LGBTQ+ Guide to Paris
Bars
Le So What
Very nice bar for lesbians and bisexual women. They have cocktails, shots and good champagne/wine for a safe and nice night. Cisgender men and transgender men are tolerated as long as their number is not overcoming the number of women. Great DJ and they have room to dance. Open on Thursdays from 9 p.m. for a karaoke night called ‘LaBoulange’ and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Le Quetzal
To drink more than to dance, the Quetzal shines by its barmen’s kindness and its numerous possible cocktails. The interior is dark and industrial with lights and neons of colors. There is still a place dedicated to dance if you want. This queer bar is a lovely place for a before! Opens at 5 p.m. and closes at 4 a.m. Warning: If the clientele is not showing up, the bar can close early.
L’open cafe
Super nice bar for a before or to relax during the afternoon. It’s always busy from 6pm as most queer people start their night there. Situated in the corner of the main queer streets, with gay bars and clubs, it has a very good strategic position, hence its popularity. Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day.
Website: www.opencafe.fr/
Clubs
Raidd Bar
Nice and large gay nightclub next to the Freedj. This club is mainly for cis and transgender men. Women, non-binary individuals and pre-transition transgender men can enter if they are accompanied by several cisgender men. For that bit, the club would not be recommended. However, this crowded place offers a good ambiance inside and for the curious people who want some erotic stuff in their night, some gogo dancers are here to warm the club up. International clientele. Open from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. every day with different themes along the week.
CUD (ex-COX)
Cud is a nightclub for gay and trans men which is often crowded. Although you have many people here, it is a great place to dance and have fun all night long! The club is on several floors as follows; On the ground floor you have a bar with poufs to seat, charm and relax, and on floor -1 you have two dance floors with sofas. It’s a good place to spend a fun and torrid night. Nightclub open from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day and to 7 a.m. in the weekends. Themed nights on Thursdays (Cowboys’ night) and on Sundays (Candies’ night).
Le Freedj
What to say, the Freedj is amazing for its nice barmen. Pink neons, dark and often busy, the Freedj is open every day of the week from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. From Friday until Sunday night, the Freedj expands its dance floor by opening the underground room downstairs. Two DJs and two moods in that case. 80’s-90’s-00’s pops on the ground-floor and house, 80’s and reggaeton underground. Not to miss, their Sunday nights when ‘Soirées Messes’ are organised. You will see the whole crew disguised as priests and priestesses! The thing being that they are obviously sexier than the originals. Their champagne is very good for a nightclub. No headaches or whatsoever the day after!
Website: www.freedj.fr/
Bookstores
Les Mots à la Bouche
The last queer bookshop in Paris. Literally ‘Words in the mouth’, this LGBTQ+ bookshop is overflowed with queer books may they be about photography, sexuality, films, sociology, psychology, politics, autobiography or paintings. The bookshop holds a great collection of queer comics and mangas as well as queer postcards, pins and magnets. For those who like reading and those who want to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community (may they be part of the community or allies), this is the living definition of heaven.
Website: www.motsbouche.com/
Legay Choc
Boulangerie/Patisserie Legay Choc: Bread, pastries and croissants, pain au chocolat… Good old France! But mind you, this bakery has its own queer way to bake their products! Be taunted by their penis baguette or viennoiserie. Some natural, some with chocolate chips… So tasty! The bakery is open every day except on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nice for a lovely and erotic breakfast or for your 5 p.m. treat, called in French ‘Le goûter’!
Website: www.legaychoc.fr/
Tata Burger
Tasty queer restaurant in Le Marais district serving erotic salads and hamburgers. ‘Erotic’ because all the names of the salads and hamburgers are sexually connoted. Outside, a few glass tables are disposed on the pavement where you can see Andrew Christian underwear. Inside, placemats showing half-naked muscular men make your mouth water for any kind of food. Burgers are phallus shaped. The staff is very nice and the products are fresh. You can count 12 euros for a burger and 8.50 euros for a salad. They have also a lunch deal at 8.90 euros. Periods of LGBT+ Pride and during summer holidays, you would have better to book a table on the website ‘La Fourchette’ or call +33 1 48 87 48 71.
