Drag Race UK legend Tayce opened up about homophobia still being "rife" across the country, claiming she was blocked from having gay friends visit her hotel rooms while on tour by "judgey" reception staff.
Tayce made the shocking admission whilst riding around Manchester in a Carpool Karaoke-style chat with cricketing hero Freddie Flintoff, with both in the city during Pride celebrations last week. The star of season two of the hit drag show candidly revealed there had been a couple of occasions on tour where she'd encountered staff who refused to let her take her friends up to her room as she got out of drag.
Although the 28-year-old wasn't phased by the incidents, meeting up with her friends whilst socialising later on those evenings, she fears the experience could make some LGBT couples feel scared or ashamed. Tayce said: "I've had a few experiences where I've been on tour and I've got to the hotel that I'm staying at and had two of my gay friends come over.
"Once in Birmingham we were in a student accommodation area. I'd just finished a show and got back to my hotel to de-drag. They came over for a little drink. The people behind the desk took a look at the three of us and were like 'no, absolutely not going to happen'. I'm like 'why, these are my friends? It's my hotel room, I'm allowed to have whoever I want in it'.
"[But it's been] 'No sorry, not going to happen' and it just seemed very judgey, very homophobic, which makes me sad."
Explaining the situation, Tayce said 'from the way they were looking at me' the staff might have thought the group were going to have sex.
Adding: "Even if I wanted 800 people in my room, it's no-one's concern but mine. They had to go elsewhere, they wouldn't let them upstairs. I just thought 'what the hell is going on?' It didn't stop or wreck my night, they went and I saw them out anyway.
"But imagine if there is a gay couple or a lesbian couple or whoever it may be, they choose to come to a hotel and they're trying to check in and they feel nervous asking for a double bed. It could be two guys or two girls asking for a double bed and they feel scared or ashamed or insecure. That just saddens me because you shouldn't feel ashamed at all for just being who you are and doing what you do - wanting to enjoy a night in a hotel like anyone else."
In the clip, a visibly taken aback Freddie, who is currently one of the Top Gear presenters, said: "For me it's just all things you never think about. I book a hotel and I book a hotel. There's no checking if I'm on my own or with the kids or my wife, it's just things you're not aware of. We should be aware of it because it's not right."
Tayce said it hasn't affected her, but claims it could be upsetting for someone less confident. She added: "It could cause a massive regression. I'm very confident, the only thing I felt was that I was a bit miffed about it. For those trying to find themselves, that can be quite detrimental." The Welsh drag superstar also admitted there were some places she wouldn't go due to homophobia still being "rife" in certain places like parts of the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
The pair chatted on camera as they toured the city in a sleek white Porsche courtesy of Booking.com, a lead sponsor of Manchester Pride. The Welsh drag queen and model sported a striking ensemble of statement cut-out jeans and a matching jacket paired with a wavy blonde bob and immaculate make-up, matched by Freddie pairing a dark blue polo shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans.
A recent survey by Booking.com shows Tayce isn't the only one who's been faced with these issues, as a number if LGBT+ travellers reporter similar experiences. The study revealed a whopping 71 per cent of UK LGBTQ+ tourists have experienced less than welcoming, or uncomfortable, experiences when travelling. The research, which polled LGBTQ+ travellers across 25 countries, exposed the barriers to inclusive travel.
Nearly half (46 per cent) of LGBTQ+ people have experienced discrimination while traveling, through being subjected to stereotyping (a quarter), being stared at, laughed at, or verbally abused by other travellers (13 per cent) or locals (16 per cent). Booking.com's sponsorship of Pride showcased their Travel Proud programme, which aims to make travelling a more welcoming and inclusive experience for LGBTQ+ people.
Tayce added: "It's great to see brands like Booking.com championing the LGBTQ+ community by working with their accommodation partners to provide more welcoming travel experiences for everyone. I know first-hand what it's like to be made to feel unwelcome on holiday, purely because of my sexuality and who I am. Ultimately, we need to raise more awareness of it so that the issue is confronted.
"I encourage everyone to always be nothing but loud and proud of who they are and always be their authentic self. It was great to hang out with Freddie and take part in a road trip to explore more of Manchester's culture and celebrate the city's rich gay history. The car ride with Freddie was the ride of my life, hopefully we can do it again soon."
Freddie added: "It's been a real eye-opener to work with Booking.com and learn about the restrictions felt by the LBGTQ+ community when it comes to feeling safe and welcome. I'm a huge champion of being yourself and feeling comfortable in your own skin and that's what Pride is all about, it's great to see. Spending the day with Tayce was ace. It's not often you get to hang out with such an iconic drag queen."
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