When planning their family vacations, Mark Bromely and David Salie of Washington, D.C. are typical of most parents–they want their two children to have a positive experience in a welcoming environment.
“Making sure our vacation destination is a place where the kids can have fun is a top priority for us, However, we also know that part of our thinking has to include picking a destination where having same-sex parents is less likely to create an uncomfortable or potentially confrontational situation,” said Bromely.
Families that look like the Bromley-Salie family are becoming more common. Research conducted by San Francisco-based Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI), found that a significant number of LGBTQ Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers have children under the age of 18. And much like heterosexual families, CMI found that LGBTQ families oftentimes travel. Eighty-five percent of LGBTQ parents and 29 percent of LGBTQ grandparents of children under age 18 have taken at least one family trip together in the past year, according to CMI. Visits to urban cities and beach towns were the most popular trip types.
CMI also found that when traveling with children, if they had to pick one, LGBTQ parents would prefer child-friendly over LGBTQ-friendly in destination and accommodation selection. However, to help LGBTQ family not have to make that choice, we have identified six LGBTQ-friendly destinations that also have plenty of appeal for children.