The key addresses in New Orleans — verified and regularly updated. Clicking takes you straight to the location page.
Bourbon Street is the vibrant center of New Orleans' nightlife. At the bottom, beyond St. Ann Street – the so-called Lavender Line – the queer neighborhood begins with bars like the Bourbon Pub & Parade, Oz and Café Lafitte in Exile, the oldest continuously open gay bar in the USA.
Frenchmen Street in the Marigny is considered the authentic counterpart to the touristy Bourbon Street. On a few blocks, one live music bar follows the next - from jazz to funk to brass band. Popular with locals and travelers alike, it's the best place to experience the musical soul of New Orleans.
The Garden District is home to magnificent Southern mansions, oak-lined streets, and ornate 19th-century wrought-iron ornamentation. Strolling through the quiet neighborhood feels like a trip to another world — a pleasant contrast to the bustling French Quarter. With the historic St. Charles Streetcar you can get there quickly.
Jackson Square, in the heart of the French Quarter, is one of the city's most picturesque squares. In front of the magnificent St. Louis Cathedral, artists sell their paintings on the wrought-iron fences, street musicians play and the smell of fresh beignets wafts over from the nearby Café du Monde.
Gay attractions in New Orleans take you deep into the queer history of the American South. The main place of remembrance is the former address of the UpStairs Lounge on Iberville Street in the French Quarter. In an arson attack on a gay bar on June 24, 1973, 32 people died there. For decades, it was the deadliest crime against LGBTQ people in the U.S., until the 2016 attack at the Pulse Club in Orlando. To this day, the crime remains officially unsolved, and a memorial plaque at the site commemorates the victims, who were largely ignored by the city, church and public at the time.
Aside from this dark chapter, the French Quarter itself tells a lot about queer life in the city. Writers like Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote frequented the area's bars, and Café Lafitte in Exile from 1933 represents a continuity that few U.S. cities can boast. Those interested in the movement can find local history material at the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana. The most famous queer date is the Southern Decadence over Labor Day weekend in early September, often called the gay Mardi Gras, when the Quarter becomes the stage for costumes, parades, and street parties. The following locations will take you to the most important stations in the city's queer history.