Aria Sa’id knows the anxieties trans travellers face all too well – here are her tips for getting out there anyway.
The prospect of an adventure in a faraway land can feel intensely exciting. But it’s not lost on me that, for transgender travellers, all that joy is often dampened by the anxiety that comes with considering our safety. It’s perhaps the number one question I get about my travels around the world: How, as a transgender traveller, do I decide where to travel?
For any readers who may also be transgender, queer or non-binary, that sharp anxiety in your chest when you start thinking about situations that could go awry on the road isn’t self-induced or paranoid – it’s actually trauma informed. It’s natural to wonder if the destination you dream of visiting is safe to visit.
As trans travellers, we have to be considerate of the people, places and customs that we’re set to encounter, and we must often navigate differing religious or political views. It’s our survival intuition to consider these elements before boarding a plane, so how do we decide where to go?
Trust your gut
Before we dive in, I must ask: what does safety look like and feel like? If I think and reflect critically, I realise that I’ve experienced moments where I felt more unsafe in my home cities of San Francisco and Houston than I have abroad. Friends of mine shuddered at the idea of me, a Black trans woman, visiting Egypt or Brazil – countries with some of the most aggressive anti-LGBTQIA+ policies in the world. But two things can exist at the same time: much of the world is transphobic, and we trans people deserve to be able to see the world and enjoy it.
All things considered, I trust my gut. For example, I had always wanted to visit Brazil – for the parties, the food scene, the beaches of Rio. But as a trans person, I am acutely aware of how many trans people have been murdered in Brazil – more than in any other country in 2023.
When I travelled to Brazil to discuss the subject of LGBT safety while travelling with local and international leaders, it was one of the most memorable experiences I’d ever had. Not only did I meet incredible trans people there, who shared their stories with me about overcoming adversity, but I also got to experience a country I had never gone to.
The experience affirmed for me that part of my work is normalising the idea that, as a Black trans woman, I should be able to travel, explore the world, soak up the cultures of the places I am privileged to visit and maybe, through my own existence, show other people that I am actually boringly normal.
Learn to calculate and mitigate risks
I think it’s important for anyone – trans or non-trans – to consider their safety no matter where or who you are. But I still want to travel and explore. If an opportunity to travel to a place I’ve dreamed about scares me, I’ll interrogate those feelings and look for ways to make the opportunity work with modifications.
Maybe I’ll travel with people instead of going solo to mitigate my safety concerns, or maybe I’ll opt to travel during high travel season (summer) where I’m less likely to be harassed if my transness is seen as an issue. And then I interrogate further, because I often have to remember that, while I may be acutely aware of my transness in a time where so much anti-trans rhetoric exists, the day-to-day reality is that most people walking down the street don’t care that I’m trans. They’re just trying to get to their destination.
My gut also helps me resolve those elements. The reality is that we don’t have as much control as we’d like to think we do. The same issues I’ve encountered in my home country are issues I could also encounter abroad. While there will always be an element of risk, I typically opt to take the risk with safety in mind.
It’s a bit easier when you don’t go alone
I love solo travel, but as a trans person, it’s not for the faint of heart. As a solo traveller, I spend a lot of time alone and I am extremely vigilant about my safety. This changes depending on what stage or phase we’re at in our lives. In my early 20s, I thought nothing of getting on a plane and travelling to Barcelona and London alone. But I confess, now that I am in my mid-30s, it’s not as appealing to me anymore.
Ever since my first Intrepid trip (to EGYPT! Woot!), I’ve been completely sold on group travel as an option for destinations I’m unsure of. I was surprised at the level of detail that Intrepid puts into coordinating a group trip, and I’ll admit I had a ton of hesitation about the prospect. But now that I’ve experienced it, there are two reasons why I pursue group travel opportunities.
First, there’s something beautiful about having human connection, and there’s ‘safety in numbers’. I was quite stubborn and had my heart set on Egypt. To my surprise, the Intrepid team did their due diligence to ensure every aspect of my experience felt safe. I’m sure they worked behind the scenes with local tour guides, host families and more, and what I found was an experience that was truly memorable.
The added benefit of travelling internationally with an organised group is if things happen, there are folks there on the ground to support you and intervene. That alone made me feel so much more at ease. And so now, when I travel to destinations that may not be known for LGBTQIA+ acceptance, I’ll pursue a group travel option. Another bonus? I don’t have to plan my itinerary. Egypt was my first time not having to be the ‘travel planner’ in my friendship group for so long.
As we unpack the notion of safety, I think we forget that safety is nuanced. During my most recent travels, I’ve realised that I’ve actually felt safest and most adventurous, more daring and more open to trying new things when I’m outside my comfort zone in group travel settings.
My best advice for any trans or queer person considering adventure travel, or once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, would be to consider group travel. I was reluctant at first at the idea of spending so much time with strangers in a foreign country, but I surprised myself and my best friends who joined me on the adventure as we met local families, chatted with artisans in the bazaar or climbed into tombs.
Did my trans-ness come up? I don’t know, honestly. I assumed people didn’t know or didn’t care, but my notion of safety is what led me to the space I occupy today, which is to travel smart and do the thing.
Have a blast
I know that safety can be an intense weight we carry as trans and non-binary travellers. And it’s unfair that we have to consider our safety nearly every day that we live. But, as my grandmother says, we turn lemons into lemonade. Go on your fantastic adventure. See the world. Consider your safety, ensure you are prepared for most challenges that could arise and then go for it.
If you’re travelling smart, I think you’re on the precipice of a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you’re going to love and remember for the rest of your life. And that’s the magic of our travels around the world: they stay with us forever.
