Colloquially known as Zoomers, Generation Z represents those who grew up with technology, the internet, and, subsequently, social media. Interestingly enough, these digital natives also happen to be the queerest generation yet, according to a study conducted by YPulse that reported 32% of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ+ compared to 17% of Millenials. The answer for the significant shift between the two demographics stems from the sheer amount of representation fed to these digital natives from an early age. In the last few years alone, award-winning actor Elliot Page came out as transgender, global sensation JoJo Siwa stepped out of the closet, pop icon Demi Lovato came out as non-binary, and Lil Nas X had a ball being  “unapologetically queer” in his massively popular song “MONTERO" (Call Me By Your Name).

While this representation is undoubtedly a force behind Gen Z’s openness about their own non-conforming sexual and gender identities, another is the existence of LGBTQ+ influencers who shine bright on the platforms they devote hours to.

Asian Maple Leaf |The Well-Traveled Foodie

You previously touched on your affinity for sampling the cuisines of each region you visit. As a foodie as well-traveled as yourself, which destination would you crown as the culinary capital of the world?

I would say New York is one of the food meccas of the world, where you can taste top cuisines from around the world within the city.  If you are looking for a diversity of cuisines, prices, or ambiance, New York City has it all.  We are so fortunate to live in a city with so many different food options.  It never gets boring!

My other favourite food capital is Hong Kong.  Similar to New York City, Hong Kong has it all but with an additional Asian twist.  I love love love Asian cuisine so Hong Kong is a top foodie location for me personally. The food culture is a unique blend between western and eastern culture!

Which food scene surprised you the most?

Within the last year, we were able to visit Hawaii twice and I was really surprised by how underrated the cuisine is.  I love the unique blend of Asian, American, and Polynesian flavours. 

Though we’ve seen vast improvements in LGBTQ+ visibility over the last decade, there is still plenty of room for growth. Why do you think platforms such as yours are important in our current climate?

I think platforms like asianmapleleaf are important because it helps to normalize and celebrate interracial LGBTQ+ couples. Representation matters, and what better way to do that than to show how love can exist and thrive outside the “traditional” construct of a relationship. 

Teraj and I just recently got engaged, and for us, it is just a celebration of our lives together, but it is also, hopefully, a symbol of hope for others in the world that may not have the same freedom as we do.  

Carlos Melia | The Luxury Travel Curator

I travel the world - as I live my daily life - with no tags or qualifiers. I am all and everything. What I enjoy most about travel and curating travel experiences for my clients is opening up to new experiences, paradigms, and realities. When I travel, I blend in, sit back and observe, and remain as curious as possible. I let the destination, the individuals, and their culture be the center of my attention. And then depending on which situation I find myself in, then I give from me to the experience, adding the extra factor that makes it my own, to come along as a queer creator point of view or not.

I love taking trips among other individuals, each with their own walks of life to be - not only reductive to sexual preferences, choices or orientations but in all ways and forms, culturally, religion, politics, and generational. And see how one single experience has a broad spectrum of meaning and impact on individuals, and to share those moments and understand how our realities, paradigms, and prejudice, among many others, play a role in how we see and perceive things. 

For example, I am a Luxury Travel Curator. Luxury is a word that has been abused and misused. What luxury means to me differs from what it means to each GayTravel.com reader and any of my clients. In the same way, I feel about Gay Travel. It is generational; it comes from your life experiences and your upbringing…. 

In 2008 I named Mr. Gay Argentina and then crowned Mr. Gay International. The way I traveled before and after that moment changed greatly, not so much because of me but because people worldwide knew that I was openly gay. I was the same guy, but the way people perceived me, their own prejudice, their own points of view, and their way of interacting with me changed. 
I travel the world and explore the world as a human being. I seek my luxury, which to me is measured in authenticity and sophistication. Then how much I put of me and the many variables of my DNA and identity vary with the environment and situation I am living at the place and time I am.

With nearly 30 years of travel experience and the moniker “Little Marco Polo” green-lighted by your colleagues, it’s no question that you the ultimate luxury travel bon vivant. When you land in a new place, how do you go about exploring it? In other words, can you expand on your travel style?

