LGBTQ+ Travelers and Travel Insurance Needs

Along with warmer temperatures and early summer relaxation, June also brings the month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride. Since Pride month coincides with summer, many travelers will venture away from local celebrations and instead incorporate a vacation alongside celebrating. While the U.S. has made great strides in ensuring rights for its LGBTQ+ citizens over the past decade, LGBTQ+ travelers may sometimes have additional needs to take into consideration when traveling.

Name Your Family®

The Name Your Family feature is available as an add-on to our Preferred and Deluxe product offerings. This feature allows the policyholder to name a person who isn't legally related to be considered a family member for coverage purposes. For example, if your named family member falls seriously ill or gets injured before your departure or during your travels, you may have coverage to either cancel your trip or arrange return transportation. This feature could be useful to LGBTQ+ travelers who haven’t been legally married or don’t qualify for Domestic Partner status.

Medical Assistance Services

Medical assistance services are a standard offering of all three of our core products (Deluxe, Preferred, and Essential). These services provide assistance for a wide range of medical situations, including prescription replacement assistance, which could come in handy if you run out of prescribed gender-affirming medication or sexual health medications while traveling. Additionally, this suite of services will also provide access to physician referrals in case you need to see a doctor for any reason while abroad.

In the most extreme circumstances, the optional add-on Medical Bundle can also provide coverage to arrange travel for a non-relative to visit your bedside if you are hospitalized during your trip.

Wedding Bundle

Travel Guard also offers an optional wedding bundle add-on with our Preferred and Deluxe products, which provides coverage for you to cancel your trip if you are traveling to a wedding that is ultimately cancelled (as long as the wedding is not yours!). Given that same-sex marriage is legal in the U.S., this benefit could apply if you are traveling to an LGBTQ+ wedding.

Security Bundle

Finally, Travel Guard offers an optional security bundle add-on with all of our core products. This bundle provides coverage for security evacuations. These services could be used in the event you are traveling to a higher-risk area for LGBTQ+ travelers, and you experience extreme circumstances where you and our security team determine you are in danger due to your sexual identity.

While Travel Guard provides coverage for a multitude of scenarios to keep you safe while you travel, you can also take certain precautions to give yourself the best chances for staying safe. Be sure to research your destination country's laws pertaining to LGBTQ+ rights and follow these laws very closely to avoid persecution. Similarly, if you need to apply for a visa to a country where such laws are dubious, consider applying as a single person rather than a married couple.

 

Travel Guard is here to help you travel safely. Travel insurance should always be at the top of your packing list. made. It is important to keep in mind that as a LGBTQ traveler, a destination’s attitude toward the LGBTQ community is an important factor to consider. Experiences for LGBTQ travelers can vary globally, so it is important to have an understanding of where you are traveling, so you can have an enjoyable and safe vacation or business trip. 

We recognize the need for greater understanding and awareness regarding safety for LGBTQ travelers, and developed the following resources and support to assist LGBTQ travelers with information that will help them feel more comfortable as they plan their travel.