
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Midwest’s most gay-friendly city is Minneapolis, MN. Twin Cities Pride in June has been held for over 50 years and is free to enter. Go to an all-ages drag show or queer circus at Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul. Grab a drink at 19 Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in Minneapolis. Nearby is Rainbow Road, a gay apparel and novelty shop. Have a coffee and breakfast at the queer-owned Muffin Top Cafe or the city’s queer-owned Nicollet Diner.
Midwest Charm
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Midwest’s most gay-friendly city is Minneapolis, MN. Twin Cities Pride in June has been held for over 50 years and is free to enter. Go to an all-ages drag show or queer circus at Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul. Grab a drink at 19 Bar, one of the oldest gay bars in Minneapolis. Nearby is Rainbow Road, a gay apparel and novelty shop. Have a coffee and breakfast at the queer-owned Muffin Top Cafe or the city’s queer-owned Nicollet Diner.
The Emerald City
Seattle, Washington
Home to one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in the U.S., Seattle is a great destination for LGBTQ+ travelers. Catch a show by Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus—the largest LGBTQ-identified men’s and women’s choruses in the world. The Capitol Hill neighborhood is the city’s gayborhood with rainbow crosswalks and many gar bars including Queer/Bar and Wildrose. PrideFest is held every June.
The Emerald City
Seattle, Washington
Home to one of the largest LGBTQ+ populations in the U.S., Seattle is a great destination for LGBTQ+ travelers. Catch a show by Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus—the largest LGBTQ-identified men’s and women’s choruses in the world. The Capitol Hill neighborhood is the city’s gayborhood with rainbow crosswalks and many gar bars including Queer/Bar and Wildrose. PrideFest is held every June.
Venice of the North
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. There are over 100 gay places in Amsterdam from gay bars, discos, bookshops, and restaurants. You’ll find some of the best queer bars in Amsterdam along Reguliersdwarsstraat Street and Kerkstraat Street. There are also plenty of LGBTQ+ landmarks such as the Homomonument which honors LBGTQ+ members who’ve faced sexuality-based persecution. Pride Week is held in August with an epic boat parade on a canal.
Venice of the North
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. There are over 100 gay places in Amsterdam from gay bars, discos, bookshops, and restaurants. You’ll find some of the best queer bars in Amsterdam along Reguliersdwarsstraat Street and Kerkstraat Street. There are also plenty of LGBTQ+ landmarks such as the Homomonument which honors LBGTQ+ members who’ve faced sexuality-based persecution. Pride Week is held in August with an epic boat parade on a canal.
Rainbow Nation
Cape Town, South Africa
South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation. It was the first country in the world to include a sexual orientation protection clause in its Constitution and the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2006. It’s the safest destination for LGBTQ+ travelers in Africa. Cape Town Pride is held in February or March and there’s always fun to be had at the city’s gay bars including Beefcakes, Crew, and Pink Panther Nightclub. Spend the day at the third beach at Clifton as it’s the designated gay beach.
Rainbow Nation
Cape Town, South Africa
South Africa is known as the Rainbow Nation. It was the first country in the world to include a sexual orientation protection clause in its Constitution and the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2006. It’s the safest destination for LGBTQ+ travelers in Africa. Cape Town Pride is held in February or March and there’s always fun to be had at the city’s gay bars including Beefcakes, Crew, and Pink Panther Nightclub. Spend the day at the third beach at Clifton as it’s the designated gay beach.
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I took my first trip to Disney when I was six and haven't stopped traveling since. I fell in love with It’s a Small World. How great was it to visit numerous countries on a joyous boat ride! Since then, I've traveled to 50+ countries on six continents. In 2017, I traveled around the world and visited 23 countries – I spent more than a month in Italy and England and also enjoyed time in Israel, Japan, France and Morocco. While I spent a lot of time traveling solo, I also enjoyed time with my family and friends. Seeing their joy discovering new places helped me discover the joy that comes from planning a magical trip. From then, I decided to turn my passion into a profession.
Some of my favorite places to go include Italy, London, Paris, New York City, Boston, The Grand Canyon, The Galapagos Islands, Israel and Japan.
Combining more than 15 years' experience in travel planning with the real-world experience of visiting 50+ countries, traveling around the world and taking the top c ...