Baltimore gay bar

ave a brunch fit for a drag queen. Visit John Waters’ favorite bookstore. Have a refreshment at a landmark. Find Baltimore pride. Our LGBTQ+ Guide to Baltimore has just what you require if you’re looking for a place to keep, eat, dance, be amazed and feel at home.

LGBTQ+ Friendly Hotels

Baltimore has a long history of being welcoming toward LGBTQ+ individuals and there are many great options to stay while here on vacation. To be in the center of it all, book a stay at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, which is conveniently located between scenic South Baltimore and the city’s artsy northern neighborhoods. They are a member of the Maryland LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and offer a special package to those visiting during Baltimore Pride. Within walking distance of attractions love the National Aquarium and Camden Yards, the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel features beautiful views of the harbor and recently renovated rooms. Another waterfront option is the Canopy by Hilton Harbor Point, which is found betwe

Half a Century Ago, The Hippo Became a Haven for the Local LGBTQ Community

Noël, a U.S. Army veteran, slung drinks at the Hippo during the ’80s and ’90s. He fondly remembers when Wednesdays were Big Band Darkness, featuring the Ed Williams Big Band, a holdover act from the Chanticleer days. “I was a doorman, dressed up in a tuxedo with a top hat, and I would open the door for the people coming in—elderly people, [in their] 70s, 80s, and 90s that remembered the Chanticleer,” says Noël, noting that the crowd was both queer and straight, with drag queen Stacy Maxwell running the coat test. “Oh, it was pretty, and we had all pink linen tablecloths with beautiful chairs and candles on every table. It was like you walked into the 1930s.”

Now in his 60s, he says the Hippo had outsized importance for adolescent gay men in its early years, calling it “the central place” for not just the town of Baltimore but the entire state. “If you were a country male child from Hagerstown or southern Maryland, you knew you made it in your gay life the moment you were able to walk into the front door of the Hi

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Before the corner of N Charles and W Eager was a CVS, it was a Baltimore institution: Club Hippo. For more than 35 years, Club Hippo was a refuge for Baltimore’s queer community. The dance venue was always a place where, as the club's motto read, “everybody is welcome.” The space gave people the ability to state themselves freely without fear.

The Hippo’s owner during this time was Charles “Chuck” Bowers. Bowers purchased the club in 1978 from its original owners, Kenny Elbert and Don Endbinder. In 1972 Elbert and Endbinder had turned the space into a gay-friendly nightclub. But Bowers was the one responsible for turning the club into a cornerstone of Baltimore’s queer community and the Mount Vernon business district. For instance, Baltimore City’s annual Pride Block Party, with few exceptions, took place at the intersection of Charles and Eager street, anchored by the Hippo.

During the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, Bowers was an outspoken advocate for gay men who contracted the disease. The Hippo at this second also hosted performances by Broadway stars. The Broadway Care

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