Category: LGBTQ+ Travel Stories
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Gender Gems on Rum and Coffee: Raw Flavors of Scottish Queerness
Over rum, coffee, and a shifting Shetland dialect, an elder Scottish host shares unexpected stories about masculinity, femininity, and growing up constrained by labels. This quiet, funny, and tender encounter reveals how gender truths often surface not through theory, but through shared moments, storytelling, and a well-poured nightcap.
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From Medieval Churches of Scotland to Forgotten Theatres of D.C.: The Power of Queer Storytelling in Transgender Awareness
In Scotland, I found packed theatres filled with queer stories, folk songs, and strangers brought to tears together. Back home, storytelling spaces have felt quieter, more muted, but no less powerful. During Transgender Awareness Week, I’m reminded how vital our stories are—for connection, community, and visibility across generations.
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Gun Violence, Trauma, and Why I’m a Queer Crying Over Charlie Kirk’s Death
I didn’t expect to cry over Charlie Kirk’s death. But living with trauma in a country where gun violence is normalized, another violent death that pins the blame on trans people is terrifying. Healing isn’t just internal — we also need safer external environments for EVERYONE if we’re ever going to feel whole.
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Cherry Blossoms, Queer Community, and a City in Flux: Notes from the Road in D.C.
Exploring D.C.’s queer communities through cherry blossoms, political complexity, and grassroots activism. A personal journey uncovering the city’s contradictions—invisibility under power and influence, history and resilience, fleeting beauty and enduring community ties in America’s 51st state.
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The Queer Heart of Ohio: Why Columbus might be the Queerest MidWest City
Columbus, Ohio surprised me with its vibrant, deeply layered queer community. From crashing Pride parties to documenting radical self-love, I met people reshaping what it means to belong. This post explores faith, gender, sex work, and joy in one of the Midwest’s most unexpectedly queer and welcoming urban centers.
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Queer and Appalachian: Exploring LGBTQ+ Life in West Virginia
What does it mean to be queer in West Virginia—a state often overlooked, misunderstood, or written off as too conservative for LGBTQ+ life to thrive? During a three-week road trip across the Mountain State, I met queer Appalachians who are deeply rooted in their land and culture, embracing pride in the complexities of their communities.…
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Hands Off Protests: Millions Marching and Why Every Act of Resistance Counts
On April 5, 2025, introverted me joins in on the Hands Off protests in D.C., joining millions against the erosion of democracy and civil rights. Despite personal barriers, showing up in the best way you know how is so important. For me, this means sharing stories through the photo project to protest our societal constructs…
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Juxtapositions of West Virginia: From Ghost Towns to Quirky, Queer Corners
West Virginia is a wild and wonderful set of juxtapositions, from abandoned and active coal mining towns to quiet queer corners of small urban hubs…
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Finding Beauty, Resilience, and Queer Joy in Saskatoon: A Prairie City that is so much more than a Cool Name
On a journey across Canada’s prairies, I found more than just the charm of Saskatoon’s name — I found a vibrant queer community, stunning natural beauty, and powerful stories of resilience. From courageous young activists to quiet moments along the Saskatchewan River, Saskatoon revealed a complex, heartfelt portrait of queer life on the Prairies. Join…
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Alberta’s Divided Heart: Queer Life in the “Texas of Canada”
Edmonton, Alberta — sometimes called the “Texas of Canada” — is a place of contrasts for 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities. On my latest road trip, I explored the complexities of queer life in this Prairie city: from threats and protests to the resilience of transgender-owned businesses and queer joy in unexpected spaces. As Canada reckons…