Travelling with children as a gay parent is potentially tricky. We spoke to Perez Hilton about his experiences.
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is known for being outspoken and for being at the forefront of celeb culture. But as a single gay parent travelling with kids is he more reserved and does he approach his travel plans differently?
What's your experience of travelling as a gay man?
I love going to the most foreign places. Once I went on a gay excursion to Mexico where I stayed in a gay resort and I hated everything about it! The hotel was awful, and I just did not enjoy myself. I've also been to India and China which aren't the most accepting places, but this summer the family and I went to Israel which was amazing. I know a lot of people who enjoy gay vacations where they can easily meet other gay men, but I typically travel with my family. I tend not to factor in sexuality when travelling.
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Do you think you act differently when you visit certain countries?
Yes, definitely. When travelling in India or China I don't wear some of my wilder outfits”
Now you have kids you must be conscious that the world isn't always a friendly place. What do you do differently now when travelling with kids that you didn't before?
Having kids just means I travel less. The cost goes up a great deal when you have kids. I would probably go anywhere with my kids that I would go as an adult solo traveller.
What advice do you have for other gay parents thinking of travelling with kids?
My advice would be to just do it! Just do it!
And what about places that you'd love to visit – bucket list destinations?
So many. I keep dreaming of when I'm older – I'd love to go to Bhutan in South Asia and Western Europe.
With Trump as your president now it can sometimes seem that the US isn't as welcoming as it used to be to international travellers. What are your concerns about this?
Well my practical concern is that tourism is down in the US since Trump became president. And with less tourism comes less money for our country.
Same-sex marriage is becoming legal in more and more countries. What more can and should people do to see this happen quicker?
People should vote and be more vocal!
How many days a year do you spend “out of office”?
Not enough. I never really take a proper vacation without working, even when I'm out of the office I'm still working.
And finally, any travel nightmares you want to share with us?
The first one that comes to mind was when I was going to China with my family and my mother's boyfriend who was travelling with us was rejected and couldn't get into the country! I can't even remember why but that was a major bummer. We had to make all sorts of split seconds decisions, and we decided to carry on with our trip and send him back home. So always research the country you are travelling to, if they require visas and make sure you'll be allowed in once you've landed.
