<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-133146" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/68266/f4.jpg" alt="Ultimate Montreal Afternoon Tour - English" width="100%"></p>
<h2>Montreal</h2>
<p>Montreal is the largest city of Quebec, Canada&rsquo;s Francophone province. It&rsquo;s the second biggest city in Canada. Montreal was founded in 1642 by French colonialists. History could have taken a very different turn but for the Seven Years&rsquo; War when the British beat the French. &ldquo;New France&rdquo; didn&rsquo;t quite take off and North America became Anglo-Saxon.</p>
<p>Montreal retains a strong French identity. The region of Quebec came close to seceding from Canada in 1995. Montreal&rsquo;s political history has been heated, to say the least, but it&rsquo;s one of the most culturally dynamic cities in North America.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-109498" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/68267/rainbow.jpg" alt="Montreal Hotels" width="100%"></p>
<h2><a href="https://www.travelgay.com/montreal-gay-bars/">Gay Bars in Montreal</a></h2>
<p>You&rsquo;ll find an excellent gay scene in Montreal. It&rsquo;s one of the world&rsquo;s most gay-friendly cities. The gay scene is largely centred around the gay village. It&rsquo;s one of the biggest gaybourhoods in the Americas.</p>
<p>Montreal&rsquo;s gay scene is similar to what you&rsquo;ll find in London or New York. There are gay bars you can visit during the day for a civilised drink, there are places to go for an early evening cocktail, and there are clubs to go to if you want to dance the night away.</p>
<p>Many of Montreal&rsquo;s gay bars have drag performances in the evening - prepare to be read in French. The good people of Montreal are quite particular about the French language. Although you&rsquo;re in Canada, Quebec has its own unique identity. It&rsquo;s worth at least opening negotiations with the barman in French, even if you just say &ldquo;Bonjour&rdquo; to start with. <strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/editorial/discover-montreals-gay-village/">Discover Montreal&rsquo;s Gay Village</a>.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.travelgay.com/gay-montreal-hotels/">Gay-Popular Hotels in Montreal</a></h2>
<p>There are plenty of excellent hotels to choose from in Montreal. If you choose to stay in the gay village, you could find a slightly cheaper deal than in the old town. Both districts are very central. There aren&rsquo;t really any gay-specific hotels in Montreal, but it&rsquo;s a very gay-friendly city.</p>
<p>In downtown Montreal you&rsquo;ll find <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/venue/loft-hotel/">Loft Hotel</a>. Downtown is a good area to stay in. The main high street, Rue Sainte-Catherine, is full of shops and restaurants. It also connects to the gay village. Loft Hotel an Art Deco period hotel and it&rsquo;s very central. <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/venue/chateau-versailles/">Chateau Versaille</a> is a also a good choice and it&rsquo;s short walk from the gay village.</p>
<h2>Experience Montreal</h2>
<p>Montreal is a great foodie destination. The legendary chef Anthony Bourdain was a big fan. You&rsquo;ll find many excellent restaurants to explore. Make sure you take a trip to Mount Royal Park. You can head up the hill for a panoramic view of Montreal.</p>
<p>Old Town Montreal is where you&rsquo;ll find the oldest and most charming buildings in the city. Montreal is also famed for hosting the world&rsquo;s biggest jazz festival. It takes place in July and it&rsquo;s attracted many of the biggest names in music.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.travelgay.com/montreal-gay-saunas/">Gay saunas in Montreal</a></h2>
<p>There are four gay saunas in Montreal. It has a better gay sauna scene than most US cities. <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/venue/sauna-oasis-montreal/">Sauna Oasis</a> is the biggest gay sauna in Montreal and it&rsquo;s located in the gay village. It&rsquo;s open 24 hours a day. If there are less than 10 guys inside you&rsquo;ll get a full refund. <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/venue/g-i-joe-montreal/">Sauna G.I. Joe</a> is also a popular choice - it&rsquo;s spread over three floors and it&rsquo;s pretty spacious. If you&rsquo;re looking to play harder, you may well find what you&rsquo;re looking for in Montreal.</p>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-106049" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/68268/montreal-247795-1920-1.jpg" alt="Go to Montreal" width="100%"></p>
<h2>Getting to Montreal</h2>
<p>It&rsquo;s easy to fly to Montreal. There are two main airports in the city. Montr&eacute;al-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport is the biggest airport. You can get the Bus / 747 Express from the airport to central Montreal and it takes no more than 25 minutes.</p>
<p>You can also fly into Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport. It also takes around 25 minutes to transfer on public transport to central Montreal.</p>
<h2>FAQs about Montreal</h2>
<h2>Getting around Montreal</h2>
<p>Montreal is a great city to explore on foot. It&rsquo;s quite a big city and it&rsquo;s very much a city of districts, so pick a district you&rsquo;d like to visit and have a wander. Travelling between districts is easy on public transport. The Metro system is easy to navigate and it&rsquo;s quite cheap.</p>
<h3>The Metro</h3>
<p>A single ticket costs around $2.50. It&rsquo;s cheaper to get a day pass or a three day pass. There are 68 Metro station in Montreal.</p>
<h3>Bus</h3>
<p>There are plenty of buses in Montreal. You can explore the whole city by bus. It&rsquo;s not much cheaper than the Metro and a little trickier to figure out. We&rsquo;d recommend the Metro for a smoother journey.</p>
<h3>Taxi</h3>
<p>Getting taxis in Montreal is easy. You can just show your address to the driver on your phone. Point and nod if you&rsquo;re having language difficulties.</p>
<h2>Is Montreal Safe?</h2>
<p>Canada is home to the world&rsquo;s politest people. If you somehow got mugged in Canada your assailant would probably apologise several times as they did it. Montreal has low crime rates so you should be very safe in Montreal.</p>
<h2>Can I speak English in Montreal?</h2>
<p>You can be you might be pointedly ignored. The locals tend to speak in French. Even though most people will speak English, try and learn some phrases before you go. There are many anecdotes about English speaking tourists being ignored in bars.</p>
<h2>When To Visit Montreal</h2>
<p>March-May is a good time to visit Montreal. The weather will be temperate but the hotels may be fuller September to November can also be very popular. Canadian winters can be very cold and snowy but more than a little atmospheric.</p>

