Before you book your flight and hotel, consider your local city for this year’s Pride event.
Pride season is approaching quickly and that means it’s time to start planning for your big gay weekend. From Los Angeles to Madrid, LGBTQ members everywhere will be celebrating love, identity and equality among thousands of other members of the community. With over 150 pride events to choose from in North America and 307 cities worldwide, the choices are abundant. So how should you decide which destination will complete your Pride-planned weekend? Easy! Choose local.
Save money: Nothing in life is free and travel expenses alone can be pricey. When considering airfare, gas, hotel and food, it all begins to add up and all of a sudden your Pride weekend has cost you all of your savings. By staying local, you can save hundreds of dollars and it’s a win-win situation. Now you can start planning for next year’s Dinah or that Olivia cruise you’ve been dying to go on.
Host the hot spot B&B: Have you always wanted to provide a cozy night stay that you wish you had experienced in a hotel? Whether your best friend needs to crash or your ready to rent out the spare bedroom, this is your chance. Not only did you save money by staying home, you’ve made some extra cash too. For hosting options, consider Airbnb as an opportunity to share your home, city and Pride experience with other pride enthusiasts.
Avoid becoming overwhelmed: Putting yourself in a new and larger environment can be terrifying and stressful. Traffic is heavier, the crowds are larger and unfamiliarity creeps in like a nightmare. Choosing to stay in your hometown reduces all of these factors making your pride experience a stress-free one. After all, there’s not a better way to rock your favorite urban vibes than your very own city.
Discover local LGBTQ businesses: Unfortunately not all businesses include an HRC equality sticker on the window or advertisement promoting support for the LGBTQ community. During Pride, many local venders and businesses participate in the event by showing support, advertising acceptance and even promoting equality all while providing essentials to the community. This is your chance to scope out which companies you’ll be favoring in the future.
Support local products: You’ve heard it at your local grocer, the farmers market and even restaurants in your city: support local products. It’s not only a great way to improve the economy, it’s an opportunity to build a stronger community. Participating in your local pride means an economical boost for your city and your everyday life.
Meet new people: Who needs an app to find your next group of best friends or soul mate when you can meet and greet all of your LGBTQ neighbors during Pride? Or maybe you’ve been waiting for the opportune moment to finally meet that special someone that you met on the new lesbian app Click. Either way, you’re bound to make new friends, catch up with old ones and maybe even find the one. There’s even a major plus to this, you’ll still be around to take up that offer to hang out next week.
Spread awareness: Your city has already started to spread the love, now it’s up to the community to help make LGBTQ awareness grow. Participating in your city’s Pride is a great way to make this happen. Color the streets with rainbows, smile for the local news and hash tag your experience on social media. The more we broaden awareness, the closer we are to acceptance.