RAINBOW BAR: The name and neo-glo sign outside indicate flamboyant fun, but inside Rainbow Bar is nothing more than a small town saloon, and you've got to love it for that. HIPPO: No visit to Baltimore's gay scene is complete without Hippo, an institution since its founding in 1972 and for generations of ageless decades has kept the boys glued to their bar stools, gripping pool cues and transfixed by attractive and fun-loving Charm City citizens. In the Warehouse District, DJs spin quirky, creative sets while people swig drinks on patio, cowboys play pool, and University of Texas students go wild during Temptation Thursdays-with an all-male strip off.
OIL CAN HARRY'S : Open for nearly a quarter of a century, this hotspot hasn't lost its edge-recently attracting the women from RuPual’s Drag Race. TEN ATLANTA: A new addition to the scene, Ten Atlanta replaced a beloved hamburger joint downtown, spiffed up the joint with a chic makeover, and now serves up hot beef in food form by day and in go-go boy form by night.
With strong drinks and a mini dance floor, the flirty bar’s theme nights range from outrageous to downright unsavory: Hanky Code Party, XXXMess, Get Stuffed, and the new drag night, Gurlfrandz. MARY'S : Located in hipsterish East Atlanta Village, Mary’s is well known for its karaoke nights and for attracting the cooler crowds. HERETIC: After many of the others have come and gone, this remains one of the liveliest (and most scandalous) dance floors in the city-which makes it one of the easiest places to meet someone without having to use an app. Although a straight-friendly hangout, the gay boys pack the place nightly. Whether it's drag shows or boys in baseball caps, there's usually something for everyone at this watering hole.ĬHURCH: Officially known as Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium, Grant Henry's unusual joint has transformed a corner of Edgewood (an underutilized neighborhood near downtown Atlanta) into a hip destination only a few blocks from the Martin Luther King Historic District. MAD MYRNA'S: You can't see Alaska Russia from it, but you can see a bevy of hot men at this Anchorage mega-club.īLAKE'S ON THE PARK: This spot has been a neighborhood institution for decades and remains the hub of Atlanta gayest area, Midtown.
Roomy without feeling empty, full of friendly folks without being crowded and hip without taking itself too seriously, it's square not to hit this spot when cruising through Akron. THE SQUARE : To be fair, Akron isn't known for its hopping gay scene, but The Square would shine even in a more populated city.
So what is the best gay bar in the world? But we're sure that this will only stoke the fires of debate. We've also tried to arrive at a list that satisfies everyone from a pierced and leather-clad cub to a skinny, go-go boy wannabe. We've taken nominations, suggestions, polled friends and experts around the world, and even done a bit of on-the-ground research. While we don't think the battle of the dance floor will be won anytime soon (and probably shouldn't even be fought), gay bars, even in the age of social integration and online communities, remain an integral space for LGBT communities the world over.Īs with any list, it's impossible to be definitive.
Now, most straight folks have little fear of homosexuality, and gay bars become their joint du jour-to the horror of many men and women who wish they still had their sacred space free of bachelorette parties (read Drew Droege's take on this phenomenon). The openly gay bar is a relatively new addition to the social space scene, and it became quite common quite quickly, perhaps, some say, too quickly. For decades, the first (and only) place where many men and women could meet other gay, lesbian, or transgender people was at a bar, mostly in the shadows.