Gay travel: same-sex marriage, out scene in D.C.

(Photo: Jake McGuire)

By Matthew Link

Washington, D.C. gets a lot of flack when it comes to gay travel. East Coast gays look down their noses at Washington’s small queer scene, saying it’s full of transient part-time residents and in-the-know cliques. Some even site the closure of several long-standing gay bars and clubs in the mid-2000s to make way for the city’s baseball stadium. But what they fail to see is that for its size, Washington has a large and active LGBT population that is politically sophisticated and boldly out.

If Washington’s grand boulevards and magnificent monuments don’t make you feel patriotic, perhaps the fact that it is the latest spot in the U.S. to pass same-sex marriage will. After a hard-fought battle, March 2010 saw our nation’s capital join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire in issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. (Before that, nearly 900 LGBT couples had applied for domestic partnerships with the city, and now they are automatically considered married.)

gay travel Among the first D.C. newlyweds in 2010 were two female reverends from the city’s Metropolitan Community Church. “You have been in love, and you have recognized it all along. But today, the love that you have recognized in your heart is recognized by the District of Columbia,” the Rev. Dwayne Johnson told the couple during the ceremony.

Washington, D.C.’s tourism board has always been forward-thinking, and has courted the gay travel market for years. They are currently compiling a list of people who perform same-sex wedding ceremonies, and the city even has an Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs that offers up-to-date marriage information.

Dupont Circle (Photo: Destination D.C.)

Most of D.C.’s gay scene is centered around Dupont Circle, which is walking distance to many of the city’s tourist sites including the White House. You’ll find gay cafes, bars, bookstores and clothing outlets here, as well as queer couples proudly holding hands walking down the street. Many gay visitors choose a hotel close to Dupont Circle, but with D.C.’s walkable scale and good public transportation, there are a number of excellent hotels that can easily suit your needs.

Of course, many Washington, D.C. hotels are ahead of the curve in inviting gay newlyweds through their doors. The Liaison Capital Hill is extending its Pride Package rates for the rest of 2010. “Equality is a comfort that many of us take for granted and … we’re proud to celebrate this historic step with the LGBT community,” says the hotel’s general manager Dani Elhachem. Other hotels warmly courting gay couples include the Four Points by Sheraton Washington, The Fairfax at Embassy Row, Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters, and St. Gregory Luxury Hotel & Suites. And the gay-welcoming Kimpton hotel chain has three properties near Dupont Circle: the Hotel Palomar, Hotel Madera, and the Topaz Hotel. There are several gay bed & breakfasts scattered around the city as well.

Beyond marriage, there are plenty of reasons to play gay travel to D.C. year ’round: The Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend in January, D.C. Black Pride Weekend in May, Capital Pride Festival in June, and the Reel Affirmations LGBT film fest in October. In addition, the Human Rights Campaign, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and the Victory Fund all host galas and dinners throughout the year.

So get to D.C. and get your pride on! Who knows, you may feel downright patriotic by the end of your trip.

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Matthew Link is the Editor At Large for The Out Traveler magazine, as well as a contributor to Newsweek. Having been to over 60 countries and all 7 continents doesn’t keep him from getting on the next plane away from his home in New York City.

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