Gay bear bar san francisco
San Francisco Gay Bars
San Francisco’s gay nightlife scene has come a long way from the first dim and secretive club that opened in 1908. This was the start of a boom in homosexual culture, which is now centred on the Castro neighbourhood and its varied venues. You can locate dozens of nightlife spots packed together in Castro, newer clubs and festivals in SoMa, a gigantic leather scene, and an iconic drag club owned by the best-known queen in the city. For a loud and camp night out or a more relaxed hangout, you can find your place in San Francisco.
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Gay San Francisco
440 Castro
Bear, Older Crowd, Cruising
This gay bar in the heart of The Castro neighbourhood is a trendy hangout for bears and their admirers. It's busiest at the weekend with a mixed aged crowd enjoying strong cheap drinks and an intimate atmosphere. Regular themed events are hosted here throughout the week, including the understandably popular Underwear Night every Monday, which sees the bar packed with a cruisy, tipsy, and scantily clad male crowd.
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Aunt Charlie's Lounge
Drag, Cocktails
Aunt Charlie's Lounge is an eclectic Tenderloin gay bar recognizable
The Lone Star Saloon in San Francisco stands as one of the key bear bars in the US, affectionately calling itself Bear Bar USA. We have included it on our list of Best Bear Bars in the World two years in a row because of its significance to our community.
The Lone Star Saloon first opened its doors in 1989 and the original leather/biker crowd soon began to merge with the bear scene, which was gaining its momentum in the early 90s. Needless to tell, the fringe scenes fit together seamlessly even as the bear movement develop the bar’s calling card.
We had the chance to converse to one of the current owners, Charlie Evans, about the bar.
What’s the history of the Lone Star Saloon?
It started in 1989 as a leather/biker bar but with the emergence of the bear scene it quickly became the first American Bear Bar.
What does the Lone Celebrity Saloon mean to the bear collective in SF?
It is a meeting place for the ever changing face of the bear society in SF. In a city appreciate SF, with it’s many changes, it is nice to have a unchanging and that’s the Lone Star Saloon.
What do you assume are the optimal attributes of the Lone Star Saloon?
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POWERHOUSE BAR San Francisco
For events and hours, visit the Powerhouse facebook page at this link
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Dore Street Sunday:
Powerhouse Bar
1347 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Visit the Powerhouse facebook page at this link
San Francisco’s fabulous LGBTQIA+ scene is no surprise if you understand anything about the city’s history. SF is known for electing Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the US, and is still recognizable today for its thriving gender non-conforming community.
At the epicentre of it all is San Francisco’s Castro District, full of drag shows, bars and great restaurants, but there’s plenty more to find throughout SF (and Oakland) if you know where to observe. Whether you’re looking for amiable lesbian bars, balls-to-the-wall Latinx gyrate parties or a very unforgettable drag show, these are the best gay bars in SF right now.
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This guide was written by Bay-Area based author Clara Hogan. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.
Been there, done that? Reflect again, my friend.
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