What happens when you put eight leading LGBTQ creatives on a luxury cruise ship?
This summer we explored some of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful destinations on one of the world’s preeminent cruise ships, Celebrity Edge.
As part of a new five-part series in partnership with Celebrity Cruises – titled Trailblazers – the eight queer creatives set sail to key LGBTQ European destinations including Barcelona, Valencia, Ibiza, Nice, and Rome.
For our fifth and final episode of the series, Char and Helen speak with very special guest, Olympic athlete Adam Rippon, about the importance of events like the Pride At Sea party.
“It’s all these different kinds of people who come to celebrate and it’s so fun,” he tells them.
“You see these young kids, you see a lot of older people, you see people my age; it’s really just the gamut of everyone coming together and just having a good time.”
All eight of the queer creatives dress up for the huge LGBTQ celebration around the pool, while also reflecting on what Pride means to them.
“For me, Pride all about no longer feeling ashamed to be my authentic self, stand in my power, and be visible for people who can’t be visible because it’s illegal to be gay, or they’re not going to be accepted by their peers or their family,” says Char.
“For me, it’s a time of celebration and reflection,” Lee says. “Celebrating the fact of who I am, and that I am able to be myself and own who I am.
“And the reflection on the fact that not everybody gets to have the privilege of being out, and being [openly] queer.”
All five instalments of the series have now premiered and are available to watch online, with each mini-episode of Trailblazers paves the way for a perfect LGBTQ travel experience.
The cast includes: YouTuber and broadcaster Riyadh Khalaf and his partner Josh Harrison; presenter Helen Scott and life coach Char Bailey; Jimmy Essex and Charlie Simmons, a couple from the music and entertainment industry; and last but certainly not least, vogue dancer, Jay Jay Revlon and his best friend, podcast presenter Lee Gray.
You can watch the first episode featuring Riyadh and Josh here, where they explore the ship and meet up with the group of queer creatives.
In the second instalment, Char and Helen speak on how Celebrity Edge lets them discover new destinations at their own pace.
Jimmy and Charles discuss food and fitness in the third episode, which sees them maintain their healthy lifestyle on board the ship.
For the fourth episode, Jay Jay Revlon and Lee Gray speak about the relaxed environment on the ship, where they felt comfortable to unwind and enjoy the trip as their authentic selves.
Check out our Facebook page to watch all of the episodes.
To book your dream getaway, visit Celebrity Cruises here.
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