PHOTO GALLERY: Queer on Holiday

Wilson Rae / 24 / Philadelphia, PA

“I took my first real, adult, paid vacation this summer, with my favorite people in the world. It was a much needed break from a job that made me miserable. I was hired for a new job just a couple weeks before this vacation, which made relaxing while we were gone so much easier, and getting to leave my old job when we got back was amazing. We had a great time seeing a bunch of museums, eating good food, and getting a little lost (other wise it wouldn’t be an adventure). A great start to what’s been an amazing summer.”

Molly Rangiwai-McHale and Luisa Tora / Wainadoi in Fiji

Eddy / 22 / Badlands National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park

“I drove cross-country with my family this summer and stopped at a bunch of national parks. It was super fun and interesting for my geologist self.”

Emily / 30 / Edinburgh, Scotland

“This was taken at the top of Arthur’s Seat. I’m not even remotely outdoorsy, so I spent most of the climb whining…but it was very pretty and very worth it. Post-hike pub crawl didn’t hurt either.”

Emma / 29 / Austin, TX

“Ive struggled with my identity and sexuality since I was a preteen. I’ve finally, at 29, started coming out as queer and feeling so much more honest and free. This summer, I spent a lot of time recovering from a hard year of grad school and visited Austin for the first time. I went to the graffiti park and had a blast!”

Laurie / 28 / Smithers, BC, Canada

“I went to visit my bestie Carly and her friend (now MY friend!) Maya up in northern BC. We went to Hyder Alaska for the 4th of July which was quite an interesting experience. Here’s a pic of us in Hyder, I’m in the middle, Carly is on the left, and Maya is on the right.”

Vanessa / 28 / Autostraddle Community Editor

“So, full disclosure, I had set aside six months of this year to hike the Pacific Crest Trail and then I…didn’t finish hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. More details on that as soon as I get my brain together to write a feelings-filled essay – soon, I promise. But I’ve been trying to make the most of the time I took off work to go on as many mini vacations and adventures as possible, and it’s been working out really well! Here are a few of my favorites so far.”

Battleground Lake, Washington “My girlfriend, Alley, loves bike camping, and I’d never done it before, so we decided to try it out together for her birthday. We invited some friends along and it turned into a very cute queer weekend. There were six of us total, and four of us biked and two of us drove, THANK GODDESS, because biking 30 miles to the campground was VERY HARD and I absolutely could not do it on the way home so luckily we were able to fit all our bikes on bike racks/in the cars and drive home luxuriously. Also thanks to the two babes who drove we were able to have a very fancy camping experience with cheese and champagne and fire wood and a rug as opposed to a rugged typical bike camping experience with like, hot dogs and a mini stove, ya know? Anyway it turns out I do not love bike camping but I do love lakes, queers, champagne, and my girlfriend, so all’s well that ends well!”

“One of my best friends works at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington (because she’s a total fucking badass nature diva) and as such, she is able to reserve any of the structures in the park to camp in. Last weekend she reserved a fire lookout and we camped there for two nights! It was so incredible – the hike to get to the lookout was steep and I found it a bit difficult, but ultimately it was so, so worth it. We had a perfect view of Mt. Rainier for the whole weekend and on our last morning there we woke up above a blanket of clouds. It was magical.”

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado “Every year my mom and I pick a place neither of us have visited and then we go there together and explore! It’s very cute and very fun and I love it a lot. This year we picked Colorado, and even though my mom is not outdoorsy in the least, she humored me and agreed to spend a day at Rocky Mountain National Park. She even went on a FOUR MILE HIKE with me, because she’s a total boss, and then wrote a really cute Facebook post about it saying she would treasure the day forever! I love my mom.”

Lara Aschenbrenner and Linda Witke / 27, 30 / Koh Samui, Thailand

“Love Asia and travel, so we decided to take a longer “vacation” here and are currently study in Bangkok, originally we’re from Germany.”

Courtney and Dora / 24, 30 / Lesbian Lake, Oregon City, OR

“We went on this camping trip a week into seeing each other because nothing tests a new relationship like spending a weekend camping with all your friends at a place called Lesbian Lake! Its the new U-Haul!”

Kate / 38 / Scarborough, England

“Quintessentially British seaside holiday… in summer…in July… in the rain. (My Mother was jubilant that the cold meant no shorts – which means she couldn’t see the tattoos on my legs. I am mildly convinced she controls the weather.)”

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52 Comments

  1. I am trying to figure out who in this photoset has the Gayest Outfit and I can’t choose between the pastel unicorn ensemble or the fanny pack patch jacket!

    Also I want to have a Big Gay Supper Club.

  2. I’m so disappointed with myself for procrastinating on my submission. Oh well…. next time! Just imagine me having the time of my life in England and Italy last month.

    Carmen SanDiego! While rafting down the American River you were only 9 miles away from where I live. I’m always surprised when people who don’t live in El Dorado County go to Coloma willingly :P

  5. Y’all are so cute and gay! And there’s another Tess – there’s seemingly so few of us you don’t often see us out in the wild!!

  9. Olivia’s cheeky dog!

    Pat or Emma (whoever’s on the right)’s hair! You need to write that “how to swoop your bangs” article.