Gay Montreal City Guide

Planning a trip to Montreal? Our gay Montreal city guide is the page for you

<p>Montreal is a great city to explore and is especially welcoming to gay travelers. Montreal has one of the biggest and best gayborhoods in the Americas. It&rsquo;s packed with gay bars and clubs.</p>
<p>You&rsquo;ll find excellent gastronomy in Montreal. It&rsquo;s a very French city so you may wish to learn a few French phrases before you go. They are rather proud of their heritage and rightly so. Montreal is Canada&rsquo;s second biggest city and it&rsquo;s loads of fun.</p>

Gay Montreal

In 2011 Nunavut became the final canadian province or territory to permit adoption by queer couples.

The ability for same-sex couples to legally adopt a child.

Before 2011, not all Canadian states and provinces had changed their regulations to allow same-sex adoption. The first to fully allow it was Quebec in 1982.

In 2019, a bill was passed to equalise the age of consent to age 16 no matter the sexuality.

The difference between legal age of consent for homosexual sex and heterosexual sex.

The age of consent in for anal sex in Canada is 18, whereas the age of consent for acts of sex is 16.

After having a 3 month deferral for MSMs to donate blood was deemed unfair, it is now completely legal for MSMs to donate blood with no deferral as long as they have been tested negative for HIV, which everyone has to do before donating blood, regardless of sexuality.

The ability for MSMs (men who have sex with men) to donate blood or tissue for organ transplants. A deferral period refers to a waiting time before a man can donate after having sex.

In 2019, Health Canada lessened their deferral period to 3 months for men who have sex with men.

Health Canada approved Canadian Blood Services’ proposal to reduce the blood donation ineligibility period for men who have sex with men from five years to one year.

Health Canada changed the indefinite deferral period to a 5-year deferral, effective May 22, 2013.

Men who had sex with men, even just once, were banned indefinitely from donating blood in Canada from 1977 to 2013.

Before the 1977 ban, there were no restrictions on men who had sex with men from donating blood in Canada.

In Canada, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.

Censorship or prohibition of discussing, promoting, or teaching LGBTQ+ topics in media, schools, and in the general public.

