stephanie beatriz

As a #LoveTravels ambassador, Stephanie Beatriz celebrates at the Capital Pride Festival in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Jon Fleming Photography)

Washington, D.C.

Stephanie Beatriz on Feeling Welcomed and Loved in Her Travels

Stephanie Beatriz publicly came out as bisexual in 2016, then in 2017, her Brooklyn Nine-Nine character, Rosa Diaz, did the same thing on the 99th episode of the Fox series. Talk about life imitating art. With these real life and on-screen revelations, Beatriz is dedicating herself to drawing more attention to bisexuals, an often-overlooked community within the LGBTQ sphere.

Marriott Bonvoy Traveler connected with Beatriz at the Capital Pride Festival in Washington, D.C. to chat about her role as a #LoveTravels ambassador and her first Pride festival.

Bi-invisibility is a real thing in our community and one of the things I try to do is be as open and authentic as possible.

Stephanie Beatriz

What does #LoveTravels mean to you? How does it come through in your everyday life?

Travel is such a fun thing to do with your family, with your partner, but it can sometimes feel a little scary to go to a new place. How am I going to be received? What’s this town like? What’s the environment like?

To know that you have what’s essentially a home base when you’re away from your home is an incredible thing. Marriott does actual training with their associates to make sure they’re creating a space where everyone who comes through those doors feel welcomed and loved and valuable and equal.

That’s priceless to me; if I’m going to go travel around this great nation of ours, that’s what I want to have be part of the experience.

In Brooklyn Nine-Nine and in real life, you came out as bisexual. At times that part of the community can seem like it’s overlooked. Do you have any thoughts about how travel can help create more acceptance?

“Bi-invisibility” is a real thing in our community and one of the things I try to do is be as open and authentic as possible.

stephanie beatriz
(Photo: Jon Fleming Photography)

So, for example even coming to pride in D.C. I was super excited to share that I was going to be in town on all my social media platforms because if people know me and they follow me, but maybe they live in a place where they don’t have as much access to people that might identify as bi or queer, and they are interested in that part of the community but don’t have that representation anywhere in their real lives, for me it’s so amazing to be able to use the platform I have on television to spread a message of authenticity and information.

That’s how we all learn about each other, right? That’s the best way to create a place of empathy for other people in your own life—to see them being authentic and then to share your own authenticity with other people.

This is your first Pride. What are you most excited about?

To see the energy! I’ve been walking around the city all day to try to get a vibe and I can feel it bubbling up. I went to a coffee shop this morning and lots of people were saying, “Happy Pride!” to each other which to me is really exciting because you know it’s already in the air.

For me to be here this year is just really exciting, I have so much to celebrate in my life and to be in this parade is going to be a wonderful moment. I’m sure I’ll cry many times!

What’s your favorite place to travel and why?

I love New York! I love going to New York especially visiting the boroughs like Brooklyn; I used to live in Brooklyn, so I have such an attachment there specifically. I love Paris so much, I’ve been three times and I can’t wait to go again, I absolutely adore it.

And then Mexico, I really love traveling to Mexico. Specifically, I’ve really loved visiting Tulum, and next on my list is Mexico City because I have a good friend that just went there, and it looks incredible.