New Orleans

The queer heart of the city beats in the historic French Quarter, around lower Bourbon Street. The area between St. Ann and Dumaine is affectionately called the "Fruit Loop", and St. Ann Street is known as the "Lavender Line" at the edge of the gay community. Bars, cafés and small shops line up between centuries-old facades. If you explore on foot, the key addresses are only a few blocks apart.

Café Lafitte in Exile, open since 1933, is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country and is still a regular meeting place. Just around the corner, Bourbon Pub & Parade draws people with its big balcony, and Club Oz with first-class sound until late into the night. A parade has started from the Golden Lantern since 1981, which is why the bar is seen as the birthplace of many scene celebrations. Live music is part of the deal, especially on nearby Frenchmen Street, where bands play until late.

Spring and fall are pleasant, once the muggy summer heat and the peak of hurricane season are over. The highlight of the queer calendar is Southern Decadence over Labor Day weekend, in 2026 from September 3 to 7. With block parties, drag shows and the Grand Marshal parade through the French Quarter, the festival draws around 250,000 people and is one of the biggest queer events in the US. If you visit in winter, you'll catch the city's other big celebration, Mardi Gras.

The main gateway is Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), west of the city. Flights from New York take about three hours, and from London about ten hours. From the airport you can reach the center by taxi, shuttle or rental car in about 30 minutes. In the French Quarter itself, you're best off on foot or on the historic streetcar; the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar links the old town with the Garden District. For US citizens this is a domestic trip; UK citizens need no visa for up to 90 days but must have an approved ESTA before they travel, so check the current entry requirements before you go.

Same-sex marriage is legal throughout the US, and New Orleans has a reputation as a tolerant, open-minded city with a long queer tradition. In the French Quarter and at scene events the mood is relaxed and open. As in any big city, stay a little alert at night in quieter neighborhoods, though there's little reason for concern in the busy tourist and scene areas. During the day, a walk through the Garden District, a steamboat ride on the Mississippi and, of course, Creole food are well worth your time.