Since 2012, Canada has not required surgery to change gender on documents under federal jurisdiction e.g. passports. However, legal gender recognition was dependent on each province and territory’s laws until July 1, 2017, when the Northwest Territories became the last to remove the requirement for surgery for legal gender recognition.

Legal recognition of a change in gender by permitting a change on an individual's legal documentation.

Until 2012, Canada federally required surgery for gender recognition on passports. However, until 2017, gender recognition elsewhere generally varied by province and territory.<br />
<br />
Gender recognition was first provided on a state-by-state basis in 1978 with Quebec and Ontario.

Until 1978, there was no legal gender recognition provided in Canada.

Conversion therapy in Canada is banned nationwide under bill C-4(44-1) which recieved Royal Assent on December 8th 2021 and went into effect 30 days after on January 7th 2022. Two previous legislative attempts failed.

Legal status of conducting sexual orientation changing therapy ("ex-gay" therapy)

Ontario became the first province in 2015 to ban conversion therapy.<br />
<br />
It only became banned federally in 2022.

Until June 4th 2015, conversion therapy was not banned anywhere in Canada.

Bill C-16 amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination. 

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Before the 2017 amendment, only sexual orientation was included as a protected class.

Bill C-16 received Royal Ascent on 19 June 2017, revising the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in employment, including hiring, promotion, termination, harassment, etc.

Federal human rights law applies directly to only federal government employment and employers which fall under federal jurisdiction.  Gender identity is only implicitly protected under interpretation of the law by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.  Attempts have been made to have gender identity and gender expression added as protected classes to both the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code, though none of these attempts so far has been successful.<br />
<br />
Provincial human rights acts are separate, but Supreme Court precedent exists for requiring provinces to protect the same classes as the Canadian Human Rights Act.  At this time all provinces protect against employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Of the provinces only Ontario has explicit protection on the basis of both gender identity and gender expression in its human rights code, though several provide implicit protections on the basis of gender identity or "transsexualism" under the category of "sex" or "gender".

Gender Affirming Care is legal for adults in all provinces, however, with the passage of the Health Statues Amendment Act (No 2), 2024 in the Alberta Legislature, Hormone Therapy and Puberty Blockers are banned for minors under the age of 16, and Gender Affirming Surgeries are banned for all individuals under the age of 18 in Alberta.

Medical and psychological support designed to help individuals transition to the gender they identify with, including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and surgeries.

Gender-affirming care falls under provincial jurisdiction. Currently no province or territory restricts it, however some provinces like Alberta have spoken about restricting or outright banning care for minors in the future.

In 1969, the first gender identity clinic opened in Toronto at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and the first gender-affirming surgery in Canada was performed in 1970.<br />
<br />
To qualify, applicants had to be employed, be straight, never have been convicted of a crime, have lived as their identified gender for at least two years, and have changed all their legal documents.

In 1969, Canada enacted the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968–69, which decriminalized private and consensual homosexual activities between adults aged 21 and over.

Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex.

In the 1953-54 parliamentary session, the Criminal Code was amended to also criminalize homosexuality between women. The amendment took effect in the summer of 1954.

In 1890, the House of Commons introduced a new offence called “gross indecency.&#34; The new offence made it easier to charge suspected sodomites.<br />
<br />
In 1893, the gross indecency law became part of the country’s first Criminal Code. The original language of the law referred only to homosexual acts between men, as sex between women was typically ignored at the time.

In 1648, the first documented case of a sodomy conviction occurred. <br />
<br />
The military drummer, who was the man convicted, was found guilty and was sentenced to death. However, Jesuits stepped in and were able to transfer the case to Québec City, where his life was sparred. <br />
<br />
From then until 1893, few known cases exist of homosexuals being sentenced to death.

“Gender identity and gender expression” were added by Bill 7, the Alberta Human Rights Amendment Act which received royal assent in 2015.

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity when applying for housing or discrimination by landlords / property owners.

Section 268 of Canada&#39;s Criminal Code (1985) makes aggravated assault illegal, including actions that cause injury or harm to a victim&#39;s sex organs. However, there is an exception in Section 268(3)(a) for medical practitioners performing surgeries to establish a &#34;normal sexual appearance.&#34; Therefore, medical practitioners performing surgeries on intersex youth is not banned.

