Gay Friendly Orlando

The City Beautiful, Land of Everything, the Lightning Capital of the World - Orlandians cannot seem to make up their minds! When the Dutch settled this area back in the 1700 they called it Orlando (land of everything) -- why fix something that ain't broke? If I were in charge of picking a tagline, that would be it (says it all, doesn't it?), only I would draw Mickey Mouse ears and whiskers on the 'o', and wrap a feather boa around 'f's throat. There could be some resistance to the embellishment, but all in all, fun and Gay are in in Orlando, and there is not much the die-hard conservatives can do about it. In spite of occasional anti-gay sentiment (even the rare crime), Gay Orlando is fast coming into its own and flaunting it. Witness the early June Gay Days, when queers, sporting trademark red T-shirts show up en-masse at local theme parks, and celebrate their emancipation in citywide parties, performances and gatherings.

Summer temps in the 90s and humidity in the hundred percentile cannot keep gays away from Orlando's delectations (what's wrong with a little extra sweat on the dance floor, anyway?) - last year's Gay Days attracted 125,000 queers (a real 'gay buffet'!), and they reportedly had a great time wrapping it up at the Parliament House, dancing in their skivvies.

Each year, thousands of gays and lesbians turn out for the Orlando Come Out With Pride Week - marching down Summerlin and Central avenues in the pride parade before stopping at Wall Street Plaza for food, drinks, and entertainment.

The Orlando area is peppered with more than 100 natural lakes and plenty of romantic trails for lovers of the outdoors. One thing you should watch out for is sinkholes (especially in Lake County), so do not venture too far out into the sand hills unless there is a tow truck following you close behind. But never mind the sand traps, Orlando has something for everyone, from the gargantuan Walt Disney World to the Orlando Cove (where you can pretend you're vacationing in the Caribbean), to dining, clubbing and theatre including year-long showings of GLBT-themed movies at the Enzio Theater, host of the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Although there isn't a predominantly-gay district in Orlando, plenty of GLBT and gay-friendly hotels, restaurants and bars will make you feel at home, but ff you still feel queasy about walking down Main Street holding hands with your gay partner, head for the Freedom Resort & Spa on Highway 192 in Kissimmee - a recently opened gay-oriented membership resort.


Where to Stay in Gay Friendly Orlando

In the heart of the city, directly across from the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center and the TD Waterhouse Sports Arena, savvy business travelers can rely on Orlando Marriott Hotel for genuine comfort and gay-friendliness. Footsteps away from shopping, entertainment, restaurants and nightlife, this hotel is outfitted with all the expected business accoutrements, including
high-speed Internet, as well as a 24-hour fitness center, and a heated pool and Jacuzzi.

For an upscale stay, the Eo Inn & Spa, Orlando's premier boutique hotel is the crown jewel of Thornton Park - a quaint, lively community just outside the city's urban core, overlooking Lake Eola and the downtown skyline. Circa 1923, this 1999 restoration houses 17 deluxe "smart-wired" suites decorated with understated elegance. Relax in the rooftop terrace whirlpool, or perk up with a cupa at the Panera Bread, their famous bakery-cafe (227 N. Eola Drive, 407-481-8485).

If you're looking for a hotel with a little more filth and sleaze - (we're talking about the good kind of filth - where nearly nude men walk around the exterior corridors - looking to get "neighborly" with other hotel guests) - check out the Parlimant House. Adjacent to the nightclub of the same name, this modest motel makes stumbling home after a night of dancing an easy fete.


