There are many cities around the world that welcome and embrace the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Those cities have in fact improved and grown economically by attracting one of the most important and powerful social groups of the 21st century. Chains of hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs, clothing stores and spas that cater to a new segment which is always looking for the best of the best. We took a number of factors into consideration in order to make this article, such as legal protection, social acceptance, LGBT nightlife and economic opportunities and created a list of the 11 Most Gay Friendly Cities In The World.
11
Toronto, Canada – Toronto is the largest city of Canada and has an interesting gay scene. It has some of the best gay bars in Canada and has a huge pride parade. Toronto’s gay community offers a world of arts, culture and vivacious nightlife, with a vibrant gay village at the city’s core. The Village, located in Church-Wellesley, is the cultural hub of the city, bursting with galleries, theatres and gay-friendly businesses. Over the years the geographical range has expanded with the growth of the city. Now you’ll find queer-friendly establishments all over the city.
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- Toronto gay city – by Duncan Rawlinson – @thelastminute – Duncan.co :Flickr
10
São Paulo, Brazil – Not only is Brazil’s economic hub and the largest city in South America, it’s also the third-largest city in the world. Especially noteworthy for LGBT travelers is the fact that São Paulo hosts the biggest gay pride celebration on the planet. São Paulo’s first Gay Pride was in 1997 and attracted only 2000 people. Nowadays, the carnival-like Gay Pride Parade draws nearly four million people who crowd onto the main boulevard of Paulista Avenue and the surrounding streets. Gay nightclubs feature a wide variety of shows, with drag, male strip-tease, singers, performances and some of the best DJs anywhere. There are plenty of bathhouses and sex clubs too, often with bars and show nights as well.
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- São Paulo gay city – by Ben Tavener :Flickr
9
London, UK – London is a sophisticated, multi-cultural, open-minded city, a place where everybody is welcome. It is home to Europe’s largest gay community. Pride London is a major event, there is an important Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and its gay nightlife is one of the world’s best. Old Compton Street and its surrounding area in SoHo is London’s gay epicenter, with gay bars and shops for every style and need. Soho, found to the west of the West End, is a popular spot where you’ll find many gay-owned clubs, restaurants and stores. Another similar area to check out is Old Compton Street. Another increasingly popular area is Vauxhall Village.
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- London gay city – by Jai’me – jaimelondonboy:Flickr
8
Madrid, Spain – Madrid has the largest gay community in Spain and one of the largest in Europe, with an estimated 500,000 LGBT people living in the city. Chueca is the center of the LGBT community where you’ll find the highest concentration of gay bars and night clubs. Chueca starts at Gran Via and runs north for 1km and it stretches east to west between Calle Hortaleza and Paseo de Recoletos. In this city gay marriage is allowed and the gay community has influenced largely the city’s trendiest hotels, restaurants and shops. Every July Madrid hosts the largest gay pride in Europe. Madrid’s gay pride, called Orgullo, draws a crowd of nearly 2 million people.
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- Madrid gay city – by David Follow Heart Industry:Flickr
7
Miami, USA – Miami has long been known as a popular and open destination for LGBT tourists looking to unwind, work on their tans, meet people and dine at the chicest restaurants. The LGBT community has always felt welcome at Miami. All year there are beaches popular with the gay crowd, nightclubs and venues, parties and more, but it’s the yearly Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival that brings everyone together in a colorful celebration and parade.
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- Miami Gay Parade – by :Flickr
6
Amsterdam, Netherland – For lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender visitors and residents, Amsterdam is one of the most attractive cities in Europe. As such, it’s no small wonder that Amsterdam became so popular with gay visitors. For centuries ‘Amsterdammers’ have had a relaxed and tolerant attitude towards different life styles. ‘Live and let live’ is one of the city’s favorite sayings. Amsterdam is worldwide famous for its annual Canal Parade, 80 decorated boats sail along the Prinsengracht which sees the canals lined by over half a million spectators, demonstrates and celebrates the diversity of Holland’s gay and lesbian community. It is the largest gay pride event in the Netherlands, and one of the largest in the world.
