From Taipei to Reykjavík, An Insider’s Guide to 10 Vibrantly Queer Global Destinations

Queer and trans people have always traveled — that’s obvious. But wherever we’ve gone, we’ve tended to ask a specific question: Where do I find other people like me? And the answer has never been straightforward.

Five years before Stonewall, for example, San Francisco gay bar proprietor Bob Damron began publishing his series of Address Books. These were, in essence, a riff on Victor Hugo Green’s Green Book for Black roadtrippers, highlighting locations where primarily cis white gay men could connect with local scenes at a time when deviations from heterosexual norms were often criminalized. Damron’s books included a legend to help travelers make sense of the entries: places were tagged with shorthand like “RT” = “raunchy types;” “BA” = “bare ass;” and “M” = “mixed — some straights.” (“How can I escape the gaze of the straights?” is clearly a question that has stirred the minds of many queer travelers for eons.)

But Damron’s guides weren’t for queer and trans people, broadly speaking. Their implied audience was narrow, as indicated by one tellingly problematic entry in the legend, which read “B” = “blacks frequent.” When a group of digital archivists brought the entries online in 2020 for their project Mapping the Guy Guides, they noted that Damron’s books “overlook large swaths of gay culture,” and offer almost no “insight into the vibrant culture of trans people, for example.” That critique of the Address Books could still apply to the majority of contemporary LGBTQ+ travel literature, which tends to cater to only a few slices of our much wider rainbow.

Some things have evolved. Today, many destinations and brands market directly to LGBTQ+ travelers — a trend that started taking off in the 1970s, with the launch of gay and lesbian cruises. By the 2010s, travel brands such as Hilton and Delta were sponsoring major Pride events in American cities and turning their logos rainbow for the month of June. But despite this apparent visibility, mainstream travel media and advertising still often portrays a limited view of LGBTQ+ scenes around the world.

We are, of course, a long way from queer utopia. Whenever we travel, our decisions are rife with considerations around safety and belonging. Laws targeting queer sexuality and the mere existence of trans people remain on the books in dozens of countries; whether they’re enforced or not, they raise concerns about how secure we might feel. But even amid tension and uncertainty — including in states across America — the LGBTQ+ community is still finding innovative ways to come together, sharing spaces that can be ephemeral but resonate beautifully whenever and wherever we gather. To find those exalted spaces, you need the local intel.

So, for Them’s inaugural guide to LGBTQ+ travel, we’ve been talking to insiders in scenes on almost every continent to get the scoop. We talked to a queer and trans underground collective about the rave renaissance in Atlanta. We heard from Drag Race winner Nymphia Wind about what makes Taipei so queer. And social media-famous chef Jon Kung told us what’s good in Detroit. Here are 10 destinations where queer and trans people are shaping the culture from the grassroots up, with need-to-know tips on everything from finding trans-friendly swimming pools in Iceland to where you can dance the queer tango in Argentina.

Click here to jump to a city: Taipei, Glasgow, Miami, Reykjavík, Detroit, Saigon, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Montréal, Atlanta.

WHY GO NOW: Taipei doesn’t receive the same level of global recognition as other creative capitals. It deserves a much brighter spotlight. Counterculture thrives in pockets around this forward-thinking city, where progressive activism — and drag eccentricity — prevail.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: “There is something about being an islander that makes you feel extra connected to the place,” drag star Nymphia Wind says of her hometown. “Taiwan is the most queer-friendly country in East Asia,” she brags, noting it was the first country in Asia to legalize marriage equality in 2019. Nymphia also has another thing to boast about: Shortly after the news hit airwaves in Nymphia’s homeland that she’d won the 16th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, recognition from the country’s highest offices quickly followed. Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen praised Nymphia for “being so accomplished in the difficult art form of drag.” How many heads of states have personally congratulated Drag Race winners? Welcome to gay Taipei, which also has the only known Taoist temple dedicated to the rabbit god and queer icon Tu'er Shen.

