How to thrive as an LGBTQ+ digital nomad – and where to find welcoming places

By&nbspEloise Stark

Published on 05/07/2025 - 11:03 GMT+2

When Deniz* invited a friend backmost to his edifice room during a travel to Egypt, he expected a relaxed evening. Not a sound connected nan doorway from nan edifice head and a information guard, who hurled homophobic maltreatment astatine them and forced his impermanent to leave. 

“They threatened to movie america and show nan police,” he said. It was a difficult realisation: this was not a spot wherever he could beryllium himself safely. 

These are nan benignant of unpleasant situations you tin brushwood erstwhile walking arsenic a queer person. For Deniz, a integer nomad who travels full-time, it hits moreover harder. 

Despite having nan immense privilege of choosing wherever to walk their time, of gathering group and cultures from each complete nan world, LGBTQ+ nomads besides woody pinch nan sobering reality that overmuch of nan globe - from Malaysia to nan US - still harbours varying degrees of hostility toward queer people.

It’s a speech that seldom happens successful nan nomad world - moreover though queer group dress up a important chunk of nan community. According to a study by nomads.com, 13 per cent of integer nomads place arsenic bisexual, gay, aliases lesbian. Yet their circumstantial experiences are often near retired of nan conversation.  

‘Back successful nan Closet’

“There are truthful galore elemental things that consecutive group return for granted,” says Julian*, who has been a integer nomad for almost a decade, including 3 years travelling pinch his partner. “Like being capable to book a edifice room together, aliases conscionable clasp hands erstwhile you locomotion down nan street.”

Playing it safe successful caller countries often brings backmost unpleasant memories of having to hide his personality during his teenage years successful Spain.

“I spent truthful galore years surviving successful shame. And sometimes, travelling makes maine consciousness for illustration I’m backmost successful nan closet. It’s a very achy feeling.”

The biggest situation for queer nomads isn’t visas, clip zones aliases moreover fighting pinch dodgy Wifi conscionable earlier an important call. It’s nan intelligence toll of perpetually assessing how visible they tin safely be, and staying alert to nan consequence of homophobic violence.

Back home, 1 of nan champion ways of facing these issues is to find queer community, a group of group and abstraction wherever you cognize you tin beryllium afloat yourself without fear. 

Creating that benignant of safe abstraction is much challenging connected nan road, but acold from impossible. Around nan world, queer nomads are uncovering ways to portion together long-distance, multicultural chosen families.

‘Queer group are everywhere’

“Moving astir truthful overmuch has made maine realise that queer group are everywhere,” says Sophie Bellamy, a writer who has spent nan past 8 years arsenic a integer nomad. 

“I’ve met different queers connected stepping tours, astatine integer nomad meetups, successful coworking spaces, astatine Pride events,  connected making love apps… immoderate of those matches person led to coagulated friendships complete nan years,” she says. 

She moreover met her business partner, Holly Close, while travelling. Together, they founded Good Egg, a web and copywriting workplace for women and non-binary business owners. “A due queer integer nomad business,” Sophie says. 

Some encounters hap by chance: a Pride sticker connected a lodging door, a speech during a connection exchange. Other times, it takes much effort for illustration asking recreation friends for introductions, aliases reaching retired successful queer nomad Facebook groups. In existent integer nomad style, online spaces person go an important portion of nan community. 

Facebook groups for illustration Queer Women Digital Nomads and LGBTQ+ Digital Nomads and Freelancers are a awesome spot to stock advice, aliases commiserate astir unpleasant experiences. You tin find recreation buddies and switch stories. For those looking for romance, Nomad Soulmates is an LGBTQ+-friendly making love app that besides runs real-life meetups and online events.

There are besides real-world destinations known for being safe and welcoming to queer people, places galore LGBTQ+ nomads return to again and again. Lisbon, pinch its beaches, coworking hubs and vibrant nightlife, is simply a celebrated option. Another is Guadalajara, Mexico - affectionately nicknamed “GAYdalajara” - which has a thriving queer organization and increasing nomad scene.

For those conscionable starting out, Sophie recommends choosing a destination for illustration these. “Somewhere pinch beardown LGBTQ+ authorities and an progressive integer nomad scene,” she adds. 

Before arriving, she suggests joining section Facebook groups aliases booking into a coliving abstraction - accommodation designed for distant workers - which tin connection “a soft landing if you’re tense astir gathering people.”

“Mostly, I’d opportunity conscionable spell for it. It tin beryllium scary to commencement this journey, but it’s nan champion point I’ve ever done,” says Sophie. “The much queers retired location successful nan world, nan better.”

*Names changed