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- Amsterdam Canal Parade – by Kitty Terwolbeck:Flickr
5
Barcelona, Spain – To this day, along with Madrid, Barcelona remains one of the most liberal and gay-friendly cities anywhere in the world with many Spaniards relocating from the some of the more conservative areas of the country to live their life here to the fullest. Catalonia, the state of Spain in which Barcelona is located, has passed in 2014 an anti-homophobia law that aims to defend LGBT rights. Thanks to this law, people physically or morally offending members of the LGBT community could be fined by up to 140,000 euros. There’s always something going on in the city, Gay cinema festivals or LGBT literature festivals or the famous Circuit Festival, the biggest Gay Festival in Europe every August. Make sure to visit Gayxample, Barcelona’s gay neighborhood with many gay and lesbian bars, clubs and restaurants.
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- Circuit Festival – by Circuit Festival Official Facebook Page
4
San Francisco, USA – San Francisco is probably the gay capital of America. The LGBT community in San Francisco is one of the largest and most prominent LGBT communities in the world, and is one of the most important in the history of LGBT rights and activism. For decades, the City by the Bay has been a global focus for gay nightlife, culture and politics. Visitors today can explore the Castro, where it all began. Castro is one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States. it remains one of the most prominent symbols of LGBT activism and events in the world. LGBT life here is not limited to the Castro neighborhood, though that’s a tourist draw for good reason — it’s a queer Disneyland. San Francisco is home to more nightlife than you can shake a go-go boy at, as well as vibrant bear and transexual communities. If you’re gay, chances are you’ve either been to San Francisco or plan to sometime in your life. It is Gay Mecca after all. Recent population demographics indicate that more than 15% of the population of San Francisco is gay and here are even more drag queens per square foot than anywhere else in the world.
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- San Francisco, The Castro Neighborhood – by torbakhopper:Flickr
3
New York City, USA – New York is like no other city on earth. The diversity, the culture, the style. New York is definitely a city in a class all its own. Fashion, theatre, advertising and the arts have perpetuated New York into one of the most gay friendliest cities in the world. Gay life is everywhere in New York City. Nightlife is vivid and overwhelming. You can choose from endless variations on gay bars and clubs: from muscle mary clubs to cabaret piano bars, local intimate bars to trendy gay lounges. On Manhattan the gay scene is concentrated in a couple of neighborhoods. In Greenwhich Village lays the origin of gay pride, where the Stonewall riots in Christopher Street awakened gay emancipation. The new gay hot spot is Hell’s Kitchen, full trendy gay bars, restaurants and clubs. Chelsea neighborhood also offers a wide selection of gay venues concentrated around 8th Avenue.
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- New York City gay city – by Atomische * Tom Giebel :Flickr
2
Berlin, Germany – In the 1920s (the Golden Twenties) Berlin was seen as the city with the most lively and advanced gay subculture in Europe. Today, Berlin sits as the gay capital of Europe. The breadth of its gay nightlife, the strength of its culture, and the ever tested and changing community norms have easily eclipsed the city’s continental urban neighbors. It is pretty much a non-stop party, from the saunas, darkrooms, bars, clubs, cafés, festivals, balls, carnivals and celebrations a hedonist’s paradise, a sensualist’s haven, an aesthete’s delight and a raver’s Mecca, all in one package. The party scene is so diverse and innovative and celebrates any fetish! That is the reason fort the Folsom Europe fair in September and the Lesbian and Gay City Festival every June, Europe’s largest street party of its kind, being held in the traditional gay area around Nollendorfplatz in Schöneberg since 1993.
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- Berlin Folsom Fair – by lilas59:Flickr
1
Tel Aviv, Israel – Right at the heart of the Middle East, lies a city called Tel Aviv. A bubble of sanity in an otherwise difficult and tense area. Tel Aviv, a city blessed with year-round sunshine and white sandy beaches, is one of the most liberal cities in the world. It is the most gay friendly city, not only in the Middle East but in the entire world. This vibrant city is an undisputed queer capital of the Middle East, It offers a 24/7 non-stop activities, all year round great weather, great food, gay beaches and infinite of gay bars and night clubs. Every June Tel Aviv is celebrating the Gay Pride week, week of celebrations and happenings throughout the city with Pride Expo (Gay Culture Fair), LGBT Theater festival, LGBT Film Festival and the famous Pride Parade which is one of the most colorful gay parades in the world.
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- Tel Aviv Beach – Jerusalem Beach
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- Tel Aviv Pride Parade
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- Tel Aviv Nightlife
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- Tel Aviv Beach Party
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- Tel Aviv Beach Party
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- Tel Aviv Beach – Hilton Gay Beach
Just So You Know…
- June is Pride month, a time of celebration for the LGBT community worldwide. And every year, cities all around the world organize month-long festivities to commemorate and support sexual and gender minorities’ liberation.
