40 incredible LGBTQ+ places around the world to celebrate in 2021

Replacing a fast-food restaurant that was set up on the site a few years ago, A La Folie took the exact opposite approach and established itself as a place of culture, picnics and relaxation. Located in the heart of La Villette park, this more-than-friendly LGBTQ+ restaurant/bar/club welcomes the young, the not-so-young, the party-goers and even families. Its giant terrace planted with trees lets guests escape from the city, surrounded by nature. Famous for its Apero Bingo Drag, the place regularly invites the best LGBTQ+ Parisian collectives. Tina Meyer

Open since 1993, Berkana can rightfully claim to be Spain’s first LGBTQ+ bookshop, and it's still an essential part of the local scene. There are books and videos in multiple languages here, and members of staff are friendly and helpful. Browsing is encouraged and you can linger over some of the erotica and other materials at the in-store café. On the upper floor, a bustling small café holds fascinating and lively weekly cultural events and book presentations. Marta Bac

Bluestockings is one-of-a-kind. Appropriately named after the feminists of the Enlightenment, Bluestockings is New York City’s only queer, transgender and sex worker cooperatively-owned bookstore and activist center. This is the perfect spot to pick up a copy of Mikki Kendall’s Hood Feminism and stay for the Queer Book Club. Recently moved to a new location on the Lower East Side, this is the place to go if you’re looking to pick up some theory or attend an intellectually rigorous discussion while in New York. Will Gleason

Chicago-native LaSaia Wade founded Brave Space Alliance because there weren't any other Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ centers in the city. Since then, the organization has played a vital role in providing resources to underserved people on the South and West Sides of the city, creating a mutual aid program, founding a food pantry and stocking a makeup room with free products for trans-feminine affirming individuals. Thanks to a flood of financial support over the past year, Brave Space Alliance has been able to purchase its Hyde Park headquarters, ensuring that the organization will be able to support BIPOC trans and gender-nonconforming individuals for years to come. Zach Long

Tip jar: https://www.bravespacealliance.org/donate

Barcelona bar Candy Darling is a joyful, friendly space that represents fun and queer freedom. Located just next to Plaça Universitat, visitors can head there to take in a performance—whether it's a drag show, circus act or burlesque—or gaze in amazement at the pieces of powerful queer art in the space. Ethics and aesthetics. Activism and leisure. This is the spirit of Candy Darling, an underground club for all those who may not be, happily, completely from this planet. Sebastià Portell

Run by the beloved Roshell Terranova, perhaps the activist who has fought hardest for transgender rights in Mexico City, this spot doubles as a stage for those looking to try out different gender expressions. Formerly known as Roshell's Place, they offer lockers and dressing rooms so patrons can change into clothes that more accurately reflect their identity. The staff here is super friendly and approachable. They’re even trained to help you with your makeup in case you’re not really sure how to use the eyeliner pencil just yet. The place is so unique a 2017 documentary focused on the vibrant community surrounding it. Wenceslao Bruciaga 

Chinese paper lanterns, tissue-paper fish, holiday decorations, and bejeweled chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Barstools are upholstered with glossy vinyl bearing pictures of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. Eclectic? You bet. True to name, Cubbyhole is a cozy haven—both indoors and outdoors in their “cubby shack”—that has served an intimate mix of locals and tourists for over three decades. One of the only three lesbian bars left in New York City, show your support by stopping by for a drink. Will Gleason

Tip jar: https://www.gofundme.com/f/eah4j-support-the-cubbyhole-bar

At the essential Spanish gay bar Delirio, you'll find colorful lights, pop music and tracks that have been massive hits on the gay scene from across decades. (Oh, and lots of really muscular men.) Most nights, spectacular performances, shows and drag queens fill up this center of the LGBTQ+ scene in Madrid most nights with a mixed, open and fun crowd. It's open every day until late, so it's a great spot for locals and tourists alike to go for a pick-me-up if you're feeling a bit beaten down by the workday or if you simply have to get to a bar on any given Wednesday. Marta Bac

One of the long-standing gay bars in Hong Kong, this iconic venue on Jervois Street is known for its fun themed nights, live performances, and engaging programs like karaoke, open-mic, bingo, trivia nights and weekly screenings of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Aside from their rotating line-up of shows, Saturdays here even offer a surprise secret show that never disappoints. The bar attracts a mixed crowd of locals and expats, young and old, so people who come here usually leave with new friends. The bar’s popular two-for-one happy hour is always a hit with regular patrons, and on Wednesdays, first-time guests are treated to an hour of free-flowing drinks. Tatum Ancheta

