Leaving behind a smaller carbon footprint is a goal of today's "ethical traveler," said Altruvistas founder Malia Everette, but certainly not the only goal.
East Bay-based tour operator Altruvista has LGBT-oriented tours on the books for 2017. A recent pilot tour organized for university students showcased Cuba’s (pictured) increasingly visible LGBT community. Altruvistas Journeys
By Bill Picture
Published: June, 2016
Leaving behind a smaller carbon footprint is a goal of today’s “ethical traveler,” said Altruvistas founder Malia Everette, but certainly not the only goal.
Altruvistas believes that socially conscious adventurers are also yearning for opportunities to connect with persons from other cultures who share their core beliefs and values, and to learn about the circumstances, struggles, joys and achievements that shape the lives of the people of a specific country or region. To that end, Altruvistas facilitates private meetings and thoughtful exchanges with individuals and organizations around the world working to preserve cultural identity, fight social injustices and protect natural resources in their respective countries.
Everette is planning the official launch of an LGBT-geared branch of her company later this year. AltruOut will afford LGBT travelers the unique chance to learn what life is like for queer persons living around the globe. “AltruOut came about the same way that Altruvistas did—I saw a need for it,” Everette said. “Some people want to do more than just see a place; they also want to learn and to engage with its people. I’ve been wanting to build this program for a while, and I feel like the time is right. LGBT rights is very much on the forefront right now.”
What surprises many of Everette’s clients is how little geographic location actually has to do with the human experience. “Circumstances may be very different or to very different degrees, but the root struggles of all human beings are very much the same,” she said.
Everette cut her teeth as an organizer of experiential adventures while working as director of the Reality Tours program for Global Exchange in San Francisco, which has specialized in planning trips that promote social, economic and environmental justice since 1988. It was during her travels with the organization, and during her own extensive world travels, that she began developing the network of relationships upon which Altruvistas’ tours would later be built.
“It’s often very organic,” she said. “I’ll be sitting in a café or riding on a bus, and I’ll just strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to me. You’d be amazed at how willing people are to share their stories with you. All you have to do is ask, and be willing to listen to them. I’ve made some great friends this way.”
And it’s that organic nature that Everette strives to provide in each itinerary. While it’s not at all uncommon for a group to be invited to, say, the office of a progressive government official, an invitation for dinner in the home of a prominent activist is just as likely. A recent pilot trip to Cuba for an LGBT college group included a stop at the home of one the country’s first gay erotic photographers, whose racy images have earned him celebrity status in the underground circles of the historically conservative nation.
“He said it would be an honor to have us in his home, and to share his story,” Everette said. “I really wanted to explore the changes happening in Cuba. The LGBT rights movement has gained a lot of traction in the last couple of years, but life was very, very hard there for the LGBT community for a very long time. We’re talking about persecution and imprisonment. And it still is hard in a lot of ways, so people like this photographer welcome the opportunity to share their truth, their evolving truth.”
Some of these truths can be difficult to listen to, Everette concedes, but the goal of every exchange is ultimately to inspire. “There’s always hope,” she said. “I want to be honest about the struggles that people are facing; but I don’t want to focus only on the negative. You can turn on the television for that. Let’s talk about their successes too, and the hopes they have for the future. There are people out there doing amazing things, and I want to celebrate that.”
Everette also points out that itineraries are never short on good, old-fashioned fun. “We have some amazing meals, go to dance performances and theater performances, bars and jazz clubs. It’s a great balance of education, sightseeing and fun, relaxation and of course some shopping.”
One of Altruvistas’ goals from the beginning has been to support local small businesses. For AltruOut trips, Everette’s team is researching to identify queer-owned businesses that could benefit from a modest influx of gay travel dollars. “That’s important to our clients; they want their money to go where their same values are appreciated,” she said.
Altruvistas also regularly donates money to like-minded non-governmental organizations in destination cities and countries to support various projects. An AltruOut trip to South Africa is already in the works for December 2017, with a Balkan trip to follow in early 2018.
“The first official AltruOut outing will be a San Francisco trip in June 2017, right before Pride,” Everette said. “What better place to start than here at home, the queer mecca? We’ll bring people here from all over the world to learn all about the Castro and Harvey Milk, and the role San Francisco played and is playing in the gay rights movement. Again, this is all about sharing stories, and San Francisco certainly has some great stories to tell.”
For more information about Altruvistas and AltruOut, visit www.altruvistas.com.
Altruista outings afford “responsible” travelers the opportunity to engage with persons and organizations in other regions of the world who share their core beliefs and values. Altruvistas Journeys
Altruvista aims to shape well-rounded experiences that balance thoughtful exchanges with culture-makers with opportunities to blow off steam—from nights on the town to shopping. Here travellers enjoy salsa lessons in Cuba. Altruvistas Journeys