Website:www.lafourchette.com
Cruising Areas
Carrousel Arc de Triomph
The labyrinths in Tuileries Garden provide an incredible view of the Louvre, and a good opportunity to meet fellow men. Gay people meet on both sides of the arch facing the museum. Most people visit this place at dawn or at night and meet in the bushes, the alleys, or the ventilation areas of the museum. The park is visited by a mix of all types and ages.
Location: 48.862200, 2.333365
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Park des Buttes-Chaumont is a big park within central Paris, and the most popular place. The busiest spot is in the uphill bushes around Le Pavillon du Lac. Here you will find a discreet path with steps that rise up. People cruise here and then enter the park on either side. This place is very busy in summer. In winter it is a little more difficult, but there is always someone there.
Location: 48.880269, 2.380674
Gay Saunas
IDM Sauna
IDM Sauna is an intimate and clean sauna for men, which is located right in the center of Paris. The sauna is visited by a mixed crowd, and is busy on all days of the week. It has facilities on 4 different floors. The staff is very friendly and eager to help you and answer your questions. The sauna is open to men and transgender men, and offers reduced prices for youngsters on saturday.
Trans men: Welcome 🙂
Entrance: €21/€10 Concessions
Website: www.idm-sauna.com
Atlantide Sauna
Atlantide Sauna is a small sauna, that welcomes all genders and sexualities in a friendly and open-minded environment. The sauna is visited by all kinds of people: boys, girls, gays, straights, singles, couples, non-binary folks, transvestites, queers and everything beyond. The place is very clean and the staff very friendly. A great place to relax, socialize and cruise.
Trans men: Welcome 🙂
Entrance: €26/€20 Concessions
Website: www.atlantide-sauna.com/
Sun City
Sun City is the biggest gay sauna in Paris, and hosts a jacuzzi, sauna, large swimming pool, 2 bubble baths, movie room, gym room, bar and a playroom. The sauna is located in a beautiful building and has a lot of areas to cruise in. The sauna is popular among a younger crowd, but there people of all ages and sizes can be found here. With its extensive sports hall, Sun City is also a great place to exercise. Afterwards, you can take a swim and relax. Entrance fee is around 20 Euros, which includes a beverage at the bar. Unfortunately, the sauna is targetting cisgender men. Transgender men, drag queens and transvestites are therefore not always welcomed.
Trans men: Not welcome 🙁
Entrance: €20/€12 Concessions
Website: www.suncity-paris.fr
Queer Events
Gay Pride
The Gay Pride is the biggest LGBT festival in France. Many French people spend a long weekend in Paris to celebrate queer diversity freely. The Pride March has its origins in Gay Pride, born after the events of Stonewall (New York) in 1969. Over the years, the movement has expanded, including France since 1981. It brings together more than half a million people each year, thanks to an organization of more than 200 volunteers.
When: June
Website: www.gaypride.fr/
Cineffable
The International Film Festival for Lesbians and Feminists has been offering a series of cultural activities reserved to a public identifying itself as woman or lesbian. The festival hosts film screenings, political exhibitions, visual creations and debates on themes related to feminism, and the status of women and lesbians in general. These events are organised exclusively for women and offer the opportunity to share experiences and enrich understanding. Throughout the year, Cineffable also organizes various screenings and events open to all, in partnership with other associations, festivals and venues.
Website: www.cineffable.fr/
Chéries-Chéris
The Chéries-Chéris, Lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer film festival in Paris is an annual international popular French LGBTQ film festival, that programmes LGBTQ+ fiction, documentaries and short films since 1994.
When: Oktober/November
Website: www.cheries-cheris.com/
LGBTQ+ Organisations
Acceptess Transgenres
Acceptess-T is born out of the desire to create a group of trans activities in Paris, which focusses on defending the rights of the most vulnerable transgender people through intersectionality. The organisation aims to fight against all forms of exclusion and discrimination of any kind (abuse, violence, abuse), linked to the identity and expression of gender. It organises regular sports and cultural activities which help to maintain and improve the health and self-esteem of transgender people.
Website: www.acceptess-t.com
Centre LGBT Paris-ÎdF
The Paris Ile-de-France LGBT Center is an association that fights against discrimination and for equal rights. It supports gays, lesbians, and transgender people, young and old, and offers them a space of conviviality (activities, debates, exhibitions), health (prevention, documentation, screening), support (legal, social, psychological) and well-being (gym, yoga, singing). There is also a library and there are weekly meetings which are especially dedicated to young LGBT+ people.
Website: www.centrelgbtparis.org/