Tag Archives: family holiday

Have a Happy LGBT Holiday

As the summer approaches, a team of experts have come up with some top tips for a hassle-free and fun-packed LGBT family holiday. Residence Inn, lesbian mums’ blog Mombian.com and the Family Equality Council organised an hour-long Twitter forum which threw up all manner of great advice. You can see it all for yourself by searching for #RI Family and #TMOM.

The top ten tips that came out of the session are as follows:

  1. @Mombian advised that, to avoid bureaucracy, parents should make sure they take with them adoption papers that name them as the legal parents or guardians of their children.
  2.  Be prepared for any eventuality, said @TravelingMoms.
  3.  Stay abreast of the news as it relates to your travel destination. The UK Foreign Office and US Department of State websites are especially helpful in this regard.
  4.  Everyone agreed with @lifewithroozle’s statement that parts of the world that permit LGBT marriage are a pleasure to visit. Other tweeters claimed that Quebec was a great example of that. @MeaganShany mentioned that Florida and Portland, Oregon are worth going to, even though neither places yet allow gay marriage.
  5. Do not keep all your important papers in the same place while on holiday. @SeymaShabbir suggested backing up documents digitally.
  6. Your holiday is sure to be more enjoyable if you take the time to learn the local customs, said @LavLuz. Also be prepared for your kids’ complaints i.e. ‘Are we there yet?’ ‘I’m bored!’ ‘I’m tired!’
  7. Making the most of hotels’ creature comforts can make you feel right at home. Residence Inn, for example, offers a complimentary breakfast with every room.
  8. Sadly, much of the world remains ignorant and intolerant of LGBT families, so don’t be shocked or upset if you encounter prejudice, argued @DesignerDaddy. Try to stay confident and friendly.
  9. Many LGBT mums and dads travel for the purpose of international adoption. @DebOnTheRocks offers excellent support and guidance to such parents, every step of the process.
  10. As @KimSimes said, re-train the kids’ sleep patterns before travelling to a new time zone.