Why is Inclusivity and Diversity Important in Travel?

First, let’s be clear. There are more ways to be an inclusive traveler than only including LGBTQIA+ individuals, from including differently abled bodies to colored bodies to different sized bodies. All of them are equally important, but this post focuses on why being more LGBTQIA+ inclusive is important because that’s my experience. I do not want to speak for other people’s experiences, but I’ve included a few resources to get you started in other realms of diversity, inclusivity, and equality.

Diversity in Travel Perspectives by Heather Greenwood Davis
Ernest White II: FlyBrother Blog, Podcast, TV
Shivya Nath: The Shooting Star Blog
Siddhartha Joshi: IG featuring the dreams of ordinary Indians through a portrait photography series for 365 days
Annette: From Annette With Love Blog
Emma: Simply Emma Blog
Ed Rex: Rexy Edventures Blog and The Deaf Traveller Blog

This list is in no way exhaustive, but it will give you a great starting point for travel from various perspectives, including BIPOC, self-proclaimed Fat people, deaf people, people in wheelchairs, and more. The first link will also provide just a few reasons diversity is important in the travel industry. And everything I discuss below is even more urgent for people who fall into multiple categories (e. g. disabled Black queer people or Indigenous Fat queer people). For ways to be inclusive, visit my Ways to Travel Inclusivity Post.

So why is diversity and inclusivity important in the LGBTQIA+ community?

1. It opens gates to people who may otherwise have been kept out of the community.

If a young trans, queer person only sees cisgender heterosexual people traveling, that tells the young individual that travel doesn’t hold a space for people like them. However, if there is visibility in the industry, it makes it a possibility for them.

2. It can help prevent us from backpedaling or losing rights we’ve gained.

Some background for this point:

a. Pride was born during a time when LGBTQIA+ people were in constant physical danger (therefore, psychological danger) just for being themselves. Police beatings, hate crimes, and laws against queer individuals were rampant, and they aren’t eradicated yet.

b. There are 195 countries in the world, and only 29 countries have legalized same-sex marriage.

c. In at least 11 countries, being gay is punishable by death and in over 70, being gay is a criminal offence.

d. In at least nine countries, different forms of gender expression (aimed at transgender and gender nonconforming individuals) are criminal. In these countries, there is specific rhetoric written that both implicitly and explicitly criminalizes anything outside “the norm.”

e. It’s only been 30 years since being gay was considering a mental illness.

Diversity and inclusion are more important now more than ever, so we don’t take steps backward. In the United States, we have seen how easily rights can fluctuate, and I think I speak for most of us in saying it’s terrifying. The countries that haven’t taken steps forward need to be pushed, but if we aren’t visible and accepted in every way, the progress will stall.

Want to visit a progressive place on your travels? How about Southern California! Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park, and Long Beach are great options. The Netherlands are also well-known to be progressive, and the famous Keukenhof Gardens are a popular attraction!

3. The more inclusive and diverse we can be externally, the more we can give those in places like Poland hope.

Poland just re-elected a President with vehement anti-gay rhetoric. It was an extremely close election, but the anti-gay rhetoric won out, particularly in the older population of Poles. The campaign exposed rifts and created divisions in Poland that are likely to last a long time.

4. We can reduce internalized fears and insecurities.

Regardless of where you grow up – in an accepting environment or not – growing up without inclusion and diversity creates internalized fears, insecurities, stigmas, and more. I grew up with the most accepting and loving parent you could ask for but guess what? I’m still uncomfortable being myself in most situations. I still have internalized homophobia/self-loathing against myself in talking to people – what if they think I’m gay? Oh wait. I am. But what if they think I like them? Oh wait. I don’t. What if they think I’m weird? Heh. I am.  Thoughts like this one are only the tip of the iceberg. Walking in somewhere with Pride evident – whether it’s rainbows, haircuts, or clothing – is like walking into a safe place. I belong here. Normalizing LGBTQIA+ identities, especially at a young age (and let’s face it, young kids are everywhere on the internet now), will benefit the child as they grow, but also strengthen equality among all generations. And that’s what representation and inclusion in the travel industry can provide for LGBTQIA+ people young and old.

5. We can minimize compulsive heterosexuality.

In addition to all the internalized negativity most LGBTQIA+ individuals experience, many queers experience something called compulsive heterosexuality popularized by Adrienne Rich. The phrase is self-explanatory in that most people assume (because it is “required” by society) that everyone is straight. However, it’s not that simple; with this idea comes a boatload of baggage that us queers get to enjoy.

For example, some womxn date men because “it’s what is expected.” They don’t think about the possibility of dating anyone else. But when they realize being queer is *okay,* they begin the fun process of questioning themselves – was I only dating men because of compulsive heterosexuality? Do I even like men?

The questioning and the self-doubt continue, no matter your gender or sexuality, and it’s related to how LGBTQIA+ people are represented (among other factors, of course). It can take years of self-love and therapy to work through these things. It all comes back to normalizing LGBTQIA+ individuals, and the travel community is a HUGE area where inclusion and diversity can and needs to be addressed. Read through for a few tips on how to implement inclusivity in your travels, and please share this post with anyone who may benefit from reading it or learn about the importance of representation.

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