Listen, the state of affairs is looking BLEAK hunni. That turd has turned things upside down in Amerikkka lately, and I know a lot of y’all are tired. That is why I do what I do… I have spent the last 2 years traveling the world, discovering where we are welcomed, where we are thriving, and where we are most welcomed.

I started my journey in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after slaving away in New York City for 5 years and 9 years in Los Angeles before that. Baby, as my mommy would say, I was FIT to be tieddddd. LOL! What does that even mean? Anyway, I’ve now found “refuge” in Da Nang Vietnam, and I absolutely LOVE it here. I talked a lot more about it on my Substack here, if you’re interested in catching up on my store, and please subscribe to read more of my stories!

So, let’s talk… where exactly are we calling home in 2026? That ain’t the glorified ghetto of the US of A… Let’s get into it.

1.Thailand

Thailand made same-sex marriage law in January 2025 — the first country in Southeast Asia to do it — on top of a gay infrastructure in Bangkok's Silom district that predates the law by decades. It's cheap, visa-friendly, and already the third-most-satisfying country on the original list. There's no established Black community to speak of, and colorism shows up in local beauty standards, but the outright hostility that shapes the calculus elsewhere on this list is largely absent.

Where to stay, in Silom

Trinity Silom Hotel — steps from the BTS and the gay scene
Heritage Bangkok — near Chong Nonsi, walking distance to the bars
Furama Silom Hotel — rooftop pool, near DJ Station
Le Siam Hotel — in the heart of Silom's nightlife
Urbana Sathorn Bangkok — apartment-style, gym and pool

2.Portugal

Portugal's Black population isn't a recent expat wave — it's generations deep, built through ties to Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau. Lisbon has organized "Black in Portugal" expat networks, and National Geographic has named it a top destination for Black travelers specifically for that reason. Pair that with marriage equality on the books since 2010 and a well-worn D7 visa route, and Portugal is the strongest all-around fit here.

Where to stay, in Lisbon

EPIC SANA Lisboa Hotel — central, polished, big rooftop pool
Lisboa Carmo Hotel — Chiado, boutique and quiet
Browns Boutique Hotel — design-forward, walkable
Dear Lisbon – Charming House — small and personal, Baixa
Hotel Santa Justa — rooftop views over the old town

3.Spain

Spain legalized same-sex marriage in 2005 — earlier than every other country here — and backs it with real anti-discrimination recourse. Madrid's Chueca, the beach town of Sitges, and Barcelona's Eixample are established, unbothered gay districts, not novelty ones. The Black community is smaller and newer, built mostly from African and Afro-Latino immigration rather than deep local roots, and there are documented cases of racial profiling by police — a strong legal bet with a community still being built.

Where to stay, in Chueca

Axel Hotel Madrid — rooftop sky bar, right on the scene
Room Mate Óscar — overlooks Plaza de Chueca
Petit Palace Ducal Chueca — 19th-century mansion, steps from Gran Vía
7 Islas Madrid — great value, well positioned
Iberostar Las Letras Gran Vía — literary theme, rooftop bar

4.Mexico

Mexico is the most affordable, best-connected option here — nationwide marriage equality since 2022, a booming Mexico City gay scene, and Puerto Vallarta as one of the hemisphere's biggest gay resort towns. It's also why a fast-growing number of Black Americans have relocated there. But the reports from Black expats are genuinely split: some describe real relief from U.S.-style racism, others document unwanted hair-touching, staring, and being followed in stores — reminders that Mexico has its own unresolved history with its Afro-Mexican population. Go in with eyes open, not with the assumption that leaving the U.S. means leaving racism behind.

Where to stay, near Zona Rosa / Reforma

Galería Plaza Reforma — reliable, central, well-reviewed
NH Collection Mexico City Reforma — modern, on the avenue
Hotel MX Reforma — boutique, highest-rated of the bunch
Sheraton María Isabel Mexico City Reforma — big, dependable, great location
Hotel Geneve Mexico City — historic, Zona Rosa proper

5.Panama

Panama topped the original ranking for the third year running, and its Afro-Panamanian community — centered in Colón, Bocas del Toro, and pockets of Panama City, tracing back to Canal-era West Indian migration — means being Black there is simply unremarkable. That's a real, underrated advantage. The trade-off is legal: homosexuality has been decriminalized since 2008, but the Supreme Court upheld the ban on same-sex marriage in 2023, and there's no national law barring orientation discrimination. Panama City has a small, low-key gay scene rather than a visible one.

Where to stay, in Panama City

American Trade Hotel — boutique, Casco Viejo
Waldorf Astoria Panama — financial district, quiet luxury
The Bristol Panama — independent, spa on-site
Global Hotel Panama — Obarrio, rooftop pool and bar
Hilton Panama — overlooking the bay

6.Brazil

On paper and in spirit, nothing here touches Brazil. Salvador da Bahia is called Black Rome for a reason, Afro-Brazilian culture is central rather than peripheral to national identity, and marriage equality has held since 2013. But Brazil has recorded the world's highest rate of LGBTQ+ homicides for close to two decades — 257 violent deaths in 2025, including 80 murders of trans people, disproportionately Black and pardo women. The welcome is real; so is the risk, and it varies enormously by neighborhood. Ipanema and Leblon read very differently from the periphery — research the specific block, not just the city.

Where to stay, in Ipanema / Leblon

Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro — Ipanema beachfront, the benchmark
Marina All Suites — Leblon, design-led
Janeiro Hotel — Leblon beachfront, rooftop pool
Ritz Plaza Hotel Leblon — reliable, well-located
Mar Ipanema Hotel — steps from the beach, good value

7.Singapore

Singapore repealed its colonial-era sodomy law in 2022 and still holds Pink Dot every year, but its constitution was amended in the same stroke to keep courts from ever mandating marriage equality — no relationship recognition, no spousal visa path. It's genuinely one of the safest, lowest-crime places on this list, but the Black expat population is small, occasional racial bias shows up in rental listings, and it's expensive relative to what you get.

Where to stay

Marina Bay Sands — the icon, if the budget allows
Raffles Singapore — colonial-era grand dame
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore — riverfront, former GPO building
The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore — Marina Bay views
Mandarin Oriental Singapore — polished, central

8.Luxembourg

Legally, Luxembourg has nothing to prove — marriage equality since 2015, and it was the first EU country led by an openly gay head of government. What it doesn't have is scale: a Black population thin enough that it's mostly EU-institution and diplomatic circles rather than an established community, in one of the most expensive countries on the original list.

Where to stay, in Luxembourg City