The Oldest Gay & Lesbian Bars

Bulldog

Brighton, England

A combination of pub and club, the Bulldog is said to be the oldest gay venue in Brighton, serving the community since 1979. Housed in a former brewery which has...

For Men

Comptons of Soho

London, England

Comptons has cemented its reputation as the Grand Dame of Queer Street since it opened in 1986. On the ground floor of what first opened as the The Swiss Hotel in...

For Men

The White Horse

Oakland, United States

Opened in 1933 in a former Standard Oil Company gas station, The White Horse competes for the title of oldest continuously operating gay and lesbian bar in the...

LGBTQ

Woody's

Toronto, Canada

Located in Toronto's Gay Village, Woody's gained notoriety after being featured on the TV show, "Queer as Folk." Offering regular drag shows and a...

For Men

DC Eagle

Washington DC, United States

DC Eagle, a historic leather bar, has its roots in the 1960s when some bikers and leathermen got together over dinner in a bar across from the FBI headquarters....

For Men

Contramano

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Opened in 1984, Contramano is the city's oldest gay club and keeps the party going with dance music on Fridays, classic hits on Saturday and bears and friends on...

For Men

Revolver Video Bar

Los Angeles, United States

Famous as a gay video bar in the 1980s and 90s, Revolver has sexy go-go boys, celebrity DJs, hot bartenders and themed nights including "Flashback Saturdays" with...

LGBTQ

Trunks

Los Angeles, United States

Trunks is a gay neighborhood sports bar with two pool tables, multiple TV screens, an outdoor patio and all-day well-drinks specials. Particularly good for late...

For Men

The Stud

San Francisco, United States

A bastion of top-shelf drag, The Stud welcomes gay and straight alike to take in nightly performances and dance up a storm to a roster of high-energy DJs....

LGBTQ

Ziegfelds / Secrets

Washington DC, United States

The first floor of this party complex is Ziegfeld's, a top-notch drag performance venue that has some of the best performers in the business. On the second floor...

For Men

Atlantic House

Provincetown, United States

Atlantic House - or the A-House - was Provincetown's first post office, then a 1950s jazz club, before transforming into one of the first gay nightclubs in...

For Men

The Hole in the Wall

San Diego, United States

The Hole in The Wall has been an openly gay bar since 1942 and a dive bar for even longer. San Diego's original Sunday Funday started here. In addition to special...

LGBTQ

The Rail

San Diego, United States

The Rail, formerly The Brass Rail, is the granddaddy of all San Diego gay bars, in business for over a half century and owned by only two families all that time....

LGBTQ

The Midnight Shift

Sydney, Australia

The Midnight Shift on two levels has been in business since 1981, making it one of the oldest gay bars in town. A venue for Pride events, it has a ground-floor...

LGBTQ

Café Cléopatra

Montreal, Canada

Café Cleopatra is fixture and a survivor in the city's historic red light district, a no frills strip club where an eclectic group of dancers takes the stage...

LGBTQ-friendly

Taverne Normandie

Montreal, Canada

Established in 1981, Taverne Normandie has welcomed thousands of visitors and many a celebrity to its karaoke stage in the heart of the village. In 2015, a large...

LGBTQ

Escuelita

New York City, United States

Awash with the sounds of salsa and merengue mixed with hip hop beats, and glittering with drag queens in full regalia, Escuelita is a little slice of Latin glitz...

For Men

Faultline

Los Angeles, United States

Faultline is a leather-and-bears bar that has prided itself on being a men's bar since 1994. It's famous for its 2 pm - 9 pm Bud Bust Sundays and nightly theme...

For Men

Zur Feuerwache

Munich, Germany

Opened in the 1980s, Zur Feuerwache (To the Firestation) has looked the same ever since: red and brown walls covered with posters and a fake floral garland...

LGBTQ

Neues Ufer

Berlin, Germany

Hailing from the 70s, this is one of Berlin's longest lasting gay bistros, and was even a favorite hangout for David Bowie. The scene in the daytime is relaxed,...

LGBTQ

Schampanja

Cologne, Germany

Schampanja draws an edgier kind of queer than the neighboring nightlife in Cologne's gay district. Culty, dimly lit, and blasting indie and punk, this local...