Gay Bogota – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Bogota - The Nomadic Boys

Ever been to a club with 5,000 other gay boys with 13 rooms spread across 5 floors?

Neither had we until we went to the huge Theatron gay club in Colombia’s capital city, Bogota. The gay scene here is all about this infamous mega-club, which is the largest in Latin America. It’s like no other place we’ve ever been to and is certainly the largest gay club we’ve visited.

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Gay Buenos Aires – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Buenos Aires - The Nomadic Boys

Fresh off the plane, our Porteño friends Pablo and Gustavo welcomed us, and took us straight to the Pepo Pepona, a gay restaurant in Palermo so we could have our first taster of the famous Argentinian steak.

Just as we were tucking into our bife de chorizo, the restaurant’s entertainment started: a handsome (extremely well endowed!) Argentinian lad came gyrating from table to table, quickly losing all his clothes…

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Best London Drag Clubs – The Nomadic Boys

Best London Drag Clubs - The Nomadic Boys

What makes a good drag club, you ask?

Well, we feel that if you leave a drag show feeling confident, self-assured, and completely in love with yourself…then we’re sorry, but the drag queens did NOT do their job.

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Bogata Gay Bars – The Nomadic Boys

Bogata Gay Bars - The Nomadic Boys

We will never forget the gay scene of Bogota!

One minute, we were dancing under the disco lights to Cher’s ‘Believe’, the next, we were in the adjacent room, getting down to some Latino-infused techno. Moving between 13 rooms of music, each with a different style or atmosphere, we had a baker’s dozen worth of experiences in a single night.

This is Theatron – a mega-club built from the ruins of an old cinema; where most of the Bogota gay boys end their Saturday night and party until the early hours of Sunday. After paying a visit to it, you know nothing else you do that night can top it!

But where do all the gay boys of Bogota head to before congregating at the mother of all gay clubs? After all, Theatron doesn’t really get busy until after midnight.

We found the gay scene of Bogota to be full of many excellent bars. There is something for everyone, no matter what you’re into. In this guide, we’ve put together some of the best gay bars in Bogota to head for a drink before partying the night away.

Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Colombia Gay Travel Resources

Gay Friendly Eastern Europe – The Nomadic Boys

Gay Friendly Eastern Europe - The Nomadic Boys

Europe has some of the most gay-friendly countries in the world with extremely progressive LGBTQ rights. However, these are largely confined to the North and West. The further East you head on the continent, the less gay-friendly it becomes.

East Europe is notorious for lagging behind the rest of the continent when it comes to LGBTQ rights. Thankfully, when most of them started joining the EU from 2004 onwards, membership requirements forced them to adopt more progressive LGBTQ laws, especially with regards to recognising civil unions for same-sex couples and introducing anti-discrimination legislation.

This is not to say that East Europe is completely void of any fabulousness! During our many trips as a gay couple around the region, we discovered several places that have a more liberal outlook, a thriving LGBTQ community and a vibrant gay scene. Based on our first-hand experiences, we’ve put together what we think are the 5 most gay-friendly cities – gay friendly Eastern Europe.

Disclosure: this was written as part of a paid collaboration with Moon Travel Guides.

What is East Europe?

A quick note about this. Whilst we appreciate that some countries fall into the “Central” rather than “East” Europe grey area, others would argue they are “Baltic” instead, or “Balkan”, there is no clear definition of which countries are strictly defined as “East Europe”.

We’ve therefore taken the UN breakdown of what is East Europe and included the countries that the travel industry also regards as being part of “East Europe”.

Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Gay Friendly Eastern Europe Travel Resources

Fort Lauderdale Gay Bars & Clubs – Out With Ryan

Fort Lauderdale Gay Bars

Looking for the best Fort Lauderdale gay bars and gay clubs to visit? Well, you’ve come to the right gay travel blog queen!

Fort Lauderdale’s “gay village” or “gayborhood” is called Wilton Manors & it’s where the local gay community hangs out. Well, Wilton Manors and the gay beach in Fort Lauderdale as well as many places during Pride in Fort Lauderdale.

There are SO many gay bars & clubs in Fort Lauderdale, and most blog posts cover them all. But when I went to Fort Lauderdale for the weekend, I really only had time to visit maybe 2 a night?

In my short time in Fort Lauderdale, I really wanted to know the top gay bars and clubs to visit. So my local gay friends took me to these 4 places for a variety of different “gay scenes” and music atmosphere. And they were all so much fun and had different crowds (aka men) at each of them.

So, if you’re looking for a night out in Gay Fort Lauderdale, here are my fave picks for Best Gay Bars and Clubs you should visit! All the gay bars & clubs are in the same area, aka drunk walking distance from each other 😉

1. DRYNK – BAR & LOUNGE

Address: 2255 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors, FL

Drynk is the first stop to a fun night! This gay bar is a very chill bar with a beautiful back patio to lounge, hangout with your friends or meet locals, and drink delicious cocktails.

Drinks at Drynk are average priced, but if you’re not into spending money on good cocktails and prefer cheaper alcohol options, head to the next two spots below.

By Ryan – Full Story at Out With Ryan

Fort Lauderdale Gay Travel Resources

 

Key West Gay Bars – The Nomadic Boys

Key West Gay Bars - The Nomadic Boys

Key West is a gay island mecca at the southern tip of Florida, famous for its relaxed, friendly and Bohemian atmosphere.