THE QUEER SCENE: The scene in Taipei is close-knit but welcoming, Nymphia says. “We all quickly get to know each other and feel like one big family.” For a quick immersion, she suggests starting in the Ximending district, a center of youth culture and queer life. At almost any hour of the day, queer friends gather around the historic Red House in Ximen, where a cluster of cafés and a few drag venues deliver the gayborhood vibe. Vital community spaces like the pioneering gay bookstore Gin Gin populate the student-heavy Shida neighborhood, home to National Taiwan Normal University. In 1994, a group of feminists founded Fembooks, a queer- and trans-inclusive space that’s long been central to activist circles on the island. Next door, a similarly diverse crowd often gathers for music events at the café and venue Witch House, where bras adorn the backs of chairs. Central to LGBTQ+ history in Taipei is 228 Peace Memorial Park, once an especially popular gay cruising spot that novelist Pai Hsien-yung brought to life in 1983’s Crystal Boys. The park is located near Changte Street, where police harassed and arrested gay men in July 1997 — a pivotal event that has been described as Taiwan’s Stonewall riots because of the way it spurred queer activism in Taipei.

AFTER HOURS: Taipei’s relatively small drag community is gaining international recognition since Nymphia’s win, but the scene has deep roots. “There are a lot of high-energy local talents,” Nymphia tells Them. For a night of drag, check out the botanical themed Café Dalida, a campy venue that has hosted queens in Ximending for nearly two decades. Nearby, Nymphia also suggests the irreverent Locker Room, where drag queens perform and there’s a shower on the stage. For the wider nightlife scene in the city, Taipei also has several bars that center queer women, notably Wonder Bar in Songshan and the longstanding Taboo club in Zhongshan.

ONLY IN TAIPEI: “The food culture is unlike any other,” Nymphia says of the culinary scene in Taipei. The street food in particular gives you a multisensory feast, with its many buzzing night markets including the popular Shilin and Tonghua, near the skyline’s iconic Taipei 101 tower. “All the night markets in Taipei are sickening and full of their own personalities.”

NEED TO KNOW: Taipei’s annual Pride parade, hosted the last Saturday in October, is the largest in the region. A record 180,000 people took to the streets in 2023. While there has been much progress in recent years, there’s still a long way to go for equality for trans people, who have been organizing the small but growing Taiwan Trans March for more than five years. Beyond this, Nymphia’s main complaint is the allegedly slow pedestrian pace of the sidewalk. (“Being a conscious visitor there means being patient with the local slow walkers,” she jokes.) But no matter your speed, Taipei has a lot of culture to soak in.

WHY GO NOW: In Scotland’s rainiest city — and the birthplace of the pioneering producer SOPHIE — queer and trans creatives have carved out plenty of indoor spaces where the counterculture shines.

THE INSIDER VIEW: “Glasgow has a long history of community organizing,” says Indigo Korres, director of the annual Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) and sometimes DJ at trans-centered club events like Yo Perreo Solx. For more than a century, Scotland’s largest city has been a driving force for labor and social movements, reflected today in the wide range of queer art, parties, and literary spaces around the city. “Wherever you’re looking for community, you’ll find queer and trans people like you,” Korres says.

THE QUEER SCENE: The scene in Glasgow is grassroots-led, and there’s always something new popping up. SQIFF is one major cultural node. “Our main goal is to build community and support queer Scottish filmmakers,” says Korres. SQIFF’s annual festival returns this October, and the organization also hosts events throughout the year at Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts. Another staple is Category Is Books, on the southside. “They’re trans-run, with a unique queer selection of books — a really important community hub,” she says, suggesting that you also flip through the 1,000-plus zines at the nearby Glasgow Zine Library, which hosts an annual queer-inclusive zine festival. Some of the city’s most compelling cultural and literary venues also have a record for centering trans and queer people in programming, such as the fringe artist-run gallery space Transmission. Feminist and trans-inclusive, the Glasgow Women’s Library has even mapped out an LGBTQ+ Heritage Trail with a downloadable map and audio guide.

AFTER HOURS: While Glasgow has plenty of gay bars, many of them clustered in the Merchant City district, it’s parties and events that define the city’s queer and trans nightlife. Bonjour, a beloved queer venue that hosted many recurring club nights, sadly closed in December 2023, but the city’s active organizers have taken popular events to other venues. Korres highlights several favorites: Q’iwa, a collective serving underground ball culture; Mojxmma, a party centering people of color in Glasgow; and Scandal, which often pops up in the small venue SWG3 Poetry Club. Plus, in very Glaswegian nightlife style, there’s even a popular cabaret event called Queer Theory.