    I had never heard of segways, and here are two photos of them. Is this the newest queer thing?

    @carmensandiego wins for most adventurous! I’ve wanted to go to that Victoria Falls spot since I read about it last year. And that personal submarine, seriously?!?!

    So many good bathing suits! (I wasn’t going to say this after I remembered that I’m wearing one in mine, but you know what, it’s the first time I’ve owned a bathing suit I really like, so I’m saying it and including mine!)

    Iceland!!!

    Hyder, Alaska!!!

    I’m excited, can you tell. I love these galleries <3

  11. So good!! These galleries are so awesome! ❤

    I was sure I sent my photo in before the deadline but…it’s not there so apparently not ?

  12. I love all of the awesome vacation fashion (and your fabulous hair!) <333 Thanks everyone for sharing!

  13. Vacation? What’s that?
    Y’all are too cute and way gay! I love it.

    Me? My mIdlife career change and transition crushed any hope I had of doing anything remotely as cool as even a staycation.

  15. Rhiannon – Donegal Ireland – whoa cute photo! Like straight out of a magazine or a book!

    Madison and Hope Rorschach – Fort Worth, TX – OMG congrats! You both look amazing and the photos are gold!

    Dijana, Octavia, Ella – Hamilton Island, Australia – lovely photo! Love Octavai’s shirt!!

    YES to more photos from ‘Straya!! And hopefully more from the Philippines and Asia!!

    General observation – there are a lot of us who have visible tattoos! LOL I mean mine weren’t that obvious in the photos I sent…but I love all of your tattoos!!!

    LOVE ALL OF THE PICS!! :) :)

  16. So, my occupation was not included because I guess a lot of y’all didn’t fill that out? Mine was good though: “Wedding Planner / QueerGirl’s Mirror twin”

    I just needed you all to appreciate that

  17. I cried at like every single one of these photos. Ya’ll are so beautiful and stunning and brilliant and badass and these photo galleries are so important and necessary. It gives me LIIIFE to see ya’ll living your vibrant, queer lives. <3 x 1000000!

  20. I sent in my picture from the Central Market in Valencia at like 2:00am after getting back from Spain and I totally forgot that I had some other amazing pictures to share! I really want to add this one because it was my first solo holiday ever, and every time I look at it, I appreciate life more:

    and this one because I lived in Florida for 8 years and never appreciated it until I learnt that it’s great for kayaking:

  21. Aww… reading Neil Gaiman, white water rafting, climbing, hiking, having a beer, wistfully staring out into beautiful landscapes – all things I like to do. And now I want to be friends with all you beautiful people.

  23. ‘Lesbian Lake’ and ‘Rainbow Falls’. This is SO GAY (and SO CUTE).

    Also, ‘…driving to meet up with pals in some of the wildest areas in Montana and playing around in them (the places not the pals)’ had me laughing so hard it made my dog jump (he is basically a cat so he’s very offended).

  25. Swooning over the Lexa cabin pic (miss y’all!!!) and loving the dune buggy /mad max comment XD

  26. Oh no, I definitely thought I submitted a cropped version of my photo without the markers of being Snapchat screenshot! ?

  27. I’m feeling the love for my wonderfully gay hometown. Maybe we should do a meet up in San Francisco next year around Pride…

  28. WHAT A BUNCH OF CUTIES. OMG. Like several people have said already, I have crushes on all of you now.

    Yoooo I’m moving to Portland so Lesbian Lake is going on my list of places to go. I’m so jealous of everyone who can travel and stuff, cause I’m not only broke but also don’t drive, so that makes things harder. I am going to take a couple of day trips to my grandparents’ tiny hometown while I work on a family archive project, so maybe I’ll take some pictures of me being obnoxiously queer there. It’s rural Georgia, so that should be fun.

    I second the vote for a tattoo gallery!! Geneva, I’m obsessed with your sleeve. It’s incredible.

    Also, Emma from CT and Megan from FL, you are both 100% style goals. Emma, is that your truck? HEART EYES. Also I want your entire outfit and to be your best friend.

    Megan, you are a majestic tacky queer, which is a term I am coining right now and it is the highest compliment. I aspire to your level of unabashed tackiness. I have a matching fanny pack and visor, which are both hot pink and were purchased several years apart but which I definitely intend to wear together. I also want your BEES hat.

  29. Carmen Sandiego sure does live up to her name.

    Also good job Aussies for finding somewhere actually WARM

  30. You’re all so adventurous and fabulous.
    I can’t believe there are only 49 comments though. This would have to be my favourite series yet. Have great lives people.

  31. It took me a few days to open this gallery bc I was worried I would have too much FOMO, I was supposed to be heading to Vancouver tomorrow night with my family but my mom isn’t feel well enough to make the trip so we’ve cancelled it and are heading next week to the Berkshires (3 hour drive vs 6 hour flight) as a small consolation.

    Anyhoo, overshare aside Im glad I got over hesitation and clicked through–so much love to all of the queers in all of the amazing spots. I also loved seeing my hometown (NYC) featured in so many posts. People hate on summer in NY but there are so many free events and a new expanded ferry system that have really improved the whole summer in the city thing.

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