Medical interventions performed on intersex infants to alter their genital appearance to conform to typical male or female standards, often without the informed consent of the child who is too young to participate in the decision-making process.

Same-sex marriage in Canada became legally recognised nationwide with the Civil Marriage Act, making Canada the fourth country in the world to legalise gay marriage.

Marriage and marriage recognition between two people of the same biological sex and/or gender identity.

On June 10th, 2003, Ontario became the first province in Canada to legalize civil unions for gay couples. The second province to legalize it was British Columbia less than a month later on July 8th, 2003.  

LGBT soldiers are permitted to serve in the Canadian military and have been since Douglas v Canada.

The ability for homosexuals to serve in the military and be open about their sexuality.

Before Douglas v Canada LGBT individuals were banned from serving in the Canadian military.

The Canadian federal government now allows individuals to put &#34;X&#34; on their passport to indicate an unspecified gender.<br />
<br />
Other IDs are under provincial/territorial jurisdiction. Only Nunavut currently has no legal recognition for non-binary identities.

Legal recognition of non-binary, genderqueer, or third gender identities.

On July 28th, 2017, the Government of Northwest Territories became the first jurisdiction in Canada to offer a third gender option. 

Before July 28th, 2017, no jurisdictions in Canada allowed a third gender option.

Canada

Montreal

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Gay Montreal Hotels

Gay saunas

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Montreal Gay Saunas

Stereo

Montreal Gay Dance Clubs

Bar Renard

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Montreal Gay Bars

L'Aigle Noir Montreal

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Montreal Gay Cruise Clubs

Downtown

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Montreal Luxury Hotels

Montreal boasts one of the biggest gay villages in the world. It’s about a 15-minute walk from the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, the historic part of the city.

Discover Montreal's Gay Village

Read our roundup of the top 10 best gayborhoods in North America.

Gay couple in Central Park New York

The Top Ten Gayborhoods in North America

Montreal is often credited with combining the charm of continental Europe and the modernism that is typical of North America and this is a generally accurate summary.

Things To Do in Montreal

Fierté Montréal Festival 2025: dates, parade, events

Fierté Montréal Festival 2025 takes place over 10 days.

Montreal Pride

Birmingham Pride 2019 gay Pride event

Birmingham Gay Pride main

Birmingham Pride 2025: parade, performances & tickets

Celebrate Birmingham Pride 2025

Hotel Birks Montreal

The Ritz-Carlton Montreal

Hôtel Le Crystal

Chateau Versailles Montreal

Chateau Versailles

Time for a drink!

Where To Stay

Hotels · mid-range

Hotels · luxury

On Today

Bars

Dance Clubs

Cruise Clubs

Saunas

City Guide

Tours

Gay Map

Find frequently asked questions for gay travelers visiting Montreal. Join the conversation, share your experiences and chat with others.

FAQs for Montreal gay travelers - gay chat & forum

Montreal is the major city of Quebec, Canada's francophone region, and it has one of the best gay scenes in North America with its own gay village

Drag Moi

Cabaret Mado Montreal

Cabaret Mado

Karaostar competition at 10 pm

Bar Le Cocktail Montreal

Bar Le Cocktail

Les vendredis branchés / 16h-22h

Thursday 3D

District Video Lounge Montreal

District Video Lounge

Drag Night

<p>Aigle Noir (Black Eagle) is a leather bar based in Montreal's Gay Village. If you're into daddy or bear types - and leather! - you'll do well here.<br><br>The bar has a terrace that can get busy on weekends.<br><br>The leather theme&nbsp;isn't imposed as strictly as in other fetish&nbsp;bars. Here you'll find a mixed crowd, hot barmen and a good selection of leather-clad guys with tattoos, boots and other butch accoutrements.<br><br>You'll find plenty of appropriately kinky pictures and objets&nbsp;d'art scattered around. There are two bars - if you're feeling cruise-y the one at the back is your best bet.<br><br>As the night progresses this can become quite a pickup joint.</p>

Aigle Noir

<p>Aigle Noir (Black Eagle) is a leather bar based...

