What's it really like?
Long Beach, California, 24 miles (30 minutes by car) south of Los Angeles, has been affectionately referred to as LA’s hipster sibling for years.
One of the reasons Long Beach has become popular for tourists is that it’s been at the forefront of alternative lifestyles well before other cities became more accepting.
Visitors to Long Beach have exclaimed at times that it appears the gay population well outnumbers the hetero one, especially during holidays and special event times.
Long Beach’s pride event is one of the US’ longest-running and recently celebrated its 40th year. It’s held every year in May and lasts for three days. Live music is provided by headline artists, and the world-famous Long Beach Pride Parade features annually.
The Long Beach area is only 50 square miles. The beach itself is a 4-mile stretch, and a reef protects it; there are no waves, making it seem more like a lagoon than a beach.
Even though travelers would expect a beach location to have properties along the stretch of sand, that’s not the case for Long Beach.
Almost every hotel is located in the downtown area, which is just behind the harbor and marina area.
While some well-known chains are present, like Westin, Marriott, and Hilton, most properties are in the 3–4-star category range.
Long Beach hotels aren’t as expensive as LA ones, which is another reason travelers choose to stay here over its big sister. It’s not even that far away; you could drive it in under 30 minutes. Those without a car can catch the Metro A Line tram all the way; it takes an hour and costs less than $2.
Named one of the best cities in the entire US for LGBTQIA+ people, it has scored a perfect 100 on the municipal equality index.
Like every other city in California, Long Beach has been caught up in red tape and legal issues surrounding gays and lesbians, in particular Proposition 8.
Finally, though, on Friday, June 28, 2013, the Supreme Court overturned Proposition 8, opening the doors once again for gay marriage in the state, and Long Beach couples were some of the first to get married; two couples exchanged vows that very night.
There’s now nothing standing in the way of gays getting married in this beachfront location, and it’s definitely a destination to consider if that’s on your list for this year.
Long Beach has one gayborhood, and it’s only a three-block section of one street East Broadway. It’s affectionately known as the Gay Corridor, and plans exist for it to be officially recognized as an LGBTQIA+ cultural district.
Gay party-goers visiting Long Beach could spend their entire night bar-hopping along East Broadway without needing to venture any further. Some gay venues along this strip have been there for 40 years, including Broadway Cocktails.
With most of the accommodation located in the downtown district, the convenience of the Gay Corridor — a 5-minute drive away — can’t be understated.
Not every venue is in the Gay Corridor, though; 5-minutes away by car is The Silver Fox Long Beach’s longest-running gay video music lounge and nightclub.
Halfway north towards Los Angeles in North Long Beach, there are another two venues, Falcon North and Flux Bar.
The LGBTQ center on East 4th Street is open weekdays from 10 am. It offers a range of services for gay travelers, including STI testing including HIV. Rapid tests can be provided for walk-ins, but they prefer bookings.
Gay travelers wanting to renew their PrEP prescriptions can visit the APLA Health Center. If a visitor to Long Beach feels they may need PEP, the best option is to visit a hospital emergency room.
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