New App Helps Black LGBTQ+ Travelers Find Safe Places Around the World

The Lavender Book is a modern-day version of this, positioned as a community-driven online platform that takes an intersectional approach by documenting safe spaces for Black and African diasporic LGBTQ+/SGL (same-gender-loving) people to visit.

“Finding safe, supportive, responsive environments can be a tall order for Black and African diasporic LGBTQ+/SGL people. We created Lavender Book to serve our BIPOC LGBTQ+ community in a time where anti-discrimination efforts and safety cannot be taken for granted,” said David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, in a statement.

Users on Lavender Book app are able to search for a safe and friendly space and then use over 33 different filters that could include everything from “wheelchair ramp on-site” to “trans-owned” to “sober friendly.” The crowdsourced search engine feature is fueled by the community who give feedback about their experiences.

In 2020, the Human Rights Campaign released a State Equality Index that offers a nationwide report that showed the disparities LGBTQ+ individuals face state-by-state. It’s proven that the US has a long way to go in terms of equality.