Gay Travel, Best and Worst Places to Visit!

A UK travel website, Cheapflights.co.uk, has come up with a list of the best and worst places gays should visit. In the case of the worst places, they should be actually avoided. Top of that list, the list of places to avoid? Jamaica atop a list of five destinations that gays should avoid.

Here is a list of top 5 places to avoid for gay travel:

Jamaica

Fiji

Poland

Nicaragua

Mauritius

“Believe it or not, there are still several places in this modern world where being gay is actually illegal and can result in abuse, and even arrest in some cases.

“So as well as telling travelers where they should go, we also highlight where they shouldn’t with the following top five,” the website said in listing the countries.

Jamaica blacklisted

Jamaica has been placed on various blacklists by gay-rights groups which have argued that the country has not demonstrated tolerance to diverse sexual orientations. The country’s prime minister, Bruce Golding, has said gay advocates are “perhaps the most organized lobby in the world”.

He has, however, said that Jamaica was “not going to yield to the pressure, whether that pressure comes from individual organizations, individuals, whether that pressure comes from foreign governments or groups of countries, to liberalize the laws as it relates to buggery”, the prime minister told Parliament last year.

Golding has also made it clear that Jamaica’s Parliament would not recognize same-sex marriage or same-sex unions while he was in power.

“I make no apology in saying decisively and emphatically that the Government of Jamaica remains irrevocably opposed to the recognition, legitimization or acceptance of same-sex marriages or same-sex unions,” Golding said last year as he piloted the Charter of Rights through the Parliament.

Top 5 Gay-friendly Destinations

Los Angeles

Whether you’re gay or straight, life in LA is a celebration of diversity, freedom of expression, and glitzy adventure all year round. Santa Monica Boulevard offers an eclectic bar and club scene while Sunset serves up live music, and Beverly Hills hosts great cafes, bars and great shopping.

San Francisco

San Fran is practically waving the flag for diversity, welcoming it with open arms rather than limiting to certain districts as many other destinations do. Bars, clubs, restaurants and even businesses are dotted throughout the entire city hosting any and every age, race, socio-economic status, and interest. The mix makes for a vibrant, open, and freeing experience.

And for those heading there to have a gander at The City by the Bay as a wedding venue, it might be of interest to note that Rosie O’Donnell and girlfriend Kelli Carpenter tied the knot here in 2004 followed by a thank you to the entire city for its supportive stance toward same sex couples partnership.

New Orleans

Natural disasters may have had it pegged as ‘The City that Care Forgot,’ but its night scene tells a different tale. Hot and happening is a more appropriate label here with most bars open 24 hours a day, a ‘to go’ policy on alcohol, and a broad range of vibrant venues from which to choose.

Neighborhoods like the French Quarter are among the most highly recommended. Not only is it often frequented by celebrities, its venue offerings are in such close proximity that hopping from one to the next is both easy and convenient.

Amsterdam

The anniversary for the legalization of same sex marriage can’t possibly be marked without recognizing the location that made it all possible, the Netherlands. On 1st April 2001, Esther Lammers and Wendy Kanters were the first same sex couple to walk down the aisle and tie the knot under the new law. While neither is a celebrity in the traditional sense, public attention of their ceremony was certainly worthy of celeb status.

Provincetown (Massachusetts)

Summertime here makes this place a haven for diversity. Nestled on Cape Cod, this is the gay extension to what serves as the summer escape for many a US jet setter, including the presidential kind. Provincetown offers up bars, clubs, sun and sea among an accepting, welcoming community. Its sublime setting makes for a more relaxed experience than the traditional same sex destination scene.