Ist west hollywood gay town

How West Hollywood Became LA’s Fabled And Flawed LGBTQ+ Haven

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll treasure our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

West Hollywood as a nucleus for LGBTQ+ culture in Southern California is practically set in stone.

The buzzing nightclubs filled with thumpy house music, packed bars and other flashy WeHo attractions have drawn thousands of people over the years, to attend and live. It's impossible to overstate its effect on the culture.

But the city wasn’t always full of rainbows. Let's see how it transformed over the years.

Early drag shows

During the Prohibition era, speakeasies became a popular avenue for gay-coded entertainment.

During the “Pansy Craze” between the late s and first s, drag shows (before they had that name) were gaining underground popularity. Jimmy’s Backyard, one of Hollywood’s first openly same-sex attracted bars that opened on Modern Year’s Eve in , along with B.B.B.’s Cellar, were well-liked destinations

Things To Do In West Hollywood

West Hollywood is a gay mecca. It isn’t technically part of the city of Los Angeles, although it’s often considered to be a suburb. It’s just a minute drive from West Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles.

The city of LA is big and quite spread out. Hiring a automobile is certainly a excellent idea. Staying in West Hollywood (WeHo) is also a good bet. It’s a great base from which to explore the various highlights of Los Angeles County and LA itself.

Remaining within the confines of West Hollywood, you’ll find no shortage of things to do. This is the world’s amusement capital.

Explore West Hollywood’s male lover scene

West Hollywood has one of the world’s top gay scenes. It’s estimated that 40% of the population is LGBT+. You’d have to head to Palm Springs to discover a higher percentage of LGBT+ residents.

The Abbey is the most famous queer bar in West Hollywood. It’s probably the definitive gay bar in the whole Los Angeles area. As this is very much a city of appearances, you’ll see some serious eye candy here. It’s all about seeing and being seen in LA. The gay s

FAQs

What is WeHo Pride?

WeHo Pride is the City of West Hollywood’s annual Gay Pride celebration! For decades, West Hollywood has been residence to one of the largest annual Pride celebrations in the world, drawing hundreds of thousands of people each June.

WeHo Pride kicks off annually on Harvey Milk Daytime, May 22, with a special event. Then, we guide Pride Month celebrations with our 3-day WeHo Pride Weekend event, packed with music, performances, and vibrant programming.

Entertainment venues in West Hollywood’s Rainbow District, along historic Route 66, produce a number of special Celebration events, and there’s community group programming, too!

What is the history of Parade celebrations in West Hollywood?

Pride Starts Here. For nearly four decades, the Municipality of West Hollywood has been dwelling to one of the largest Celebration celebrations in the world. Hundreds of thousands of Gay people and allies from around the world make West Hollywood their regular destination during Pride.

Pride is a deeply rooted part of West Hollywood’s history and culture. In fact, Pride events have

Reminder: Pride Starts Here! Metropolis of West Hollywood’s Harvey Milk Day Celebration Kicks Off Pride Programming in West Hollywood on Thursday, May 22 Free WeHo Pride Arts Festival is Happening May

Pride Starts Here! Don’t miss the City’s Harvey Milk Date celebration featuring the 3rd annual José Sarria Flamboyant Pageant on Thursday, May 22, , from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at N. San Vicente Boulevard. Harvey Milk was the first openly LGBTQ person to achieve political office in California in José Sarria helped pave the way for Harvey Milk’s successful race for office by organism the first openly homosexual man to run for office in the Merged States in , and was a drag dancer who founded the Imperial Court charitable LGBTQ corporation. Details are available at

Each year, the Town of West Hollywood celebrates the LGBTQ+ community through the arts with its WeHo Pride Arts Festival. This year, the WeHo Pride Arts Festival will feature theatre, cabaret, song, dance, film, literary arts, art-making workshops, and much more! Held as part of WeHo Pride, the Arts Festival will