The Library – A cute bookish hangout filled with even cute LB gay boys getting their iced coffee fix. Enjoy free brew, delicious food at this fashionable exposed-brick spot with interesting bookshelves and fun mismatched chairs to lounge in.The perfect part? All proceeds go directly to benefit people with HIV & AIDs. Prices are low, staff are helpful and there are plenty of gems to be found. AIDS Assistance Thrift Store – An old-school not-for-profit thrift store with an eclectic range of apparel, furniture & home accents.Plus, later at night you never know who you might bump into… Romantix – Slightly less fun, but right in the middle of the Long Beach gaybourhood is this premier adult toy retailer with everything you could possibly need for a pleasurable night.
In either case, it is pretty hard to miss with its rainbow flag, hot pink & black awning and giant retro neon sign. For everything romantic, thoughtful, erotic, sexy and colorful, you can’t go past this shop. Hot Stuff – A adults store serving the LGBT community here since 1980 Dona Summer`s hit song “Hot stuff” inspired their name.Each year they serve over 25,000 people a year and include an array of services including support groups, workshops and seminars, youth services, free HIV & STI testing, legal assistance, domestic violence services, employment referrals, mental health counseling, cultural and social activities. Long Beach LGBT Center – A local community resource that seeks to engage, empower and advocate to achieve a more equitable society and fosters an ever-improving quality of life for the LGBTQ community of Long Beach.No surprises or awkward conversations necessary! And if you then want their help to find your dream home, you are guaranteed fair, equal, and honest representation. They can happily give you no-obligation advice and all the information you'll ever need to know about your new city. However, if you are lucky enough to be considering a move here, we recommend getting in touch with a local gay realtor. Long Beach is not just gay-friendly, it’s ridiculously friendly over-all with smiles and chatting locals everywhere you go.īut with the most perfect weather, a welcoming community, and a thriving cultural scene, what isn’t there to be happy about?Īre you relocating? This guide will help travelers discover the queerer side of the city. Click on the starred map points to read more in-depth stories.As chilled and welcoming as the stereotypical surfer dudes for which Cali is famed, in this sunny city you will an LGBT community infused with energy, passion and genuine excitement about the future – all this despite the best efforts of this current Trump-era politics of hate and discrimination. Nevertheless, the military attracted people who desired a safe, queer space, and some of those people became fans of the Boom Boom Room.Įxplore some of the spaces in Orange County shaped by the Cold War. Gay service members could not safely express themselves publicly until 2011, when President Obama repealed Clinton's 1993 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. In 1953, President Eisenhower had declared homosexuals a threat to national security because he perceived gay people to be vulnerable to blackmail, in a policy that became known as the " Lavender Scare," paralleling the "Red Scare" of communism. The Boom Boom Room was famed for its disco dancing in the 1970s as well as for the cabaret singing of Mexican American chanteuse (and Anaheim native) Rudy de la Mor. Artists from Laguna Beach, vacationers from Hollywood and beyond, as well as marines from the nearby bases all made this a center of gay nightlife. The bar at the Coast Inn was constructed in 1927 and, by the 1940s, had become a haven for gay and lesbian guests, making it one of the oldest gay bars in the western United States.