We loved it here so much that we stayed here for a large chunk of our road trip in Florida. There are so many things to do in Key West for gay travellers, along with a terrific gay scene. The majority of the gay bars and clubs of Key West are located in the same spot along the busy Duval Street, between Angela and Petronia Streets. There is a permanent Rainbow Crosswalk here so you can’t miss it!

This is our gay guide to the best gay bars in Key West, along with dancing venues, drag show bars, beaches, events and best things to do. For accommodation options, be sure to check out our guide to the best gay resorts in Key West.

Gay Bars in Key West

These are the main gay bars in Key West to check out, including popular weekly parties:

801 Bourbon Bar: 801 is a large building standing proud next to the Rainbow Crosswalk. The bar is downstairs and upstairs is the club (see more below). The bar is a good place to come for a few cocktails to start the night. Also check out their Sunday karaoke nights between 4-8pm. 801 Bourbon is located at 801 Duval and is open everyday until 4am.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Key West Gay Travel Resources

 

Sarasota Gay Bars – The Nomadic Boys

Sarasota Gay Bars - The Nomadic Boys

Sarasota is a destination that most gay travellers to Florida are likely to overlook, opting for nearby St. Petersburg instead.

We’ll be very honest, before coming to Sarasota we knew very little about it. However, it turned out to be the hidden gem of our trip, a place we would definitely love to return to. As well as being the cultural capital of Florida with so many things to do, it also has a fun gay scene worth checking out, with annual events like the “Harvey Milk Festival” and “Sarasota Pride”.

Following our trip, we’ve put together our travel guide featuring the best gay bars in Sarasota, LGBTQ events, beaches and gay friendly hotels to stay.

Gay Bars of Sarasota

The gay scene of Sarasota is so small that even gay locals we met advised us to instead head to nearby St. Pete to party. This is no surprise given that St. Pete is 5 times larger than Sarasota. Despite its size, Sarasota still has a handful of places worth checking out for a fun gay night out:

Purple Rhino: this is Sarasota’s oldest gay bar with a really friendly atmosphere and some hilarious drag shows. We came here on a Saturday evening and saw a couple of shows, which you can see in our video below. On Sunday evenings, look out for their gay drag “Bingo Bash” event. Purple Rhino is located at 2920 Beneva Rd and is open daily from 4:40pm to around 10:30pm (later on weekends).

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at The Nomadic Boys

Sarasota Gay Travel Resources

 

Fort Lauderdale Gay Bars – The Nomadic Boys

Fort Lauderdale Gay Bars

Fort Lauderdale is out, loud and fabulously proud! Over the past few decades it has become one of the gayest places in the States and was even featured as the ultimate gay holiday for the boys in the trashy movie – “Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!”

In terms of gay scene, Wilton Manors is the vibrant gayborhood of Fort Lauderdale, which comes alive every night of the week.

We’ve been to Fort Lauderdale several times, mainly due to the abundance of inexpensive flights from Europe. We used JustFly to search and book our flights, which we recommend because they offer a comprehensive range of options allowing you to search for the lowest prices. We also recommend searching for options to Miami Airport, which is only a 45 minute drive away, to maximise your flight options.

However and whenever you visit Fort Lauderdale, you’re guaranteed to have a great time with warm weather: temperatures rarely dip below 25 degrees (77 Fahrenheit).

The Gay Area of Fort Lauderdale

The main gay area of Fort Lauderdale is Wilton Manors, located around 15 minutes drive inland from the beach. Wilton Manors comprises several blocks with many Fort Lauderdale gay bars, clubs, boutique gay shops, cafes and restaurants. The biggest parties take place on weekends, but there is always a large crowd on every night of the week.

Nearby to Wilton Manors is a small Bohemian road called “Eucalyptus Gardens”. It has a handful of open minded and very colourful cafes like Voo La Voo, as well really cool street art murals. If you’re looking for a gay shop to stock up on your fetish gear, buy new swimwear and other accessories, check out Pride Factory.

By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys

Fort Lauderdale Gay Travel Resources

 

Queer History Along Route 66 – SDGLN

Route 66 - pixabay

The subject of gay bars from the past really interests me.

Route 66, a National Treasure of the National Trust, winds its way some 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. It weaves past small towns, big cities, National Parks, roadside attractions, and also: gay bars.

As one of the first cross-country highways, Route 66 connected refugees from the Dust Bowl to safety in the 1930s, troops to military bases during World War II, and post-war Americans to California and the western states in the 1950s and onwards. While I traveled Route 66 with the National Trust from Chicago to Springfield, Missouri, I documented places in communities along the iconic highway that historically welcomed gay travelers.

The subject of gay bars from the past really interests me.

Where I live in New York City I lead a walking tour about “gay bars that are gone” and people who attend share histories and sometimes memories from LGBT spaces, dating as far back as the 1870s. These are spaces where gay Americans found joy, love, community, and solidarity in the face of great social and political adversity. To document the “gay bars that are gone” of Route 66, I came with a few important things in my suitcase: two LGBT USA travel guides from the year (coincidentally) 1966 and a rainbow flag.

The travel guides were incredible. Both are rare finds and I had to convince folks from far away to scan archival copies and send to me. One was titled: The Lavender Baedeker ‘66: A Guidebook to Gay, Interesting, Hysterical, and Historic Places in the U.S., and it was published by a company listing LGBT-friendly establishments since 1961. The other guide was a Damron Guide from 1966, which is an LGBT travel company that still exists and has been publishing gay travel guides since 1964. This third edition Damron Guide chronicled more than 900 places across the United States and Canada recommended for gay travelers.

By Michael Ryan – Full Story at SDGLN