What to See and Do in Gay Friendly Orlando

Walt Disney World not your cup of tea? How about an afternoon at the wacky Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium, artfully constructed to appear as if it were collapsing to one side (maybe a sly reference to central Florida's infamous sinkholes) - bizarre artifacts, strange collections, weird art and interactive exhibits in sixteen odd galleries await discovery at this, one of only 27 Ripley museums in the world (407-345-0501). Or head for the magnificent Cirque du Soleil La Nouba (407-939-7600) in Downtown Disney West Side - more than 70 artists from around the globe perform impossible acrobatics and special effects here.
Ever wanted to be an astronaut? The Kennedy Space Center (321-449-4444) is only 45 minutes from Orlando - the place for touring launch areas, seeing giant rockets, or "training" in spaceflight simulators. Though if you're afraid of heights you might prefer to commune with dolphins and (if you dare) stingrays at the Discovery Cove (407-370-1280), part of the SeaWorld Adventure Park complex, where you can snorkel and chase tropical fish with your waterproof digital camera through the living coral reef. For bigger game, 'catch' thousands of alligators and crocodiles at Gatorland (407-855-5496), even bloodcurdling alligator wrestling - some of these specimens are bonafide TV stars (but I would not beg for an autograph).

The literati wouldn't want to miss The Kerouac House, a heaven for aspiring writers in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, where Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road, the novel that made him a national sensation and Beat Generation icon. And museum goers can choose from the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College (407-646-2526), featuring items from the Cornell's renowned permanent collection; or The Morse Museum of American Art, at Rollins College, housing the world's "most comprehensive" collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany -- art glass, jewelry, pottery, and the chapel interior designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (407-645-5311).

The Orlando Film Festival is one of the largest outside of California, attracting budding filmmakers from around the world, and Orlandians' love for the dramatic arts is obvious when you realize just how many theaters and events dot the area -- Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre, Theatre Downtown, The Osceola Center for the Arts, Winter Park Playhouse, Theatre Winter Haven, and Seaside Music Theatre. In addition, the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center brings national tours through town on a regular basis. Each spring, local theatres and downtown venues play host to the Orlando International Fringe Festival, which draws touring companies from all around the world, as well as readings and fully staged productions of new and unknown plays by local artists. Also in the spring, Darden Restaurants sponsors a Festival of New Plays, hosted by Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival
Wild Florida is alive and… pumping 42 million gallons of crystal-clear water every day at the Wekiwa Springs State Park - a 7,000 acres park located off Interstate 4 near Apopka for canoeing, swimming, fly fishing and camping. 13 miles of hiking trails wind through the pristine hills and woods, but you can bike or take your horse out if you prefer. You should expect to run into free roaming wildlife, including gray fox, bobcat, raccoon, opossum and black bears. Deer range from the high sandhills and scrub down through the flatwoods to the hammocks and swamps (407/884-2008).

Forget table etiquette at the dark-ages banquet at The Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in nearby Kissimmee (407-396-1518), where six brave (and foolish) knights on horseback will entertain your royal bone with tournament games, jousting, and sword fighting. Kissimmee has much more going for it with Old Town (407-396-4888) - its cobblestone brick-lined streets host some 75 shops, 8 restaurants, and no less than 15 amusement park rides. Come on a Friday or Saturday for the Classic car shows to see and touch hundreds of vintage automobiles.

Orlando has no shortage of shopping - more than 20 malls, designer factory outlets and wholesale flea markets vie for your vacation stipend. The Florida Mall even send their own buses around to the hotels to collect shopaholics for their 250+ vendors (407-851-6255), while the Mediterranean-style Orlando Premium Outlets are stocked with designer labels at up to 65% discounts in every one of their 110 shops (407-415-7283).


Dining and Nightlife in Gay Friendly Orlando

After all that stingray dodging and dolphin swimming you must have a yearning for a good piece of meat (not men – we'll get to that later) - no better place to quench your mignon and other fillet cravings than the Texas de Brazil (5259 International Drive, 407-355-0355) for Brazilian-style churrascaria, or steakhouse, where meat is the star of the plate - 14 cuts of meat including filet mignon, sausage, pork ribs, chicken and lamb served by gauchos. You might want to start with a lime-laced caipirinha, a traditional South American cocktail, or choose from a selection of 300 wines.