ONLY IN GLASGOW: Glasgow’s culture can keep you busy within city limits for days. But part of the allure here is its close proximity to Scotland’s rugged (and often wet) outdoors. One popular day-trip destination is Loch Lomond in the Trossachs National Park, sometimes referred to as the Scottish Highlands in miniature. Paddle to islands in the sprawling loch or check out a range of hikes ranging from easy to long-distance trails.

NEED TO KNOW: Glasgow has a reputation for queer and trans inclusivity, but certain lads who come out for sports events can make the mood change quickly. “Avoid public transportation when a football match is on,” advises Korres, who adds that “there’s a lot of police out then, and it just doesn’t feel very safe.” But otherwise, she assures me, “Glasgow feels very chill.”

WHY GO NOW: The Florida government’s cruel and censorious attacks on queer and trans people have understandably dominated the headlines. But culture is not entirely defined by legislation. In the Latin American hub of Magic City, LGBTQ+ creatives are bringing defiant activism to parties, drag protests, and even one trending Michelin-recognized restaurant.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: “We are close to the water. You can feel that: people are fresh, they want to dance, they’re outgoing,” says Daniela Bozo (DJ name Bozito), a Venezuelan-born and Miami-based trendsetter who’s on the cutting edge of local nightlife. Miami is certainly a city of beaches and beats that go hard after dark. But historically, the famous party scene “was mostly cis-hetero,” observes Bozito. And the few gay venues tended to focus on cis white gay men. So along with Vanessa Coy, Bozito launched Witches of Miami, a beloved collective that blends witchy vibes with dance nights at a range of queer-friendly venues, where they center trans, femme, Latine, Black, and immigrant folks. They’re among a wave of organizers, activists, bartenders, and chefs bringing more intentionally queer spaces to Miami.

THE QUEER SCENE: “Miami is a very culturally rich place. That makes it cool because there are queers from all over,” explains Bozito. Sometimes nicknamed “the Capital of Latin America,” Miami has an extroverted but equally intense spirit. “The queers here are ride or die for you — unless they don’t like you,” she laughs. A lot of the scene convenes at indoor-outdoor bar Gramps, the go-to hangout in the Wynwood Arts District, known for its many public murals. Head to Gramps on Thursdays for Double Stubble drag nights and watch its event calendar for everything from drag bingo to themed dance nights. There’s also a notable new addition: In April, a new queer bar opened in Wynwood’s blocks: Willy’s is a neighborhood spot with affordable cocktails and seltzers from the organizers of Wynwood Pride, where past festivals have featured everyone from Charli XCX to, of course, Bozito. The queers eat, too: There’s the iconic drag brunches at R House and, most notably, downtown’s queer-owned Tâm Tâm, a self-described “Vietnamese drinking food and wine bar” that was recognized in the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand in 2024.

AFTER HOURS: “The coolest part about the queer scene in Miami is that most of the parties have a purpose,” says Bozito, noting that many of the organizers are also activists. Witches of Miami, which hosts a range of community events in addition to its parties, is only one example. She points to parties like Masisi, a Black queer Caribbean party named for a Haitian Creole word that translates to the F-slur, which prioritizes Black performers and attendees. Then there’s the kink rave Corruption and beach parties from H.O.T. (or House of Trouble). Also be sure to check out Perreo En Patines, where queer skaters of color rule the rink.

ONLY IN MIAMI: In a state where legislators seem determined to ban drag queens from the state’s public spaces despite judicial injunctions, drag artists of all kinds have been at the forefront of politics and culture in the state, including a recent public banner project in Miami Beach. The city’s vibrant art and queer scenes also meet in shops like Dale Zine, which sells queer-centric periodicals and sometimes hosts art by queer artists.

NEED TO KNOW: In Miami, the place to see and be seen is, invariably, the beach, which is technically its own municipality. But gay-centric Miami Beach events often favor certain cisgender body types over others, leaving many queer people feeling left out. “The beach is complicated,” Bozito tells Them, directing readers to consider the Haulover Nude Beach, a place she says is generally friendlier to queer and trans beachgoers. “A bunch of friends go there. Everyone’s generally open-minded.”

