LGBT Friendly Areas to Visit

People travel for a variety of reasons. Some people travel because they want to be able see new things, not just the famous tourist spots but even those that most people do not know about but are popular among the locals. Others travel because they want to go out of their comfort zone and experience other cultures. They want to learn on their own what makes other people unique and what makes them the same. They want to experience what it’s like to live like the locals. Some people travel because they want to learn a new language while the more adventurous ones enjoy travelling because they want to taste new dishes and eat exotic food.

While people have their own reasons for travelling, they basically have the same considerations when it comes to choosing where they want to travel. One of the most common reasons why people choose to travel to a specific place is their safety. Whether they plan to travel alone or with their friends or family members, they want to be sure that there wouldn’t be any security concerns to whichever place they want to travel to.

While it is important that you, as a traveler, know where it is safe to travel, it is also equally important that you find out where you shouldn’t travel. For the members of the LGBT community, making a list of LGBT friendly areas to visit is important especially when it comes to making travel plans to foreign countries. There are still places where there are harsh anti-gay sentiments and this creates a very dangerous environment for LGBT travelers. Uganda has a tough stance against homosexuality and those who engage in homosexual activities are considered criminal in Uganda.

The government itself is complicit in the oppression of the rights of members of LGBT community. President Museveni and his ministers are constantly urging gays to leave the country. They claim that same-sex lifestyle is a result of strong Western influence and that homosexuality poses a threat to African values and Christianity. Christian ministers and leaders, who have a strong influence in the country, conducts anti-gay campaigns and even give anti-gay sermons citing that homosexuality did not exist during pre-colonial Africa.

The belief that HIV infection, and the ongoing epidemic that resulted from it, is a plague that has originated from gays. Ugandans who also have anti-gay sentiments accuse homosexuals of actively recruiting young people into their ‘lifestyle’.