<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-92736" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/68022/bordeaux-city-guide-main.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><h2>Bordeaux</h2>A port city on the river Garonne and the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Bordeaux is at the heart of the Bordeaux Métropole, France's sixth largest, and home to just over a million people.Coming into Roman rule in 60 BC, Bordeaux has a varied and fascinating history. The 18th Century is considered to be the Golden Age of the city with Victor Hugo declaring it a combination of Versailles and Antwerp and was Baron Hausmann's model for the rebuilding of Paris.Nowadays, Bordeaux is famous across the world for being the capital of the wine industry. Every year the wine industry generates over 14 billion euros for the local economy. Aside from wine tours, visitors come to Bordeaux for its fantastic architecture and relaxed cafe culture.&nbsp;<h2>Gay Rights in France</h2>For gay rights in France, please see our <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/essential-guide-to-paris/">Gay Paris City Guide</a> page.&nbsp;<h2>Gay Scene</h2>Despite having a relatively modest selection of <a href="https://www.travelgay.com/bordeaux-gay-saunas/">exclusively gay venues</a>, Bordeaux is a liberal and open-minded city. Gay customers are welcome in all venues. A large student population means that there is a friendly youthful energy to the city.There is an annual gay pride parade held in June that is celebrated by many in the city. There is also an LGBT film festival, Cinémarges that organises film screenings of home-grown and international queer cinema throughout the year.&nbsp;<h2>Getting to Bordeaux</h2>By planeBordeaux–Mérignac Airport (BOD) is located 12km west of Bordeaux and is France's 6th largest airport in terms of passenger numbers. It mostly offers services to and from destinations in Europe and North Africa but there are seasonal services to destinations in North America.An express bus runs from the airport to the centre of Bordeaux in 30 minutes. A single journey costs €8 but there are discounts available. It runs from around 8.30am to 8.30pm Monday to Friday, 8.45 to 6pm on Saturdays and 9.45am to 6.30pm on Sundays.A local bus from outside of arrivals offers a cheaper route into town, with single tickets valid for an hour starting at €1.50. The catch is that in busy times the journey could potentially take an hour so you may have to buy a second ticket. Tickets can be purchased from either the driver or the machine at the stop.Taxis can be taken from the airport and the journey takes around 25 minutes. Expect to pay in the region of €30 with prices varying depending on the time of day and on bank holidays. Car hire is available at the airport.By trainGare Saint Jean is Bordeaux's main train station and is located about 4km from the centre of town. It is the southern terminus of the Paris-Bordeaux line and is well connected to destinations in the south of France. From the station you can take buses, tram line C or a taxi into the city centre.<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-76879" src="https://static.travelgay.com/media/68024/Bordeaux-Guide-1.jpg" alt="" width="100%" /><h2>Getting around Bordeaux</h2>On footMost of the city centre is pedestrianised which makes Bordeaux very easy to navigate on foot. It is probably the best way to get from A to B as the majority of Bordeaux's main sights are concentrated within the centre of town.By public transportTBC operates the public transport network of Bordeaux which includes buses, a tram and a river ferry service. Singles start at €1.50 but you can buy multi-trip tickets or daily and weekly passes to get discounts. Tickets must be validated upon boarding and when transferring.Avoid using the buses at rush hour as they become jam packed and run very slowly due to the large amount of traffic the city centre receives. Bus services run until around 9pm with some later running evening services.By taxiThere are several 24 hour taxi-ranks located at key-locations of Bordeaux. Many locals pre-order taxis or use taxi apps like Uber to save time and costs at busy times.By bikeBordeaux's flat surface makes the city an ideal location to cycle. There are many cycle lanes and recently a cycle share scheme was introduced. It is worth noting, however, that you will need to pay a €200 deposit by card before you can use the bikes.&nbsp;<h2>Where to Stay in Bordeaux</h2>Bordeaux has a great choice of hotels to suit all budgets. Some of the best-value and most popular hotels in Bordeaux can be found on the <a href="https://www.travelgayhotels.com/Place/Bordeaux.htm">Gay Bordeaux Hotels page</a>.&nbsp;<h2>Things to See &amp; Do</h2>Wine tasting - it would be a cardinal sin to not indulge in a little wine tasting when visiting the capital of the wine industry. You can organise your own visits to nearby vineyards however there are many tours on offer from Bordeaux itself.Place des Quinconces - one of the largest public squares in Europe. Here you will find some of the finest monuments the city of Bordeaux has to offer.The Left Bank Quays - the place to see and be seen in Bordeaux. Here you will find a wide-range or restaurants, cafes and bars to relax, unwind and people watch.Musee D'Art Contemporain (Contemporary Art Museum) - the place to visit for lovers of weird and wonderful modern art. The museum has a changing program of exhibits throughout the year so be sure to research in advance to see what's on.Marché des Capucins - a fantastic food market where you can sample a wide selection of regional gastronomic produce. There is also a flea market here.Jardin botanique de Bordeaux - a great spot for a picnic or a romantic stroll on a summer's day. The Botanical Garden is home to more than 3000 plant species.<h2 data-radium="true" data-reactid="49">When to Visit</h2>Compared to other cities in the South of France, Bordeaux experiences a fair amount of summer rainfall which stops temperatures rising too high. Winters are cool and snowfall is rare. Fall is probably the best time to visit Bordeaux as this is the beginning of harvest season.Bordeaux has a wide variety of events throughout the year to interest visitors to the city. In May and June, Les Epicuriales takes place on Allées-de-Tourny, turning the entire street into one large restaurant. In October, the international arts festival floods the city with art of every description.<div class="relateds"></div><h2>Money</h2>France is a Euro area country. Cash dispensers are widely available. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted. Hotels, banks and some local businesses also operate foreign exchange desks.