WHY GO NOW: It sometimes seems like the whole internet has seen Instagram photos of Iceland’s lagoons and subarctic shores. But the world’s northernmost capital city is also one of the more welcoming places for queer and trans travelers, where chilling in pools is a top activity.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: For much of the year, Iceland is a cold dark place. Then summer hits. “You get the three happiest months of your life,” says Alex Hellsing, vice president of Trans Ísland, the national trans advocacy organization. From mid- to late-June, you’ll see light 24 hours a day at the peak of summer. “The sun out all the time makes everything worth it in a strange way,” Hellsing says. When August rolls around, one-third of the country takes to the streets for Reykjavík Pride. Those good vibes for queer and trans people here aren’t just about the midnight sun. Iceland ranks highly for LGBTQ+ rights and is a leader in trans-affirming policies; gender autonomy has been the law since 2019. That doesn’t make it an LGBTQ+ paradise, though, as it’s sometimes marketed. “But it does make me happy that queers can come here and be like, things are nice,” Hellsing notes.

THE QUEER SCENE: In a tiny country where the entire population totals around 380,000 people, the queer scene is rather small. While it can sometimes feel like “the same 30 people running around” at the queer socials and spaces, Hellsing jokes, “there’s a lot more going on than you’d think.” The island’s primary gay bar is Kiki, where the local drag family House of Heart hosts their recurring Heart Attack show. Then, of course, there’s the colorful rainbow street (Skólavörðustígur), the center of annual Pride. At the top of the street is a rather unconventional looking church, Hallgrímskirkja. In addition to performing queer weddings (one openly bi priest in the Church of Iceland even said “God is queer …”), it also has sweeping views. (Ride the elevator to the top of its tower to see the panorama unfold.) Yes, Reykjavík is a small town, but it also has queerness in unexpected places: Hellsing points to spaces like Gallery Kannski, a small artist-run center that has a reputation for showing trans and queer artists, as well as queer-inclusive performance events hosted by artist-activist collective R.E.C. Arts.

AFTER HOURS: Bars around Reykjavík can sometimes get overrun by groups of straight travelers (including, at times, Kiki). In-the-know queer and trans locals often hang out at the alternative Gaukurinn, a divey bar that’s “a safe space to scream into a mic” for its weekly karaoke, as Hellsing says from experience. Gaukurinn also hosts drag events, queer-friendly parties, live music, and comedy.

ONLY IN ICELAND: Beyond the obvious stuff like the touristy Icelandic Phallological Museum, dubbed “the world’s only genuine penis museum,” this is ultimately a country famous for road trips. The outdoor spots closest to Reykjavík are no secret. The most popular touring route, the Golden Circle, gets crowded. Recently, responding to the surge in overtourism, the island has designated new scenic routes such as the 590-mile Westfjords Way, along which you’ll find lesser-known waterfalls, hotsprings, and, obviously, fjords.

NEED TO KNOW: “Swimming pool culture is like the biggest thing in Iceland,” says Hellsing. Thankfully, most pools offer private, gender-neutral, and accessible changing places — and Trans Ísland even maintains a handy list of trans-friendly pools.

WHY GO NOW: Through Motor City’s ups and downs, tight-knit queer and trans communities have remained at the forefront of its culture, helping to fuel Detroit’s recent resurgence. Oh, and the birthplace of techno still knows how to throw a rave to rival anywhere else.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: “I’ve lived in Detroit for 15 years and have seen our queer community grow from the tiniest little group of people to a glorious boom that I can no longer keep up with,” says chef Jon Kung, author of Kung Food, which re-examines the cuisine of the Chinese diaspora. Kung worked in some of Detroit’s top kitchens and successfully launched his own pop-up before gaining several million followers across his social media content through the pandemic. Similarly, Detroit has also been in the international spotlight over the past few years, from a controversial 2021 Bottega Veneta show to Beyoncé’s Renaissance, which incorporated elements of Detroit’s signature techno sounds. Add to that the fact that Michigan’s government has been making strides to improve legal protections for LGBTQ+ residents.

THE QUEER SCENE: Of course, you’ve got Detroit’s typical gayborhood go-tos like Soho in the gay-centric suburb of Ferndale. But the more distinctly queer scene is grassroots and rather spread out, Kung says, and you need to know where to go. “A lot of the best parts of the city are still something only people who live here know about,” the chef tells Them. One example is the They Beach project, a community initiative at Belle Isle Park to create more safe queer and trans gatherings in public. The island, larger than Central Park, has a public beach. “You can see where queer people congregate by the Pride and trans flags usually hoisted up,” he says. “It’s no one group of friends but the larger community that’s creating a safe space to enjoy ourselves.” Longtime community groups also continue to fill the calendar with events for LGBTQ+ Detroiters. One organization at the forefront is LGBT Detroit, the nation’s largest nonprofit by and for Black LGBTQ+ people, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Two annual events LGBT Detroit hosts for Black Detroiters includes a gospel and soul concert in July and the “fetish fusion” winter festival, Cold As Hell.

