Wikivoyage:Information for LGBT travel

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This is a policy page. For actual travel information, see LGBT travel.

Some information about cities, countries, and regions will be specifically of interest to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other) people. This page describes where to put that information.

The term "LGBT" is by far the most commonly used term, more than similar or rearranged acronyms like "GLBT" or "LGBTQ", and has become the de facto standard in English media. Wikivoyage follows this common usage of "LGBT" for consistency, which has added benefits like improving searchability. Although "gay" can refer strictly to homosexual men, it's also sometimes used as an umbrella term (as in "gay pride parades") to include all members of the LGBT community.

Nothing in this policy precludes the creation of travel topics such as LGBT Stockholm or LGBT Toronto.

Why there's no "LGBT" section

The Wikivoyage article skeleton templates don't have a "Gay" or "LGBT" section for travel articles. This is by design. There are any number of different kinds of travelers who may have special needs – senior travelers, travelers with children, disabled travelers, etc. Having different sections for each would make the destination pages unnecessarily cluttered, and would probably cause some duplication of information.

Venue listings

In general, classifications for venue listings match those for any other mainstream business fulfilling the same roles – restaurants in "eat", bars in "drink", lodging in "sleep". The restrictions on what not to list are also the same for LGBT and non-LGBT venues.

LGBT bars and clubs

LGBT bars and dance clubs should be listed under the "Drink" section of a city page, just like any other bar. In the bar's description, specify whether it's a gay, lesbian, or other type of bar. (In common usage, a place described as a "gay bar" usually welcomes all LGBT people; if it's only for men, specify that it's "all male" or "exclusively for men".) If there are general notes about LGBT-oriented bars in the city, they should be included in a paragraph at the start of the "Drink" section.

A few LGBT-owned restaurants market their fare to the gay and lesbian community or attract a mixed clientèle; list these in "Eat" with the other restaurants.

LGBT-friendly hotels and lodging

Some hotels are LGBT-friendly and actively seek LGBT clientèle. Various independent bed and breakfast establishments locate in LGBT-friendly neighbourhoods, are operated by longterm same-sex couples or pride themselves on welcoming LGBT travellers. This lodging should be listed with the others in the "Sleep" section, noting in the description that the hotel is LGBT-friendly.

LGBT events

List LGBT events, like pride parades, along with other events in the "Do" section of a city page.

LGBT neighborhoods

If there are neighborhoods in a city with a significant LGBT population or culture, these should be noted in the "Understand" section of the city page. If the city is a huge city, and the neighborhood is one of the districts in that city, put information about LGBT culture in the "Understand" section for that district.

LGBT media

Most large Western cities have an alternative weekly or monthly publication which accepts advertising from LGBT venues and provides news of interest to the LGBT community. As with other newspapers and media, these are listed in "Cope".

Safety

It's a sad fact that LGBT people are sometimes specifically targeted for violence or other crimes. If there are specific safety issues for LGBT people, add a paragraph about them in the "Stay safe" section for the city.

If there's a culture-wide discrimination against LGBT people (de facto or de jure), it would probably make sense to include that information in the "Stay safe" section of the corresponding country and/or region page.

Cultural differences

Include information about tolerance or intolerance of LGBT people in the "Understand" section of the country or region page.

Some information on specific dress or behavior may have a place in the "Respect" section, but it's a fine line. Adding LGBT info in the "Respect" section has the subtle connotation of: "Respect your hosts; don't be LGBT!" So, use "Respect" to note behaviors rather than who the traveler is.