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Austrian Culture: Gay and Lesbian Austria

An overview I HOSI I Gay Austria today

Gay Vienna I Gay Bars in Vienna I Gay Clubbing in Vienna I The Older Gay Scene in Vienna I Lesbian Vienna I Gay Accommodation in Vienna I Gay Innsbruck I Gay Wiener Neustadt I Gay Graz I Gay Linz I Gay Salzburg I Gay Villach

An overview

Austrian, or, more accurately, Viennese history, is well adorned with gay characters. Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), the man who built Schloss Belvedere and who successfully resisted the Ottoman advance into Europe, must be the most famous gay man in Austrian annals. But in spite of Austrian Court and cultural life featuring numerous gay men, it must be said at the outset that, in the modern sense, Austria has never been a gay mecca. In fact, historically it has distinguished itself as being somewhat the opposite. It decriminalized homosexual activity as late as 1971, and it was not the present century, in 2002, that it finally established an equal age of consent of 14.

HOSI

Austria's most prominent GLBT action group is HOSI ('homosexuelle initiative') formed in Vienna in 1979. It has branches in Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. Comparable organizations exist in Ganz (the RosaLila PantherInnen) and Kufstein (queer.in.kufstein). Thanks in large part to HOSI's activism, laws forbidding gay prostitution were repealed in 1989, the prohibition against mention of homosexuality in advertising was lifted in 1996, and some states of Austria passed anti-discrimination legislation in the early 2000s.

Since 2003, HOSI has organized an annual Rainbow Parade in Vienna held late June/early July. The Rainbow Parade itself, however, has been held since 1996.

While some state governments have made life easier for gay and lesbian Austrians, the situation nationally is still lagging behind. Minimum human rights are extended to gays and lesbians thanks to the European Constitution, but there is no home-grown non-discrimination legislation at the national level to protect them in work situations, for example, and no recognition of same-sex partnerships.

Fortunately, however, in spite of its history of staunch Catholicism, there is considerably more latitude on the street on the subject of homosexuality than there is officially, with almost half the population, for example, supporting the idea of gay marriage. Also, the city of Vienna leads the way for the rest of Austria with its own anti-discrimination legislation and its subsidizing of gay and lesbian community projects.

Gay Austria today

As mentioned above, the age of consent is now the same for both gays and straights in Austria. As with many countries, however, there is a vast difference in attidudes and atmosphere between the capital and the provinces. Vienna is definitely the place to party if you're gay or lesbian. Below we list a selection of recommended venues for gay and lesbian visitors to Austria, beginning with Vienna.

Gay Vienna

Vienna with its large population and comparatively liberal atmosphere leaves the rest of Austria in its wake when it comes to things gay and lesbian.

Gay Bars in Vienna

The visible gay community in Vienna is clustered mainly around the 'Lesben und Schwulenhaus' Rosa Lila Villa, a community center for gays and lesbians located at Linke Wienzeile 102, Vienna. There is a Lesbian Center on the first floor (5-8pm, Mon-Fri), and a Gay Men's Center on the 2nd floor (5-8pm, Mon-Thu).
Café Willendorf, also on the first floor of Rosa Lila Villa, is a popular hang out and is the ideal place to stop in to if you are new to town.
-Berg, cafe/bar/restaurant. Airy and spacious, friendly. Basically gay/lesbian/transgender, but popular with the straight set too. Breakfast served daily 10am-3pm, lunch Mon-Fri 11am-3pm. Internet facilities. Open every day 10am-1am.
at Berggasse 8. Tel. +43 1/319 57 20. mail@cafe berg.at
-Lowenherz ('Lionheart') gay & lesbian bookstore right next door to Berg.
-Date, cruisy darkroom action, with videos. Open every day from 9pm. Sundays 3pm-9pm: 'Naked Underwear Party'
at Schikanedergasse 12
(Note, the house where Sigmund Freud tried to work out what was 'the matter' with us is just down the road at Berggasse 19)
-Savoy, a gay evening cafe with real ritzy vintage. Luxurious stucco interior. Open Mon-Fri 5pm-2am, Sat 9am-2am. Take advantage of the Savoy on Saturday mornings as somewhere to chill before or after visiting the famous flea market on Naschmarkt, alongside the Savoy.
at Linke Wienzeile 36. Tel. +43 1/586 73 48
-Mango Bar, a busy, mirror-clad, musically happening spot for the younger crowd. Open every day 9pm-4am.
at Laimgrubengasse 3
-Nightshift, brick vaulted underground bar for those who like it freaky. Open every day except Sunday, 10pm-6am.
at Corneliusgasse 8.
-Peter's Operncafe Hartauer, the gay watering hole for opera lovers. Open every day, 6pm-2am.
at Riemergasse 9
-Sling, "Welcome: horny men only ...please, no prostitutes, perfumed drama queens, adult only!" A two-floor cyber-core cruising space and bar. Events. Open every day 3pm-4am.
at Kettenbruckengasse 4.
-Das Verstecke ('The Hideaway'), a small bar near Stephansplatz. Open Mon-Fri 6pm-midnight, Sat 7pm-midnight, Sunday happy hour 8-10pm.
at Nikolaigasse 1 Ecke Grunangergasse
Village Bar, all sorts of guys congregate here at this well-known venue. Smart, spacious interior, nice staff, and famously good drinks. Dance parties (see http://www.village-bar.at/ 'Events'). Open every day 8pm-3am.
at Stiegengasse 8.

