London Glbt Travelers

London is widely recognized as one of the gay capitals of the world. Soho, particularly around Old Compton St., is London’s gay nexus, though gay bars and pubs can be found throughout the city; Let’s Go has included numerous rainbow-toting cafes, bars, and nightclubs in neighborhood listings. Newspaper resources include The Pink Paper (free), available from newsagents; Gay Times (£3), which covers political issues; and Diva (£2.25), a monthly lesbian lifestyle magazine with an excellent mix of features and good listings. Boyz (www.boyz.co.uk) is the main gay listings and lifestyle magazine for London (free from gay bars and clubs), while Gingerbeer offers the lesbian lowdown (www.gingerbeer.co.uk). Out and About (www.planetout.com) offers a weekly newsletter addressing gay travel concerns, and the online newspaper 365gay also has a travel section (www.365gay.com/travel/travelchannel.htm). Listed below are contact organizations, mail-order bookstores, and publishers that offer materials addressing some specific concerns.

GAY to Z (www.gaytoz.co.uk). Online and printed directory of gay-friendly resources and businesses throughout Britain.
Gay London (www.gaylondon.co.uk). Online community for gays and lesbians.
Gingerbeer (www.gingerbeer.co.uk). Lesbian and bisexual women web portal for London, with listings of clubs, bars, restaurants, and community resources.
London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard (☎7837 7324; www.llgs.org.uk). 24hr. helpline and information resource.

Further Reading: Glbt.
Spartacus International 2007 Gay Guide. Bruno Gmunder Verlag (US$22).Ferrari Guides’ Gay Travel A to Z, Ferrari Guides’ Men’s Travel in Your Pocket, Ferrari Guides’ Women’s Travel in Your Pocket, and Ferrari Guides’ Inn Places. Ferrari Publications (US$16-20). Time Out Gay and Lesbian London, Time Out Publishing (US$15).Gay London, Will McLoughlin, Peter Jones, Ian Martin, and Andrew Wyllie, Ellipsis London (US$12).The Gay Vacation Guide: The Best Trips and How to Plan Them, Mark Chesnut. Kensington Books (US$15).Transgender London: London and the Third Sex, by Claudia Andrei, Glitter Books (US$18).