Portugal - The Gay Lesbian Experience
 Since
the 1990s, there have been huge advances in gay liberation in Portugal,
though the bigger cities of Lisbon, Porto and
the more cosmopolitan Algarve region are
more accepting than the largely conservative countryside.
The first LGBT campaign organization in Portugal was founded in 1992.
1997 then saw Portugal's first Pride Festival, its first Gay and Lesbian
Film Festival and the opening of the first gay and lesbian community
center.
Lisbon (in June), Porto and Leiria hold
Gay Pride marches but other than these events Portugal's gay community
can keep a low profile.
Although homosexual liaisons were decriminalized in 1945, gay life
in otherwise deeply conservative Catholic Portugal was, for most of the
twentieth century, not easy. In a radical departure from this state of
affairs, in 2004 Portugal became the first country in Europe (and the
fourth in the world) to constitutionally prohibit discrimination on the
grounds of sexual orientation.
Gay and lesbian couples who have lived together for two years have had
the same legal rights and tax status as common law straight couples since
2001. The universal age of consent is 16.
Lisbon has a party reputation as the kind of city that doesn't really
get serious until the early hours of the morning, when everyone really
comes out to play. The city's gay scene is no exception - in fact it
leads the way. As with anywhere, the drinking bars tend to start and
finish earlier, from about 9pm to 2am, than the dance clubs, which tend
to get going around 2-3am and finish in the morning.
A recommended place to start your Lisbon experience is the Centro Comunitario
Gay e Lesbica de Lisboa at Rua de Sao Lazaro 88, the street that runs
along the eastern side of the massive Hospital de Sao Jose. (See details
below)
This is the headquarters of IGLA Portugal and arranges gay events in
Lisbon. Having its finger on the city's gay pulse, it is the idea resource
for those setting out, providing contacts or at least pointing you in
the right direction for more information.
There is also the Associação Opus Gay on Rua da Ilha Terceira,
36 R/C, and Associação Abraço on Rua da Rosa, 243
1F.
The biggest event of the year is Lesbian & Gay Pride (Arraial Gay
e Lesbico) that happens on the Saturday nearest June 28. The Festival
de Cinema Gay e Lesbico de Lisboa happens during the last two weeks of
September.
Lisbon's thriving gay scene is located mainly in the Bairro Alto area.
The Bairro Alto is one of the city's oldest quarters, and more than retains
its roots with the past with its grid of steep narrow cobbled alleys
dotted with fado cafes, bars and tascas. Its plethora of restaurants
make it the ideal, picturesque, atmospheric area to relax in over a caiphirinha
or two while the evening progresses and before the clubs get going.
Gay partying is centered around the palmed, fountained plaza known as
Praca do Principe Real. It's at the northern end of Bairro Alto, just
across the big main Rua da Escola Politecnica from the Jardim Botanico
(a spectacular botanical garden well worth a visit). Be warned that there
is no adequate public transport around this area, so if you're trying
to get to here, take a taxi.
The Bairro Alto is not only bars and clubs. It also had numerous designer
boutiques, including those dedicated to the fashion item Portugal is
most famous for - shoes. Continue on to the Chiado area, just across
the Rua d. Misericordia that runs east of the Bairro Alto, and a little
to the south, for more. The Chiado is still the most stylish of Lisbon's
shopping areas, with its elegant tearooms, even after the devastating
fire of 1988.
Lisbon has its gay saunas, but unless you're particularly into ugliness
and tawdriness, the saunas here cannot be said to be recommended.
Of course there's much more to gay Lisbon than its nightlife. Just
south-west of the city, across the Ponta 25 de Abril bridge is the Costa
da Caparica in the Almada region: 30 kilometers of beautiful white sandy
beaches. If you're looking for men and sun, head for beach no.19. Beginning
life as a nudist beach, it quickly became popular as a gay beach. While
straight nudists maintain a presence, it is mainly gay. The last we heard,
there is a bar there which also serves food.
There are various ways of getting there. From Lisbon take either the
ferry from Belem to Trafaria, or from Cais do Sodre to Cacilhas. Then
take a bus to the summer resort town of Costa da Caparica. A tourist
train leaves from Costa da Caparica and runs as far as Fonte da Telha.
Take that, and rather than getting off at the official beach 19 stop
and missing the bar and cruising area, get off at beach 17, walk down
to the beach, turn left and walk about 400 meters. At the time of writing,
the last tourist train back is at 7pm. Please be aware that this is the
only way back. (Fun as it may be during the day, beach 19 is not the
safest area to be in after dark.)
Useful Addresses & Resources
Associação ILGA Portugal
Centro Comunitário Gay e Lésbico de Lisboa
Rua de São Lázaro, 88
1150-333 Lisbon
Mon-Sat 5-8pm
Métro Socorro
218 87 39 18
218 87 39 22
Associação Opus Gay
Rua da Ilha Terceira, 36 R/C
1000 Lisbon
Mon-Sat 4-8pm
213 15 13 96
213 15 15 20
Associação Abraço
Rua da Rosa, 243, 1er étage
1200 Lisbon
Mon-Thu 10am - 1pm & 3-8pm
213 42 59 29
Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
www.lisbonfilmfest.org
Both Lonely
Planet and Rough
Guides include gay listings and gay and lesbian specific
information including gay entertainment and accommodation in their
various Portugal guides.
List your Gay bar, club or event - contact Advertising
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