AFTER HOURS: For a distinctly queer night out, Kung recommends checking out what’s happening at cool multipurpose spaces like Spotlite, an inclusive gallery space, café, bar, and record store that has a queer-friendly vibe. “Music venues are also great,” he advises. In a city known for its subculture sounds that bring out diverse crowds, Kung points to a range of inclusive spots to catch shows and DJs, such as Marble Bar or TV Lounge — “great music venues where people are brought together by their love of an artist or genre,” he says. “Queer folks will carve out a little space on the dance floor.”

ONLY IN DETROIT: Detroit is a city where Black and queer DJs and artists have been at the forefront of dance music innovations for decades, including bringing the sounds of techno to the world. That rich legacy lives on in underground parties, but one queer-friendly entry point is the celebrated Movement music festival, which takes over Hart Plaza for a weekend in late May. The 2024 lineup, for example, included iconic producer and DJ Honey Dijon, among others. Hosted over the same weekend, the irreverent LGBTQ+ dance event Club Toilet brings some of the best talent to the queer club Menjo’s.

NEED TO KNOW: Many Detroiters can tell you about their frustrations with the state of local transportation options. If you’re going out, you’ll want to plan to use rideshare apps or call a cab. Its nickname is Motor City, after all.

WHY GO NOW: Much has been written about the hypnotic chaos of Saigon’s streets, and the contrasts between its rising skyline and ancient pagodas. But, increasingly, the city’s energetic queer scene is where it’s at.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: “Working as a writer in Saigon, I’ve had the opportunity to profile queer chefs and the underground queer nightlife scene. So when I say Saigon’s queer scene is thriving, I just mean there is a real genuine push for progress both from the grassroots level and the governmental level,” says in-the-know culture writer Dan Q. Dao. “Not for nothing, but I’ve never felt physically safer anywhere in the world.”

THE QUEER SCENE: Vietnam’s largest city, officially Ho Chi Minh City, commonly Saigon, is a sprawling metropolis of more than 9 million people spread across 24 districts. Many LGBTQ+ bars and venues are clustered in the kinetic District 1 and surrounding central areas. A queer place to start your days here is Pride Cafe, a community gathering space for coffee, tea, brunch, and evening drinks. “They’ve also got a queer book club and movie nights,” Dao suggests. Another coffee spot, the lesbian-owned Twist Cafe & Bar, “turns into a popular bar and hangout space for both expats and locals at night” in Thao Dien, a.k.a. “Saigon’s expat hub,” Dao says. You can catch acoustic and live shows at “beloved queer-owned” Thi Bar, which hosts live music every night but Tuesday. And taking the drag revolution upstairs, the party collective Genderfunk takes over the rooftop bar Observatory, with performances from local drag talent and sounds from Saigon’s queer DJs.

AFTER HOURS: The place to be seen is Vấp Cục Đá, the “preeminent queer party” in the city, Dao says. Typically hosted at the techno club Arcan, the party spotlights talent from the region and the world. “I love how some of the DJs, like founder Tizone Bui, integrate traditional Vietnamese sounds like vinahouse into their music,” Dao says. Earlier in the night, there are vogue and ballroom elements, too. “There’s a little something for the community before it just becomes an all-out rave.”

ONLY IN SAIGON: “The lô tô show definitely stands out as being uniquely Saigonese,” which Dao describes as “a sort of drag bingo-esque show.” Lô tô, Dao says, “caters predominantly to locals: the show has roots in the South, in the Mekong Delta region, before it came to Saigon and became a big thing.” There are several popular shows throughout the city. “You’ll see all kinds of people, even families, going to watch lô tô.”

