Queer Sydney for gay visitors

If you're a visitor to our fair city, your gaydar will only get you so far. Let Time Out point you in the right direction of the queer hoods and bent hot spots of this gay little town.

Darlighurst (or Darling-it-hurts, as the locals call it) is the queerest neck of the woods and boasts the internationally renown Oxford Street where most of the city’s GLBTI bars and clubs can be found. Many of the clubs on the strip have been serving up cock-sucking cowboys and screaming orgasims for close to 30 years and counting. Poor press may have plagued Oxford Street during the last few years as an undesirable element of clubs opened along side their queer counterparts resulting in reports of homophobic violence. Thankfully, like a bad smell, these clubs soon lost their luster, closed shop and the strip feels as gay a Liza remix album.

A hop, (camp) skip and a jump away from Darlinghurst lies Surry Hills. This inner city suburb has recently enjoyed a well-deserved renaissance as the Mayor’s small bar bill allowed for a number of quaint wine bars to open within its laneways and back streets. Crown Street is always abuzz with foodies on the prowl for Sydney’s next great plate and art lovers who frequent local small galleries like Urban Uprising and Outre Gallery (both on Crown Street). While most of the bars on Crown street are not exclusively gay, no one is going to so much as blink at any man-on-man that unfolds in this hood.

Potts Point and Kings Cross are two more inner city suburbs that have more that a smear of queer to their name. While Kings Cross is Sydney’s infamous red light district you can always see local gay boys meandering through the streets on their way to work, the gym or the sauna. Some fabulous shopping can be found on McCleay Street in Potts Point as well as some gorgeous architecture found in the Art Deco and Georgian inspired apartment buildings in Springfield Avenue.

The inner west houses popular queer hoods such as Newtown, Erskineville and Enmore. While these unusual names sound more like sexually transmitted diseases then suburbs, they boast a distinctly left-off-centre charm. This precinct is popular with artists, students and an awesome array of dykes. Erskineville is home to the Imperial Hotel, where many scenes from Priscilla Queen of the Desert were shot and where most of Sydney’s old-school drag royalty got their first big break. This iconic Hotel is considered Sydney’s first home of drag and despite being closed for a massive renovation for the last three years, the Imperial opened again in September 2010 revealing an impressive nip’n’tuck to the gay community. Right beside Newtown train station you’ll find the Bank Hotel which never fails to pull in a great catch of local lesbians and alternative gay boys, particularly on a Sunday afternoon as most Aussie queers have a total disregard for the word ‘School night’.

But gay Sydney’s scene extends far beyond the pubs and clubs. There are lots of community groups covering every possible leisure activity, political bent, social cause or medical issue.

PROTECTION
Homosexuals and transgender people in NSW are legally protected against discrimination, as are those living with HIV or AIDS. Same-sex sex is legal (the age of consent is 16 for everyone) and the state government recognises same-sex partnerships. Homophobia exists everywhere and Sydney is no exception. While homophobic does occur it is regularly monitored by the Anti Violence project , if and when it is reported. The Surry Hills Police station is your nearest port of call in an emergency when in the inner city. Emergency is accessed by dialing 000.

WHERE TO STAY
It can safely be said that any ‘international’ hotel in Sydney (glass front, big lobby, expensive cocktails) will be gay-friendly. A large chunk of staff at any of these places will be ‘family’, so you should have no hassles. If you want the full ghetto-accommodation experience, check before arriving with the US-run International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association. Other good online sites for travel to and within Australia, including lists of gay- and lesbian-friendly accommodation, are Gay Australia Guide and Gay & Lesbian Tourism Australia.

SAFE SEX
Safe sex is a way of life here –and while a decade of safe-sex campaigns has hugely reduced the incidence of new infection, the dangers are still out there. The AIDS Council of NSW is the government department in the fore front of the HIV/AIDS awareness issue and spearheads a number of exciting and engaging projects that inspire the local community and beyond to play safe.

INFORMATION
For the latest on what’s happening, ask the friendly staff at the Bookshop Darlinghurst. Alternatively, check the queer press, available in gay outlets, bottle shops, newsagents, music venues and cinemas around town. The city’s two free weekly gay newspapers, Sydney Star Observer and SX, have full, up-to-the-minute ‘what’s on’ and venue guides. Dykes will find the free monthly news magazine Lesbians on the Loose (LOTL) and new Cherrie magazine required reading. Before you’re arrival in Oz subscribe to Time Out Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian monthly newsletter.

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