Fort Lauderdale rolled out the rainbow carpet 20 years ago to gay travelers. Today, it is a go-to travel destination for the gay and lesbian community.
But something was missing.
Richard Gray, the LGBT managing director for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, said while the transgender community was always welcome, he felt there wasn’t enough focus on transgender travelers.
In a survey commissioned by the bureau, the city ranked second to last on a list of preferred travel destinations for the trans community. New York, San Francisco and Atlanta were the top three picks.
“One day I was like, ‘We keep saying LGBT,’ but the ‘T’, I realized, this was a forgotten ‘T,’" said Gray. "I was saying, ‘T,’ but I did nothing for the ‘T.’”
That is changing.
This week Fort Lauderdale is hosting one the largest transgender conferences in the nation. The Southern Comfort Conference is expected to draw more than 1,000 attendees through Saturday (Oct.3).
Gray courted the conference, which has been held in Atlanta for 23 years.
He said securing the conference was important to showcase Fort Lauderdale to the transgender community.
“It shows we’re an authentic destination that really cares about all travelers,” he said.
Phyllis Nicole sits on the board of the conference and is staying in Fort Lauderdale this week
She said there’s a difference between saying the transgender community is welcome and showing it.
“Some places you go to and you feel like it’s OK to be there. And other places you go to it feels like they want you to be there because of the smiles you get and the warmth,” she said. “It just feels more welcoming here because of the attitude when you meet people.”
Gray said he wants other cities to look to Fort Lauderdale as a model to attract transgender tourists, who are often overlooked.
When he was searching for profiles of transgender travelers, there weren’t any studies, which is why Fort Lauderdale commissioned its own.
Among the findings:
- 62 percent of trans people travel alone.
- Unlike the gay market, transgender travelers tend to be budget travelers.
- Physical violence and verbal harassment are the top concerns for transgender travelers, especially regarding the safe and comfortable use of public facilities.
Gray says just as Fort Lauderdale has established itself as a welcoming and accepting place for the gay and lesbian community, it is working to build that same relationship with transgender travelers.
“I want transgender travelers to be like all travelers,” he said. “Free to be themselves. Free to be accepted, and most of all, safe and welcome.”