Much of the world is more tolerant than ever of gay and lesbian travel

Gay & Lesbian Travel: Things to Check Before You Set Off

Whilst much of the world is more tolerant than ever of gay and lesbian travel, attitudes towards homosexuality vary greatly from place to place.

Our advice is essentially the same to all travelers wherever they’re going: Read up a bit about the country to which you want to go. Get your hands on a good guide book and trawl whatever information is available out there on the net.

Find out as much as possible about the laws and customs of your intended destination.

Many destinations, particularly in Western Europe, North America and Australasia, have local sites that can provide you with detailed information on their thriving gay and lesbian communities. What’s more, the vast majority of their large cities have developed blooming gay and lesbian communities.

However, it’d be as well to remember that what is perfectly acceptable in cosmopolitan New York, say, might not go down as well in more rural parts of the US.

But some countries are inevitably more conservative than others. In those parts of the world where same-sex relationships are frowned upon, local police forces have been known to carry out elaborate entrapment schemes.

In some places the law can be rather ambiguous, with no specific mention of same-sex relationships, or even differing from region to region.

What goes on in private – and be widely accepted – may not be so well-received in the public eye. The key is to find out before you set off, not when you get there.

This way you can make sure you’re aware of any dos, don’ts and cultural taboos (such as public displays of affection by same-sex couples) without having to learn the hard way by causing offence, scandal or even in some cases ending up in prison.

You would also be well-advised to find out the age of consent in the country you’re looking to go to, as it can differ for heterosexual and same-sex relationships.

If you’re not absolutely sure what may or may not be acceptable, discretion is obviously the best policy.

Another important thing to remember is that it may be sensible to stock up on sexual health products as they might not as easy to come by in many parts of the world as they are at home.