New travel site fights for safer travel for LGBT-people

7 out of 10 people in the LGBT-community have experienced discrimination and fear for their safety when travelling abroad.  To bring attention to this, EuroPride 2018 is launching the initiative Unequal Travel. A travel booking site based on LGBT-rights in Europe, where everybody can book a journey from an LGBT point-of-view, and see what legal protection they have at different destinations.

For many people, travel is the ultimate freedom. But far from everybody get to experience freedom when they travel. 7 out of 10 LGBT-people have experienced discrimination or fear for their safety when travelling, and a third have felt uncomfortable or hesitant to show their sexual orientation or gender identity in the same situation. In the summer of 2018, Stockholm Pride and West Pride in Gothenburg will jointly host EuroPride 2018, and are now launching Unequal Travel – a travel booking site for safer travel for LGBT-people.

- With Unequal Travel we want to demonstrate how much there still is to fight for in the LGBT+-cause. Especially in Europe, which is often seen as a progressive and open part of the world. The site enables more conscious choices for travelers, reveals the lack of legal protection for LGBT+-people in many places, and ensures that all profits from the travel booking – no matter where you choose to go – contributes to the fight for a more equal world, says Britta Davidsohn, chairman of Stockholm Pride.

Through unequaltravel.com you can search for and book flights all over Europe. The difference from a regular travel site is that this shows the legal protections for LGBT-people.

- We’re seeing a global backlash against LGBT+-people’s rights, with violence and threats increasing in many places, and that many countries’ positive development is slowing or going backwards. EuroPride fights for important human rights, and the best guarantee for their protection are strong laws.  Unequal Travel raises awareness for the legal protection for LGBT+-people in Europe, while remaining aware that things are worse in other countries outside Europe. Now we invite more people to travel to EuroPride 2018 in Stockholm and Gothenburg to participate and help make a difference, says Tasso Stafilidis, chairman of West Pride.

The initiative is launching on June13th, and will continue running until and after EuroPride 2018 Stockholm Gothenburg between July 27:th and August 19:th.

Find out more on www.unequaltravel.com

For more info

Alf Kjeller, press@stockholmpride.org or +46-10-2203410

*Unequal Travel is based on data from ILGA-Europe, the  International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex organization for homosexual, bisexual, trans and intersex people’s rights.

Statistics from the EuroPrides survey on travel (november, 2017):

I have experienced discrimination or been treated differently because of my sexual orientation and/or gender identity when travelling abroad. (For example, at the airport, hotels, restaurants, clubs, in traffic or other public spaces) – 66% agree

I have felt uncomfortable or hesitant to openly show my sexual orientation and/or gender identity when travelling. 32% agree

I have pretended to be straight or cis when travelling abroad to avoid problems. 27% agree

I have felt physically threatened when travelling abroad – to an extent where my body or my life was in danger – because of my sexual orientation and/or gender identity – 5% agree

I have felt limited in my choice of destinations when travelling abroad because of my sexual orientation and/or gender identity – 25% agree

I wish that travel companies, when booking and before travelling, provided me with more information about the risks and protections for LGBT-people at my destination. - 26% agree