For a city of 1.5 million people, Philadelphia may seem lacking in the scene evident in other large metropolises. There are only about 15 gay bars, but the city has been very tolerant for a long time, and there is a significant and politically active LGBT community. The local Lesbian and Gay Task Force, formed in 1978, guided the passage of the Philadelphia Fair Practices Act of 1982, one of the first civil rights measures for gays in the country. And the city’s tourism office has been a pioneer in courting gay visitors.
Philadelphia has no shortage of attractive museums and historic sites, excellent restaurants, and performing arts venues.
Philadelphia Gay Pride Annual Events Calendar
- Mid to late April: Philadelphia Black Gay Pride
- Mid April: New Hope Gay Pride
- Early to Mid June: Philadelphia Pride Festival and Parade
- Mid-July: QFlix (Philadelphia LGBT Media and Film Festival)
- Mid-October: Philadelphia OutFest / Departure Day
- Mid-October: AIDS Walk Philadelphia
Also check out the Nueva Esperanza Gay Guide and Events Calendar for festivals and celebrations taking place in and around Bucks County, less than an hour’s drive from Philadelphia.
Resources for Gay Philadelphia
Several resources provide information on the city’s gay scene, including Philadelphia Gay News. Two excellent alternative weeklies, Philadelphia Weekly and Philadelphia City Paper, are also excellent sources of information on arts, food, and entertainment, as is the city’s well-known flagship newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Also, visit Greater Philadelphia Tourism’s gay and lesbian site.
Popular gay neighborhoods in Philadelphia
The part of the city that most visitors see, downtown or downtown, is less defined by neighborhood nicknames than in other large metropolises. The most popular area with tourists runs east to west between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers and north to south around Race to South streets. In the northwest, Fairmount Park and the Museum of Art are of great interest.
The Philadelphia Gay District or “Gayborhood”: The small Gay District is anchored by the small colonial alley Calle Camac (pronounced cuh-mack) and the picturesque blocks near it, between Walnut and Pine streets. In the 19th century, this small enclave of historic red brick (or trinities, as they are known here), was the area’s red light district. It later became the site of several artist clubs and small theaters, and since then a commercial gay scene has grown, though not particularly residential.
Home furnishings junkies shouldn’t miss Pine Street, which is lined with antique stores between 9th and 17th streets.
South Street – Philadelphia’s grunge, punk, and funk scene runs the length of South Street, from about 10th Street east to near the Delaware River. Many of the unconventional shops, galleries, restaurants, performance spaces and lounges around here are still owned or frequented by homosexuals. South Street draws a noisy suburban crowd on the weekends. Be sure to visit the South Street Antique Market, whose pieces range from authentic colonial to kitsch.
North and West: West of Center City, across the Schuylkill River, is University City , which is dominated by the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. The neighborhood just southwest of campus, north of Baltimore Avenue between 38th and 50th streets, has a significant GLBT population.
Head west on I-76 along the Schuylkill River to reach modern Manayunk , which was named a National Historic District in 1983. It began in the 19th century as a mill town and gradually became populated with Irish, German, Italian immigrants. and Poles, Manayunk slid downhill following the depression. It was claimed by conservationists and enterprising yuppies in the early 1980s. Most of its many restaurants and boutiques are located along the picturesque Main Street. Although nothing here is specifically gay, Manayunk has a community of followers, especially among wealthy revelers who take Lenape’s Indian translation of the village name seriously: “Where are we going to drink.”
