As travel rebounds and some international borders open to U.S. residents — especially, or exclusively, if you’re fully vaccinated— you’ll need to pack more than a suitcase to ensure safe trips during the pandemic’s latter days, and far beyond. After all, it’s not quite a COVID-free world yet, nor will it be for a while.
Since the world packs travel hazards besides COVID-19 — from accidents to dangerous locals targeting queer tourists — here’s some advice and resources for LGBTQs to take into consideration. Bon safe voyage!
Get insurance that covers COVID-19
Before booking that flight, cruise, hotel or car rental, secure a travel insurance policy. Be sure it covers COVID-19 related calamities, including hospitalization and cancellations on either your end or that of the airline, cruise line, hotel, tour company, etc. As many learned since March 2020, their policies did not.
For several years before the pandemic hit, I took out an annual individual policy with Allianz (they’ve added COVID-19 benefits to some policies), which I made one claim on during early 2019 for a doctor’s visit in Singapore. The claims process was easy and paid out in a timely manner — a simple urgent-care illness situation that included medication. When my husband joined me in Bangkok for just a week, I purchased a single trip policy from Travel Guard for him (which does not appear to cover COVID-19 as of now).
LGBTQ-friendly insurance company Seven Corners, meanwhile, offers policies for both singles and same-sex couples, and can even ensure you stay together if a medical evac is required for one partner. You can check out the video about Seven Corners clients Daniel and Felipe on their LGBTQ landing page. Seven Corners also offers policies covering COVID-19. Lastly, if you have homeowners’ insurance, inquire whether your personal property is covered against destruction or theft while traveling.
Geotag everything!
Be sure to activate your phone, pad and laptop’s geolocation features. Worst-case scenario, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your iPhone’s been stolen if it’s suddenly five miles away from where you last left it on a table and can deactivate the device. Also, though: don’t leave your iPhone on a table.
I’ve learned it’s an all-too-common practice for airlines to take bags off planes pre-departure if the vessel’s too weight-heavy or may excessively tax its fuel supply. They won’t always confess yours lost the lottery and where it’s chilling out, but Apple’s new tracking device, AirTag, will essentially spill the tea.
Know the LGBTQ laws of the land
Homosexuality is still illegal and even punishable by death in parts of the world. Some of these anti-LGBTQ laws entail toothless legislative holdovers, like Singapore’s Penal Code Section 377A, which remains on the books despite ongoing legal challenges and an open, even thriving local gay scene.
As of April 2021, countries with the death penalty on the books for same-sex relations include Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northwest Africa’s Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.
Beyond the personal safety issue, there’s also the question of whether to spend money in places inhospitable to LGBTQs either socially or politically, like transphobic Arkansas, Jamaica and Poland, which continues to upset the rest of the European Union with its never-ending conveyor belt of anti-LGBTQ and anti-Semitic BS.
I’ll admit, I like visiting Poland. I’m part Polish, although you’d never tell by looking at me. But one night, casually taking photos in a Kraków gay bar, a young gay Pole lunged at me from across the room (he actually dove underneath a table, like a submarine missile, to make a straight beeline), asking why I was shooting in his direction, both enraged and terrified. That was the last photo I took in a gay space. Alternately, to some, traveling to these places is a form of activism, visibility being a necessary part of change, while also supporting the local LGBTQ businesses and community.
Human Rights Watch maintains a series of online maps of countries with anti-LGBTQ and anti-gender expression laws, plus those with age of consent disparities between same-sex versus heterosexual individuals. It’s worth a look.
So is travel bloggers Asher & Lyric’s whopping 150-country list of best and worst countries for LGBTQ travel in 2021, while our own U.S. State Department boasts a fantastic information and resource page for LGBTI international travelers. There, you can find safety tips, how to reach U.S. embassies and consulates while abroad (“Consular officers will protect your privacy and will not make generalizations, assumptions or pass judgment,” it promises) and a TSA info page for transgender passengers.
Show respect and be smart about PDA
Life isn’t always a gay cruise or a strut down Santa Monica Boulevard. In some cultures, public displays of affection (PDA) between people of any gender or sexual identity are completely frowned upon and offensive, so look that up and, even better, look around you once you arrive. Watch — nonchalantly, not in some creepy way — how locals behave before indulging in PDA, and don’t be surprised to see men affectionately holding hands like “Sex and the City” girlfriends in Arab countries or India; it’s a cultural norm, despite the homophobia. Conversely, if you’re in a known gayborhood like Tokyo’s Shinjuku Nichome or Mexico City’s Zona Rosa, live out loud and flash those conservative locals the gayest smile you can.
Watch out for the catfish… and sharks
It can happen anywhere in the world, including home, but apps and hookup sites are swimming with scam artists. In some countries, apps are used by homophobes and zealous antigay police to entrap, jail and torture LGBTQs. In other cases, you could get robbed, especially in second and third world countries where first world tourists represent an easy, even deserving in their eyes, mark.
If you do meet someone online, take precautions. In countries where locals target tourists, five-star hotels will often require visitors leave their ID at the front desk and won’t allow them to retrieve it and leave until you give a sign-off by phone. If someone refuses to visit your five-star hotel that’s a red flag. And if you do have a new “friend” over, put those valuables in the safe first.
Google where you’re going before booking tickets
Googling your destination and “antigay” could produce up-to-the-minute news developments that may inform your plans. A Molotov cocktail attack on a Laguna Beach, California gay bar in mid 2020, for example, is a pretty clear “maybe not right now.”
Egypt has long been an LGBTQ traveler’s fave, but the past few years have seen an increase in disturbing anti-LGBTQ violence, harassment and detainment by the police. Indonesia keeps seeing waves of political crackdowns on and vilification of queers — including raids of Jakarta bathhouses and, just this past August, a private gay party — while Indonesia’s Aceh province is ruled by Sharia law and sees public lashings and life-destroying shamings. Indonesia’s island of Bali, however, is extremely LGBTQ-positive and tolerant.
Back up critical documents and send to a cloud service
I’ve never been pickpocketed — and probably jinxed myself writing that — but if this ever happens or you misplace important documents or a wallet, have copies ready in the cloud, including booking numbers and, of course, travel insurance policy. iCloud, DropBox, whatever — just be sure it’s an encrypted service. Now you can more easily request replacements and access important numbers to cancel credit cards.
If you’re legally married or partnered, also have copies and cloud backups of your marriage license and anything related to power of attorney and medical access, especially here in the good ol’ freedom-y U.S.A. Some nosy “Christian” nurse in an Arkansas or Texas hospital may attempt to refuse a same-sex spouse access to a hospital unless you’re packing legal documents and a winnable lawsuit.
Always keep your medications on you (but not recreational drugs)
Don’t put your prescription drugs in check-in luggage. I repeat: Do not put your prescription drugs in check-in luggage. Ever. If it’s medication you need daily, you’re risking missed doses should that bag get lost, and worse, if the drug isn’t readily available where you’re headed. Keep them in your carry-on only!
Also, don’t bring recreational drugs into a country where you can go to jail for it. It’s a really wise use of 60 seconds on Google to look that up, because tourists will not be treated with leniency. It’s a lesson you don’t want to learn.
New York-raised entertainment and travel journalist Lawrence Ferber has contributed to publications including Entertainment Weekly, New York Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, The Advocate, NewNowNext, The NY Post and TripSavvy. He also co-wrote/co-created the 2010 gay rom com “BearCity” and authored its 2013 novelization.
