A new logo design, travel plans, and more!

Thanks for being part of the community as we enter our first full year of activity! We started this community because we noticed a lack of resources in the remote work and digital nomad world specifically aimed at LGBTQ+ participants.

Going into 2025, we think it’s more important than ever for LGBTQ+ people to have the tools and resources we need to live, work, and move to the places where we feel safe.

News and Updates

First, we’re working on a new logo that we hope to reveal in the next couple of weeks. We’ve also created a talk called “How to Make Your Work and Travel Community More Inclusive for LGBTQ+ Nomads.”

We’d love to get some feedback on it, so just reply to this email if you want to have a look at the slides!

In other news, Remote Year, one of the first companies to offer work and travel programs for digital nomads, has shut down after a dispute with their parent company. It sounds like a contentious situation, and many participants aren’t expecting to get their deposits back:

Remote Year Shuts Down Despite New Owners’ Earlier Promises of a Bright Future

Remote Year, the travel startup that pioneered month-to-month work-and-travel programs, is shutting down after nearly a decade in operation. The company…

skift.com/2024/12/21/remote-year-shuts-down-despite-new-owners-earlier-promises-of-a-bright-future

Bansko Nomad Fest, which takes place every year in Bulgaria, has started releasing videos from its June 2024 conference. This one, by Chris Cerra, predicts that housesits and home exchanges will play a growing role in the future of nomad accommmodation.

We’ve been doing housesits and home exchanges for several years now, so we’re inclined to agree:

What We’re Reading

A lot has changed in the digital world over the past year, from the growth of Bluesky as a social media platform to the rise of AI in the workplace.

As queer people, we don’t always see eye-to-eye with some of the mainstream tech organizations, so here are some of the things we’ve been reading to get a different perspective:

Why we must reclaim digital sovereignty

Paris Marx and co-authors make the case that governments must “develop digital platforms and services that serve their people and the planet, instead of the dominant geopolitical forces.”

disconnect.blog/why-we-must-reclaim-digital-sovereignty

New report on alternative social media

In this report, researchers explore why major social media platforms still the default, even among social justice organizations that could benefit from using more secure alternatives.

www.theengineroom.org/library/new-report-exploring-a-transition-to-alternative-social-media-platforms-for-social-justice-organizations-in-the-majority-world

What We’re Doing

Recently, our co-founder Matt gave a talk at PyConAU 2024 about building an event management website for a STEM-focused Scout camp called Star Trek: Survival. Not only is PyCon AU an incredibly inclusive, queer-friendly event, it’s associated with regional conferences all over the world.

You can watch the talk here:

Where We’re Going

Finally, we’re planning our first big trip of 2025 to South Africa to attend Nomad Week in Cape Town from March 9-15. It will be our first time in Africa, so we’re hoping to take a few side trips while we’re there. Let us know if you’ll be attending!

Nomad Week Cape Town - March 9-15, 2025

Discover Cape Town Nomad Week 2025! The first Nomad Week Cape Town in 2025 is set to bring together over 300 digital nomads from around the globe.

www.coworkingsafari.com/blog/digital-nomad-guides/nomad-week-cape-town

Thanks for joining us, and hope to see you somewhere on the road. Don’t forget, you can always reply to this email with questions, travel ideas, or just to say hi.

And if you haven’t yet, join us in the forum.

Happy New Year!

The RQ Team