I am a planner. I cannot help it. That is what I do for a living and for my clients. But I am open and flexible. I let the experience, the destination, their people talk to me, and I go with the flow, of course always following my editorial line and personal choice to scout, curate and explore based on my main pillars, which are authenticity and sophistication. And that is how, over now 3 decades, I have traveled the globe, curating the world of travel and hospitality, one destination at a time. 

You’ve spoken about how taxing it can be to name all of the countries where you have previously lived or worked and how it would be much easier to list off all the places you haven’t traveled to instead. What are three places still on your bucket list?

Well, I have a rule. That rule is intrinsic to my constant and voracious curiosity. Each year I must visit at least 5 new places. This could be 5 new countries, destinations, locations, cities…. you name it. Mind I am going to embark on my 5th turnaround our beautiful world. My all-time bucket list today: Mongolia, Antarctica, Bolivia, Bhutan, and the AN countries beyond the Caucasus (like Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc… ). But my ultimate Travel Bucket List is to be among the first ones to experience Space Travel to where the Universe takes me. 

Though you’ve built a brand out of being a tastemaker in the travel space, what’s one touristy destination or attraction that you actually think is worth the visit? 

Disneyland, Disney World, or sort of. These are the ultimate touristy experiences, I had a dozen times as a child and later on as an adult, in California, Florida, Paris, or Japan…. and has shaped a world of wonders, curiosity, and imagination that has lived forward. 

Courtney the Explorer | The Savvy Solo Traveler

You don't seem like the type to shy away from a solo adventure, but are there any extra precautions you take when traveling alone? Why do you think it's important, specifically for women, to see the world on their own? What kind of lessons do you think solo travel can teach us? 

Solo travel is super empowering. I think it can be less intimidating to do baby steps, start with taking yourself out to dinner and on a day trip, then go from there. As far as extra precautions, always keep at least one person in the loop on where you are and travel plans, try not to carry all your cards on you at once (leave valuables at your accommodation locked up), and pretend to be confident.

Solo travel teaches you resilience, independence, how to make friends, adaptability, perspective, and how to trust your gut. I believe you should take a solo trip at least once in your lifetime!

On your blog, you mentioned that you were especially passionate about free & budget travel. What's the most creative thing you've ever done to save money on a trip?

My favorite ways to travel for free are work exchange, couch surfing, and hitchhiking. You can sign-up through Worldpackers and Workaway websites and find all sorts of cool work experiences in exchange for food and accommodation. 

For example, I taught yoga and Zumba in Mazatenango, Guatemala for a month or so. I volunteered on an organic farm in Ecuador. One of my favorites was being the caretaker of an 86-year-old English woman in Antigua, Guatemala for 2 months in exchange for a private room/bathroom and meals. We had tea time every day and she would tell me stories about her adventurous life living in India and Guatemala.

As an avid backpacker, you surely know that you’ve got to pack light for a life on the road. If you could only pack three items with you on a trip, what are you bringing?

My phone, my 22L Gregory backpack from REI, and my girlfriend. <3 (I hope clothes and shoes are included.)

Lez See The World | The Romantic Roamers 

Having experienced so many different countries and cultures, what are some of the best tips you've learned along the way that may be helpful to queer women while traveling?

We travel with a lot of privilege as white, cis, femme-presenting queer women, and because of that, we feel quite comfortable being out and open as a couple in the destinations we travel to. Our best advice for other queer women is to determine what their own comfort level is, and what will help them to feel safe while traveling! Everyone’s individual experience is going to be so different, and that’s okay. 

For travelers who are comfortable being out and open in different destinations, we definitely recommend seeking out the local queer community. We do this by looking up queer and queer-friendly spaces and organizations on Google and queer travel resource websites, as well as travel blogs and recommendations from other queer creators. We also love chatting with locals to get their personal tips!

While you both have been outspoken advocates for the queer community for a long time, this year, you took your work a step further by producing a six-part documentary titled  Queer Vancouver: The Past, Present, and Future. How do you think digital advocacy has changed since you first started out, and where do you think we have to go? 