Named for its perch on the 28th floor of the Bank of America building in downtown Orlando, Manuel's on the 28th (390 North Orange Avenue, 407-246-6580) dishes up contemporary cuisine with one of the best views in town. If you arrive early enough, you might still get one of coveted west-facing tables, where you can take in magical sunsets through floor-to-ceiling windows. Romance is in the air at this eclectic eatery with its art-glass lamps, Lenox china and fine crystal glassware. Start with the baby spinach and Stilton salad topped with black walnuts, shiitake croutons and warm apple-wood bacon vinaigrette. Try the miso-marinated Chilean sea bass, served with seaweed salad and lotus root. Dinner for two could easily top $200.

Bosendorf's happy hour is one of the most popular downtown (407-313-9000). The posh lounge (named after the rare Imperial Grand Bosendorfer Piano - at $250,000 price tag and one of two in the world - in the adjacent Klimt Rotunda) brings a new level of chic to downtown Orlando. With its edgy design in black marble, red stones and mirrors, and red velvet sofas, this is the place to sip a pricy martini after an exhausting designer label shopping spree.

Nightlife in Gay Friendly Orlando!

We all know the real fun starts after sundown, when gay Orlando kicks up its heels at a surprisingly large number of hip GLBT discos and clubs. RuPaul, Cyndi Lauper and the Village People have graced the stage at the Parliament House, a sprawling entertainment complex/resort that has reached legendary status among gay travelers worldwide. If you arrive around midnight, it better be by taxi, as the parking lot is full - no surprise there: this club - on the shores of Rock Lake near downtown Orlando (actually a sprawling complex of several bars and a hotel) is the oldest and largest all-gay resort in the world.

The different bars attract like queers - at one, shirtless dancers gyrate under floodlights; at another, rough-and-tumble Western-minded crowds hold sway, and the Footlight Theater entertains with drag queen shows (including one seemingly pregnant female impersonator who gives "birth" to the musical strains of I'm Every Woman). There is a piano bar, and a terrific poolside bar with some of the best people watching in town, and the P-House's resident spin master, DJ Anthony, gets the dance floor jumping six nights a week at Le Club Disco and Dance Bar. Expect simple American pub-style food for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Rainbow Cafe, and no fancy room decor, however, it's essential to book ahead as the resort is always busy, especially during the annual Gay Days week in June (410 N Orange Blossom Trail, Phone: 407-425-7571).

Heavy on the leather, the Full Moon Saloon is within easy stumbling distance of the Parliament House (and the oldest gay bar in Orlando). Leather, latex, the cowboy look or camouflage, there is no real rule here - when it comes to dress code, most anything goes, which can give the place a costume contest feel at times. Thursdays are wild - male dancers take to the stage for the 'Moon Men on the Bar' night, while Friday's 'Bears Night' is gay slang for 'big and hairy,' so if that's your thing then your weekend will start right (500 N. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-648-8725).

Pretty boys and the guys who love them relish the super chic surrounds of Pulse, an oasis of cool divvied up into three rooms - with the entertainment growing ever more risque the farther you venture in. Sleek white furniture and lighting that changes colors dominate the Ultra Lounge, where patrons linger over martinis while taking in cabaret shows and lounge lizard sounds. The Jewel Box opens early in the evening with an entertainment lineup than spans the spectrum, from variety acts and comedy to 80s music and trance. For the wildest time, head to the Adonis Room at the back -- noir decor sets a don't-ask-don't-tell ambiance for male strip shows that often feature male adult video stars. Needless to say, check your inhibitions at the door. Popular weekly specials include College Night on Wednesdays, when it's 18 and up, and Tini Tuesdays with $2 martinis and karaoke from 8PM-12AM (1912 S Orange Ave, 407-649-3888). These are just a few of our favorites. For a full list of gay bars and nightclubs in Orlando, click on the "Nightlife" tab under the City Directory which can be found on the left side of this page.

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