Ten Must-Visit American Cities for LGBT Travellers

This June marks a monumental date in USA LGBT history as WorldPride takes place on U.S. soil for the very first time

New York City will play host to the celebrations which also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, an event that ignited the worldwide modern gay rights movement.

Although NYC is hosting the USA’s first WorldPride, each June well-established Pride events take place nationwide, and of course America is a year-round LGBT-friendly destination. From drag bingo in Washington D.C. to street parties in Salt Lake City, and art exhibitions in New York to cowboy-themed clubs in San Francisco, here Visit The USA highlights ten incredible LGBT cities.

New York City, New York

As host city to the USA’s very first WorldPride event, which is taking place from 25 – 30 June 2019, New York City is naturally one of the country’s leading LGBT destinations. WorldPride will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising on 28 June 1969, when a riot broke out in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. The bar is now the country’s first national monument dedicated to LGBT rights. A number of Borough Parades will also take place this spring, including: the Staten Island PrideFest (10 – 19 May); Harlem Pride (31 May – 29 June), which is the 10th anniversary of Harlem Pride and the 100th anniversary for the Harlem Renaissance; Queens Pride (2 June), which is followed by an afternoon street festival, drag performances and local cuisine. Beyond WorldPride, this is a city packed with LGBT-related experiences, and of course, New York remains a world favourite for LGBT nightlife. Many of the city’s great bars are still centred around Greenwich Village, but the other boroughs are also hugely popular. In the West Village, The Stonewall Inn remains a key drinking spot, and has been a National Historic Landmark since 1916. Meanwhile Albatross, the oldest gay bar in Queens, is home to sticky floors, cheap drinks and drag shows.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco has celebrated LGBT pride with parades, celebrations and festivals for close to half a century, so it’s no surprise that this culture-packed Californian city is one of the USA’s top exclusive, and inclusive, destinations. Not only that – this is a city packed with activities, events, books and shops that would add to any trip, from June’s Fresh Meat Festival, a Transgender and Queer Performance Festival that features acts including boy bands and hula hooping, to Frameline 43, San Francisco’s International LGBT Film Festival, which features screenings of more than 150 movies, shorts and documentaries across the city from 20 – 30 June. The city is also home to some the USA’s best LGBT-friendly bars. The Cinch is a cowboy-themed dive bar in Nob Hill; The Stud is a SoMa hotspot with ‘sing til it hurts’ karaoke on Tuesdays, while Oasis is a club and cabaret theatre which has opened in a former gay bathhouse. Today it’s the place for exotic cocktails, drag performances and colourful theatrical shows.

Washington D.C.

On a trip to Washington D.C. visitors have their pick of lively LGBT-friendly neighbourhoods. The best starting point is DuPont circle, which is packed with cool restaurants and shops, including Kramberbooks & Afterwoods Cafe, an independent space with a huge LGBT section. Elsewhere, Adams Morgan is also synonymous with gay nightlife, and during the day the area’s independent boutiques are good shopping stops. While Capital Pride on 9 June 2019 is set to be one of the main LGBT events in the city – with three stages of national and local artists, and 300 exhibitions – visitors can pop into Nellie’s Sports Bar at any time of year. The rowdy bar hosts drag bingo every Tuesday night, and a city-famous drag brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

America’s first major LGBT rights demonstration was held in Philadelphia in 1965, four years after the Stonewall Riots in New York City. Today, the East Coast city is one of America’s most LGBT-friendly destinations, with a host of clubs, bars, lounges, bookstores and more catering to the community. Visitors will find 36 rainbow street signs in the ‘Gayborhood’ in the heart of the Midtown Village. It’s packed with bars, ranging from the pink lights and glitzy chandeliers of Woody’s, to the Tavern on Camac piano bar. The city is also home to a number of key events from October’s Outfest, which celebrates National Coming Out Day with a block party and street festival, to qFLIX Philadelphia, an independent LGBT film festival screening films from around the world which takes place every March. Significant sites include the Barbara Gittings Gay & Lesbian Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia; Gittings was the ‘mother of the LGBT movement’ and edited the nation’s first lesbian publication, while also advocating for more gay and lesbian literature in libraries.