<p>Club Unity is the biggest gay bar in Montreal, and it's located in the heart of the gay village. There are three bars as well as a rooftop.<br><br>The drinks are relatively cheap and multiple floors with different types of music playing. This is a place where you can have a lot of fun and dance like crazy.<br><br>The people here are laid back and friendly. This is the must-see gay club if you're in Montreal.<br><br>If you show up late on a busy night you may have to queue.</p>

Club Unity

<p>Club Unity is the biggest gay bar in Montreal,...

<p>Large gay sauna in Montreal. Spread over three floors you'll find private rooms you can rent. There are various public play areas with slings, hot tubs, glory holes, a sauna, steam room and TV lounge.</p>
<p>This sauna is popular with both locals and tourists, especially those visiting from the US. This is the most visited gay sauna in Montreal.<br><br>This place can get busy and you'll find plenty of cruising action.&nbsp;There's a roof terrace where you can enjoy the views, assuming you're willing to brave Montreal's climate in your towel.&nbsp;If you're looking for some action in the gay village this place is a good option.</p>
<p>After being closed for nearly a year following a fire, Sauna G.I. Joe reopened in July 2024. It's been refurbished - obviously! - following the fire.</p>
<h3>Busiest time to visit Sauna G.I. Joe</h3>
<p>After bars and clubs close, many people head to the sauna.&nbsp;The peak time is typically midnight to 3 AM.</p>

Sauna G.I. Joe Montreal

Sauna G.I. Joe

Gay sauna in Montreal

<p>Popular gay bistro in Montreal's gay village. This place is something of an institution. It's great for people watching - you'll see a lot of hot Montrealer guys.<br><br>You can choose from a wide variety of dishes including local and international cuisine. You can tuck into a filling burger or fish and chips; if you're watching the calories then there a plenty of lighter options. There's also a good choice for vegetarians.<br><br>Happy hour takes place between 16:00 - 19:00 and invariably draws a diverse crowd.<br><br>This restro-bar covers all your needs. You can dine here like you're in a restaurant or make a night of it at the bar. You could well find yourself doing both.</p>

Le Saloon Montreal

Le Saloon

<p>Popular gay bistro in Montreal's gay village. T...

<p>Here you can cruise through the steam room, the play area, or situate yourself in one of the glory holes.<br><br>You can also chill and watch XX movies. If you're peckish, you can grab a sandwich at the snack bar, although it's not really known as one of the standout places in eat in Montreal. This is a large sauna without glamorous facilities, but you'll find action 24 hours a day.<br><br></p>

Sauna Oasis

<p>Here you can cruise through the steam room, the...

<p>This classy cocktail bar is located on St. Catherine Street, right in the heart of Montreal's gay village. It's right by Beaudry metro station, so it's a great spot if you simply cannot wait for that martini.<br><br>Bar Renard offers a good selection of artisan beers. A food bar menu is available if you get pecking, but this is really a place to drink rather than eat.<br><br>The chic decor and friendly atmosphere make for a charming experience. This is a good place to start your night out.<br><br>One of the standout gay bars in Montreal.</p>

Bar Renard Montreal

<p>This classy cocktail bar is located on St. Cath...

<p>Cabaret Mado is an iconic Montreal drag bar located on St Catherine. Presided over by the Drag Queen Mado Lamotte herself, she hosts a variety of drag performers and interacts with the crowd in French. If she knows there are tourists in the crowd she'll occasionally switch to English.<br><br>Inspired by the decadent&nbsp;Weimar entertainments of the 1920s, this gender-bending&nbsp;den of ill repute is guaranteed to be a good night out.<br><br>Check the website to see who's performing - the lineup changes regularly.</p>

<p>Cabaret Mado is an iconic Montreal drag bar loc...

<p>Bar Le Cocktail is a drag and cocktail bar located in the heart of Montreal's gay village.<br><br>It's a great place to start the night with happy hour from 5-8 p.m. serving whisky and martinis, and drag shows from Wednesday to Sunday. But if you want to carry on here, the bar also offers karaoke every night, with drag hostesses and DJs until late.<br><br>Cocktail lovers will adore the wide range of exciting drinks at affordable prices, and the cozy lounge atmosphere makes it a great bar to chat with friends.<br><br>Bar Le Cocktail's crowd is mixed but mainly is aimed at 30 and 40-somethings looking for a quirky night out.</p>

Bar Le Cocktail is a drag and cocktail bar located in the heart Montreal's gay village

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