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Las Vegas Gay Travel Guide
Viva, Las Vegas! There’s just no other place like it on Earth. Though not a gay-mecca in and of itself, this capital of decadence draws a vast number of gay visitors each year to frolic in its luxury theme-hotels, flashy casinos, world-class dining, flashy shows, and exploding nightlife. Although a few visitors venture beyond The Strip to such spectacular sights as Hoover Dam or take in a Deluxe Air Tour of the Grand Canyon, virtually all activity in Vegas centers on Las Vegas Boulevard and its world-famous collection of massive hotels. Here you can shop, eat, gamble, dance, and cruise to your heart’s content. If you tire of the hetero masses of The Strip, Vegas’ little gay community clusters along a few blocks of Paradise Road, north of Tropicana, and a mile east of The Strip. There is a clothing-optional gay beach on Lake Mead, but it’s difficult to find. Ask at a local bar, or Get Booked (the book store), for directions.
Gay Las Vegas Bars, Restaurants and Clubs
Bars in Vegas are open 24 hours, so there’s never a “last call” (Oh, yeah, baby!) And nightlife tends to start late, since most of the locals work in the hospitality industry. Gay nightlife is split between traditional gay clubs, which attract mostly locals (the majority of whom are fairly young), and the mainstrean mega-clubs of The Strip. Krave Club, located next to the Aladdin, is Vegas' only gay nightclub on the Strip. Opened in October 2004, Krave is creation of Sia Amiri, former owner of RAGE in West Hollywood. Amiri partnered with Jeffrey Sanker to create a state-of-the-art nightclub with sensual interiors, awesome light and sound, and electrifying live entertainment. Don't miss Fashionistas, at Krave's Theatre. Produced by John Stagliano, the show is described as an exotic fetish tale about the fashion world out of control. While marketed as a gay nightclub, Krave, due to its location on the strip is likely to draw a predominantly "mixed" crowd. Elsewhere in Sin City, along Paradise Road, you'll find Icon, one of the largest and friendliest bars in town. The Buffalo draws a leather and Levis crowd. In the general vicinity is Good Times Bar and Grill, a large venue with a popular Monday night. Up on Sahara you’ll find The Badlands Saloon, which attracts local cowboys. In the same strip mall is the Spotlight, an eccentric hangout with a friendly local crowd. Further a-field you’ll find the Backdoor Lounge with cute dancers. Flex, on the other side of town, has them, too, yet attracts a good lesbian following, as well. The Las Vegas Eagle seems to attract a more vanilla following than its locations elsewhere in the world, but they will give you free drinks on Wednesday and Friday if you come only in your skivvies.
Located on the Paradise strip, Gipsy, popular with younger guys, and FreeZone, which draws a more mixed G/L crowd are two other popular gay dance clubs.
If you can tear yourself away from the world-class (and ruinously expensive) dining of The Strip, you can get the traditional plate of camp at Hamburger Mary’s. Krave , on The Strip, also has an upscale eatery. Beyond that, Vegas doesn’t have any restaurants which attract a steady gay following, unless you count Bahama Breeze, which serves Caribbean food at the corner of Paradise and Flamingo, just north of the gay district.
Get Booked is the local gay bookstore, a great source of information.
Gay Friendly and Gay Las Vegas Hotels
Blue Moon is Las Vegas’ only exclusively-gay-male resort, with a clothing-optional environment, and an extraordinary pool area. Lucky You Bed and Breakfast, offers a more intimate, but still clothing-optional, atmosphere. And your host, Olé, was the former executive chef for Liberace! An uber-campy alternative is the Viva Las Vegas Villas. Located just north of the strip, this outrageous place offers kitschy theme rooms, like Camelot, with its drawbridge bed, or The Gothic, where you sleep in a coffin. They also have palatial honeymoon suites, and an on-site marriage chapel with easily-arranged commitment ceremonies. Most of the hotels on the strip welcome gay visitors (they’re so large, there’s no way to discriminate), with Bellagio, Monte Carlo, the Venetian, and New York, New York ranking as favorites among gay travelers.
Call an edirp.com gay travel specialist at 1-888-EDIRP-EZ (1-888-334-7739) or (214) 520-0345 (U.S.) to book any of the hotels mentioned above. Any hotels with links may be booked via our secure online booking system.
Las Vegas Shows and Las Vegas Show Tickets
No visit to Vegas would be complete without taking in one or more of the elaborate productions appearing on the strip. Use our online Las Vegas Show Tickets store to browse and purchase Las Vegas show tickets online in advance of your departure. Some shows enjoyed by lesbian and gay visitors to Vegas include Fashionistas, at Krave Club, Vegas' first gay dance club on the strip. An Evening at La Cage, starring Frank Marino as Joan Rivers is another must-see. For nearly twenty-years, Marino and a cast of female impersonators have garnered numerous awards for their impersonations of Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Judy Garland, Bette Midler, Celine Dion and more. Other favorites among gay and lesbian vistors, include Cirque du Soleil's Zumanity, Mama Mia, A Musical Tribute to Liberace, La Femme, and more.
Las Vegas Gay Pride and other Gay Events
Las Vegas Pride takes place the second week of May, with pageants, parades, and dance parties for both genders. The Big Horn Rodeo, one of the largest gay rodeos in the world, takes place in early April. The Viva Las Vegas circuit party is held the first weekend of October each year, and it seems like all of gay Southern California descends upon Vegas for this massive event.
Travel guide by Benjamin Starr, a travel writer who claims the entire world as his home. When he's not at home, he can sometimes be found at a residence in Dallas, Texas. To contact Ben, email him at benjaminstarr@sbcglobal.net. |
