Westheimer Road is the main corridor for Montrose’s numerous gay bars and gay-friendly restaurants, like quirky dog-friendly diner Barnaby’s, or stunning newcomer Ostia, where lamb shoulder gnocchi and wild boar bolognese mingle on Travis McShane’s seasonal menu. This 4-square-mile area was developed in 1911, and it’s calcified as a pocket of eccentricity and diversity, home to neon-lit tattoo parlors, art galleries, coffee shops, and more gay bars than one can count. While not as overtly liberal as Austin, Houston’s sheer size and diversity is positioning Texas’ largest city as a major destination for LGBTQIA+ travelers, especially to increasingly gay-friendly neighborhoods like Montrose, southwest of downtown. When you’ve danced to your heart’s content, call it a night at one of West Hollywood’s numerous LGBTQIA-friendly hotels, like the Andaz West Hollywood or The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills. One of the oldest gay bars in the US, it’s been a martini mecca since 1971. Santa Monica Boulevard is the main drag through West Hollywood’s queer culture, with The Abbey as its heart and soul.
Mazer Lesbian Archives, stacked with historical lesbian art and literature. In addition to pride festivities, the enclave is home to the ONE Archives Gallery and Museum, the first museum in the region dedicated to gay history, and the June L. While the entire city is famously gay-friendly, particular pockets include nightlife-filled Santa Monica Boulevard and the West Hollywood Design District, the latter of which teems with gay artists and queer-friendly galleries. Today, rainbow flags are about as commonplace around here as stop signs, and roughly 40% of the city’s population identifies as LGBTQIA+. That tiny rainbow seed would eventually grow to become LA Pride Parade & Festival, the second largest in the country, and forever frame West Hollywood as the vibrant queer epicenter in Southern California. In 1970, West Hollywood hosted the first permitted gay pride parade in the world. Finally, treat yourself to a lash lift at the gay-owned Logan 14 Aveda Salon Spa, which puts particular emphasis on welcoming and supporting the trans community.
Then, head across the street to Trade, an art-filled go-to for happy hour and drag shows. Check out Number Nine, a swanky gay bar outfitted with leather banquettes and dark wood fixtures, where you can pair Chex Mix with margaritas. Of the many gay-friendly and gay-centric hubs and businesses dotted throughout the District, Logan Circle is definitely worth lingering in as a hip and happening 'hood lined with restaurants, indie boutiques, and bustling bars. It’s also quite fun for LGBTQIA+ travelers. Thanks to its advocacy efforts, progressive population, and tourists and dignitaries from all walks of life, this metropolitan melting pot has the recipe for an inclusive environment. Home to the US Supreme Court and the Human Rights Campaign, DC is the epicenter of many major milestones for the LGBTQIA+ community. The rest of the year in Wynwood, where rainbow murals are evergreen and queer artists are well represented at the famed Wynwood Walls, the neighborhood is home to one of the city’s most popular drag brunches at the gay-owned R House, as well as the equally popular weekly drag night series, Double Stubble, at Gramps. While Miami Beach Pride takes place in September this year, Wynwood began hosting its own Pride festival in 2019, providing a more chill gayborhood option for LGBTQIA+ locals and visitors with live music, drag performances, and collaborative programming with area businesses like art galleries, restaurants, shops, and breweries. It could also include a more laid-back gay vibe than the pump-action nightlife of South Beach. Nowadays, a visit to this rapidly growing neighborhood could involve posh steak frites, some of the most famous street art in the country, $900 sneakers, and a scoop of Filipino purple yam ice cream. Wynwood has come a long way since its warehouse district past. Drive a little inland, though, and you’ll find an artsy enclave colored with every tint of the rainbow. When it comes to iconic - or dare we say stereotypical - gay culture in Miami, South Beach tends to take the spotlight for its late-night clubs, neon lights, and free-flowing vodka sodas.