John Tanzella (he/him), IGLTA President/CEO, iglta@iglta.org

Each of us has our familiar place, where we find comfort and safety. For many, travel is a chance to break out of that zone and dare to discover new things about the world and about ourselves. But as LGBTQ+ travelers, we’re sometimes more drawn to proudly diverse destinations and welcoming businesses simply to maximize relaxation and minimize worry. For trans and gender-expansive travelers, it’s often imperative.

 

As we approach International Transgender Day of Visibility on 31 March, IGLTA reaffirms its commitment to broadening safe, comfortable travel choices for every member of our LGBTQ+ community. And while TDOV is a time to raise awareness and to celebrate, in the travel industry, this annual event serves as a reminder that there is always more we can do to support gender-diverse travelers.

 

Among IGLTA’s core values are advancing diversity in travel and creating cross-cultural understanding for a more inclusive world. To that end, in 2022 the IGLTA Foundation established the Transgender Advisory Group, comprised of volunteer members across the globe whose lived experiences in different fields of travel, tourism, media, and business management provide insight and counsel to IGLTA across the board.

 

Led by Chair Gabrielle Claiborne (she/her), the Transgender Advisory Group has been integral to educating IGLTA’s members and partners on positive steps to take towards equitable practices, policies, and laws for the growing demographic of gender-diversetravelers. As co-founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide, a cutting-edge transgender-inclusion training and consulting firm, Gabrielle is a dynamic force in sparking courageous conversations about trans and gender-diverse people. 

 

Gabrielle and the entire Transgender Advisory Group remind us that in our work and around the world, representation matters—through language and images, in recognizing distinct challenges, and by intentional and transparent support of gender-expansive programming and education. IGLTA strives to emulate these and other best practices we believe our partners should embrace as part of their commitments to inclusion, equity, and diversity.

 

To these ends, and with the guidance of our indispensable advisors, IGLTA consistently supports gender diversity in a range of ways, from providing pronoun stickers at events and hiring gender-diverse employees; to featuring specific newsletter content and recommending transgender and gender-diverse speakers/content creators to corporate partners. 

 

IGLTA also has formed an accreditation program for members and allies to ensure that their companies’ operations, policies, and services are inclusive and respectful of transgender people—whether they’re guests or employees. In Gabrielle’s words, “Having the confidence of knowing we will be treated with respect and dignity when we show up in these spaces gives us a peace and assuredness that we can be ‘visible’ beyond just TDOV.”

 

In addition to IGLTA Accredited™, we are also elevating the Transgender Advisory Group members’ voices in our own programming. That has included several Annual Global Convention mainstage presentations. And coming up in Osaka at the October 2024 convention, attendees can join more in-depth breakout sessions, facilitated by Transgender Advisory Group members, to learn how to best foster transgender inclusion in their own ventures.

 

On International Transgender Day of Visibility and every day, we have the opportunity to interact respectfully and uplift members of our wonderfully diverse LGBTQ+ community. IGLTA is proud to advocate for positive visibility, more equitable laws and policies, and enduring dignity for trans and gender-diverse travelers in all destinations.

 

Register today for the IGLTA Global Convention in Osaka, Japan, 23-26 October 2024: www.igltaconvention.org/convention/register.