Is key west gay friendly
How the Gays Saved Key West
Long associated with the testosterone-fueled macho marketing of Hemingway, Key West in fact has benefited far more from a very different variety of innovative energy. Hemingway lived and worked on the island barely 11 years. He was followed by a lavender wave of corporation, ingenuity and industry that has lasted for decades and continues to this day.
The economic history of Key West reads favor a wild roller coaster ride, careening from boom to bust up until the 1970s. Settled in 1830 to combat piracy, the island evolved into a major wrecking port where salvagers won staggering sums saving foundered ships on the infamous reefs surrounding the archipelago. Until, that is, the U.S. signed the international laws of admiralty ending the “finders-keepers” practice of the salvagers. A robust strive to produce sponges ended with the onslaught of a toxic “red tide.” Years of a roaring trade in cigar making came to a screeching halt when the town fathers of Tampa lured away all of the cigar factories on the island with the vow of no taxes and infrastructure incentives. World War I brought frenzied attention—and lots of funds–from the U.S. Department o
Gay Key West – the best queer hotels, resorts, bars, clubs & more
Key West is a bona fide gaytopia! Nestled at the southernmost tip of the United States, just 90 miles from Cuba and surrounded by the shimmering waters of the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, how can such a peaceful setting be anything but liberal?
Over the centuries, Key West and the Florida Keys have been the ports of pirates, famous sailors, and later, the home of inspirational writers like Ernest Hemingway. Nowadays, it's the perfect merge of Caribbean flair and American liveliness, where a chilled-out ‘live and allow live' approach to life dominates among its inhabitants. Not to mention, it has a flourishing gay scene away from pesky mainland politics.
This eclectic, delightful little island has loads to give active travelers—kayaking, skydiving, shipwreck diving—and just the right amount of low-key activities in the create of beaches, shops, and galleries for those who just want to dip their toes into the Caribbean in a familiar LGBTQ+-friendly environment.
Table of Contents
1. General Tips
2. Transportation & Airport Transfer
3. Gay Hotels & Resorts in Key West
4. Sig
An island appendage off land-bound Miami, Key West might be the southernmost point of the continental US, but it’s really a nation apart — a Conch Republic where rainbow flags navigate, queer businesses thrive, and no one bats an eye as LGBTQ couples walk hand in hand.
“One Human Family,” Key West’s motto, says it all. Colorful, eccentric, and bohemian — locals don’t just tolerate difference, they celebrate it. Join a ragtag mix of Conchs (the nickname for locals) by staking your claim to a stretch of sugar-sand beach, flying whatever flag suits you best.
Here are five reasons why over 250,000 LGBTQ travelers visit this 8-square-mile paradise in the Florida Keys annually.
1. Queer culture is a part of the island’s cultural fabric.
Photo: Rob O’Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO
In the mid-20th century, Key West’s come-as-you-are attitude became an LGBTQ magnet, attracting a who’s who of queer American artists. Theater legends Jerry Herman, Terrence McNally, and Leonard Bernstein all start inspiration in the salty sea breezes. Lesbian writer Elizabeth Bishop, a US Poet Laureate, penned verses on the island from 19
Gay Key West | Real Estate and Neighborhoods | Housing
Young, energetic gay women and men who are looking for a dramatic convert of pace from the boring traditions of their hometown need to glance no further than the fast-paced, enjoyable lifestyle available to them in Key West, Florida. Key West is a true American paradise, an architectural and botanical jewel. It is located only miles away from sandy beaches that stretch as far as one can see, set below clear blue skies without a cloud in sight, that last the entire year round. The most gay amiable neighborhood in the Key West area includes the Bahama Village, which was founded in the late 19th century by immigrants who came to the United States from Bahama. Based on this rich history, the Bahama Village is a fulfilling place to reside.
The nightlife in Key West, Florida never seems to cease, based on it’s almost limitless supply of gay and lesbian bars, clubs, hotels, and restaurants. Some of the most prestigious lgbtq+ hotels in Key West include the Island House, which is actually an all-nude, all-male resort (Old Town – 1129 Fleming Street) Oasis, another clothing-optional establishment which is located only a few blocks