Out, Proud and Leading the Way: How James Duquette is Championing LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Travel
James Duquette considers himself to be many things. He’s a millennial and a triathlete, but something that has always been a cornerstone of Discova’s Group Customer Experience Leader and Co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee is that he’s a very out-and-proud gay man.
From California to Africa and eventually to Southeast Asia, James has lived in diverse parts of the world. He feels blessed to come from a very accepting family, but he has also lived through a period of two harrowing years where he had to hide a part of his identity. Currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, he has lived in Asia for over a decade and has been thrilled to see some of the progress made to ensure LGBTQ+ equality in the region.
He says, “There have been a few setbacks in a few regions, but overall, I think that most of east/southeast Asia is becoming more accepting of people in this community. Taiwan and Thailand have really well-established reputations in the LGBTQ+ community, Japan has a strong community locally, and other places like Vietnam are becoming more and more welcoming with increasingly vibrant LGBTQ+ scenes.”
James frequently travels across the region either for work, sports, or fun and has observed that there are many more window signs and stickers denoting safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people than there were 10 years ago.
“As with LGBTQ+ rights in many other places, it is often the drag queens leading the charge – I have been so amazed at the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent I have seen in local drag scenes in Asia! Such talent!” he says.
Throughout most of James’ career, he did not have any LGBTQ+ mentors or people that he could turn to for questions or support. As a leader, he has made it a priority to ensure that he is available and accessible when support or mentorship is needed by fellow LGBTQ+ Discovians and others in the travel industry, who know that they have an ally in him.
“While I may not have had LGBTQ+ leadership to turn to, I am very lucky that I have had a few excellent allies as leaders and mentors. For many people, finding those allies can be a bit tricky though because LGBTQ+ people are often hesitant and fearful of putting out too much of themselves, which can make finding and being a mentor challenging,” he informs.
James mentions one of his former bosses in Discova as a surprising ally. An older, straight man, he showed his allyship by querying anything that he wasn’t sure about – very much a thinker. If James made a pop culture reference he didn’t catch, he didn’t just move on; he would ask him about it and make sure he understood.
“It made for many entertaining interactions, and that curiosity is something that has stood out for me as a great way to show allyship. Since then, I have made a conscious effort to apply curiosity and consideration in regard to other groups or topics, not just the LGBTQ+ community. Asking questions shows people that you are interested and open and is a great way to show that you’re an ally,” he says.
James has been with Discova for over 10 years, and of the reasons for his long tenure is the company’s warm and welcoming environment. He has never hidden this crucial part of his identity, and it has neither hindered nor helped his career.
“That said, this year, we have decided to really double down on our commitment to diversity and inclusion, and we’ve started a formal committee to oversee this topic within our business. Partly, we made this decision because, as our business grows, it’s more difficult for informal mentorship opportunities to emerge and allies to become known. As a bigger business with a big geographic footprint, it is important that we take a stand and make sure that stand is well known and understood by current and future team members,” he opines.
Ultimately, he says, when people are comfortable and happy, they are going to be in a better position to give their best effort at work. And he knows from personal experience that if people are focused on hiding themselves away out of fear or concern, they’re not going to be giving you their best.
As far as Discova’s product range is concerned, James informs that we don’t have a full range of LGBTQ+ themed/focused tours just yet (though we do have an absolutely fabulous Chiang Mai Ladyboy Culture tour that provides an excellent glimpse into this unique part of the LGBTQ+ community).
“Beyond this excellent tour, our tailor-made sales team can curate itineraries and experiences using LGBTQ+ owned suppliers and LGBTQ+ friendly tour guides. Using our network of strong connections and relationships, we can create itineraries that focus on uplifting LGBTQ+ people and allies across Asia. From restaurants to hotels, we can make sure your trip has a positive impact,” he concludes.
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