I’m going to take you to two wonderful cities on this verbal tour.  We shall look at a destination at each of two great cities: Washington, D.C. in the U.S. and the Dutch city of Amsterdam, which both offer a unique attraction for gay travelers.

Amsterdam is undoubtedly one of Europe’s truly beautiful cities, partly attributable to the rings of canals that flow in concentric circles around the heart of the city, while serving commerce, housing and flood control needs.  The canals serve as tranquil pauses as residents and tourists traverse this bustling but easily navigated commercial capital of the Netherlands.

Within the city–and an important part of the city–is the unique Homomonument, Amsterdam’s tribute to gay people.  The street level, horizontal monument is made up of three large pink granite triangles, harkening to the pink cloth triangles worn by gays in the Nazi concentration camps of the 1930s and 1940’s.  Those triangles that were worn on the shirts of the imprisoned were meant to be a mark of shame.  However Amsterdam’s pink stones represent the persecution of gays in the past, the struggle of the present and a cautious hope for the future.  At various times of the year, the Homomonument serves as a meeting point for gays and straights, residents and tourists to gather for pay tribute, to share sad memories and to celebrate solidarity.

Washington, D.C., the capital city of the U.S., lies several thousand miles to the west of Amsterdam.  What most vacationers experience in a visit to this great city is the area surrounding the vast, open Mall.  The Mall is surrounded by the White House, the Capitol building which houses the legislative branch of government, various war memorials and the imposing Lincoln Memorial posed opposite the Capitolbuilding.  Much of the area is lined by the major museums of the Smithsonian.

Just across a street and a few steps from the Mall is an essential stop for every visitor to the area, especially enthusiasts of gay travel is the U.S. National Holocaust Museum.  The museum is a moving tribute to all the people who were victimized by the Nazi apparatus of bigotry.  Quite understandably, the plight of the imprisoned and executed Jews is highlighted, because they comprised the majority of the victims.

Many groups are remembered in this architecturally splendid structure.  Among the other victims of Nazi imposed terror and death who are formally remembered are Gypsies and gays.  At this location any gay woman or man (or any who love one) will be profoundly moved upon being in the presence of actual pink triangles that were worn by our predecessors.  When joined in our minds with the pink granite triangles of the Homomonument in Amsterdam, we may feel moved to recall the traditional commitments inspired by the horrors of past persecution to never forget and to promise ourselves and future generations, “Never again!”

If you’re looking for gay travel in Europe then all you need to do is look, in part, toward the big cities.  The United States destinations that claim to be friendly are more like resorts that are set aside so that the community can be catered to out of sight.London, of course, offers numerous gay hot spots and travel destinations that cater to the gay crowd.

Hot spots for gays like London–Soho are great for those that want to experience all of the gay culture in Europe all at once. The entire area is like a town dedicated to family, and thus can be one of the more exciting destinations for those who have become fed up with self editing trips that require discretion.

European towns and cities are generally open, as tolerant travel has become ever more important throughout the countries that comprise Europe. With the increase in friendly atmospheres, local and tourists alike have found the violence is down. Intolerance and preaching is down. There are more friendly destinations here than just about anywhere else.

This means that the fight for equality and tolerance has already been fought. While there will always be intolerance, many of these countries and cities are more open than most of the states.

We live in a smaller world and we live in a world where there is a need for acceptance of all people. We are making huge strides.  In the European areas where tolerance is high, all establishments are equally open to straight people as they are toward gay people.  This is true for gay travel to Berlin for example.

If you aren’t completely sure about the gay friendly destinations versus the less than friendly destinations, simply check out a tourism guide from a family focused travel agency. There are many agencies which have put together gay packages to help our community find open environments in which to take our vacations. The best memories are made when we are free to be ourselves, and our vacation destinations are no exception.