LGBTQ Travel Writing and Community Mapping Gay and Lesbian Guides and Narratives Collection 1990–2004

LGBT Travel Guides

Collection

Hale, Keith; White, Edmund; Bledsoe, Lucy Jane (ed.); Frommer’s Editors; Damron Guides; Fraternal Order of Gays. Gay and lesbian travel guide and narrative collection, circa 1980s–2004, documenting the development of LGBTQ travel culture through both directory-based guides and personal travel writing. These materials situate travel as a means of accessing queer community, exploring identity, and navigating geographic differences in visibility and acceptance. The collection provides insight into how LGBTQ individuals located social spaces, documented cultural environments, and articulated travel experiences across the United States and internationally.

Collection comprises 8 items, including travel guides, literary travel narratives, and one organizational brochure.


[1] Vintage Fraternal Order of Gays (FOG) activity brochure .[circa 1980s] FOG was an organization with a mission to "bring gays together just to have fun, meet others with similar interests and make new friends". Brochure advertises numerous activities such as group trips, game nights, language classes, and others.

[2] Hale, Keith. In the Land of Alexander: Gay Travels, With History and Politics, in Hungary, Yugoslavia, Turkey, and Greece. Boston: Alyson Publications, 1990. A travel memoir concerning the authors journey through the queer underground of the Balkans and Turkey. The author reflects on the appeal each country has for gay travelers while also delivering remarks on the country's history and politics. 285 pages and in very good condition.

[3] White, Edmund. States of Desire: Travels in Gay America. Famous travelogue of Edmund White's travels throughout the US that explores gay culture and the queer underground throughout the country. The narrative includes many of the most popular cities in the US as well as smaller cities and rural areas. 340 pages and in very good condition.

[4] The Queerest Places: A Guide to Gay and Lesbian Historic Sites. 1997. A travel guide that emphasizes historic queer monuments and location in each state across the US. Features various parks, homes of historic LGBT icons, queer bookstores, movie theaters, and more. 350 pages with hundreds of listings across the country.

[5] Lesbian Travels: A Literary Companion. 1998. First edition. Ed. Lucy Jane Bledsoe. A compilation of personal essays from lesbian writers on themes of travel, adventure, and intercultural romance.

[6] Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe, 1999. First Edition. 688 pages. A comprehensive guide to restaurants, hotels, tourist destinations, and nightlife across the UK and mainland Europe, compiled by gay and lesbian editors.

[7] Frommer's Gay & Lesbian Europe, 2003. 621 pages. A comprehensive guide to restaurants, hotels, tourist destinations, and nightlife across the UK and mainland Europe, compiled by gay and lesbian editors.

[8] Damron Men's Travel Guide, 2004. 726 pages. Measures 3.5" x 6.5". Includes USA, Mexico, Canada, Caribbean and European Cities and features over 12,000 locations in total with 544 pages dedicated to just US locations in every part of the country.

Produced during a period of expanding LGBTQ visibility following the late twentieth-century gay rights movement, these materials demonstrate how travel functioned as both a practical and cultural activity within queer communities. The coexistence of directory-style guides and literary narratives reflects multiple approaches to documenting LGBTQ space, from logistical mapping to experiential writing. Light wear consistent with use; bindings intact and pages clean; overall very good condition. This collection offers a combined record of LGBTQ travel infrastructure and personal engagement with queer environments across multiple regions.

Item #21058

Price: $650.00