Gay Bordeaux · City Guide

First time in Bordeaux? Then our gay Bordeaux city guide is for you.

Same-sex couples have been legally able to adopt children since May 2013, when the same-sex marriage law took effect. The first joint adoption by a same-sex couple was announced on 18 October 2013.

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

The age of consent in France is 15 for both male-male, female-female, and male-female sex.

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

In 2022, France removed the deferral period for gay and bi men donating blood, replacing it with a new policy that applies to all donors, regardless of sexual orientation.

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 July 2019, Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced that the deferral period would be reduced to four months of abstinence from 2 April 2020.

Proposed in 2015, the indefinite deferral was replaced by a 1 year deferral in 2016.

In 1983, in response to the HIV epidemic, the Directorate General of Health banned MSMs from donating blood indefinitely. This ban was reiterated in 2009.

Blood donations in France were legal before 1983.

In France, no laws restrict 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.

Individuals can legally change their gender in France. Sex reassignment surgery is state-funded. Requires court approval to change gender marker and first-name. 
 
According to media reports, in 2010, France became the first country to remove &#34;transsexualism&#34; from their official list of mental illnesses.

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

No surgery required since 2018. Missing non binary options on documents.

The National Assembly approved the new law unanimously, voting 142-0 on Tuesday evening.

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

Not banned, although a legislation to criminalise conversion therapy is currently progressing.

Discrimination aimed toward an individual&#39;s sexual orientation or gender identity is banned in France.

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

Article 1 of Law No. 2001-1066 (2001) amended Article 122-45 of the Labour Code to afford explicit protection from discrimination based on &#34;sexual orientation&#34; in employment. It also amended Article 225-2 of the Penal Code (1994) to criminalise acts of discrimination in employment based on &#34;sexual orientation&#34;, specifically when the discriminatory action consisted a refusal to hire, admonishment or dismissal based on &#34;sexual orientation&#34; (at 225-2.3), making an offer of employment, internship request, or training (at 225- 2.5), or refusal to accept a person for an internship (at 225-2.6) on such grounds. 
In 2008, Article 122-45 was replaced by Article L1132-1 in the Labour Code (2008), which was located under the Chapter establishing the principle of non-discrimination, keeping the explicit protection based on &#34;sexual orientation&#34; in employment. This provision replaced article L122-45. 
In 2013, Article 1 of the Law Opening Marriage to Same-Sex Couples (Law No. 2013-404) (2013) inserted Art. 1132-3-2 to the Labour Code establishing that no employee may be sanctioned, dismissed or be the subject of a discriminatory measure referred to in Article L1132-1 (cited above) for “having refused, because of their &#34;sexual orientation&#34;, a geographical transfer to a State criminalising homosexuality”. 
Note : prior to the enactment of Law No. 2001-1066 (2001), French law did not include any reference to the term “sexual orientation”. However, it has been argued that there has been some form protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, first in criminal matters since 1985, under Law No. 85-772 (1985), and then in labour law under Law No. 86-76 (1986) and then under Law No. 92-1446 (1992). These laws did not speak to “sexual orientation”: the term chosen was that of “mœurs” (French equivalent for “manners”. Articles 225-1 and 225-2 of the Penal Code (1994), as amended by Law on Sexual Harassment (Law No. 2012-954) (2012), banned discrimination based on &#34;sexual identity&#34;. Moreover, Article L1132-1 in the Labour Code, as amended also by Law No. 2012-954 (2012), explicitly bans discrimination based on &#34;sexual identity&#34; in employment. 
Since the adoption of the Law on modernisation of the justice of the 21th Century (Law No. 2016-1547) (2016), the terminology has been changed to &#34;gender identity&#34; in both texts.