The large window lets passerbys know that good vibes abound in this small and cozy lesbian bar where all the details are carefully taken care of. Resident DJs set the scene for public dancing across two floors and there's live entertainment on many nights. If you're more culture-oriented than a party animal, monologues and plays are also regularly held in the space. The bar serves as a lively hub for Madrid's LGBTQ+ community, with special celebrations scheduled at Halloween, the Gay Pride parade and during Carnival. Marta Bac

More than just a bookshop, Gay’s The Word has been the epicentre of queer life in London for four decades. Once a hub of political activity, the shop now provides a sanctuary for LGBTQ people of all ages and an incomparable stock of queer literature. Stock covers fiction, history and biography, as well as more specialist holdings in queer studies, sex and relationships, children, and parenting. Alim Kheraj

Cheekily referred to by many as the “queer Smithsonian,” this indispensable institution boasts thousands of titles in its archives along with over 80,000 photographs and 5,000 posters. (It even holds the personal effects of the first openly gay elected official in California, Harvey Milk.) The GLBT History Museum was first created in 1985 as a home for collecting, preserving and telling the story of the LGBTQ+ community. In its Main Gallery, the museum illustrates queer history from a variety of perspectives. Regular event series like “Queer Culture Club” and curator-led tours are also held in the fascinating space. Will Gleason

Tip jar: https://www.glbthistory.org/donate

As Boston’s oldest LGBTQ+ bar still in existence, Jacques’ Cabaret has undergone evolution after evolution—while still remaining a keystone within the city’s gay community. After opening its doors as just another straight establishment in 1938, Jacques’ quickly became a gay bar during the 1940s, served as The Hub’s only lesbian joint during in the '60s and '70s, and then finally became the epicenter of Boston drag culture that it is today. The Theater District dive is known for its heavy pours and nightly, themed shows, where local queens and kings absolutely kill it on stage. Olivia Vanni

This Greenwich Village bar is associated with some of the earliest events in gay activism in America. Now, it throws some of the city’s best LGBTQ+ parties, including a hip throwback to the locale’s history as a gay rights landmark called Mattachine Night. (They also serve a mean hamburger.) The oldest gay bar in NYC, the venue dates all the way back to the nineteenth century. Some of its well liquor may have been around since then, too. Fun fact: It was also used as one of the primary settings for the films Can You Ever Forgive Me? and The Boys in the Band. Will Gleason

Tip jar: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-julius039-bar-fund

Since 2000, 'dinner and a show' at this Northalsted institution has meant enjoying steaks, burgers and tacos while a rotating cast of drag performers lip-sync everything from show tunes to pop ballads tableside. The nightly shows, glitzy decor and welcoming atmosphere (not to mention the expansive martini menu) has cemented Kit Kat Lounge as a destination for the LGBTQ+ community—it's a place where differences are celebrated and anybody can sing along to a couple of Lady Gaga tunes. Don't forget to snag a reservation to the popular Sunday morning brunch! Zach Long

Tip jar: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kit-kat-lounge-staff-relief-fund

Without fanfare, this is a bar that welcomes the entire LGBTQ+ family in the heart of the Raval, the historic center of Barcelona. Its friendly and fun atmosphere has led them to celebrate their tenth anniversary in 2021. They offer good food, well-drawn beer, a pleasant terrace and, more than anything else, very good vibes for the entire community. (Pro tip: You can order anything you want of the superb Las Fernández menu and eat it on the La Casa de la Pradera terrace. They're good neighbors!) María José Gómez

Run by a self-managed collective composed of queers, women, trans people, dykes and bis, La Mutinerie is way more than just a feminist bar. This fabulous space of freedom is also a bookshop, a screening room, a billiard room, a yoga center, a self-defense school, a veggie/vegan counter and a concert hall. Far away from the elitism of many bars in the Marais, this rebel soul offers a colorful, largely inclusive program. It also redistributes money through its events by collaborating with artists, activists and educators that are women and/or queers. 

Tip jar: https://www.lepotcommun.fr/pot/e4ovgxr7

The Alberts decided to take over La Federica in 2015 and in this time they have become one of the most emblematic bars in the queer Barcelona scene. They organize parties that represent the best of the city's drag and queer performances, as well as charity activities, LGBTQ+ art exhibitions, raffles, concerts and even monthly Flamenco Queer performances. This spot offers something different: a bar full of glamour and unpretentious debauchery where you can always count on a strong drink, a yummy snack and a great themed party. María José Gómez

Founded in 1980, this cult bookshop dedicated to LGBTQ+ culture has been one of the nerve centers of the Marais, Paris’s gay district, for 37 years. After hundreds of meetings, exhibitions and thousands of books sold, Les Mots à la Bouche (literally: "Words in the Mouth") had to move during lockdown last year in the 11th arrondissement. Current owner and manager for the past 25 years Walter Paluch, now wants to hand over his shop directly to his team in the form of a Cooperative Society, in which he will remain a partner. Help them to keep this cultural institution going! Tina Meyer

