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National Geographic travel guide features Asheville as LGBTQIA+-friendly destination

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National Geographic travel guide features Asheville as LGBTQIA+-friendly destination

ASHEVILLE – A new international travel guide identifying safe, entertaining and memorable places for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies includes as one of its locations Asheville, where many local businesses and attractions are revered for inclusivity.

In May, National Geographic’s “Out in the World: An LGBTQIA+ (and Friends!) Travel Guide to More Than 100 Destinations Around the World,” by veteran travel writers Amy B. Scher and Mark Jason Williams, was released with more than 120 featured global cities and towns.

The authors provide recommendations for places to visit, laws and customs, planning and safety tips and more need-to-know advice.

“We realized there was no book like this on the market that could bring queer travelers and straight travelers and families and friends into the same book,” Scher said.

“Out in the World” mentions local businesses and attractions like Firestorm Bookstore Co-op, Biltmore, Asheville Art Museum, Asheville Pinball Museum, Asheville Rooftop Tours, Bottle Riot and O. Henry’s ― North Carolina’s oldest queer bar ― and a local queer-owned and operated honey retailer, Asheville Bee Charmer.

Jillian Kelly, who founded Asheville Bee Charmer with her life and business partner Kim Allen in 2014, said “Out in the World” is necessary for LGBTQIA+ travelers as it details laws and rights in different countries and communities and addresses safety, security and healthcare access.

“Social climate can be hostile or violate against some LGBTQ individuals so being aware of those conditions helps us to travel,” Kelly said.

More: 10 years of marriage equality in NC: Asheville photo exhibit celebrates historic day

Safe places

Scher and Williams curated a destination list based on places they’ve traveled and by speaking to locals to consider what places felt safe and offered an array of experiences and places in those cities and towns that could enhance the traveler’s trip.

Scher said the comprehensive guide is equally distributed with 50% domestic and 50% international destinations and isn’t exclusive to queer-owned businesses or queer-focused places.

Williams said it was important to include less obvious places, like small towns and places not known to be progressive.

Over the years, the authors said they have noticed more places in the U.S. and abroad becoming more welcoming and outwardly supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Williams said they were looking for travel ideas for trips with their spouses but struggled to find available and prominently featured information.

“It was limited to bars and clubs and hot spots. I’m in my 40s and I want to go antiquing in a cute, small torwn in the Midwest. How do I do that?” Williams said. “When we realized no book would do that, we decided to do our own.”

Asheville on the map

Asheville is the only North Carolina city featured in the travel guide. The authors noted that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Asheville has 83% more gay and lesbian residents than the national average.

“There are LGBTQ-friendly accommodations, businesses, community events and even the tourism make it well-known that it’s a safe place to travel for the LGBTQ community,” Kelly said.

The travel guide is broken down into categories like “Romantic Rendezvous,” “Boozy Trips and Trails” and “Fun Haunts and Spooky Spirits.”

Asheville landed in the fourth chapter: “Where No One Gets Hangry,” in which 12 Bones Smokehouse and S&W Market food hall vendors, The Hop Ice Cream, Highland Brewing Co., Bun Intended and Farm Dogs are recommended for Asheville visitors and residents.

Scher said it was difficult to narrow down which Asheville dining establishments to feature in the two-page spread, stating there’s enough content for its own book.

“It’s such a great place that has culture and is inclusive and has great dining,” Scher said. “It has some of the things that a big city has but is charming. And since this is one of the best foodie destinations in the U.S. this is how Asheville ended up in this chapter.”

‘Out in the World’ comes to Asheville

On July 13, Scher will autograph “Out in the World” at a book signing from 2-4 p.m. hosted by The Hop at S&W Market downtown.

Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café, also in the guide, will sell copies of the guide, which sells for $30.

Greg Garrison, co-owner of The Hop with his wife, Ashley, said it’s an honor for the ice cream company to be recommended.

He said many of the Hop’s employees at its five locations across Asheville and Black Mountain are of the LGBTQIA+ community. He said that he and Ashley have worked to create an inclusive work environment since becoming the owners in 2008. The Hop opened in 1978.

“It legitimizes the efforts that we’ve put in building a relationship within the LGBTQIA+ community over the last 15 years,” Garrison said. “It feels good to be able to talk about that on a larger scale now that the book has been released.”

He said he hopes the guide will encourage some others in the travel world to consider doing something similar, to offer more resources.

LGBTQIA+ travel tips

Scher said the “Out in the World” is organized by mood and vibes – what a traveler feels like doing instead of where they want to go. She recommends travel guide users write a list of 10 places they want to go and consider the points listed for the destination.

Kelly said she and her partner have used “Out in the World” to make a bucket list of places to visit where they can feel safe as a same-sex couple. It’s helped to provide information about destinations they considered but didn’t know much about before reading the travel guide, referring to it as a personal “Yellow Pages” of places LGBTQIA+ individuals can visit.

“Use it to have fun. We’ve provided some favorites and recommendations but ultimately, we want readers to use this book. … as a basis to find someplace cool and have a little adventure,” Williams said. “Leave yourself open to wherever you might want to go.”

National Geographic’s ‘Out in the World: An LGBTQIA+ (and Friends!) Travel Guide to More Than 100 Destinations Around the World’

By Amy B. Scher and Mark Jason Williams

Info: For more, visit bookshop.org and follow @natgeobooks, @ambyscher and @markjasonwilliams on Instagram.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

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