Organizers say political pressure is the motivation to celebrate pride
Organizers say political pressure is a motivator to continue organizing and congratulating pride, but some business support is declining.
- LGBTQ+ travelers are taking precautions, especially in the South, as increasing hostility is recognized.
- Resources like Iglta are odd everywhere, and LGBTQ+ friendly travel advisors can help travelers find comprehensive spaces and plan safer trips.
- Despite the challenges, experts and travelers emphasize diversity in the South, encouraging destination research and engagement with the community.
When Madeleine Greg and his wife Bryn drive to Florida for a holiday, they consider more than just road safety.
In certain areas of the south, a 33-year-old certified sex educator feels it’s not dangerous for her to go outside and pump gas while her transgender wife stays in the car. “We don’t even have to talk about it anymore,” she told USA Today. “That’s just assumed.”
The couple also learned which businesses have family and sexually neutral bathrooms conveniently located along the route from their home in Louisville, Kentucky. Even in the Melbourne, Florida area, they usually visit three or five times a year, and Bryn’s family has a beach house.
“We want to enjoy where we are, and if we give more attention to us, we probably won’t enjoy it that much,” she said.
As a native Kentucky, Greg is used to such precautions. But she is among many who have found travel in the US South more troubling, as the federal government targets the LGBTQ+ community.
However, the experience of LGBTQ+ visitors can vary widely in this region. Here are some things you need to know when considering a trip to the south:
“I don’t know how we should behave.”
The south is diverse and diverse, but this region tends to be less LGBTQ+ friendly than other parts of the country. The six lowest states on the Out Leadership 2025 LGBTQ+ Business Environment Index were in the southeast, assessing the impact of government policies and attitudes towards community.
Greg previously said there were areas where the pair felt they had to notice more during their road trips in Florida, but after the 2024 presidential election, it was “big and very different.”
“People tended to say things,” she said. “I stare more,” she remembers even making a lightly parody statement about gender identity when a passerby was walking his dog in Florida.
The couple has only been to Melbourne once in the last six months.
It’s not just Greg. Ommy, who creates travel content with her fiance, Davie, feels “a level of paranoia” when visiting the area more than ever before, under her boyfriend traveling around Monica. The 34-year-old said the couple visits the south at least once a year to work and meet friends and family. They asked for it to be identified by occupation name alone, due to privacy and safety concerns.
They spend a lot of time abroad, but are based in Chicago when they are in America
“Driving from Atlanta to Charleston, you go through the places you just like, ‘I don’t know how we should behave,'” he said. “For example, you have to almost act as a friend. You have to look over your shoulder in some respects.”
Davy reflected that. The 37-year-old, originally from England, said visiting New York was relatively “very, very open and very accepted.”
“I don’t feel that way of thinking will change whatever the political shaking of the country is in that moment,” he said. “The South is less familiar and more uncomfortable. To be honest, that part may be a bit ignorant.
Tips for traveling in the South
Still, there are plenty of inclusive spaces.
“The South is very diverse and very subtle,” said Andy Knowles, a travel advisor for FORA travel based in North Carolina. He states that travelers must perform their own risk assessments before visiting their destinations, and recommends “doing as much research as you feel comfortable” on the front end.
It’s a good idea to know the laws of books. “We can’t determine statewide sentiment based on their laws, but I think that’s a pretty good starting point,” Knowles said.
A strange travel advisor can help you walk your clients through the planning process.
“Connecting with local LGBTQ+ groups or trustworthy travel networks to select accommodation and services known for inclusiveness and care,” said John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA).
Travelers can find a database of accommodations on the IGLTA website. Knowles also noted that Expedia has a “LGBTQ Welcome” search filter.
Greg recommended reaching out to the Tourism Commission or following on social media. “The reason they’re there is, they want people to come, so they want you to feel as safe as possible in their city,” she said.
She and her wife also found a welcoming business using queer apps everywhere. Once there they sought their recommendation.
LGBTQ+ Friendly Destinations in the South
Knowles said the area, including popular cities such as Key West, Miami and Atlanta, has “really magical destinations for LGBTQ, travelers.”
“New Orleans is generally very diverse, very LGBTQ-friendly, even when it’s not normally,” Knowles added. He also recommended Savannah, Georgia. Georgia has a more thriving art scene and gay presence than other southern cities.
Ommy and Davey enjoyed their May trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. Tanzera also highlighted places like Tampa and Dallas. The location “created a warm and welcoming community with year-round events and authentic alliances.”
He advised travelers to support LGBTQ+ events and community organizations and to look for “signs of true commitment” from destinations that may have a clear anti-discrimination policy. “A truly comprehensive destination will not only talk during Pride Month, but will show up all year round,” he said in an email.
Still, during an April trip to San Francisco, Greg was struck by the couple’s loving public display and extensive use of the rainbow flag. In contrast, she and her wife knocked down the flag of their pride at their Louisville home as a passerby yelled slur as the couple sat on the porch.
“It’s very normal for us, but I really don’t understand how we have to be in our closet and how quiet we have to be in the South until we experience traveling elsewhere,” she said. However, she emphasized that it is important not to generalize and that attitudes and experiences can vary widely even in neighborhoods.
“I say there are stereotypes in the south,” adds Knowles, who was born and raised in California, moving to Asheville about three and a half years ago. “And don’t amortize the entire country based on some of the headlines we’ve seen.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel journalist for Nashville-based USA Today. You can contact him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
