Tips for Travelers with Special Needs

In general, Northern New England isn't exactly a hotbed of gay culture, especially compared to Cape Cod's Provincetown; but many gays and lesbians live and travel here, and have found these three states accepting, if not always warmly welcoming. As elsewhere in the country, the larger cities tend to be more accommodating to gay travelers than smaller towns.

Vermont has traditionally been the most welcoming of the three states; it is a specific GLBT destination for visitors who want to support the state's law acknowledging civil unions or celebrate a civil union of their own. A backlash (seen in a spate of "Take Back Vermont" signs) arose in response to the law, but failed to have the law repealed.

For information on Vermont civil unions, visit the state-run website www.sec.state.vt.us/otherprg/civilunions/civilunions.html.

A number of hotels and inns ranging from small B&Bs to the larger resorts welcome travelers (and their friends) who are celebrating civil unions. Check online ads and advertisements in GLBT newspapers and magazines.

There are also a number of businesses that specialize in planning gay weddings/civil unions. GayWeddings.com and its sister site GayWeddingPlanners.com offer a variety of Vermont packages from intimate ceremonies to huge blowouts.

For a more detailed directory of gay-oriented enterprises in New England, track down a copy of The Pink Pages, published by KP Media (66 Charles St., #283, Boston, MA 02114; kpmedia@aol.com). The price is $8.95, plus $2 shipping and handling. Call tel. 617/423-1515 or visit the firm's website at www.pinkweb.com, which also contains much of the information in the published version.

More adventurous souls should consider linking up with the Chiltern Mountain Club, P.O. Box 407, Boston, MA 02117 (tel. 888/831-3100 or 617/556-7774; www.chiltern.org), an outdoor-adventure club for gays and lesbians; about two-thirds of its 1,200 members are men. The club organizes trips to northern New England throughout the year.

The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA; tel. 800/448-8550 or 954/776-2626; www.iglta.org) is the trade association for the gay and lesbian travel industry, and offers an online directory of gay- and lesbian-friendly travel businesses; go to their website and click on "Members."

Many agencies offer tours and travel itineraries specifically for gay and lesbian travelers. Now, Voyager (tel. 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager.com) is a well-known San Francisco-based gay-owned and operated travel service.