NEED TO KNOW: “Something that’s perhaps a little less tangible is the way Vietnamese [people] so eagerly and thoroughly adapt outside influences, especially in Saigon, which is the most open and international of the cities,” Dao says. “Saigon is where scrappy Vietnamese cooks took baguettes — brought over by the French, who sneered at local food — and turned them into something much more interesting. Saigon is where composers like Trinh Cong Son interpreted blues to become Vietnam’s Bob Dylan. And it’s here in Saigon’s nightclubs that party organizers, DJs, and the queer community intersect to produce a unique city-specific queer culture.”

WHY GO NOW: Cape Town may get more gay attention, but don’t sleep on Jozi’s nonstop energy. Queer creatives of every type are bringing a fresh edge to South Africa’s frenetic cityscape, known for its unfiltered culture and millions of trees.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: The gritty yet leafy city of Jozi or Jo’burg, as locals affectionately refer to it, has an open energy. That’s according to Mx Blouse, a rising name in the South African music scene: “You could go out on your own and find people to spend the rest of the night with,” they tell me. “Joburg is a super liberal city in the sense that queer people are very visible even in spaces that are traditionally straight,” referencing how figures like Fela Gucci and Desire Marea, known for their collaboration as FAKA, have helped make queer people more visible in South African cultural scenes. Mx Blouse, spotlighted as Spotify’s GLOW artist in October, is one of the artists, DJs, and nightlife organizers actively queering this diverse metro of six million people (and just as many trees).

THE QUEER SCENE: In some ways, South Africa has been a legal trend-setter for LGBTQ+ equality. In 1996, it became the first country to forbid discrimination on grounds of sexuality in its constitution, and it was the fifth country to legalize marriage equality in 2006, remaining the only African nation to have done so. Gay anti-apartheid activists Simon Nkoli and Beverley Palesa Ditsie famously held the country’s first Pride event in Jo’burg in 1990 — and Johannesburg Pride is now the largest on the continent. At the same time, there aren’t enough intentionally queer spaces, but that’s starting to change. In the Rosebank district’s Keyes Art Mile, artist Banele Khoza platforms Black and queer perspectives in BKHz, a gallery that’s turning heads in the global art world. Mx Blouse spots a similar trend in Jozi music: “There are a lot more queer artists than when I started six years ago,” they say. They point to queer social collective Other Village People and its annual festival Queertopia as a tipping point. Each February, the weekend festival turns historic Constitution Hill into a celebration of queer creativity across music and the arts.

AFTER HOURS: Beyond the shirtless men dancing at more conventional gay bars like the popular Babylon, you’ll more often find in-the-know queers like Mx Blouse mingling at alternative queer-friendly spaces like the compact bar Bad Manors and vinyl-only listening spot Neighbarhood. “As a queer culture, it’s not venues that define the nightlife, per se — it’s different parties and events,” Mx Blouse observes. Some of the most popular recurring queer parties are hosted by Other Village People, notably Same Sex Saturdays (check OVP’s Instagram for dates), which aims to center queer and trans people.

ONLY IN JOHANNESBURG: As pandemic-era lockdowns eased, younger locals began frequenting the Kwa Mai Mai Market, a traditional medicine market also famous for its barbecue. Mx Blouse says you’ll see a lot of queer people pulling up plastic chairs with plates of meat on Sunday. “That’s where everyone goes to try and heal the hangover — but it becomes a party, so I don’t know how effective it is,” they laugh.

NEED TO KNOW: “South Africa has a crime problem, in general,” Mx Blouse cautions. Particularly in rural areas, violence against LGBTQ+ South Africans is alarming. But they say sometimes the reputation in Jozi seems “exaggerated” among foreigners online. “It’s not like you can’t go anywhere. But you just have to be careful in the same way you’d be careful in other cities,” Mx Blouse says. Due to Jozi’s sprawling nature and unreliable public transportation, queer visitors are wise to plan to take taxis or hail a rideshare when out and about.

WHY GO NOW: Long one of the world’s leaders on legal rights for trans people, Argentina’s recently elected far-right president has activists in the capital on alert. But the LGBTQ+ scene here resonates with urgent purpose and, of course, plenty of queer tango.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: The political and economic climate in Argentina is, well, “complicated.” That’s how tango teacher Mariana Docampo summarizes how many LGBTQ+ people are feeling right now in what has until recently been one of the world’s most progressive places for trans and queer rights. “Until now, the government has mostly been to the left,” she says. Then “anti-woke” libertarian Javier Milei won a landslide victory in the November 2023 elections, following outrage over massive inflation that has put enormous pressure on working people in the country. Until Milei’s election, Argentina had been ahead of the curve on LGBTQ+ legislation, including becoming the first country to legalize self-ID for trans and nonbinary people in 2012. “It was a good moment,” she reflects. Now, activists worry about rights being rolled back. But at the same time, Docampo is also observing the queer culture in the capital coming together with a palpable sense of justice — and sometimes even defiant hedonism.

