Donald Trump has officially started his second term as President of The United States, after victory in the polls in November.
His divisive leadership has led some Americans who disagree with his politics to emigrate, with notable names like Ellen DeGeneres and Eva Longoria upping sticks to Europe.
And for liberal travellers, trips to the States now feel problematic, too.
During his last term, more than a quarter of UK holidaymakers said they were less likely to visit the US while Donald Trump was in the White House. A survey on the day the 2024 election results were announced found 17% of Brits still feel this way.
But 50.1% of Americans did not vote for Trump, and more than 6 million people are employed in the tourism industry, who all rely on visitors to keep businesses thriving.
So, where should you go if you want to experience America, without feeling like you’re going against your liberal views?
Houston
Texas is considered a Republican stronghold, famous for its conservative views on gun control, abortion and climate change.
But Houston is one of the handful of blue Texan cities in a sea of red, voting Democrat for more than a decade.
The city has been celebrating Pride for 47 years, playing host to the third-largest Pride event in the USA, attended by thousands of partygoers every year.
And there’s no shortage of sites to see here, with the Space Centre sure to be top of every traveller’s list.
The first word ever spoken on the moon was ‘Houston’, and space nerds can visit the likes of Mission Mars, an interactive exhibit that documents the journey towards it, as well as see countless spacesuits, photographs and displays.
Houston also has more than 10,000 restaurants, and has one of the most diverse food scenes in the United States. Most people have heard of Tex-Mex and Southern comfort food, but the city also has a massive Nigerian population and its Chinatown is eight miles long.
Atlanta
The capital of Georgia and famously the home of Martin Luther King Jr, Atlanta played a critical part in the Civil Rights movement throughout the 1960s.
Until 1964, Georgia was historically a blue state – but it was the Republican ‘southern strategy’ that turned voting patterns on its head, drawing on conservative values as a response to racial tensions at the time.
Until Biden’s election in 2020, there were only three periods of office where Georgia broke with Republican trends: 1976 when Jimmy Carter took office, 1980, and 1992 under Bill Clinton.
So, in November, Georgia was watched closely, having unexpectedly gone back to blue for Biden in 2020.
It might now be red once again, but Atlanta itself is generally known as a blue city in a red state.
Visitors should head to the thought-provoking National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta, an engaging museum where visitors can view the personal papers and items of Dr King. There’s also a programme of educational events throughout the year.
There are other reasons to visit too: Piedmont Park is the city’s answer to Central Park, and Ponce City Market is an old warehouse turned shopping space, with boutique stores and dining options.
And, Coke fans will surely want to make a trip to the World of Coca‑Cola, a museum where you can explore the history of the beloved drink.
Pittsburgh
Trump might’ve won big in Pennsylvania, taking 50.4% of the vote share compared to Kamala Harris’ 48.7%, but Pittsburgh typically breaks from the rest of the state politically, as do Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
The Steel City was previously described by NBC News as a ‘powerhouse of progressive politics,’ and it has a particularly strong LGBTQ+ community.
The city’s first-ever Pride took place in 1973, which might’ve been two years after Atlanta, but it was advertised with the slogan ‘Gay Pittsburgh Is Coming Out.’
There’s plenty to see and do here too. Famously home to the first-ever Heinz factory, there’s an entire museum dedicated to tomato ketchup, complete with giant bottle.
Beyond condiments, it’s dubbed the city of bridges, boasting more than Venice, and art lovers might also be aware of a little-known artist by the name of Andy Warhol who was born there.
The museum holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives from the Pittsburgh-born pop art icon.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City was famously founded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the first Mormons settling there in 1847.
And while the religion hasn’t always been synonymous with liberal values, Salt Lake City is firmly known for its politically liberal culture.
As we’ve seen with the likes of Atlanta and Pittsburgh, both liberal oases in a sea of Republicanism, Salt Lake City is no different.
For those who fancy a trip here, its mountain setting means there are outdoor activities aplenty, from skiing to hiking. Arches National Park is famous for its 2,000 natural sandstone arches formed millions of years ago.
There’s also the Great Salt Lake, from where the city gets its name. At 20,000 square miles, it’s the the second saltiest in the world, attracting millions of migratory birds every year. Go kayaking to witness the lake up close, or explore its salt flats.
Palm Beach
Palm Beach in Florida is famously inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, with vast queer communities found in the Lake Worth Beach and West Palm Beach areas, the latter of which scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index.
Again, Florida might be a Republican state (the Democrats haven’t held office here since 1999), but Palm Beach was actually the first place in Florida to declare itself a ‘sanctuary city’ for LGBTQ+ people in 2023.
If it’s the luxe life you’re after, Palm Beach is worth a trip. Long known as being the playground for America’s rich and famous, its home to The Breakers, a jaw-dropping Italian-style resort which first opened in 1894.
While you might not have the budget to stay at this decadent oceanfront spot, you can still dine at one of its many restaurants. If you’ve got cash to burn you can also shop ’til you drop in Worth Avenue, considered as one of the world’s most beautiful shopping streets, with high-end stores aplenty.
This friendly community is also a perfect destination for nature lovers. Loggerhead Marine Life Centre is a popular choice, where guests can visit the sea turtle hospital. Once the animals have been nursed back to health, they’re released back into the world.
New Orleans
Once again, New Orleans’ Democrat-voting nature differs from the rest of Louisiana, which is largely Republican.
The city has a 300-year-long track record in supporting the LGBTQ+ community, with the city’s oldest gay social organisation, the Steamboat Club, formed in 1953.
The Black community in New Orleans is also thriving, and is a driving force behind the culture of the city. During the 1950s and 1960s local civil rights activists held lunch counter sit-ins (the first of their kind), boycotts and marches to call for equality. They were one of the first cities to begin school desegregation in the 1960s.
For many, New Orleans is a bucket list trip, especially those who flock there for Mardi Gras, which takes places around Easter. Soak up the atmosphere in the French Quarter (which has an entire strip of of LGBTQ+ venues known as the ‘Lavender Line’) or on Bourbon Street, one of the oldest streets in America and the life and soul of the New Orleans party.
You’ll never be too far away from someone making music, and at The Jazz Museum, you can even see Louis’ Armstrong’s first cornet. The food here is world-renowned too, from gumbo and po-boy to beignets.
The city is even home to an organisation for self-identifying vampires – the New Orleans Vampire Association. Arguably, nothing screams inclusivity quite like a vampire club. To each their own, we say.
Will Trump bring back his controversial travel ban?
If his last term is anything to go by, there are certain visitors Trump doesn’t want anyway: those from ‘shit-hole’ countries, as was his turn of phrase back in 2018.
The ban initially restricted nationals from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya, although Iraq and Sudan were later removed.
Once Joe Biden took the keys of the White House back in 2021, one of the first things he did was revoke the ban – but Trump looks set to reinstate it.
In September 2024, he stated his intentions, and will likely expand it to include refugees from Gaza. He also described some of the countries listed in the ban as ‘very vicious, violent parts of the world.’
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