- The rainbow flag as a gay pride symbol made its debut at the San Francisco Pride Parade in 1978. Harvey Milk asked his good friend Gilbert Baker to design a unifying symbol for the gay community and the rainbow flag was the result.
- The first lesbian bar, Mona’s 440 Club, opened in San Francisco in 1936.
- Homosexual men in 1900s London made up an entire slang language (called Polari) so they could communicate in public without fear of being arrested.
- In 1972, Sweden became the first country to allow citizens to change their gender legally.
- The largest rainbow flag used in a Pride celebration was unfurled in Key West, Florida for the flag’s 25th anniversary in 2003. The flag was one and a 2,011 meter (6,600 ft) long and 4.9 meter (16 ft) wide and stretched across the entire island.
So I guess that cities in the southern hemisphere where deliberately ignorecd or the author has a strong bias for the northern hemisphere.
Because Australia statistically is one of the SAFEST LGTBIQ+ countries in the world. With Sydney Australia hosting the worlds safest night time Street Parade in the frist weekend in March and possibly the only one at night also it’s the lagest event of it’s type in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.. The Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Good list! We had so much fun in both Berlin and Madrid! Can’t wait to get back to both!
I live in São Paulo and have been to quite a few other places around the world. I’ve never been to Tel Aviv.
I would be curious to hear if Tel Aviv is as friendly as São Paulo. Because of its sheer size, and because so many Brazilians are gay, São Paulo almost definitely has the largest gay population of any city anywhere. It’s also very friendly and an easy place to meet people. You can strike up a conversation with people in an elevator or in a queue or on the bus … it’s very casual and easy-going. And folks don’t have a fixed idea of what you have to look like or what age you have to be for you to be attractive. It’s fantastic. Is Tel Aviv like that? The Israelis I have had the pleasure to meet are often a little brusque. Can they be friendlier in Tel Aviv?
So, I’d love to hear from anyone from São Paulo who has been to Tel Aviv or vice versa. It would be great to hear a comparison.
As for the chap who mentioned Buenos Aires; sorry, mate: Buenos Aires is a dump. A dreadful place. Deluded people. Boring as hell. As far as I can tell there are not even any gay bars – just nightclubs and they only open at two in the morning. Not a patch on São Paulo.
Tel Aviv is not a gay friendly city. Homosexuality is a sin according to Judaism and Israel is a Jewish state. I live in Tel Aviv. I am ethnically Jewish, but I do not practice Judaism. I get spit on Tel Aviv regularly because I am obviously gay. Israel is not a gay friendly place and it is not a nice place. We have stolen this land from the Palestinians. My boyfriend is Palestinian and I found out how horribly we treat his people. I have been to NYC many times and NYC is a much better and more gay friendly place.
Sad to hear that this is your opinion of Tel Aviv. Not true at all
Speaking of religion – according which major religion being gay is not a sin? Cristians? Or may be your Palestinian boyfriend’s religion? No, he would be stoned by his own family – Islam is not tolerant at all.
Get spit because of being gay? I live here for already 17 years – never happened to me. But you have a lot of anger (I see from your post) – maybe you just behave aggressively and then you blame others for being not nice to you?
Sad Islamic immigration is reversing many EU countries. It’s so dangerous now.
I disagree with Miami. The city of Miami and the city of Miami Beach are two separate municipalities. Miami does not have anything gay. Miami Beach has over the years become very straight-oriented. Most gay things are either centered in Fort Lauderdale or Key West. Don’t come to Miami if you want the full gay, American experience. Go to NYC, San Fran or LA.
WHO THE FUCK PUBLISHED THIS FALSE INFORMATION?
I AM FROM TORONTO, ONTARIO CANADA AND NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
FUCKIN WAY….THE GAYS ARE NOT……….NICE, NOR FRIENDLY AT ALL..
AND IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO GET LAID, NEVER THE LESS, TRY TO GET A BOYFRIEND,
ALL OF THE MOTHER FUCKERS ARE ON GRINDR AND THE PEOPLE ARE SO UGLYYYYYYYYYYYYY
THEY THINK THEY LIVE AT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.
WRONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG…….
AND FOR SAO PAULO, ANOTHER NOT SO NICE CITY, BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN STILL GET LAID THERE.
I THINK SOUTH AMERICA, EXCLUDING SAO PAULO IS FINE..
THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
FUCK YOU TORONTO!
