Homophobic countries, would you cruise or travel there?
I’m keen to travel and cruise just about anywhere, and like you, I have something of a destination dream list. Cruise destinations like Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad, and St. Lucia in the Caribbean are certainly of interest. Further afield, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Samoa, and Mauritius are all places I’d love to cruise.
Countries where it is illegal to be gay are marked in yellow, orange, and red colors, image courtesy Wikipedia Commons.
Malawi was never on my travel list. However, the events that occurred in Malawi over the past few months have made me think a lot about whether or not I should travel to countries where it’s illegal to be gay. (In case you haven’t heard, a gay Malawian couple was imprisoned for getting engaged; after massive international outcry the couple was released from prison, one of them is now trying to be straight and the other lives in fear for his life).
According to the annual ILGA* report State-sponsored Homophobia: a worldwide survey of laws prohibiting same-sex activity between consenting adults, it is currently illegal to be gay in 76 countries, “including the ‘infamous five’ which put people to death for their sexual orientation: Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen (plus some parts of Nigeria and Somalia).”
I’m not surprised to see those five on the list. But digging into their list is fascinating. Other than South Africa, I’ve always assumed we’re “criminals” everywhere in Africa. Not so. Surprisingly, being gay is not a crime in a handful of African countries, among them Benin, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Madagascar.
What should be more sobering to gay and lesbian travelers is the reminder that we are very illegal in some nearby, sexy vacation spots, as listed above. Jamaica has a particularly bad reputation with gay travelers. But other spots where gay people go have nasty laws that, if ever enforced, could land you in the proverbial brig, or worse. In Barbados homosexuality carries a life sentence.
Of course, enforcement varies around the globe. While homosexuality is legal in most of the world’s nations, that doesn’t mean it’s widely accepted. While I am comfortable holding my partner’s hand throughout our “home ports” of Seattle and Vancouver, I doubt I’d do the same in Acapulco or Shanghai—or New Orleans, for that matter–all in countries where homosexuality is legal.
The big question is really this: should we visit countries where we’re “illegal?” Check out the easy-to-read list of countries on Wikipedia.org. Then tell me what you think. Also, I’d love to hear if you’ve ever been harassed or had problems when cruising through gay-unfriendly destinations.
* The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
Marvin Perton, 
beachcomberT, 
Dave Cantrall 3:02 am on July 27, 2010 Permalink |
Thanks for posting this interesting – yet disturbing – article.
Would I visit countries which are against gays (thus me)? No, I would not.
Rick 4:33 pm on July 28, 2010 Permalink |
Hell freakin’ no. Don’t give countries that criminalize us one red cent of our tourist money.
Liz 8:41 am on August 2, 2010 Permalink |
I’m a gay rights supporter planning my honeymoon in the Caribbean, and I’ve backed out of a decision to vacation in Jamaica after learning of the anti-gay culture and rampant anti-gay violence in that country. I think all LGBT couples, individuals, and any person that supports equal rights for all people should think long and hard before supporting the tourist industry in a country that blatantly oppresses the rights of its LGBT citizens.
Thanks a lot for this article!
Ping Wei 10:31 am on August 4, 2010 Permalink |
In Shanghai or Beijing, holding hands will be fine, but not kissing.
I’m now at the Gay Games in Cologne this week. One of the message the German vice chancellor delivered at the opening ceremony was “no religions can justify killing (referring death for people’s homosexuality”. I would say no religion can justify hatred, which then include US.
Ralph Denney 12:44 pm on August 4, 2010 Permalink |
I agree with Rick… if if they don’t want me because I love a man… then they don’t deserve my money. It’s really as simple as that. There’s enough places where we don’t have to worry to visit for the rest of our lives. We should also let our families and friends know about this.
Julian 6:10 pm on August 5, 2010 Permalink |
My partner and I try to avoid any destinations which are notoriously known for their homophobia. We have no interest in visiting Jamaica. Furthermore, we wont even visit places in the USA that are too conservative.
We cruised to Alaska with a gay group last September and we encountered a church group with signs protesting our arrival to Juneau, yelling out homophobic slurs. Luckily we all laughed it off and it did not ruin our short stay.
Julian 6:12 pm on August 5, 2010 Permalink |
Actually, we should all boycott those places…. they will definately hurt financially…money makes the world around, you know…
Pedro 7:39 am on August 25, 2010 Permalink |
You should be aware that during the past 2 weeks, a trong homophobic environnement occur in Costa-rica, a so called paradise. ” young men (34 and 23) were brutally murdered in their house, a gay bar was attacked and two Drag Queens doing a show were assaulted. Beware of Costa-Rica. JUst back from tthere and will never go again. The Press specially the DIario Extra is the worst homophobic newspaper.
Lee 8:41 pm on September 27, 2010 Permalink |
So many destinations/so little time. Why waste it in places we’re “illegal”?
Thanks for posting this article and the Wikipedia link to “places to go and places not to….”
Khaled 8:10 am on October 19, 2010 Permalink |
I think we should each be opening up our worlds….what about people who move to live in countries where it’s illegal or at least not wholly legal to practice an alternative sexuality? Many countries who are not gay-friendly will certainly not miss a few of us choosing not to go there – much better to build up a critical mass to the point where ‘we’ have a voice in those countries and can back change.
We’re a gay couple who moved from Europe to India, and work in the tourism sector. Most decent properties have no issues with different sleeping arrangements and treat all guests with respect regardless. In my experience this is much the same the world over, even in Arab states (OK, lets not include Saudi in that!) like Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
If you want to see the world, then why let sexuality be a barrier – choose wisely, travel safely and enjoy every moment.
beachcomberT 3:00 pm on March 27, 2012 Permalink |
Well, the vacation world is not neatly divided into pro-gay and anti-gay. In just about any country, public sex is going to be illegal, but the penalties and enforcement would vary widely. I have enjoyed several cruise getaways to the Bahamas but I would not be flamboyant on that island. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, on the other hand, would be safer and more tolerant. Use common sense and save your outrageous behavior for your own room or cabin.
Marvin Perton 9:38 am on March 28, 2012 Permalink |
Atlantis should not include homophobic destinations on their itineraries. In this case, Atlantis abandoned their guests overnight in a fetid, filthy jail cell as though they were criminals. Tney were subject to vermin, verbal abuse and third world prison conditions. Shame on Atlantis – not the two guys who were arrested. Shame on the captain of the ship for allowing the island officials to haul these men off the ship. How can anyone of the dock or in the nearby town have seen the men having sex on their balcony? I will only choose those destinatons where being gay is not illegal. moreover, as a travel agent with a gay following, I would not recommend these destinations to my clients. Marvin – Cruisin’ with Marvin