THE QUEER SCENE: The most overused nickname for Buenos Aires is “la París de Sudamérica” — the Paris of South America. It’s a cliché with plenty of romantic merit: its elegantly crumbling architecture, moody streetscapes, and, of course, tango woo many first-time visitors. But for a long time, the heteropatriarchal nature of tango — men lead, women follow — kept local queer and trans people out of a traditional symbol of Argentine identity. “The moment came when I wanted to dance with a woman — and to lead,” recalled Docampo, who in 2005 created Tango Queer Buenos Aires, where anyone of any gender or sexuality can learn to dance with anyone they want. Today, Tango Queer hosts regular classes and events, which Docampo touts as an unrivaled way to connect with the queer culture of Buenos Aires. Trans-centric tango nights as well as live music, performances, and more make the venue Batacazo Cultural one of Buenos Aires’ newer queer cultural hotspots. Casa Brandon, the hub for a pivotal queer organization, is also one of the central social nodes in the scene, hosting a wide range of creative events in its venue near Parque Centenario. Nearby, you can’t miss the queer book selection and layered rainbow cake at LGBTQ+ bookstore-cum-café-cum-bar Maricafé.

AFTER HOURS: You’ll find a lot of Buenos Aires’ queer nightlife in Palermo Soho, a subsection of the vast Palermo neighborhood. Popular spot Peuteo’s name is a play on a slang word for an anti-gay slur — a bar that brands itself, sarcastically, as “heterofriendly.” Popular queer nights include Fiesta Jolie, every Wednesday, and the legendary lesbian party Rose Girls. In the central area, Puticlú is known to be a hangout spot for trans folks and queer performers, with its underground bar giving off a decidedly punk-queer edge.

ONLY IN BUENOS AIRES: Queer tango events are hosted almost every week, Docampo says. She recommends the annual Festival Tango Queer de Buenos Aires (happening December 5-9, 2024) as a celebratory entry point.

NEED TO KNOW: While much of the world celebrates Pride in June, one of the largest gatherings in South America kicks off in Buenos Aires’s central Plaza de Mayo every first Saturday in November, typically one of the drier months of the year and the height of late spring in the southern hemisphere. In the lead up to Marcha del Orgullo, a wide range of cultural and activist events are hosted independently at venues around the city, too.

WHY GO NOW: The largest French-speaking metro in North America has an artistic queer scene drawing folks in from across Canada and around the world — and while affordability is a growing concern, it remains a laid-back city where creatives come to do their own thing.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: “Montreal has a very, very vibrant queer and trans scene,” says photographer Laurence Philomene, whose book Puberty explores transition through self-portraiture. “Historically, it’s been a pretty cheap place for artists to live. And I feel like that goes hand in hand with welcoming queer and trans people from all over,” they say, while stressing the cost of living has been rapidly rising in recent years. The city’s cosmopolitan vibes make the queer culture rather open to new people and ideas. “Overall, I would say it’s a very welcoming city.”

THE QUEER SCENE: “The main difference with the scene in Montreal versus other cities is that it’s very divided between French and English, culturally,” Philomene says, underscoring the fact that this is a distinctly bilingual city. Many Montrealers are fluent in both languages, though the queer scene can often split into francophone and anglophone factions. “There are places where the two meet — right now, it’s the fight for trans rights,” they say, citing examples such as the grassroots Trans March Montreal, held in August. “Bonjour, hi” is the common greeting you’ll get across the city. Philomene notes that the queer scene tends to gather outside the traditional Gay Village in spots like Mile End and the adjacent Little Italy. Head to the divey queer bar Notre-Dame-Des-Quilles, known for its eclectic crowd and mini bowling alley — or Champs, a sports bar that transitioned into a lesbian-centric sports bar under new ownership.