I agree that Tel Aviv is the best. No doubt. But if you need to look for more Gay friendly cities, it is recommended to try a website that gives you all the info you need, like http://www.gayout.com
Tel aviv was the best place i ever been for a pride , the entire city on every corner has a pride flag, most of the embassies had flags and every hotel in the city had a pride flag for the whole week !!!! Everyone is supporting it not just a gay pride community renting a street for a day
TEL AVIV – YAY!!!!!!!
Ha ha Nessieos yes they should just take those rockets fired at them EVERY DAY in silence. Have you ever been there? Have you seen the effort made for the Palestinians in the beginning? The offers of free housing, guaranteed work, citizenship? Those offers were repaid with unspeakable violence, even towards Israeli children. Now they play with the rules set by Palestinians.
Great to hear Tel Aviv respects some sort of human rights. Too bad the city and their govt are so horrendous when it comes to other human rights.
Not quite sure how Sydney gay and lesbian mardi gras is not on this list
Is a BIG SHAME not a pride!!!! Wake uupp Israel!
You are quite a shame… Get a life and let people live!
You can think however you’d like but it is not for you to decide what is good for the country and what is bad :) Plus you don’t have to like it, how has it ever affected you? Blinded your eyes? Hope not :\
Oh fuck off Bella Macleod.
Sao Paulo and not Buenos Aires as the main gay city in South America? have you been to any of these cities? how did you choose? According to the size of the parades???
I can’t tell for Buenos Aires but as for São Paulo, you’re right, it’s not like you can be gay freely all the time. I lived in SP. There’s a lot of gays there and many don’t bother to show affection in public but still it is really risky, because there’s a lot of haters as well. I know of lots of people who got punched or humiliated for showing they’re gay. Even in the “gay” areas, haters go there precisely to do these things, so anywhere you go to “be gay”, you’re under the risk of getting fucked up. It is not so safe to be gay in SP.
I mean, in privet places like gay clubs it’s obviously OK and you can have a lot of fun because, bitch, there is a lot of gays there indeed, but watch out for public places.
Cities that glory in in their shame if the above is true.
Tel Aviv is the #1 gay city in the world. All the haters – first visit TLV, and than talk ;)
Tel Aviv + Berlin + Amsterdam = Love Story.
I had two friends go to Tel Aviv last year and they were gay and it wasn’t nice for them at all or the people they went with. Mostly because people thought they were Africans. So, I’ll that that #1 with a grain of salt.
A very interesting comment. Tell them to come to São Paulo next time. Therer are more gays here than the whole population of Tel Aviv and it’s far friendlier – and about half the population is black.
Tel Aviv is an amazing city (and not only for gays…) – But no doubt the the gay-vibe is outstanding.
#LoveTLV
♥
Tel Aviv Pride last year was the city’s largest with 180,000 people celebrating. Looking forward to 2016!!!
TEL. FUCKING. AVIV.<3
TEL AVIV, love.
Overall, I agree except with Barcelona being more gay friendly than Madrid. Circuit is big, but as you well point out Orgullo is Europe’s biggest Pride – and frowing! In addition, Madrid as a city is more open and welcoming to gays, the number of gay areas is higher, there are many more gay owned and run businesses than in Barcelona (restaurants, shops, bars, nightclubs, service companies, boutiques….) and open displays of adfection are much more accepted by Madrileños than in Barcelona, whether in Chueca or any other city areas.
Absolutely agree! I’ve lived in NYC, Barcelona and Madrid and Madrid is by far the most accepting city. In 4 years there I never once felt uncomfortable or threatened showing public affection. In fact it almost felt encouraged! In Barcelona I was not as comfortable, however. I never have figured out why BCN has the reputation for being so open and progressive. My experience was quite the opposite and I think Madrid wins hands down in terms of being more welcoming to the LGBT community.
This reputation comes from the fact that Barcelona tried really hard to open to all sorts of tourism (including gay tourism), while Madrid hasn’t had to, as tourism is not its first industry. As a Spaniard, I find Barcelona beautiful but totally lacking of the human touch that defines Spain. In other words, Barcelona is Disney-gay-land, while Madrid is a true European capital. You may like it or not, but it is a big capital, and people act that way. Therefore, if you are hot and decent, SKIP Barcelona and come to Madrid :)) (and call me) ¡Hasta luego!
I live in Tel Aviv and this is so true!!
As someone who spend many years abroad, and visited many cities, there’s no doubt that TLV is really one of the best cities, with a true ‘non stop’ attitude, and amazing night scene.