One of the things we love most about this current time in terms of technology and digital spaces is that there are more opportunities than ever before to be a creator and to make art around the topics you’re passionate about. Queer representation and visibility for queer women have always been the driving force behind what we do with Lez See the World, and we’re very grateful to take that same mission and bring it into bigger projects. 

Digital advocacy has definitely changed since we first started in that there are so many more conversations being had now around queer issues, and there’s also so much more room for marginalized voices. We hope to see that continue in the future, and we hope to see even more opportunities for queer creators to advocate for the issues that matter to them, both on social media and in other digital spaces. 

What signs do you see that travel is becoming more welcoming for the LGBTQ+ community?

There has been so much change and progress over the last ten years, and it is really encouraging to see! Some of the major signs that travel is becoming more queer-friendly are the changing of laws around the world, including equal marriage, and anti-discrimination laws. We are also seeing more visibility for the community than ever before, which is really helping to shift the social climate in different places. 

In terms of the travel industry, we are seeing destinations really starting to cater more to queer travelers, and are trying to reach the community through their marketing. It feels like the industry as a whole is starting to see the value in being more welcoming and inclusive!

Once Upon a Journey | The Traveling Tastemakers

In your blog, you revealed that to reach your dreams of traveling full-time, you first had to sell all of your belongings and leave your home behind. Looking back on those early years, do you have any advice on how to keep costs low for other couples looking to travel long-term?

When we started to travel back in 2017, we did a lot of Couchsurfing. For us, this was a great way to meet people and get the best insider tips from certain destinations. And it was also a great way to save money. In our eyes it was a win-win situation, we met amazing people and didn’t spend money on accommodation.
 
Later during our travels, we started doing Housesitting. We took care of people’s houses and often pets. This way we could really live like a local for a while! In Penang, Malaysia, we stayed for six weeks in total, taking care of a home and the cutest dog Tiger. We had the best time! Other places we did housesits for example are Bangkok, Mexico City, Los Angeles, and New York City.

When we started working online, we stopped doing Couchsurfing, but we still always love doing housesits! Both are great ways to save money while traveling.

Another option is to stay in hostels while traveling! This way you can also keep the costs low. And of course, it also helps if you travel to more affordable destinations, to Thailand for example!

After leading a nomadic lifestyle, you’ve been back in the Netherlands for a few years now. What is your favorite part of the Queer community there? How does it compare to the abundance of gay scenes around the world you’ve discovered thus far? 

We absolutely love that we can be 100% ourselves in Amsterdam. While traveling around the world, we sometimes had to go ‘back in the closet’ out of safety. In the Netherlands, we can be out and proud, and we love that!

And the Queer community in the Netherlands is amazing. There are many things to do, also for queer women. We love parties like Janey, specifically for queer women. And we love going to Bar Buka in Amsterdam, the lesbian bar in the city.

Though it’s great that you can go to any bar, club, or restaurant and feel welcomed, especially in Amsterdam. In many other places around the world, we really need safe places to be safe and to meet like-minded people.

Of course, it’s amazing we have those places in Amsterdam too, but it also feels great we can just go as a couple wherever we want.

What destinations do you consider to be the best for digital nomads/location-independent lifestyles? Why?

Sadly, Indonesia isn’t considered the most LGBTQ+-friendly place (law-wise), but Bali is a great spot for digital nomads. There are many digital nomads in Bali, and we totally understand why.
 
The island is beautiful, the food amazing, the people friendly, the temperatures warm, and the prices are affordable. What we pay for our apartment rental in Amsterdam gets us a villa in Bali! And you get to meet many like-minded people, as there are many digital nomads on the island.
 
We also love Thailand, Mexico, and Portugal as a location for digital nomads! These destinations are in general more LGBTQ+-friendly and are great spots to stay for a longer amount of time.

© Once Upon a Journey

Michael & Matt | The Digital Dreamers

Baby, they were born this way! For an inspired glimpse into the digital world, check out our conversation with these GayTravel influencers in The Rainbow Influence; live on the blog NOW ��⚡️����

Disney and Pixar's new movie LIGHTYEAR is receiving a lot of backlash from people having issues with the same-sex kiss in the film. What do you have to say to the people who don't support it?

