A wave of legislation targeting L.G.B.T.Q. people has swept conservative-led statehouses since 2021, when Arkansas passed a law banning hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender youths under 18. So far this year, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, more than 500 bills have been introduced in such places as Arizona, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
These states might not top the list of vacation destinations for L.G.B.T.Q. travelers seeking to feel welcome, accepted and safe. But even in hostile political environments, some queer-friendly communities are thriving and attracting tourists with food, festivals and, of course, drag shows. We spoke with people in four of these places about why they love their towns and why they say L.G.B.T.Q. travelers should still come.
Eureka Springs, Ark.
Out and proud in the Ozarks
In 2017, Ethan Avanzino and his partner, David, hopped in their car in Dallas and drove to Eureka Springs, in the Ozarks of northwestern Arkansas, for the weekend. They didn’t know exactly what to expect.
“We were just like, ‘What is happening?’” Ethan recalled. “It was just amazing to see this small town in Arkansas covered in rainbows.”
Eureka Springs, established as a resort town in the late 19th century, has a stunning collection of Victorian buildings and homes perched on mountainsides and tucked into gorges — a combination of architectural and natural beauty that for decades has attracted artists and bohemians to the area. The town also draws Christian tourists with a seven-story statue of Christ and a passion play — a re-enactment of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus — nearby.
In 2007, the town became the first in Arkansas to allow same-sex couples to enter into domestic partnerships, and in 2014 the first in the South to issue them marriage licenses, after a state judge struck down Arkansas’s ban on same-sex marriage.
The Avanzinos tied the knot in 2020 at the local Thorncrown Chapel, a space that not only felt “very inclusive” to the couple, but also that many architects consider a 20th-century masterpiece. Three years after their first visit, the two had permanently resettled in the town, which has fewer than 2,200 residents and is about one hour north of Fayetteville. There, they bought an old motel and started a small business: the Wanderoo Lodge, a hotel, restaurant and bar that has live entertainment as well as karaoke and trivia nights, not to mention a receptionist who’s a former
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