Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Scene

(Fort Lauderdale, Florida - FL, USA US)

With high temperatures all year round and Miami's famous South Beach being just a 40-minute drive away, Fort Lauderdale has become a major vacation destination for the gay and lesbian crowd, particularly men. The city recognised this potential tourist market many years ago and actively began advertising Fort Lauderdale as the perfect spot for gay men to holiday, with plentiful friendly lodging and beaches, and the city has now arguably become the top gay destination in the whole of Florida.

Together with the neighboring suburbs of both Wilton Manors and Oakland Park, this part of Florida has become known for its sizeable, yet relatively low-key LGBT community (including many retirees), which makes up one of the highest and most significant ratios of any American city.

There are several popular gay friendly beaches in Fort Lauderdale, with the most famous being Sebastian Street Beach. For nightlife, much of the action tends to be concentrated around Oakland Park, Victoria Park and Wilton Manors, the latter of which is regarded as something of a gay village or 'gayborhood'.

Each year, the Greater Fort Lauderdale area is able to welcome in excess of one million LGBT visitors. This region also manages to boast over 150 gay themed businesses and nightspots, including a number of luxury hotels and publications, such as the South Florida Gay News (SFGN) and the HotSpots Magazine.

Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Popular Events

• Stonewall Street Festival and Parade
  First held at the end of the 1990s, this huge gay festival attracts over 15,000 LGBT visitors to Fort Lauderdale and is held over a weekend towards the end of June. The annual Stonewall Pride festival is the highlight of the city's gay calendar and features an abundance of entertainment, being based around Wilton Manors and starting with a street party on the Saturday evening. This is followed soon afterwards by the Stonewall Summer Pride Parade and numerous concerts on Sunday.
• Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
  This short film festival takes place over three or four days in the middle of October and screens many independent movies, short films and documentaries, all of which have a strong LGBT theme. Fort Lauderdale's annual celebration of movies began in 2008, being founded to both educate and force a sense of community through these various diverse presentations. It continues to expand year on year, although remains based around the Classic Gateway cinema on the East Sunrise Boulevard.

Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida
Address: 1717 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FL), 33311, USA
Tel: +1 954 463 9005

Pride Center at Equality Park of South Florida
Address: 2040 North Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, Florida (FL), 33305, USA
Tel: +1 954 463 9005