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Gay and lesbian Adelaide
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South Australia was the first state to legalize gay sex and remains one of the most tolerant of lesbian and gay lifestyles. Adelaide has a more modest gay community than Sydney or Melbourne but the scene enjoys a serenity the bigger cities can't match. Apart from the city's more mainstream annual festivals, there are a few strictly gay and lesbian fiestas. The biggest and best is Adelaide's Gay & Lesbian Cultural Festival
Feast
(tel 08/8231 2155), launched in 1997. It runs for three weeks from late October to mid-November, with the Lion Arts Centre on North Terrace as its focus. An official opening party here kicks off the celebrations in carnival style. Festival events over the next 21 days include theatre, music, visual art, literature, dance cabaret, historical walks, a
Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
at the Mercury Cinema, and the year's best dance party, the
Adelaide Sleaze
. The festival culminates in
Picnic in the Park
, an outdoor celebration in Elder Park which has been a feature of the Adelaide scene for over a decade; entertainment includes a very camp dog show. Earlier in the year, June's
Stonewall Celebrations
are less flamboyant, featuring serious talks and exhibitions in a number of venues.
A popular gay hangout is Pulteney 431 Sauna , 431 Pulteney St (Wed-Fri noon-1am, Fri & Sat noon-3am; tel 08/8223 7506), with a spa, sauna, steam room, pool and snack bar.
To find out where the action is, pick up a copy of
Blaze
or contact the Women's Information Service, or check out other possibilities in our listings. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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