Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gay & Lesbian Barcelona
Barcelona has a vibrant gay and lesbian scene, with a fine array of restaurants,
bars and clubs in the area known as the 'Gaixample' (a clever conjoining of Gay
and L'Eixample), an area about five to six blocks southwest of Passeig de GrĂ cia
around Carrer del Consell de Cent.
Local Attitudes
Despite fierce opposition from the Catholic church, Spain legalised same-sex marriage in
2005. It became the fourth country in the world to do so. A poll just prior to the legislation
found that over 60% of Spaniards favoured the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Gay and
lesbian married couples can also adopt children.
As a rule, Barcelona is pretty tolerant and the sight of gay couples arm in arm is generally
unlikely to raise eyebrows.
Bars
Befitting a diverse city of its size, the bar scene offers plenty of variety, with stylish cocktail
bars, leather bars, bear bars, easy-going pubs and theme bars (with drag shows and other
events) all part of the mix.
Clubs
As with all clubs in town, things don't get going until well into the early morning (around
2am). The bigger and better known clubs like Metro , one of Barcelona's pioneers in the gay
club scene, host top-notch DJs, multiple bars, a dark room, drag shows and other amuse-
ments. Keep in mind that most of the clubs open only from Thursday to Saturday nights.
The Lesbian Scene
The lesbian bar scene is a little sparse compared to the gay scene, with more places catering
to a mixed gay-lesbian crowd (and a few straights thrown in) than an exclusively lesbian cli-
entele. The one place that's proudly lesbian is Aire , which should be a requisite stop for every
nightlife-loving lesbian visiting the city. Some nominally straight bars and clubs host periodic
lesbian parties. Keep an eye out for party flyers in shops and bars in the Gaixample for the
latest.
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