Philadelphia

Situated between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, just across from Camden, New Jersey, Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the fifth largest city in the USA. The birthplace of the United States and the nation’s original capital (1790-1800), it was founded in 1682, by the English Quaker, William Penn, who envisioned the colony as a ‘holy experiment’ to create a land of tolerance and religious freedom. Many settlers fleeing persecution flocked to it. Penn named the town after the Greek word for ‘brotherly love’.

Based on the principles of equality and freedom of expression it is now one of the most popular gay and lesbian cities in the US.  Famous as the birthplace of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness this city offers not just cobblestone streets and historical landmarks (although it does have lots of both!).  Cultural, culinary, artistic and ethnic treasures attract travellers to the city and its surrounding countryside.

Over the past few decades, the City of Brotherly Love has evolved into a place that lives up to its gay-friendly billing. Philadelphia has history on its side: It was the site of some of the nation’s first gay rights pickets at Independence Hall a few years before the landmark 1969 Stonewall Riots, and in 1982 was one of the first cities in the country to pass an anti-gay discrimination law. Today, the city is home to a large and vibrant gay and lesbian community and is very popular with locals and travellers.

At the heart of gay Philadelphia is Center City’s Washington Square West, a neighborhood of handsome town homes and charming, narrow back streets where many gay businesses and much of the night life is located. What’s more, all of Center City is considered gay- and lesbian-friendly, although it’s wise to be safety-conscious if you step out in some of the other neighborhoods.