Happy Sunday—the last Sunday of Pride month! Today, NYC, SF, Chicago, Toronto, Denver, Key West, Seattle and more will finish the month strong with their Pride marches.
Before we dive in: A huge THANK YOU to all our new GoQueer+ members who joined our new Queer travel club this Pride month. We're blown away by the response and can't wait to build this community together!
Here's what's on tap this week:
🏳️🌈 Politician’s plan to ban Pride backfires spectacularly
✈️ The US Airport Getting its Own Gay Bar
🗞️ Travel Briefs: News & vibes for gays on the go
🔥 GoQueer’s Hot 10 Deals: Our favorite escapes this week
🌈✊ Politician’s plan to ban Pride backfires spectacularly
For years, right-wing parties around the world—from the U.S. to Russia—have been using the Gays as a political scapegoat. But the Queer community and allies in Budapest, Hungary, just showed that we won't take it lying down—and that Pride, after all, is first and foremost a protest.
More than 100,000 people turned out to celebrate Pride after the right-wing authoritarian government of Viktor Orbán tried to ban the march. The government warned people to stay away from the parade, threatening "clear legal consequences" for anyone taking part.
But the strategy backfired spectacularly. As the New York Times reports, the ban "turned what is usually a low-key event attended by a few thousand L.G.B.T.Q. activists and their friends into a mass rally against Mr. Orban's government."
Orbán, facing declining popularity, had rushed through anti-LGBTQ+ legislation this spring as a political distraction. But Budapest's progressive mayor, Gergely Karácsony, outsmarted the authoritarian leader. He and organizers brilliantly reframed Pride as an official celebration of the end of Soviet occupation in 1991, renaming the festival "Budapest Pride Freedom."
The result? One of Hungary's largest Pride celebrations ever, with over 70 European Parliament members joining the march in solidarity. What was meant to silence became a roar of defiance that echoed across continents.
The message is clear—our pride is unbreakable, our community is unstoppable, and our freedom is non-negotiable.
✈️🏳️🌈 One of the busiest airports in the US is set to get the world’s first airport Gay bar
This and a flight out of America is all I need
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport is set to make history by becoming the first major U.S. airport with its own gay bar. Restaurateur Germán González has proposed bringing a branch of iconic Chicago queer venue Sidetrack to Terminal 1, which sees over 80 million travelers annually.
With LGBTQ+ travel spending reaching record highs and more queer travelers seeking authentic experiences wherever they go, an airport Gay bar feels like a natural progression.
Sidetrack owners Art Johnston and José Pepe Peña see the airport location as a chance to showcase Chicago's thriving LGBTQ+ community to the world.
"We have made this a better city, a stronger city. Why not show that to the world?" Johnston told The Chicago Tribune.
The original Sidetrack opened in 1982 in a single room and has since expanded to occupy multiple storefronts across several levels, accommodating up to 1,000 guests. The venue has been a longtime activist hub and notably supported Dylan Mulvaney during the 2023 Bud Light controversy, cutting ties with Anheuser-Busch products over the company's handling of anti-trans backlash.
If it comes to pass, the O'Hare location would bring queer visibility to one of the country's busiest travel hubs, potentially paving the way for other airports to follow suit.
Personally, we think they should call it The Cockpit… but Sidetrack works too.
We want to know: would you make it a point to visit the first Gay bar in a US airport?
Would you make it a point to visit the world's first airport Gay bar?
🗞️ Travel News for Gays on the Go
What’s worth knowing in queer travel this week — from major headlines to the best finds worth your clicks.
The ‘largest ever human Pride flag’ was created by thousands of LGBTQ+ activists — and the result is stunning
This gay app is now making cruising even easier while traveling
These Gay soldiers secretly fell madly in love in the ‘70s, and now their story has the internet in tears
The first of its kind, Mary’s House provides a safe living space for LGBTQ+ seniors
As companies stop sponsoring Pride, this NYC brewery is giving money directly to trans people
A US pop icon is to headline London Pride next month — the full line-up was just announced
Jim Obergefell pens op-ed: 10 years after my Supreme Court win, marriage equality is under attack
Pete Hegseth gloats about erasing LGBTQ+ rights icon Harvey Milk's name from a Navy ship
How to talk your partner into an open vacation relationship
A San Francisco bookstore has dropped ‘Harry Potter’ books over J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans donations. About time!
⚖️ Q&A Time:
Last Week’s Results:
Last week, we asked: When the world feels chaotic, what's your travel priority?
40% said “Escaping to a remote beach paradise”
28% said “Staying close to home”
16% said “City break with great nightlife to distract me”
10% said “Something else”
6% said “Adventure travel”
Verdict:
Nearly half of you want to disappear to a remote beach where the biggest decision is whether to order another piña colada. Sometimes the best therapy is zero cell service.
“Must be domestic travel as you never know when the orange fool might piss someone off and I don’t want to be stranded in a foreign country due to travel restrictions”
“Going somewhere with history, culture, museums. Needing out.”
“Our home is by a remote beach - everyday is an escape”
“Home is security”
Category is: Hot Travel Deals — 10s across the board.
Chicago’s best clothing-optional bed and breakfast is celebrating their 5 year anniversary with an amazing deal — book 3 nights and get one free!
This action-packed tour of Peru's most emblematic sights is 60% off! All flights, accommodations, transfers, and activities included — for $1,099 per person. See the ruins of Machu Picchu, discover the vibrant food scene of Lima, and much more.
Eat, drink, and dance your way through NOLA with three nights ash the Hilton Riverside plus airfare — for just $299 per person. And say hello to the Corner Pocket boys for us.
That’s a wrap for this week. ✈️ Safe travels — and we’ll see you next time.
— The GoQueer Team
🗳️ Psst — got a sec? We’d love to hear your thoughts — it helps us make GoQueer even better. Reply to this email or answer below.