If you must be gay—and, dear reader, you really must—then it’s only natural that you’ve found yourself here, consulting our list of the best destinations for LGBTQ+ travelers to visit. While it’s true that queerness may be temporarily masked for survival reasons and that travelers should be prepared to compromise on aspects of their presentation out of respect for local customs and mores, sometimes that’s just not going to work. Many countries around the world are safe and fabulous destinations for openly LGBTQ+ travelers. (Admittedly, we’re speaking generally here; it’s important to note it only takes one incident perpetuated by one bad actor or group to soil an individual’s trip—and that can happen anywhere.) So what are the places where you don’t have to put your most authentic self away?
This list of the best destinations for LGBTQ+ travelers to visit aims to include a few more countries beyond the usual European suspects by emphasizing the weight of public opinion (how the general public feels about LGBTQ+ people) over legal rights (e.g. sanctioned same-sex marriage) in accordance with data collected by Equaldex. Still, to make the cut: neither homosexual acts nor being transgender could be criminalized. Countries on six continents make the list.
Keep in mind: The word “best” in this instance is relative; Condé Nast Traveler editor Matt Ortile wrote about this a few years back, noting that so long as the travel is planned well LGBTQ+ travelers can safely enjoy many destinations not on this list, like Egypt. So, dear traveler, take some inspiration for this list, do your own due diligence, and see the world.
Brazil
One of the most startling revelations that comes out of a search for LGBTQ+ friendly travel destinations is the sparse inclusion of a country like Brazil. Its bustling and vivacious major cities—think of São Paulo‘s nightlife, Rio for Ipanema Beach’s Posto 8 meeting place—make excellent stops on the queer traveler’s itinerary for the sprawling legal protections and increasingly positive popular opinion (the overall score from Equaldex comes in at 78 out of 100.) According to the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, even the country’s more rural regions have made great strides towards progressivism in recent years. A great time to visit would of course be Pride Month in June, when the country hosts some 300 parades, but don’t limit yourself. IGLTA outlines a relentless calendar of LGBTQ+ events year-round here.
Chile
With its equality index of 83 and public opinion index of 61, Chile is another solid option that LGBTQ+ travelers would be wise not to rule out. Larger cities like Santiago and Concepción have nightlife year-round, while the former city’s Pride celebration is one of the largest in Latin America. As with most places, still, cities and metropolitan regions far outpace the rural—and, in Chile, the rural are more definitely worth visiting for such sites as Torres del Paine National Park and Atacama Desert.
Uruguay
Uruguay is one of the best countries on the South American continent for LGBTQ+ travelers, according to Equaldex: the public opinion index comes in at 73 and its overall score is 83, behind just Iceland, Spain, and Norway. And yet you never really hear about this quiet country in this, or any, travel context. This country is a sleepier beach destination than Brazil and is therefore better suited for travelers seeking relaxation; there’s also fabulous wine-making in Punta del Este and slow-paced cultural immersion. But Montevideo (right on the Atlantic, and not far from Argentina’s Buenos Aires, in case trip-stacking is of interest) has a lively scene especially around Pride.