South Florida is a true melting pot of people!  It is home to acceptance and understanding.  It is also home to among the largest gay population centers in the nation.  Although the State of Florida is very conservative, South Florida is its own entity.

If it isn't the sunny weather or sandy beaches drawing gay tourists to Fort Lauderdale, it must be the astounding number of gay bed & breakfasts, bars, and restaurants. It seems like everybody's flocking to this part of South Florida to take advantage of the ideal weather, beautiful attractions and easy lifestyle.

The city has quickly evolved into one of America's premier gay resorts, and it's no wonder. Fort Lauderdale has always been cherished by beach-goers who want to avoid the pretension and extravagance of other fun-in-the-sun destinations. Best of all, Ft. Lauderdale is affordable while offering plenty of eye candy. In nearby Wilton Manors, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, you'll find a concentration of fun gay shops and some of the city's most popular nightlife.

Fort Lauderdale is a big stop for International tourists and a number of major events. Depending on who's in town the atmosphere can be frenetic or chill. Find out what's on the calendar thru local publications of 411 and HotSpots magazines.

Ready for action or relaxation, gay men swarm a small section of Atlantic bliss known as Sebastian Beach, roasting in the fiery sun gossiping about Fort Lauderdale's continuous nightlife.

With some twenty gay guesthouses located within walking distance of Sebastian, the competition and camaraderie seems to have goaded guest service to dizzying extremes. Staff at these singular B&Bs champion neo-indentured servitude, entertaining diva-esque requests (like going for an alcohol run in a torrential downpour). For those who prefer the contemporary "hotel experience," the oceanfront W hotel , The Hilton, St. Regis Hotel and Atlantic Hotel provide Fort Lauderdale beaches' uber-sophisticated options.

Heading away from downtown and the beach, you approach the residential municipalities of Wilton Manors and Oakland Park. Fort Lauderdale's gay heart and soul, Wilton Manors, shines as a queer utopia for thirty-plus couples and retirees, complete with bars, restaurants, gyms, stores, realtors, and travel agents, that specifically cater to the gay community. Wilton Manors is the core of Fort Lauderdale's older gay life.

Wilton Manors and Oakland Park's nightlife consists of bars and clubs housed in strip malls and shopping centers, requesting no cover charge and requiring no formal dress codes. Shorts, flip-flops, tank tops, and even daisy dukes are allowed. An historic anchor for the Wilton Manors community, Georgie's Alibi , remains the ultimate neighborhood bar, with nightly drink specials and consistent crowds, notorious for its Long Island Ice Tea Thursdays. Those who venture to Georgie's usually swing by the adjacent club Boom to work off the drunken stupor to remixes of diva classics. Shirts off and clippers unplugged, Fort Lauderdale's leather and bear community 'represent' at the historic Ramrod and the newer Jackhammer, where Sunday's Retro Tea Dance offers a rare glimpse of 1970s/80s gay nightlife. Steel has managed to bridge age gaps through its Saturday circuit party, which houses nearly 1000 party-goers on a weekly basis and offers themed parties other nights of the week. Can't get enough come 3:00 am? Enter the ghetto and venture to Torpedo where the party starts extra late and goes way beyond sunrise. And then there is the 24 hour, Peter Pan Diner, where you are likely to run into half of the people you met earlier in the night.

While Fort Lauderdale still caters to an older population, the urban revolution has spilled into downtown, catalyzing a younger "glam" scene, with nights that vie with neighboring Miami South Beach. The double story decadence of the sexy, Moulin Rouge inspired China White packs crowds both Wednesdays (Hump Wednesdays) and Fridays (Fagtabulous Fridays), while Voodoo Lounge/Rodman's Rehab Sunday Babylon T-Dance and Life's a Drag mark an intoxicating, hedonistic commencement to the week.

Aspects of Fort Lauderdale still stand as a nostalgic reminder of everything 1984. But tireless efforts to change the face of the Fort Lauderdale have truly paid off, and the city is again on the map—this time notorious for its natural beauty, its marinas, the arts, and its thriving gay community. Living in Fort Lauderdale is unique—it is a city of progress and originality, without claims to being a major US metropolis like LA, New York or even Miami. Rather than monster circuit parties or an immense gay pride, Fort Lauderdale prefers to host national rotating events like the National Gay Softball World Series and the National Gay Rodeo. In the wake of new hotels and refurbished guest houses, nearly half a million spring breakers have returned to Fort Lauderdale beach, and the city hosts one of the biggest parades in the country—the Fort Lauderdale boat parade in December.

This city has evolved as a unique combination of new and old, urban and residential, the trendy and distasteful. Ft. Lauderdale remains a pleasure-dome reprieve from harsh winters, and is a contemporary example of gay expression and settled life