Now that President Donald Trump has begun to upend so many aspects of queer Americans' lives – from executive orders defining gender, which affects passports for trans people, to the trans military ban, to ending diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the federal government – it's a good time to ask how safe LGBTQ residents are, especially as the summer travel season looms and people may be planning vacations. The answer isn't an easy one, in part because so many states already had anti-LGBTQ policies and laws on the books before Trump returned to the Oval Office.
One indicator of safe states used to be California's travel ban, which barred publicly funded travel to states with anti-LGBTQ laws. But Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill repealing that law in September 2023.
Lesbian former state senator Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) authored Senate Bill 447, called the BRIDGE Act (Building and Reinforcing Inclusive, Diverse, Gender-Supportive Equality) because she believed the travel ban was ineffective in its goal of getting those states to repeal their anti-LGBTQ laws. (No state did.) And a broad coalition of LGBTQ groups and leaders had expressed support for doing away with the travel ban, arguing the policy also hampered the ability of LGBTQ advocates to be on the ground in the covered states arguing on behalf of LGBTQ rights. SB 447 was supposed to replace the ban with a privately-funded pro-LGBTQ marketing campaign in the 26 states that were previously on the list. (We haven't heard of any launch of the campaign. Atkins is now running for governor in 2026, as Newsom is termed out.)
It is in this context that we'd like to highlight several efforts to inform LGBTQ people of the changes underway or to make travel safer for LGBTQ people.
The passport issue is a serious one. The Trump administration changed the available gender marker options. Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund noted that Trump's executive order directed the State Department to implement changes that will effectively deny accurate passports to transgender, gender-nonconforming, nonbinary, and intersex people. No longer is there an option for the "X" gender marker, which the Biden administration implemented. And people are to use their sex assigned at birth for the document.
"On February 8, 2025, the State Department issued a directive explaining that when an applicant requests a change in the sex marker, the passport official must determine 'the applicant's biological sex at birth,'" Lambda Legal stated on its website. "If an applicant requests an X marker on their passport or [consular report of birth abroad], the marker must be changed to M or F depending on the evidence submitted with application, along with potential review of 'relevant department databases' to 'best determine' the applicant's sex assigned at birth. This directive applies to all in-progress passport applications as well as future applications received as of February 7, 2025."
Lambda Legal also offers responses to several scenarios that TGNCNBI people might experience.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, which is holding its convention in Palm Springs in October, has a Gender Diverse Travel Advisory Group that is urging the travel industry to support inclusion and safety for all travelers as attempts to erase anti-trans/gender diverse people escalate globally. The group works with IGLTA and its IGLTA Foundation.
"With increased visibility often comes pushback, and trans and gender diverse (TGD) travelers continue to face significant barriers to safe and inclusive travel," the advisory group stated. "Many global entities still fail to recognize gender diversity, while others are rolling back protections, reinforcing outdated assumptions that restrict movement for TGD travelers. Reports of barriers at borders – such as invasive screenings, denial of entry, and refusal to recognize an 'X' gender marker designation for nonbinary or intersex people and an aligned gender marker for binary trans people on passports – is just the beginning."
The advisory group is right about that. And it's calling on industry leaders to review and update policies to align with best practices of gender inclusivity and encourage destinations, hospitality, and travel service providers to be gender-inclusive.
The advisory group is holding a webinar on March 27.
Florida
Florida is sending mixed messages to LGBTQ travelers. Equality Florida and the Human Rights Campaign each issued travel advisories in 2023 due to the state's anti-LGBTQ laws. Similar notices were issued by the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens.
That hasn't stopped plenty of queer travelers from booking a Disney World vacation or going to other tourist attractions across the Sunshine State. The National LGBTQ Task Force saw thousands of people attend its recent Winter Party Festival 2025 held in Miami Beach.
Meanwhile, in late January, after Trump's inauguration, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the return of Rainbow Spring, running now through June 30.
"Greater Miami and Miami Beach takes pride in being a welcoming community for LGBTQ+ travelers year-round," stated Dan Rios, the convention bureau's director of LGBTQ+ Tourism Marketing. "With Rainbow Spring, we continue to offer meaningful experiences to ensure our LGBTQ+ visitors feel seen, celebrated, and represented when they visit."
Miami Beach Pride kicks off March 27 and is just one of the many events planned.
Other options
Luxury LGBT+ travel company Brand g Vacations is out with exclusive trips that are curated by LGBT+ travel experts, a news release stated. Vacations are full ship charters on smaller ships. It also has land tours available and is taking bookings for 2026.
Misterb&b is like an Airbnb for LGBTQ people. Matthieu Jost, the CEO and founder, created the site, which includes a community of over 1 million travelers and 2 million properties in 220 countries, after he and his partner experienced homophobia from a home host while on vacation in Spain.
Equaldex is a company that tracks LGBTQ rights and laws by country and region, such as where it's illegal to be gay or what countries make it illegal to discriminate. It could be a helpful tool in planning a vacation.
Vacaya offers all-LGBT+ cruises and vacations. It has recently collaborated with MeetMeOnboard, an app that connects LGBTQ cruisers. A news release noted that with changes to Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) that rescinded protections against hate speech targeting LGBTQ users, MeetMeOnboard may be a good alternative for users to meet and connect with others booked on the same cruise. The collaboration launched last month on a Vacaya cruise in the Caribbean.
Finally, there's a new LGBTQ-owned travel company, Better Angels Travel. It offers unique and affirming travel experiences for LGBTQ+ families and families with LGBTQ+ youth, a news release stated. With a mission to celebrate diversity, foster community, and create lifelong memories, Better Angels Travel is set to redefine family travel for a new generation, the release noted.
Founded by travel experts Kari Payne and Scott Bishop Falcone, who have nearly 30 years of combined experience, Better Angels Travel combines deep industry knowledge with a passion for creating welcoming spaces for people of all ages and identities. The company's offerings include group tours that are committed to safety and inclusivity in every step of the trip.
"We're here to provide travel experiences where all families can feel seen, valued, and celebrated." Payne stated.
Its first trip is a "We Are Family" tour in Los Angeles during Pride Month in June.
There are lots of options for LGBTQs to check out when deciding to travel. The important thing is that people should make their own decisions based on what's right for them.
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