I'm a gay man in Paris and can confidently say that the city is awesome for the LGBTQ+ community. France is already pretty liberal as a country, but Paris is especially accepting of us. I'll even go so far as to say that there are parts of the city that are practically built for queer people. I'm sure you already know about Le Marais, right? It's the LGBTQ+ hub of Paris, complete with the most provocative gay clubs and chicest gay cafes. La Pigalle is amazing, too, since it's the red-light district. Don't worry! I didn't forget Montmartre's fascinating artistry and cool creativity.
It’s always gay to have a queer day in Paris. Surprisingly, the city has several places where members of the LGBTQ+ community can have fun, live openly, and feel accepted. They range from Le Marais to the Latin Quarter and more!
Le Marais
As the resident “gayborhood” of Paris, it's only natural that I start this list with Le Marais. Located in the 4th arrondissement, this is the LGBTQ+ hub of the city, complete with cafes, restaurants, bars, and clubs run and established for the community. Naturally, it's one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Paris too, with all sorts of popular hotspots popping up now and then. If you want to proudly live your life as part of the LGBTQ+ community, this is the best place to settle down. The gay vibes here are so strong, it almost feels like it's a different city altogether!Beaubourg
Since it's also located in the 4th arrondissement, Le Marais's LGBTQ+ atmosphere spills over Beaubourg. The latter has its fair share of nightlife hotspots where the community gathers, hangs out, parties, and more. At the same time, Beaubourg is famous for Centre Pompidou, one of the best art galleries in Paris. Known for modern and contemporary art, the museum is right up there with the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, and the like. Considering the type of art it displays, it's also no surprise that Centre Pompidou boasts the largest collection of LGBTQ+ artworks.Montparnasse
Montparnasse may not be the first place you'd think to have a queer day in Paris, but I disagree. Though I admit it doesn't have as gay a vibe as Le Marais or Beaubourg, it's still a place where many in the community hang out. The place has countless chic cafes and upscale bistros where gay men hang out and lesbian women drink and chat. But the main reason I included Montparnasse is that this is where the annual Pride Parade takes place. It often starts by Tour Montparnasse and travels through the nearby areas.Opera District
Allow me to be a bit stereotypical with this next one. If there's one thing we gay men love about Paris, it's the city's glamour. This is the ultimate fashion capital, after all, so lots of gay men work and live here. It's also because of this that the Opera District in the 9th arrondissement is another great place to have a queer day in Paris. Firstly, the area has the most luxurious department stores in Paris, namely Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and Le Bon Marché, to name a few. With the iconic Palais Garnier as its centerpiece, standing in all its opulent, flamboyant glory, the district practically draws us gays like a moth to a flame!Pigalle
I'll always be the first to admit that we in the LGBTQ+ community love sex. While I don't want to push the stereotype that all queer people are sex-obsessed, there's no denying that we appreciate it more than average straight people. Hence, we love La Pigalle too! The area boasts the sexy side of Paris, serving as its red-light district complete with sex shops, popular cabarets, and more. Among the most famous spots here is the iconic Moulin Rouge, which is always a staple for queer culture in the French capital. I've also shopped at the many erotic stores here and they're pretty good!Montmartre
I don't know how many of my fellow queers will agree with this, but I've always found Montmartre as another “gayborhood” in Paris too. Is it as gay as Le Marais? Of course, not! But I've always regarded Montmartre as one of the best places to have a queer day in Paris. I think it's because the neighborhood has always been so bohemian, a hotspot for new ideas and social progress. I don't mean to say that every person who lives here is a liberal, much less a progressive. Let's just say that the residents here, even families with little kids, won't care when they see a gay couple holding hands on the street.Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The chic cafes in Saint-Germain-des-Prés all the way in the 6th arrondissement are also mainstays for the gay community in Paris. Not only are they historic hotspots that served as the home of the early 20th century's cafe society, but they're some of the most fashionable today too. I've certainly dined in the ever-famous Café de Flore with my besties too. We love it here and we always see other members of the LGBTQ+ community dining in other popular cafes nearby. The area allows us to live out our most glamorous Parisian fantasies, smoking cigarettes in between cups of coffee. If that's not gay, then what is?Latin Quarter
Regardless of how much the news wants to portray Gen-Z as a startlingly conservative generation, I've personally never seen a gayer group of kids! Perhaps many Gen-Z men are conservative, but the rest of them certainly are not. Some are so gay that they truly make me proud of how far the community has gone in showing our truth and expressing our real selves to the rest of the world. And if you're wondering where I see these LGBTQ+ kids live out their authentic lives, they're mostly in the Latin Quarter. I'm sure a lot of them study in the district's prestigious universities, but I've seen most of them hang out in the nearby hotspots.It’s always gay to have a queer day in Paris. Surprisingly, the city has several places where members of the LGBTQ+ community can have fun, live openly, and feel accepted. They range from Le Marais to the Latin Quarter and more!