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, or Hotlanta, to the locals, is at the epicenter of the LGBT South. The LGBT presence has grown hugely since the first Atlanta Pride Parade in 1970, arranged by the Georgia Gay Liberation Front. This year, the 49th Annual Atlanta Pride Festival will take place over 11 – 13 October, and is set to be the south’s largest pride celebration. It’s a city that has a rich culture, filled with festivals, fine dining, brilliant theatre offerings and excellent bars, including Mary’s which was voted ‘Best Gay Bar’ by Out Magazine, and is also home of some of the city’s best karaoke. Other fun happenings this year include the Southern Pride Queer Pride Atlanta Festival, which is taking place from 26 – 30 June with five days of deep-fried events, workshops and dance parties. It’s the brainchild of Southern Fried Queer Pride, an Atlanta-based queer and trans, arts and advocacy organisation and festival celebrating the communities of the Southern United States.

Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Located on the East Coast of the USA, just 30 miles north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale is one of the most exciting destinations for LGBT visitors. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau is recognised as the only tourist board in the world with a department designed to develop LGBT tourism– naturally, this has made the city one of the most popular destinations for LGBT visitors, and locals, and the region has the highest concentration of same-sex couples in the country. Last year’s launch of the area’s first LGBT Visitor Centre has proven to be a big hit, as have the city’s golden beaches and the pulsing nightlife of Wilton Manors, where visitors can try the stylish Infinity Lounge or Bubbles & Pearls champagne and raw bar. Visitors can also head to the World AIDS Museum & Educational Centre, the Stonewall National Museum and Archives, or visit over 17 – 26 April 2020 for the first ever Pride of the Americas Celebration.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is one of America’s coolest LGBT friendly destinations, and was recently named the ‘Gayest City in America’ by The Advocate. The progressive nature and fun vibe of the city is thanks, in part, to Salt Lake’s mayor Jackie Biskupski, who is Utah’s first openly gay elected official. She leads a city council with three out of seven members who are gay, which gives the LGBT community an unprecedented voice in city government. The city’s year-round LGBT nightlife is some of the best in America – with bars ranging from cosy cocktail dens to mega clubs and its annual Utah Pride Festival in June is one of the greatest celebrations in the USA. During this period, the city’s downtown streets are packed with families, couples and friends. A similar atmosphere can be found in February during Utah Gay Ski Week, when skiers in rainbow-hued ski suits take to the slopes.

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia’s forward-thinking capital of Richmond has more than 900 restaurants and clubs that are LGBT friendly, with the city also being recognised by The NatWest British LGBT Awards as a Top 10 LGBT city. The historic city – one of America’s oldest – is home to a dynamic LGBT arts and entertainment scene, and the city’s Richmond Triangle Players are the only performing arts group in the mid-Atlantic dedicated to LGBT-themed theatre. In terms of LGBT hangouts, visitors have a huge amount of choice. The arty Quirk Hotel has an onsite gallery and rooftop bar; Barcode, a cool bar in downtown, hosts an unforgettable drag brunch, while Godfrey’s is an institution that’s been running for 20 years, and is famed for its drag brunch and dining experiences. Meanwhile VA PrideFest is the largest annual celebration of the LGBT community in the Commonwealth.

Baltimore, Maryland

Bawlmer, B’More and Charm City are just some of the nicknames for Baltimore, Maryland’s quirky and dynamic capital. In many ways it’s a traditional city, but one that has garnered acclaim as a friendly destination for LGBT visitors and locals. It’s also the hometown of director John Waters famous for Hairspray and Pink Flamingo, and a trip around his film locations is just one highlights of visiting the city. Other highlights include an evening at Flavor, an LGBT-owned restaurant and bar that serves hand-crafted cocktails alongside sliders; Leon’s, one of the country’s oldest and continuously operating LGBT bars (the bar itself dates back to the 1890s, while it’s been a gay bar since 1957); and finally Baltimore Pride, Maryland’s largest LGBT event that celebrates communities and pride over the 15/16 June 2019.

Ithaca, New York state

Nicknamed the ‘empty closet town’, Ithaca is one of the top 10 New York towns for LGBT visitors and locals, and is a city that’s brimming with camaraderie and community spirit. It’s the largest town around the Finger Lakes, and a gateway to the great outdoors, surrounding canyons and waterfalls – cue the slogan ‘Ithaca is gorges’. While it doesn’t have the throbbing LGBT-dedicated nightlife of cities like San Francisco, or the crazy run of events like Salt Lake City, its laid-back hippy mentality makes it a great destination for LGBT visitors. For relaxed nightlife and good conversation, The Watershed on Martin Luther King Jr. Street is a cool spot for cocktails and coffee, and a favourite among all members of the community. Additionally, the Tompkins County Chamber, Ithaca Tompkins County CVB, Downtown Ithaca Alliance and nonprofit group Ithaca is Love recently collaborated to distribute ‘Inclusive Space’ decals to local businesses, to help encourage sharing of bars, restaurants and clubs.

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