Tip jar: https://www.zeste.coop/fr/Les-Mots-A-La-Bouche 

Don’t let its age fool you: This half-century old institution is easily the liveliest source of housing, healthcare and legal assistance in L.A. You can chalk that up to its picnic-style parties, outdoor movie screenings and one of the largest transgender Pride celebrations in the country. The LGBT Center has nine buildings across the city, including its two-acre Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood. That’s where you’ll also find Liberation Coffee House, an adorable, colorful cafe that’s staffed by the center’s culinary training program, outfitted for gallery shows and adorned with photos and ephemera of local LGBTQ+ history. Michael Juliano

Tip jar: https://donate.lalgbtcenter.org/secure/help-build-world-where-lgbt-people-thrive

An inclusive and alternative space, Le Souffleurs stands out in the now rather conventional landscape of the gay Marais. Rather gay and male (but not only!) and quiet during the day, the place reveals a completely different facet in the evening. In the erotic humidity of the cellar, expect to find crazy drag shows, drag kings open stages, DJ sets, indie concerts and after-shows. From Thursday through the weekend, it’s always packed! Best to show up early. While waiting for these crazy nights to come back very soon, enjoy a drink outside on the terrace. Tina Meyer

Madame Quad is a skate shop that sells gear and accessories for roller derby, but it also doubles as a hangout spot for the LGBTQ+ community. The shop was founded by two members of Hong Kong’s most LGBTQ-friendly team, the Hong Kong Roller Derby, whose teammates usually hang out by the shop. More than just a retail store for skaters, the spot serves as a safe space where people can drop by for drinks, chat, and meet new people. Tatum Ancheta

This visual arts center in Singapore champions diversity and inclusion, exemplified by dynamic programming that embraces LGBTQ+ and other minority communities. This filmmaking and photography hub furthers patron's knowledge in either craft and exposes them to some really cool art. Established in 2003, Objectifs organizes regular photography exhibitions, films screenings, talks as well as courses and workshops for both the LGBTQ+ community and others. Delfina Utomo

Palace Bar has outlived and outshone many of its Ocean Drive neighbors, and not even lockdown could dull the sparkle of South Beach’s longest-lasting gay bar. Now in its 33rd year, its third owner and a larger location up the street, Palace remains a fixture of the LGBTQ+ community with its energetic drag brunches, tea dances and celebrity loyalists—including Elton John, Andy Cohen and the late Gianni Versace, who lived down the street. Palace’s most celebrated quality? Its unparalleled energy. From its dancing servers to its famous drag queens spilling out onto the sidewalk, it’s a high-voltage experience from the moment you step foot inside. Virginia Gil

One of the last, truly hedonistic-but-PG dance bunkers left in Sydney, Palms has survived the changing face of Oxford Street and our city's pulsating desire for gentrification. At Palms you'll still find sticky floors, plastic schooners, deeply filthy bathrooms and unabashedly cheesy playlists that fill the tiny space with an unreplicable feeling. It may be only one bar and one RSL-style dancefloor but a night at Palms is always memorable. You'll sing in a stranger's face, pash a cutie and pull choreography you never knew was possible out of your body. Oh Palms, never change. Claire Finneran

Singapore's first and only LGBTQ+ resource center and library, Pelangi Pride Centre offer a neutral and friendly space for everyone to explore their sexuality. Its resource library within the Free Community Church lets visitors suss out books devoted to LGBTQ+ issues and HIV education, and attend regular talks, screenings and other group activities that can help them get involved with the local queer community. Delfina Utomo

Petticoat Lane is easily one of the gay bars to visit in Hong Kong. The bar is popular for its fun drag performances featuring the city’s fiercest queens, and it shines not only as an inclusive space but as a great party venue for late-night revellers. Parties here start at 6pm and go until past midnight. This month, Petticoat Lane moves a few steps away from their old hidden spot to a new location smack in the center of Hong Kong’s famous nightlife spot, Lan Kwai Fong. Tatum Ancheta

The oldest gay bookstore in America, this corner store in many ways serves as a cultural center for the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Selling both fiction and non-fiction titles, the store has expanded in recent years with additional cultural offerings—including a podcast. While events are currently paused at the bookstore, you can still stop by to pick up a new tome from their expertly curated shelves. Since combining with Philly AIDS Thrift, the eclectic shop also now sells thrift clothes, merch and more. Will Gleason

This basement bar located underneath Little Ku in Soho is London’s only permanent lesbian bar. While it might be on the small side, it’s definitely mighty, offering a safe space for queer women and hosting London’s best drag kings. SHE has a comparable flair for laying on entertainment: as well as club nights, it regularly offers comedy, cabaret, karaoke and quiz evenings. Alim Kheraj

