Meet Ruth van Seventer, the woman behind the incredible travel blog Pride Chaser. Haven’t heard of it yet? Here’s why you should know about it:
Why did you start Pride Chaser?
I started my blog for the selfish reason of wanting to find people like me. People who are bisexual or part of the LGBTQIA+ community and love to travel. I wanted to create a platform to showcase some of the wonderful pride events that happen around the world, as well as the difficulties of being a member of a minority group. I also wanted to share useful information to LGBTQIA+ travellers about where to stay, what to visit and where to eat on their travels.
What do you hope to achieve through your website?
I want to be a representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in the global travel industry. I’d like to establish a network of gay pride events internationally, making it easier for young people with a love of travel to be open about who they are in a safe environment.
Why is what you do important?
There are plenty of travel blogs out there, but very few actually represent the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s important for travellers to know that no matter where they are in the world, there are others like them – be it a single gay bar or a whole community! Pride Chaser empowers and frees young people to travel without being afraid to be themselves.
What places and events have you covered since starting your blog?
I started the blog earlier this year, and since then I’ve made my way through Australia, China and Europe. I was fortunate enough to attend a pride event in Shanghai. While I was there I also covered gay venues in Beijing and general travel around China. From there I made my way to Europe where I attended pride events in Luxembourg, Brugge, Brussels, Berlin and Frankfort. It was so interesting to see the similarities and differences between each of the events.
Where to next?
My next few posts will cover pride events in Amsterdam and Prague. At the moment I am in Bucharest – I’m loving eastern Europe so much that I have decided to do some research into the LGBT community in Brasov and Sofia. After that who knows? I’m totally open to suggestions!
