There is such a vibrant LGBTQ+ community in New Orleans, and there always has been. The city is like a little liberal blue oasis where, for the most part, folks are accepting and celebrate diversity. There are 15 or so LGBTQ bars in the city, and two dedicated LGBTQ festivals: New Orleans Pride (June) and Southern Decadence (late August)—although the gays have taken over pretty much every other holiday, too. Check out our list of events, bars, activities, and local personalities below!
Drag icons Jassy and Visqueen have created a remarkable reputation for throwing incredible drag events (literally Cosmopolitan wrote about them). Follow Jassy and Visqueen on Instagram to see if there are any events happening during your stay.
A recurring drag show hosted by local drag creature Apostrophe at Oz Nightclub every Friday at 9 p.m.. Check it out, then spend the rest of the night doing the drunk swaying dance thing on the Oz dance floor. They’ve got a Facebook page if you’d like to keep up and get updates!
Showstoppers Cabaret is at the intersection of burlesque and drag, with numbers that range from hysterical to sexy to gut wrenching political commentary. You’re in for a fucking treat. Follow hostess and producer-ess Dede Onassis on Instagram for updates and see if there’s a show while you’re in town!
More miscellaneous LGBTQ stuff:
They’ve got pretty regular drag and burlesque shows. Check out their social media to see if they’ve got something going on when you’re visiting!
Great food, great drag, great bar. It’s like one big party. If the weather is nice, bring a swimsuit and head to the pool before or after brunch.
Read more about these tours at the bottom of the “Do This” section!
Great balcony for people watching (balcony only open Thursday - Sunday evening). Relaxed atmosphere with drag karaoke on Tuesday night. Go see Tim downstairs or Jeremy upstairs.
Music videos play on screens all around the bar. Great place to start or end a night out! To be real though, the main draw is the small restaurant in the back, Faubourg Bistro—for incredibly good late night food (you should probably try the fried macaroni bites).
They call themselves the premiere R&B LGBTQ bar in the French Quarter!
These two are right across from each other and form the epicenter of the “fruit loop,” the name lovingly given to the collection of gay bars in the French Quarter. They both have balconies, and dance floors (Oz’s is downstairs, while the Pub’s is upstairs). Check them out for late night techno mixes of Ariana Grande and the like.
Cozy little spot popular among locals (though all of the spots on this list have a lot of local patrons). The Golden Lantern has some old school drag going on, and is in general a cute place to hunker down, surrounded by gays, in a more quiet area of the French Quarter.
The oldest continually operating gay bar in the country. They’ve got a great balcony, a midnight napkin toss every Sunday (which is a treat to observe, though environmentally a disaster), and in general just a good vibe. Also, there are pool tables upstairs if you like that kinda stuff. Oh and it’s open 24/7.
This is slightly further away from the other bars on this list but still walking distance. Hang out downstairs for a neighborhood gay bar experience OR turn off your phone and go upstairs to… well, you… if you’re adventurous. Uh. Yeah.