Why I Created Discover Queer

Grace Philipp, CEO/Founder of Discover Queer

A letter from Founder & CEO: Grace Philipp

Hi, I’m Grace.

Everywhere I travel, I have a habit.

• I notice the bookstores with rainbow flags.

• The cafés where two women linger a little longer.

• The neighborhoods that feel like exhale spaces — where I don’t have to edit myself.

If you’ve ever spotted a queer couple across the street and immediately wondered,
Where are they headed?

You understand.

It’s not just curiosity.

It’s recognition.

And for me, travel has always been about that feeling — finding myself reflected in a place, even thousands of miles from home.

—

I’m a lifelong New Yorker with a deep love of cities, language, and culture. My curiosity was shaped early — by my Chilean grandfather, my Italian grandmother, and a desire to understand how people live across the world.

That curiosity carried me across six continents.

Along the way, I worked in global travel, international development, and social impact — organizing trips abroad, studying public health and policy, and leading social responsibility initiatives in both government and corporate spaces.

But no matter the setting, I kept returning to the same questions:

How do we move through the world responsibly?
And how do we create spaces where LGBTQ+ people can connect and thrive?

Travel sits at the intersection of both.

Because travel can be expansive — not in the cliché way, but in the quiet way. The way that shifts your perspective and reminds you how big the world is - and how interconnected we are within it. The way that brings you back closer to yourself.

But as queer people, we also know: travel requires nuance.

Not fear — nuance.

Queer communities exist everywhere. We always have. But how we move, how visible we choose to be, how welcomed we feel — that deserves thoughtfulness.

Too often, we’re left to piece together this information on their own.

That’s why I created Discover Queer.

Not just to plan beautiful trips.

But to make it easier for LGBTQ+ women, trans and non-binary travelers to explore with confidence, joy, and connection — without having to shrink or second-guess.

Whether you’re planning a honeymoon, a milestone birthday, a solo reset, or gathering chosen family for something meaningful — intention matters.

Discover Queer blends cultural fluency, careful vetting, and community-building to create travel experiences that feel seamless and aligned.

Through curated group trips, retreat-style gatherings, and independent travel planning, my goal is simple:

To help you explore freely.
To help you find your people.
And to help you feel at home — anywhere.

I’m really glad you’re here.

Yours in travel,
Grace