The Los Angeles LGBT community is as diverse as all the cities and neighborhoods that make up the LA area. From Studio City in the San Fernando Valley to the north, Venice to the west, Long Beach to the south, and Silver Lake to the east, each area brings its own flare. These different cities and areas appeal to the many different genres of the LGBT LA lifestyle. Having access to several social styles within the same city also makes the LGBT LA pride options stand out against the rest of the country.
For partiers, West Hollywood is the place to be. The night life is insane and they are known for their dance clubs and bars such as Factory (formerly Studio One), Rage, and Mickey’s. They also have a variety of S&M (Stand and Model) bars such as Revolver and the Mother Lode. For the fashion jet setters, this is where the “pretty people” make their mark in the LGBT LA community.
Silver Lake also has a thriving gay community, coming in second to West Hollywood for the most same-sex couples in the LA area. Clubs such as Faultline, Eagle, and MJs offer up a more “leather and Levi’s” style with edgy gay hipsters and their best gal pals aplenty. While occasionally WeHo boys will slip in for a new kind of fun, the majority of the area is focused on being funky and artsy.
The LGBT LA lifestyle is not all about the extreme stereotypes, though. Venice and Santa Monica to the west offer a much more casual, relaxed beach crowd. The Roosterfish is a popular hang-out with its inconspicuous turquoise exterior making it easy to find. The Dolphin in Redondo Beach is a smaller, neighborhood bar, close to LAX. This is the only LGBT bar in LA’s South Bay and is somewhat of a “Gay Cheers” where within a few visits, “everybody knows your name.”
For an even more laid back community, Long Beach and Orange County residents love their blue jeans, t-shirts, and local bars like Falcon, Silver Fox, and Sweetwater Saloon. There is something for everyone with The Executive Suite and Hamburger Mary’s for a night of dancing, The Crest and Pistons for the Levi’s and leather boys in North Long Beach, and Flux for the up and coming early 20s crowd. When it comes to LGBT LA pride, Long Beach makes itself known with the third largest gay pride parade in the US every May, accompanied by drag shows, tea dances, festivals, and an outpouring of support and celebration.
So no matter what a person’s personality is, there is a place for them in the LGBT LA community. While there are hundreds of bars and restaurants that are specifically aimed toward the queer crowd, most of the entire city is friendly to LGBT. LA and surrounding suburbs are home to an estimated 440,000 gay residents, ranking it the second highest gay population in the US and making it easy to blend in or stand out either one. There is no better place for gay diversity than always-sunny Los Angeles.
Guest posted here: http://www.badgesociety.com/news/lgbt-la/