The weird and wonderful are welcomed at this neighborhood art bar. There is a mix of punters that properly reflects the Sydney rainbow, and nobody gives it a second thought. Amidst the eclectic and delightfully busy decor, you might spot an unbridled bush or a crochet phallus amongst the taxidermy and embroideries. Its weekly queer performance nights put performances on the stage that you might not have the chance to see on the glittery spots of the Pink Mile (Oxford Street), from vogue dancers to binary-pushing drag performers and more. Alannah Maher  

It may seem like a typical gastropub, but take a close look at the historical marker near the entrance to this Silver Lake staple when you walk in: This was the site of the very first LGBTQ+ civil rights demonstration in the country. After undercover officers began to beat and handcuff the gay clientele at the bar on New Year’s Eve 1966, what was then called the Black Cat Tavern became the meeting ground for more than 200 people who came to take a peaceful stand for their rights on February 11, 1967. Back in the present day, look for photos and newspaper clippings of the spot’s indispensable history as you settle into a plush booth over some bar bites and a punch bowl.

Tip jar: https://www.toasttab.com/theblackcatla/giftcards

Founded by London drag royalty Jonny Woo and John Sizzle, this East End boozer is home to some of the best drag and cabaret in the city. Like the gay bars of yesteryear, it also exudes a community spirit so often missing in today’s queer venues. On the one hand, it’s a place you can nip into for a quick after-work drink—the bar staff offers proper cocktails as well as the usual beers, wines and spirits. But on the other, it’s a platform for forward-thinking queer entertainment, hosting everything from cabaret to performance to DJ nights. Alim Kheraj

The Imperial was first established as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community when entrepreneur Dawn O’Donnell, the mother of gay Sydney, bought it in the '80s. It has opened and shut with many different faces in the years since then, and famously made a starring turn in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Nowadays you can catch drag 'n’ dine shows from dedicated troupes of local drag performers (including Etcetera Etcetera of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under fame) tame enough to take your nan to, or get down and dirty in basement dance parties. Alannah Maher

Grungy American-style dive bar The Pontiac is an ‘all-inclusive’ destination that has been a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community since it opened in Hong Kong in 2015. Annually the bar holds the Red, White and Rainbow Party, a celebration of equal rights and independence that doubles as a fundraiser for a local LGBTQ+ charity. The Pontiac’s grunge aesthetic and free-wheeling ethos make it a unique destination within Hong Kong’s upscale cocktail scene. The drinks are spot-on, especially the classics, and the staff are among the most fun and engaging in the city. Tatum Ancheta

The coolest independent cinema in Singapore is also proudly queer-friendly. Occupying the site of the historic Golden Theatre, this refurbished cinema runs an eclectic selection of indie, arthouse and mainstream films. Alongside regular programming is the annual Pink Screen which showcases the struggles and victories of LGBTQ+ communities all over the world through film. Onsite is Intermission Bar, which also plays host to queer-friendly events and drag parties such as RIOT!, a show hosted by our local queen Becca D’Bus. Delfina Utomo

Tip jar: https://theprojector.sg/gifts/

A National Historic Landmark, this bar served as the site for the historic Stonewall Riots in 1969, largely credited with kicking off the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. These days, the high-energy dance music at the historic West Village bar draws a mixed, flirty crowd. Drink at one of two bars or get down on the dance floor upstairs. Daytime brings gawking tourists, but the evenings are still for partying. Will Gleason

Tip jar: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-stonewall-inn/donate

With two levels and seven bars, this South Beach mega-club is an indispensable part of the Miami gay scene. (You can bar hop without having to go outside!) Twist has been holding wild nights out since 1993 and on almost any night of the week you’ll be able to find it packed with hot tourists and locals. (The club’s motto is 'Never a Cover, Always a Groove,' which, to be honest, pretty much scans!) Host to countless nights out and new connections, the South Florida gay scene wouldn’t be the same without it. Will Gleason

Twin Peaks Tavern holds the most iconic spot in the Castro, at the corner of the Jane Warner Plaza just beyond the shadow of a giant rainbow flag and a few doors down from the famed Castro Theater. Almost every LGBTQ+ visitor to San Francisco will roll into this classic tavern at some point, drawn like martini-chasing moths to its rainbow-colored lights. Though it came very close to closing over the last year, a successful fundraising campaign has helped the Tavern keep its doors open. Will Gleason

If you're looking for LGBTQ+ literature, you'll probably find it on the shelves of this long-running Andersonville bookstore (or they'll be happy to order it for you). Founded in 1979 as a feminist bookstore, Women & Children First curates a selection of books by 'people who find themselves living most precariously under patriarchy.' Stop by to browse or sign up to attend virtual readings and Q&As with contemporary LGBTQ+ authors. Fun fact: Women & Children First inspired the fictional, similarly-named 'Women and Women First' featured in several Portlandia sketches. Zach Long