It's important to remember that media has the power to shape cultural beliefs and attitudes, and it can be harmful when it reinforces harmful stereotypes or perpetuates discrimination against certain groups of people. In this case, the inclusion of a same-sex kiss in the film is a representation of the diversity of relationships and love that exists in the world.

It's a small but meaningful step towards greater inclusivity and representation in media, and it sends a message of acceptance and support to LGBTQ+ individuals. Ultimately, it's important to be mindful of the impact that our attitudes and beliefs can have on others and to strive to be respectful and understanding of those who may have different experiences and perspectives.

They say you don’t know a person until you travel with them; was it naturally easy to start traveling with each other and what are the perks of traveling as a couple?

Since we started our relationship long-distance, we really started traveling with each other from the beginning! After just two months of dating, we set out on a road trip across the country from Oregon to Nebraska. It was kind of insane, and yes we learned A LOT about one another. There are pros and cons, like just in our preferences: Michael likes to wake up early while I like to stay out late. Michael likes to enjoy a bit of luxury and I appreciate off-the-beaten-path locations. We compromise the best we can, but one of the perks of traveling with one another is that we always have someone to enjoy the moment with. Laughter is best shared amongst your best friend.

What are some of the most memorable trips you have taken together?

I think the most memorable trip we’ve taken together was our honeymoon in Thailand. I booked us what I thought to be a romantic hike through the mountains near the border of Myanmar, however, what I didn’t know is that during the rainy season, the romantic hike would turn into a 12-hour trek through the jungle, nearly falling off a cliff, getting attacked by leeches and sleeping in a 1-room hut with 8 other people. I thought he might divorce me, but hey, it was definitely an experience we’ll never forget!

Do you find it difficult to enjoy your trip if you are there to create content? Do you have any rituals in place to remind yourself to stay present while balancing content creation?

It is difficult! Sometimes it isn’t possible to balance creating content and enjoying the moment. Sometimes a trip that we hope to be a great experience turns into just a ‘work-trip’. And really, that’s okay. As travel bloggers and content creators, this is our job, and we’re becoming more familiar with accepting that a job sometimes just feels like a job, no matter how you might dress it up.

On the other hand, the best way we can find balance on trips is good planning, prioritization, and compartmentalization. We have to plan out what the trip will look like beforehand so we can be reasonable with our expectations and not get disappointed if we’re not finding enough free-time. We have to prioritize when we’ll be shooting photos, videos, etc. or we’ll be taking time for self-care. Lastly, we have to know when to switch on for content-creation or when to put the camera down and simply enjoy. When we leave our accommodation to go explore, we make it very clear whether or not we’re taking our gear with us. If we are taking our gear with us, then we’re working. If we are leaving everything behind, then we’re just going to enjoy the location and each other’s company!

Ravi Round the World | The Camera-Ready Charmer

As a non-native New Yorker, what is the most surprising commonality between what LGBTQ+ visibility looks like in the Big Apple and how queerness presented itself in the small town you grew up in? 

NYC is giving VISIBILITY for ALL. I live in the Queerest most eclectic city in the world. I grew up in a small town outside of Scranton, PA with no role models or Queer representation. However, The biggest commonality is the continued growth in each town. Yes, Scranton is not as progressive, but it continues to be more and more accepting.

For any gay travelers out there who double as social butterflies, what are the best worldwide festivals and gatherings for the queer community?

World Pride hands down is the best networking and has the wildest parties in the world. This year it is happening in Sydney Australia from Feb 18-March5. Also I would suggest attending your local Pride.​

On top of traveling the world and building a king-sized following, you also spent your career establishing partnerships with several big-name brands like Airbnb, Alaska Airlines, HBOMax, and ROAM Luggage. There are many who aspire to be like you, what is your best advice for them?

Stay true to who you are. There is no other you. Don’t try to fit a mold of what you THINK the industry wants of you. Authenticity wins over follower count. This is the third year in a row that I am nominated for LGBTQ Influencer of the Year and I still trail behind the others with follower count. Folks often get obsessed over numbers. It is about engagement, authenticity, kindness, work ethic, and getting super specific on your niche.

Cover Photo Credit:  Jorge Fernandez Salas on Unsplash

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