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GAY AND LESBIAN PARIS |
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Paris is one of Europe's major centres for gay men. There are
numerous gay bars, clubs, restaurants, saunas and shops, concentrated
especially in the Marais . While less visible, the lesbian community is
strong and well organized, with networks of feminist groups and a number
of publications.
The high spots of the calendar are the annual Gay Pride parade and
festival, and the Bastille Day Ball. Gay Pride is normally held on the
Saturday closest to the summer solstice, and is a major carnival for
both lesbians and gays. The Bastille Day Ball (July 13, 10pm-dawn), a
wild open-air dance on the quai de la Tournelle, 5e (Mº Pont Marie), is
free for all to join in.
Helplines and information
Act Up Paris 45 rue Sedaine, 11e tel 01.48.06.13.89, Mº Bréguet-Sabin.
The Paris branch of the international organization against AIDS in the
homosexual community. They hold weekly meetings and two-monthly
information/discussion groups.
ARCL (Les Archives, Recherches et Cultures Lesbiennes) Maison des Femmes.
ARCL publish a biannual directory of lesbian, gay and feminist addresses
in France, called L'Annuaire (10.67), and organize frequent meetings
around campaigning, artistic and intellectual issues. In addition, they
produce a regular newsletter, and run a feminist/lesbian archive-library
at the Maison des Femmes which you can consult. Fri 7-10pm.
Association des Médecins Gais (AMG; gay doctors' organization) 45 rue
Sedaine, 11e tel 01.48.05.81.71, Mº Bréguet-Sabin. Wed 6-8pm, Sat 2-4pm.
Provides help with all health concerns relative to the gay community.
Centre Gai et Lesbienne 3 rue Keller, 11e tel 01.43.57.21.47, fax
01.43.57.27.93, Mº Ledru-Rollin. Mon-Sat 4-8pm; gay family afternoon Sun
2-7pm.
The main information centre for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transexual community in Paris. It's also the meeting place for numerous
campaigning, identity, health, arts and intellectual groups.
Écoute Gaie tel 01.44.93.01.02, Mon, Wed & Thurs 8-10pm, Tues & Fri
6-10pm.
Helpline in French with information on the gay community and advice on
problems related to being gay.
FACTS-Line tel 01.44.93.16.69. Wed 6-10pm.
Helpline in English for AIDS-related concerns.
Lesbian and Gay Pride tel 08.36.68.11.31,
Organizes the annual Gay Pride march in Paris.
Maison des Femmes 163 rue de Charenton, 12e tel 01.43.43.41.13, fax
01.43.43.42.13. Mº Reuilly-Diderot & Mº Gare-de-Lyon.
A women's meeting place, which also organizes a range of events and
actions.
Media
FG (Fréquence Gaie) 98.2 FM 24hr gay and lesbian radio station with
music, news, chats and information on groups and events.
Gai Pied Publishes the annual Guide Gai/Gay Guide , which is the most
comprehensive gay guide to France, carrying a good selection of lesbian
and gay addresses, in both French and English; ¬12.04 from newsagents
and bookshops.
Lesbia A monthly lesbian publication, available from most newsagents,
featuring a wide range of articles, listings, reviews, lonely hearts and
contacts.
Minitel 3615 GAY is the Minitel number to dial for information on groups
and contacts.
Les Mots à la Bouche 6 rue Ste-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, 4e tel
01.42.78.88.30, Mº Hôtel-de-Ville. Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri & Sat 11am-midnight,
Sun 2-8pm.
The main gay and lesbian bookshop, with exhibition space and meeting
rooms; a selection of literature in English, too. Lots of free listings
mags and club flyers.
Magazine-style internet site in French with information and articles on
all aspects of lesbian life.
Internet site with all the usual chat-rooms, shopping, forum, etc. Good
for up-to-date news and events and a few links.
Bars, clubs and discos
Lesbian clubs in Paris are less of a rarity than they were ten years
ago, but are still relatively few and far between. The pleasures of gay
men are far better catered for. While the selection of gay male-oriented
establishments listed in this section only scratches the surface, for
gay women our listings more or less cover all that's available. Lesbians,
however, are welcome in some of the predominantly male clubs.
Gay clubs' reputation for wild hedonism attracts a fair number of
heterosexuals in search of a good time. Many hetorosexuals are indeed
welcome in some gay establishments if accompanied, while some clubs have
all but abandoned a gay policy; the legendary gay club Le Queen , for
example, is only gay on a Thursday now. Equally, some of the more
mainstream clubs have started doing gay nights. For a complete rundown
of events, consult Em@le (free in gay bars) which has a comprehensive
weekly listing of gay nights, or Gai Pied's Guide Gai (published
annually) forvenues. Alternatively, tune into Paris's gay radio station
RadioFG (98.2 FM), and keep an eye out for flyers.
Accommodation and eating
Although gays and lesbians shouldn't come across any anti-social
behaviour in restaurants and hotels, there is a choice of gay-oriented
places to stay and eat . You don't need to look any further than the
Marais; restaurants are plentiful, and even if they aren't exclusively
gay, the location can guarantee a mainly gay clientele. Although there's
only one hotel, Hôtel Central Marais , that caters exclusively to gays
and lesbians, there are a few where the majority of customers are gay.
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