TRAVELING WITH PRIDE
Cassandra’s latest report is here
While there have always been obstacles to inclusive travel for those who identify as LGBTQ+, the current wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and state-sanctioned bias has heightened that tension. But this cohort perseveres. Despite the stress and concern that this hate causes, LGBTQ+ millennials and Gen Z are leaning further into travel, not away from it. Luckily, there are still significant areas where travelers have positive interactions and experiences, and amongst all the discrimination and prejudice aimed at this community, they have, in part, found solace in travel to help unlock new parts of themselves.
So, with Pride - and the festivals and events that attract millions of travelers every year— upon us, we celebrate our LGBTQ+ communities with our latest report, The 2023 Summer Travel Bulletin, unpacking 10 Things to know about young LGBTQ+ travelers, and here, we’re offering a sneak peek of the report with three compelling ways brands are helping them find the joy in the journey.
REFUGE RESTROOMS
Refuge Restrooms is a trans-led app that seeks to provide safe global restroom access for transgender, intersex, and gender-nonconforming individuals. Users can search for restrooms by proximity to a search location, add new restroom listings, as well as comment on and rate existing listings. The first 4500 entries are thanks to the now-defunct Safe2Pee database. The rest of the database is generated by users, who can easily add a listing to this valuable resource.
— Tristan Marra, Vice President of Research & Reports, GLAAD
MISTERB&B
As a brand already at the forefront of creating an inclusive environment for its clientele, Misterb&b is a travel and social networking website that connects LGBTQ+ travelers with friends of the community who have rooms available. As the name suggests, Misterb&b started with a focus on gay people. Still, the company says that it wants to become an inclusive platform for the LGBTQ+ community and was recently chosen to be a part of the Expedia Group Accelerator program, which focuses on startups and SMBs working to make the travel industry more open and accessible. Right now, Misterb&b works with 100,000 hosts in 135 countries and encourages its hosts to make their apartments or rooms available during major LGBTQ events taking place in their city. It also acts as a travel guide and online community for gay travelers.
— Anderson, 22, WA (Cassandra Collective)
SCRUFF VENTURE
SCRUFF is a top-rated, safe, and reliable app for gay, bi, trans, and queer guys to connect. The platform connects more than 20M guys worldwide to friends, events, advice, and more. Today, the SCRUFF app is catering to those looking to meet up with friends who live abroad and includes the newly launched SCRUFF VENTURE, a global gay travel companion where you can chat with travelers and locals at your destination, publish a travel agenda so locals know you’ll be there soon, gather tips, and make connections.