AFTER HOURS: Known for their colorful aesthetic, Philomene often photographs creative people at the center of queer nightlife in Montreal including ballroom pioneer Elle Barbara and Canada’s Drag Race stars Denim and Sisi Superstar. They recommend checking out cabaret events hosted by Them Fatale, which centers trans and nonbinary performers. Another highlight is the collective Unikorn, which hosts recurring parties where the category is always club kid and Superstar is a regular fixture. You’ll see Unikorn pop up at the music venue and bar La Sala Rossa, which also hosts shows by queer artists and participates in June’s avant garde music festival Suoni Per Il Popolo.

ONLY IN MONTREAL: “Something I really like about Montreal is the alleyways,” Philomene says. And alleyways, or ruelles in French, are a unique feature of the historic city planning. Residents have converted many alleyways into pedestrian mixed-use spaces, including the community-led Ruelles Vertes project which has seen more than 400 alleyways transformed into DIY greenspaces.

NEED TO KNOW: “As far as safety, it’s pretty much the same as any other place in North America — I do experience attention for sure as a visibly gender nonconforming person,” Philomene says. They advise taking the precautions you’d take in any other city, but otherwise, “the energy of Montreal is just, like, really chill. Come here with no expectations. Wander around. Have a nice walk.”

WHY GO NOW: The queer capital of the South is in the midst of an underground renaissance in alternative nightlife and rave culture — led by forward-thinking Black and brown artists, DJs, and producers who create radical places to get liberated in the music.

THE INSIDER’S VIEW: “We’re here to uplift and support our queer community and underrepresented artists,” says JAGU4R of the mission behind Malware Café, a queer collective responsible for some of the most compelling underground nightlife happening in Atlanta. When JAGU4R — a multi-hyphenate artist — moved into a “spooky” house and bought their first DJ controller, they started hosting livestreams with their roommates. Now, there are more than a dozen nightlife creators making Malware a force in the scene (or as they put it, “Atlanta’s sexiest virus”). “Since we started three and half years ago, we’ve been able to help produce a sensation of a renaissance here,” they say. And that’s due to the collective work of many other leaders in the scene including Ree de la Vega, founder of popular event Chaka Khan Hacienda. It’s a renaissance that’s only getting started.

THE QUEER SCENE: “Atlanta serves to be extremely Black and brown in framework in our queerness,” says JAGU4R, who cites organizations like Southern Fried Queer Pride, which captures the revolutionary spirit of the Black trans and queer scenes in the South. In addition to annual Pride happenings in June, the grassroots arts and community-building group has a packed calendar of inclusive events that include everything from queer arts markets and yoga to creative writing workshops and a sober community potluck. (Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the group recently signed the lease on a warehouse they’re converting in the Oakland City neighborhood to open a new venue, Clutch, later this year.) While the queer scene isn’t confined to any one part of the city, you’ll find queer and trans people convening in neighborhoods like East Atlanta Village, says JAGU4R. Check out a few East Atlanta favorites like dive bar music venue 529; queer bar Mary’s, known to host drag shows and dance nights; and My Sister’s Room, among the longest-running lesbian bars in the country. In the historic Old Fourth Ward, you’ll also find the bizarre Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium, a spoof of Christian iconography and a decidedly queer gathering place.

AFTER HOURS: “A lot of what we do is introducing our city and our community to really hard queer artists,” says JAGU4R. Check out the Malware Café Instagram page for dates and tickets for upcoming events — often with secret locations only unveiled to ravers — as well as recurring nights hosted by the collective’s residents such as FairyDust’s experimental party Club Saturn. The goal in it all: “Liberating queer people through experiencing pleasure and catharsis.”

ONLY IN ATLANTA: What if we could convert shopping malls into venues for diverse creativity? That’s the idea behind Underground Atlanta, an art and entertainment complex that’s recently taken over retail spaces in an iconic downtown center. Underground Atlanta is now home to galleries, places to eat and drink, and multiple venues that host LGBTQ+ concerts and parties. JAGU4R describes it as a “metropolis” of its own, which helps cultivate the burgeoning dance scene.

NEED TO KNOW: “It might be a part of the Southern hospitality that’s inherently ingrained in this area, but we are really sweet to each other most of the time,” JAGU4R laughs. They hope anyone drawn to these inclusive spaces comes with care and respect for the fact that these are, first and foremost, intentionally spaces celebrating Black and brown queer people. “We are so dynamic, so interesting — there’s something about us that doesn’t stop.”

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