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

A new, legally binding, directive issued by the EU in 2000 prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment. French law followed suit and introduced protections on the basis of sexual orientation the next year.

France allows transition care for adults and minors. 
Minors can access puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and in some cases, mastectomies. Genital surgeries are however reserved for adults.

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

France banned gender reassignment surgeries on people who were not intersex until 1975. However, hormones were accessible without a prescription. 
 
Trans people would often go to Germany or Morocco to get reassignment surgeries.

In 1791, France decriminalized homosexuality during the French Revolution. 
 
France was the first country in the world to decriminalize homosexuality after previously making it illegal.

Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex.

Article 158 of Law No. 2002-73 (2002) amended Article 1 of Law No. 89-462 (1989) to prohibit a landowner from discriminating against tenants on the basis of &#34;sexual orientation&#34;. 
In 2014, Law No. 2014-366 (2014) modified the provision, but kept the prohibition of discrimination based on &#34;sexual orientation. 
In 2014, Law No. 2014-366 (2014) amended Article 1 of Law No. 89-462 (1989) to prohibit a landowner from discriminating against tenants on the grounds established by Article 225-1 of the Penal Code, which includes &#34;gender identity&#34;

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

The French government has reportedly not attempted to protect intersex infants from genital &#34;normalisation&#34; surgery.

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.

France passed comprehensive same-sex marriage legislation in 2013; entitling gay and lesbian people to equal marriage rights in Metropolitan France and all its overseas departments. France was the ninth European country and the thirteenth country in the world to legalise gay marriage.

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

Under French law, both same sex and different sex couples can get a PACS, a civil union with limited rights. PACS are still available today.

LGBT people have never been legally banned from serving in the French army.

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

Non-binary gender is not available. In 2023, the European Court of Human Rights decided in the judgment "Y. v. France" (2023) on the legal recognition of the gender of an intersex person. Specifically, on the case of a person who had been refused by French authorities the possibility to modify their gender marker to reflect the term "neutral" or "intersex". The ECHR rejected that such a decision was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, stating that, given the relevance of such a change to the otherwise binary French legal system, it was for the French state itself to reform its legislation beforehand. However, it acknowledged that future developments in Council of Europe member states could change its interpretation. 
 
A court ruled in August 2015 that an intersex plaintiff who was designated male at birth, could use the term “neutral gender” on personal official documents. This decision was overturned by a French appeals court.

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

A court in Tours ruled in favour of an intersex plaintiff who sought to have a third gender option recognised on official identification documents.

France does not recognize non-binary people.

France

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Thiers, Saint Jean, etc.

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

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Bordeaux

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Bordeaux - a port city in southwestern France, famous for its wine, beautiful architecture, great art museums and fast-growing gay scene.

Naturist

Sauna Saint Jean Bourdeaux Gay Sauna buffet

Sauna Saint Jean - CLOSED

Friendly bar for gays, lesbians &amp; friends with games and themed nights. COCO LOKO is located in Bordeaux's city center. 
 
Open every evening from 6pm-2am.

COCO LOKO Bordeaux gay bar main

COCO LOKO

Friendly bar for gays, lesbians & friends in Bordeaux.

ULTRA is gay-popular, late-night dance club in Bordeaux with outdoor terrace for smoking, guest DJ's, live music and shows. 
 
Open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, midnight until 7am.

Ultra Klubs Bordeaux gay dance club main

ULTRA Klubs (CLOSED)

Popular, late-night gay dance club in Bordeaux.

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