In March 2 001 Paris was the first capital to elect an openly gay mayor, even more telling was that his sexual orientation was not in the campaign and rarely mentioned by either side, this showed how much acceptability there is for ‘homos’ in France’s modern day living.

Paris’ gay pride parade in June every year sees some 800,000 plus people turn up on the streets in celebration of an event that covers most of the centre of the city, visitors from the whole of Europe attending alongside those from smaller French townships, where you will find men and women with just about every conceivable skin colour, hair colour/style, eye colour, size, shape, age, all with the most adorable accents.

The area of Paris that makes up the gay community is known as ‘Le Marais’ (the swamp!) and is made up of the 3rd and 4th districts.

This area is one the most expensive but most fashionable districts of Paris to live and work in. Thee place to stay, thee place to play.

Between the shopping in Sainte Croix fashion houses, many hotels, museums, bars, restaurants in the famous narrow historic streets lie fun loving same sex couples partying to the full.

In years gone by there were not too many clubs around and most of the original bars such as Swing bar, Le Boy, etc have long gone. From the 70’s and 80’s districts of Montorgueil and Les Halles. One thing that is apparent outside of the initial gay area is that there are many gay-friendly places in almost all of the other districts (though they do tend to be more discreet) as many French gay people like to mix with whoever rather than stay at the known gay orientated places, and a number of these venues are as friendly as you could ask for.

The scene has changed over the years and it is common knowledge that the muscle boy look which has developed in the American cities for many a year is just sneaking into the scene in Paris as many of the men (and women) are not obsessed with that look but prefer to be more natural, slim athletic looking and concentrate more on personality, style, individuality and intelligence If you do find a tanned bronzed body it’s possible to belong to a mature person of 30 plus.

Girls who visit Le Marais will tend to stay around the crossroads of rue Du Roi de siclie and rue Des ecouuffes. The boys about town mingle at Des Archives and rue De Sainte croix de Bretonnerie.

Mid afternoon possibly not even till 5pm are when most bars open, but they are generally open till legal closing tome at 2am. A few will have a special licence to open until morning. Clubs generally do not open until midnight and then stay open all night, public transport stops between 1am and 5.30am so there tends to be numbers in these clubs who then simply get the first metro/bus home next day.

Parisian bars generally all have happy hours the nearest metro stops to the main bars, clubs are the Rambuteau and hotel de Ville, Charlet-Les Halles and Etienne-Marc.

Bars and clubs for girls

For the girls, much fewer than the boys but then most of the gay venues accommodate everyone who has respect for where they are and who they are with.

Champmesle on 4 rue Chabanais is the first lesbian bar in town.

Le 3W Kafé on 8 rue de Ecouffes is a lesbian bar with men as guests.

Le Nyx Café on 30 rue du Roi de Sicle used to be Biss Café.

Unity Bar on 176 rue St Martin is alesbian bar.

Le Rive Gauche on rue du Sabot is one of the bars associated with the club Pulp.

Le Day Off on 10 rue de L’Isly is a restaurant then girls bar of an evening.

Chez Moune on 54 rue Pigalle is a lesbian cabert.

Gay Bars and Clubs in General.

Le 49 on 49 rue des Blancs manteaux is a showbar.

Akhenaton Café on 12 rue du Platre is a nice neibourhood bar.

L’Amnesia Café on 42 rue Vieille du Temple is a large bar with a soft ambiance.

Le bears’ Den on 6 rue des Lombards is a bar foe bears and their admirers.

Café Beaubourg on 43 rue St Marri is a large terrace to be seen on.

Le Carre on 18 rue du Temple a stylish bar with a lounge and restaurant.

Le central on 33 rueVieille du Temple is one of the oldest bar in Le Marais.

Le Comptoir du Marais on 8 rue de Moussy a bar serving light food, fashionable and arty.

Le Cox on 15 rue des Archives nice cliantele.

Le Cud Bar on 12 rue des Haudriettes bar with disco dancing club.

Curieux Spaghetti Bar 0n 14 rue Saint Merri a bar and pasta restaurant.

Le Duplex on 25 rue Michel le Comte is a quiet ‘artists’ bar.

Le Mic Man on 24 rue Geoffrey Lanvgevin a friendly bar with basement rooms showing videos and a backroom.

Mixer Bar on 23 rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie is a club.

One Way 0n 28 rue Charlot for bears and those in denim and leather.

Le Queen on 102 avenue des Champs Elyees was once the most famous of gay bars and is now mainly straight.

Ze Baaar on 41 rue des Manteaux a good place to discover the delights of Marais.

Le London on 33bis ,rue des Lombards is a new bar.

Wolf on 37 rue des Lombards catering for wolves and bears.

Le Zango on 15 rue du Cygne bar and eatery with at heme for travel.

Le Bobar on 31 Boulevard Henri is the gay bar near to the Bastille.

Café Moustache on 138 rue du Fg St Martin the bar which caters for the matureand virile man.

La Loco on 90 Boulevard le Clichy is a large gay club close to those all singing dancing Theatres of the Moulin Rouge.

Hotels

Officially there is only Le Central listed as the stand alone gay hotel in Paris, but most of those in central Paris are known to be gay friendly.

Prices range from budget to luxurious hotels, B&B, to apartments.some of the most recommended are:

·  Chambre d’Hotes Rivoli

·  Hotel bourg Tibourg

·  Hotel Central Marais

·  Hotel du 7eme art

·  Hotel du Petit Moulin

·  Hotel vieux Marais

·  Hotel Ecole Centrale

·  Hotel Saint Paul Le Marais

·  Maison Internationale de la Jeunesse et des Etudiandts

·  Hotel Agora

·  Hotel Saint Merry

·  Le Lys

·  My aooart a Paris

·  Studio Le 101

·  Hotel du Nord

·  Hotel Mondia

·  Residence Bastille

·  Studio

·  Hotel Chopin

·  Studio dans le 2eme

·  L’Hotel

·  Hotel Nations-Saint Germain

·  2 Pieces

·  A Pink Froggy