And Speaking Of... PROUD Experiences

In honor of Pride Month, it was important to me that I publish a LinkedIn article on the subject before we clicked over to July!

As one of the co-founders of Gifted Travel Network , I am proud to say we are committed to educating ourselves on what is needed to drive inclusivity for our team, network of advisors, and our industry as a whole. We always seek out opportunities that align with that mission.

One industry event that stands out in this space is PROUD Experiences . Earlier this month, Gifted Travel Network attended for the second year in a row, and it was one of the best events of the year.

We had our PR and Social Media Coordinator, Lybbi Hebel , representing GTN as well as?the following advisors:

• Danielle Dybiec , Nine Muses Travel
• Dena Osborne , Amore Travel Designs
• Jenny Park , Wild & Precious Travel
• Joan McGee Qualls , Tasteful Voyages
• Stephanie Goldberg-Glazer , Live Well, Travel Often

In case you have not heard of PROUD Experiences, this three-day conference brings together luxury travel advisors, suppliers, and media who want to make the world a better place for LGBTQ+ travelers. It’s not enough to focus on where they can feel safe while traveling, but also accepted and celebrated. This event is led by Simon Mayle and his exceptionally amazing team. They are the brains behind ILTM .?

Attending PROUD and speaking directly with hoteliers and tourist board representatives allows us to spotlight destinations with a strong and vibrant LGBTQ+ community, and we can pass that information along to our entire network.

For my article, I chose a Q&A format featuring Lybbi so she could share her experience first-hand from this important event.

Q: What partner meetings stood out to you at PROUD?

One of my first meetings at the show was with Christy P. , Director of Luxury Consortia and Leisure Sales for the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills. After she showed me photos and told me all about this beautiful property, I asked her, with all due respect, if the reputation of the Waldorf Astoria brand affected their business with LGBTQ+ travelers. My impression of their brand is on the fancier side, old money luxury, and I asked her if this is how others see it. She answered that I’m not far off and that this is something that their company is working to change. It was neat to hear from such a famous brand that they are actively making strides to be a more inclusive company from the inside out.

I also enjoyed speaking with some tourist boards from different countries or cities. Many cities are famous hubs for the LGBTQ+ community, but I learned more about other countries that don’t just accept queer travelers but have their own thriving communities. One of my favorite cities to learn more about through this specific lens was Buenos Aires – did you know they have dedicated gay tango halls?

Q: What was the feedback from our members who attended?

Our members had a wonderful time and couldn’t say enough about how eye-opening and important this event was. A few of them had been in the past and said they were impressed that the show’s size seems to have doubled since last year!

Q: What were your biggest takeaways?

I have always considered myself a strong ally to the LGBTQ+ community. I have several friends who are part of the community, and I have seen first-hand when they have been disrespected, misgendered, or treated differently by the public and sometimes even by their own families.

That being said, while attending the opening presentation on the first night, I had a realization about myself that while I feel I am very tuned into the challenges they face, I never really considered the tiny microaggressions that happen all the time and subtly chip away at someone’s peace of mind.

One of the presenters said something to the effect of?“Every time I check into a hotel with my partner, I am forced to ‘come out’ again.”?Queer couples are constantly faced with scenarios where they must explain themselves just to get along with their vacation.

Some of these common scenarios are:

• The front desk apologizing because the room booked has a king bed, but says they would go ahead and switch it to a room with two doubles instead.
• A couple does get their king bed, but come to their room to find both the bed and the sleeper sofa made up for them.
• A lovely letter is left for a couple and is addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Steven.”
• When asking where the restrooms are, having someone assume gender and specifically point out the wrong one.
• Other guests are staring or acting in a subtly rude way and making someone feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, and the hotel staff doesn’t intervene on behalf of the queer person.

Situations like these might not feel like a big deal, but when they are happening all the time and force someone to explain their gender identity or sexuality to a stranger, it will wear on them and take away from their overall experience. They may shake it off and say?“it’s okay, they’re used to it,”?but they shouldn’t have to be.

As more and more companies strive to be inclusive and accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, the common issue is the lack of an overall blanket policy and training for the community, and they don’t take into consideration that each of those letters means something different and requires people to have different needs.

During one of the masterclasses, the speaker addressed the fact that it can be difficult for the hotel to correctly handle interactions with queer guests without asking any potentially personal or invasive questions. Sometimes it may be unclear what someone’s gender identity is or what the relationship is between guests.

The speaker’s answer to this is: Just give them options and let them choose. It doesn’t need to be an uncomfortable situation when a guest asks where the restroom is. You can simply let them know that there is a ladies’ room to the left and men’s to the right.

Q: Share any additional thoughts you have about PROUD experiences

I had a fantastic time at this event and would be thrilled to attend again in the future! Being around hundreds of people who are part of or allies to the queer community, who all operate and thrive in the luxury travel space, is such a wonderful reminder that luxury is for everyone.

The world is a big place, but there are LGBTQ+ communities across the globe filled with people who just want to live their lives feeling safe, accepted, and embraced.??

Thank you, Lybbi, for representing Gifted Travel Network at PROUD Experiences. We look forward to supporting this travel industry event for years to come!

If you attended PROUD or what to leave a note for Lybbi, please drop a comment below.

We look forward to hearing from you!