Gay Clubbing in Vienna

The Older Gay Scene in Vienna

Lesbian Vienna

Gay and lesbian information centers in Vienna

Gay accommodation in Vienna

Gay/Lesbian outside Vienna

Innsbruck Gay/Lesbian information
-Bacchus, bar for gays and lesbians. Open every day from 11pm.
at Salurnerstrasse 18 6020 Innsbruck. Tel.: +43 (0512) 940210
-Le boy, Innsbruck's first gay bar. Men only. Open every day 8pm-4am. 9pm-6am Fri, Sat, hols.
at Maria-Hilf-Strasse 8 6020 Innsbruck.
-Vereinscafe Anchorage, lesbian bar. Wimmin only. Part of the Autonomes FrauenLesbenzentrum (Autonomous Wimmin's Lesbian Center). Open 7-11pm Wed (1-euro happy hour 7-8.30pm), 8.30-midnite Fri.
at Liebeneggstrasse 15, 6020 Innsbruck. Tel/Fax: 0512 580839

Wiener Neustadt Gay/Lesbian information
-ER fur IHN, gay bar. Open 8pm-3am Tue,Wed,Thu; 8pm-4am Fri,Sat; 9pm-2am Sun.
at Neunkirchnerstrasse 12 (Passage) 2500 Wiener Neustadt.

Graz Gay/Lesbian information
-BANG inside, BANG is the club, open 9pm-5am Fri, Sat, and holidays. INSIDE is the cafe, open 9pm-2am Wed-Sun (Saturday midnite-7am, men only). Welcomes gays, lesbians, and their friends. Very well attended parties.
at Dreihackengasse 4-10, 8020 Graz.
-Dorian Gray, A comfortable, spacious bar for gays, lesbians and friends. Some hardcore theme nights. Open 6pm-2am Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat; 8pm-2am Wed (Wednesday half-price party for gay guys).
at Raubergasse 11, 8010 Graz. Tel. +43 316 890 435
-'feel free' Steiermark (Styria) Gay and Lesbian Center, a drop-in gay/lesbian cafe run by the Rosalila PantherInnen gay/lesbian organization. 7-11pm Mon, Thu, Fri. Friday evening is Frauencafé "Feel Free" for wimmin.
at Annenstrasse 26, 8020 Graz. Tel. 0316/36 66 01 or 0316/32 80 80
-Men's Room, Graz's only cruising bar. A dark, underground space (in the basement of the 'Stargayte' - see below) in sleek red and black. Onscreen porn, large darkroom, good music, friendly staff. Men only. Open 8 till late every night.
at Keesgasse 3 (Jakominiplatz), 8010 Graz. Tel. 0664/3924729
-Pepi's Club-Beisl, an off-the-wall, fun gay bar that spells e-c-l-e-c-t-i-c! Open from 5pm daily.
at Griesplatz 36, 8010 Graz. Tel. 0316/71 92 77 or 0664/358 63 82 Map to Pepi's Club-Beisl
-Stargayte, a popular bar/lounge/disco for Graz gays and lesbians. Open 9pm-4am Mon-Thu; 8pm till late Fri, Sat and public holidays. Hardcore men-only 'Men's Room' bar downstairs.
at Keesgasse 3 (Jakominiplatz), 8010 Graz. Tel. 0664/3924729. (See above).

Linz Gay/Lesbian information
-HOSI Consulting and Information Center, spacious, well staffed gay and lesbian information center and chill out space with a library. Open 8-10pm Mon; 6.30-10pm Thu.
at Schubertstr. 36/1, A-4020 Linz. Tel. 0043(0)732/60 98 984 www.hosilinz.at
-autonomes Frauenzentrum (Independent Wimmin's Center), a non-profit organization for wimmin. Wheelchair-friendly premises. Runs various events. Telephone first.
at Humboldtstrasse 43, 4020 Linz. Tel. 0732/60 22 00
-Blue Heaven, gay disco/bar. (Actually pink inside!) Friendly crowd. Great parties. Open 9pm-2am Thu, 9pm-4am Fri, Sat.
at RA Gastronomie GmbH, Starhembergstrasse 11, 4020 Linz. Tel: 0043(0)732/797095
Stone Wall, gay bar and home of the Sunday morning 6am Afterhours disco.
at Rainerstrasse 42, 4020 Linz. Tel. 0732/ 60 04 38

Salzburg Gay/Lesbian information
-Zweistein (2 Stein) Bar & Cafe, gay/lesbian cafe/bar/disco. Dancefloor, chill out lounge, internet access. Open daily 6pm-4 am - till 5am Thu, Fri, Sat.
at Putscher KEG, Giselakai 9, 5020 Salzburg. Tel/Fax +43/662.877.179 www.zweistein.at

Villach Gay/Lesbian information
Villack doesn't have any exclusively gay or lesbian bars, but Soho is gay/lesbian-friendly.

-Soho, gay/lesbian-friendly club. Dancefloor and bar. Open daily 7pm-2am in summer, 5pm-2am in winter. Afterhours club night from 4am every second Sat till late.
at Freihausgasse 13, 9500 Villach. Tel/Fax +43/424.224.755 www.barsoho.com

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