Gay writer Brian Watson shares a personal essay about a memorable vacation air a gay-owned hotel in Phuket, Thailand.
LGBTQ writer ErinMcCann shares her story of a country road trip with her first love in this moving essay.
"As we rode our bikes down that beautiful country lane, I was so happy to be with you that I reached out my hand to take yours. Our bikesโ wheels whizzed beneath us, but we stayed steady steering with our free hands. The gapping space between us showed the whole road that we were more than just friends."
When my father inquired about my plans for the free time I had gained due to the Nigerian university strike of 2010, I surprised both him and myself. Instead of expressing a desire to enroll in a coding program at one of the city's computer centers, I found myself uttering the words, โI want to take swimming lessons.โย
If you've ever seen Baywatch starring David Hasselhoff, you might have a glimpse of why this decision seemed unexpected.
Camping skills are survival skills. While I understood this intellectually, I didn't know it until Winter Storm Landon hit the Hudson Valley and knocked out my power for 40 hours.
Our camping equipment and skills helped us make the best of a difficult, potentially dangerous situation. So I got to wondering about the gender gap in outdoor recreation, and how it impacts our comfort and safety when weather emergencies happen.
You wake up alone, storm a circle outside your window, youโve been dreaming about sheets of mushrooms again. Itโs best to nap through, wrap yourself in the sleeping bag your mother got you, coated in paint when you wanted to be an artist.
When we don't see images of queer travelers in a destination, we don't know whether that destination is LGBTQ friendly. When we don't know other queer people who hike, kayak, rock climb, backpack, etc., we sometimes hold ourselves back from taking part in these activities. Or we go on a backpacking trip but leave part of our LGBTQ+ identity behind, because we aren't sure if we can be fully ourselves in a mixed setting.
This year's LGBTQ writing contest theme, FIRSTS, is an opportunity to share your own queer travel adventurers with an LGBTQ audience. Your essay just might inspire someone to stretch their comfort zone and try a new activity!
Trapped in my little town, I wondered: what was a place I could truly go and feel safe?
That summer, the fields had become my dance floor, sunsets had replaced box sets, and getting lost was an invitation, not an insult. Iโd returned to the country of my birth, seeking solace and retreat. Now Iโd come home to myself. Iโd grown stronger, braver and bold.
The longlist for the 2022 LGBTQ essay contest is officially here! Meet the lucky writers who made it to the longlist and see contest demographic data.
In 1996, two lesbian hikers were murdered in Shenandoah National Park. I've never been able to forget it.