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Save these LGBTQ+ emergency contacts before you travel: crisis lines, international advocacy groups, embassy steps, and what to do if something goes wrong abroad.
An emergency abroad rarely announces itself. A stolen phone, a hostile police stop, a partner taken ill in a country where your relationship has no legal standing—whatever the situation, the people who can actually help are easier to reach if you saved their details before you left home. This page collects the contacts and steps worth knowing for LGBTQ+ travelers, organized so you can find what you need fast.
Before You Leave: Build Your Safety Kit
Five minutes of prep at home beats an hour of panic later. The goal is simple: have the right numbers available even when your phone is dead, your data is off, or a border agent is scrolling through your screen.
- Save numbers offline. Write key contacts on paper and store a copy in a separate bag. Phones get lost, drained, or confiscated.
- Share your itinerary. Give a trusted friend your flight details, accommodation, and a rough day-by-day plan. Agree on a check-in rhythm.
- Know your destination's law. Roughly 60 countries still criminalize same-sex relationships, and a handful impose the death penalty. LGBTQ+ rights by country is worth reading before you book.
- Register with your government. US citizens can enroll in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov, which routes embassy alerts and emergency contact to you. Many other countries run an equivalent travel-registration service.
If you use dating apps on the road, lock down your privacy first—our guide to using dating apps abroad safely covers what to disable and what to never share.
International Organizations
These groups work across borders and are a good starting point when local resources are thin or unsafe to use.
- ILGA World (ilga.org) — Global LGBTQ+ advocacy network publishing detailed, country-by-country legal information. Use it to understand what you're walking into.
- Rainbow Railroad (rainbowrailroad.org) — Helps LGBTQI+ people escape state-sponsored persecution. You request help through a confidential form, and a caseworker follows up. Note that they generally do not take relocation requests originating in the US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, or New Zealand, since their resources are reserved for people in countries that criminalize or target queer communities.
- OutRight International (outrightinternational.org) — Human rights research and advocacy with strong regional networks.
- ILGA-Europe (ilga-europe.org) — Country resources and a directory of national member organizations across the continent.
Crisis and Support Lines by Region
Phone numbers change and services get restructured, so confirm a line is still active before you rely on it. The contacts below were current at the time of writing.
United States
- The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386, available 24/7 for LGBTQ+ young people. You can also text START to 678678 or chat through their website.
- Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860 — a peer support line run by and for trans people.
- LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564 — confidential peer support and local resource referrals.
United Kingdom
- Galop: 0800 999 5428 — the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, for anyone experiencing violence, abuse, or hate crime.
- Switchboard: 0800 0119 100 — information, support, and referrals for the whole LGBTQIA+ community.
- LGBT Foundation: 0345 3 30 30 30 — health and wellbeing support, with a national reach.
Elsewhere
If your destination isn't listed, your embassy or consulate is the call to make first in a serious emergency abroad. National LGBTQ+ organizations in many countries also run helplines—ILGA World and ILGA-Europe both maintain directories you can search before you travel. When you're already on the ground, the local scene can be a quieter source of help too; our notes on finding community when traveling explain how to read it.
What to Do If Something Goes Wrong
Stay calm and work the list. Most situations improve faster once an official record exists and someone outside the country knows what's happening.
- Contact your embassy or consulate. They can't override local law, but they can connect you with lawyers, monitor your treatment, and notify family.
- If detained or arrested, ask for consular assistance. You have the right to request it. Say so clearly and repeat it if needed.
- Document everything. Dates, names, badge numbers, what was said. Photograph injuries or damage if it's safe to do so.
- Reach out to LGBTQ+ organizations. They often know local lawyers and the specific risks queer travelers face in that country.
- Don't sign anything you don't understand. Insist on a translation. A signature on a document in a language you don't read can be used against you.
A Note on Discretion
Reaching out for help can feel risky in places where being out carries consequences. Trust your read of the room. Embassy staff and international organizations handle these conversations confidentially, and you decide how much to share and when. Knowing the resources exist is half the protection; the broader groundwork sits in our guide to traveling while gay. None of this should stop you from going—most trips pass without incident—but the travelers who fare best are usually the ones who packed a plan alongside the sunscreen.
