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This June people around the world may be shining a spotlight on the LGBT+ community for Pride Month, but travellers can celebrate diversity year-round in these five Floridian hot spots
The Sunshine State has long been a popular holiday choice for those of a gender and sexual minority, with destinations from Pensacola in the north west of the state to Key West on its most southern landmass and a whole host of hot spots in between offering the LGBT+ community safe spaces and vibrant celebrations throughout the year.
To support agents in selling holidays to LGBT+ customers, Visit Florida has a Travel Pro training module dedicated to this market covering all the information travel professionals need to effectively sell Floridian breaks to their LGBT+ customers.
But with so many destinations in Florida welcoming LGBT+ holidaymakers with open arms, it can be difficult to know which epicentres to recommend. Here are five dynamic cities and regions that are ready to embrace LGBT+ visitors from the UK and Ireland.
This southernmost region of Florida may be the key to the ultimate holiday for an LGBT+ traveller. With sand as white as sugar and ocean as clear as glass, Key West is a haven for lovers of watersports such as snorkelling, water skiing, wind surfing and kayaking, but if visitors can bring themselves to leave the beach they will find a raft of rainbow-flagged restaurants and bars.
Duval Street is the place to be, with Aqua, Bourbon Street Pub and 801 Bourbon Bar all offering an excellent night out and Mallory Square – at the northern end of the street – a romantic spot to watch the sun set.
Several celebratory gatherings pop up throughout the year in Key West too; there’s almost an event for every month! These include Key West Pride (June), Tropical Heat (August), Womenfest Key West (September) and Fantasy Fest (October),while ending the year at Key West’s NYE celebrations is guaranteed to be a memorable experience.
Often referred to as Florida’s Gay Capital, Fort Lauderdale is proudly progressive. Attractions such as the Stonewall National Museum and Archives, World Aids Museum and Educational Center, plus the Greater Fort Lauderdale LGBT Visitor Center all commemorate LGBT+ culture, while the “gaybourhood” of Wilton Manors is home to more than 200 gay-owned hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants and shops.
Suggest keen shoppers browse the thrift shops of Las Olas Boulevard and Wilton Drive, then head to Sebastian Street Beach when seeking a little R&R.
When it comes to nightlife, visitors are never far from a party – check out The Manor, Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar, and Ramrod. Clients wanting to all out should visit during Pride Fort Lauderdale, which takes place over a week every October.
The city of Pensacola, on the warm coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, dedicates a whole week of events to celebrating the LGBT+ community every June. Mostly free, these activities include open-mic performances, educational forums, movie marathons and a headlining Celebration Ball. There are plenty of opportunities to gather during the other months of the year too, with piano bar Cabaret, cowboy-themed club Roundup and after-hours dance spot Top of the Town all offering the chance to boogie.
When it comes to a place to stay, it’s important LGBT+ travellers choose accommodation that doesn’t discriminate. Sole Inn and Suites on spiritual Palafox Street in Downtown Pensacola plus Portofino Island Resort, which is on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, are both proudly LGBT+ friendly. The latter is also nearby the unofficial LGBT+ beach area that can be found beside the entrance to the Gulf Islands National Seashore Santa Rosa Area.
Diversity runs in the veins of Sarasota, from its LGBT+-friendly beaches to its flamboyant arts scene. Recommend visiting The Ringling museum to appreciate diversity through the ages, while Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and Myakka River State Park are all safe spaces for the LGBT+ community.
Sarasota’s one-day Pride celebration takes place in October, but holidaymakers don’t need to visit then to take part in festivities. A Drag Queen Bingo Bonanza takes places at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre in spring, Oasis Restaurant and Bar offers a daily happy hour and frequent live DJs, and during June parties and parades pop up all over the city in honour of Pride Month. For an extra hit of the arts, suggest clients seek out a performance by choral group Diversity: The Voices of Sarasota.
Comprising Naples, Marco Island and Everglades, Florida’s Paradise Coast describes itself as an “emerging” destination for LGBT+ holidaymakers. Naples introduced a dedicated Pride festival in 2017 and has since launched many events for the LGBT+ community and its supporters. Drag queen yoga, a LGBT Transgender Mixer and a monthly Tea Dance Brunch Party at Cavo Lounge club are just some of the events on the city’s calendar. Bambusa Bar & Grill is also a hot spot.
Then, just 30 miles south, LGBT+ visitors can check into the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort to sip margaritas and snack on Indonesian street food at its tiki beach bar before heading out to explore the welcoming bars, restaurants, shops and attractions of Marco Island.
Lovers of the outdoors might like to travel a little further south to the Everglades National Park, where they can reconnect with nature while kayaking, canoeing and boating in the region’s most iconic swamp.
So while Florida may be popular with heterosexual families and couples making a beeline for its world-famous attraction parks, sensational beaches and cosmopolitan cities, Florida is not just a destination for these markets – it’s open to all.
