PHOTO GALLERY: Queer on Holiday

Beth Maiden / 34 / Isle of Canna, Scottish Highlands

“The Isle of Canna is one of the Small Isles in the Hebrides – it’s five miles long and full of puffins and skuas and eagles and wildflowers and ancient burial tombs and the Grave of the King of Norway (I know). I’m not usually one for beach holidays but this deserted white sand beach had me lazing in the sunshine for hours.”

Susanne Salehi / 29 / Somewhere in Roosevelt National Forest, CO

“I love this photo of me, which is really neat because that’s normally hard. It struck me that this is the me I’d always hoped I’d be when I was a little girl. This hike was beautiful but brutal: 9 miles round trip, and I had to turn back less than half a mile away from the end of it because the weather changed quickly and a hot summer day turned into freezing rain. It’s a relentlessly uphill hike, with lots of waterfalls and gorgeous mountain views. I pulled a muscle in my groin doing it! Worth it. Anyway, this photo represents so many things to me: independence, freedom, being the badass I always hoped to be.”

Jaime Lazich / 30 / In-N-Out Burger at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, CA

“About to partake in the greatness that is In-N-Out during a fantastic summer trip to The Bay.”

Dijana, Octavia, Ella / 34, 11 months, 28 / Hamilton Island, Australia

“We took Octavia on holiday when she was 6 months old. We found out she’s a big thrill seeker. She loved the turbulence on the plane and laughed hysterically when Dijana got seasick on a boat. I don’t know if I’m ready for that but she’s gonna do her either way.”

Kris H / 34 / St Anthony, ID

“I went to meet up with one of my (biological) sisters in Idaho to do some weird Mad Max dunebuggy shit. I felt super gay, and super alive because everything was wide open space and huge dunes.”

Sandra and Jay / 40 / Hannover, Bremen, Berlin, Rome, Madrid

“We like to spend out holidays by touring different cities. This year our hobby might have gotten a little out of hand. In March we spent a weekend in Hannover to visit the opera. In May we made a trip to Bremen, just to get out of our daily routine for a while. In July we went to see U2 in Berlin. From there we flew to Rome, came back home for two days and then travelled to Madrid. Now we‘re on the couch trying to relax from hard-core holidaying.”

Tess and Ellie / 21 / Students / Washington

“We’ve been best friends for 10 years, and while normally we only get to see each other at the holidays because we study at different ends of the UK, this year we spent a whole 10 months apart while studying abroad. We reunited in San Francisco and took the road trip of a lifetime up to Seattle through Oregon. Most memorable, queerest moment: arriving at a gas station after a tense few miles running low, only to see the most stunning, coolest looking lady in a leather jacket on a motorbike, whose smile got us so flustered we nearly drove off with Tess’ wallet on the roof of a car.”

Lark Malakai Grey / 30 / Northern Michigan

“The unicorn’s name is Gwendolyn, and you have to take a kayak paddle with you when you float on her because just like a real unicorn, she goes where she wants.”

Kristen McElveen / 40 / Wells, ME

“I was tempted to keep paddling until the lambs stopped screaming, but then I remembered I had a pork butt in the crockpot.”

Naimah / 26 / London

“My fiancée and I (her right, me left) at London pride. She is actually from London and I was visiting for the week. We meet these cool leather guys and had to get a pic.”

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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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