In 15th-century Venice, people were burned at the stake and decapitated for same-sex sexual activity. Visiting in the 21st century, that’s very hard to believe. (The last execution based on sexual orientation was in 1771.) On a simple stroll across the city these days, a visitor might see some contemporary queer art, ads for queer theatre and a couple of luxuriously dressed gay couples.
Still, the city’s complicated queer past can be seen in the ornate masks of Carnival (which next takes place February 22 to March 4, 2025), where anonymous revellers let their inhibitions go, and in the nubile statues that adorn the exterior of Doge’s Palace (P.za San Marco 1, Venezia). To truly experience this city of about 260,000 permanent residents—and about 20 million annual visitors—you must get lost in Venice’s snaking alleys and confounding dead ends. You must sample its sardine-and-raisin sarde in saor and its ink-black risotto al nero di seppia. You must experience every corner of this slowly sinking northern Italy city that, according to legend, was blessed by Neptune. You must also follow our advice on LGBTQ+ Venice travel.
Mask for Mask
According to legend, Renaissance-era queer men used to circumvent Venice’s anti-sodomy laws by exploiting a convenient loophole: if a person wore a mask during the city’s carnival, they could commit illegal acts. Think the movie The Purge, but with less murder. Thus, queer men would don a mask-like veil called a “gnaga,” toss on some quick drag and sleep with as many men as they pleased. That’s why, to this day, Venice’s centuries-old Carnival is an LGBTQ+-friendly experience, complemented by various gay parties held in the larger Veneto region. You can experience this unforgettable event at the end of February, perhaps staying at the queer-friendly Santa Croce Boutique Hotel (Campo Nazario Sauro 980, Venezia). In fact, the hotel might even cover your €5 tourist tax that all visitors to Venice have had to pay since April 2024.
For a more modern taste of Venetian queerness, you might visit during Venice Pride, which is typically held in early June. In opposition to Mayor Luigi Brugnaro’s efforts to ban LGBTQ+ events, Venice Pride is held under the name Laguna Pride. On this one magical day, you can galavant across the city’s canals and bridges as gayly as you please. However, be warned: given the recent overtourism epidemic, you may encounter some antipathy from locals. Just be open-minded and gracious, and you should be fine.
Take the scenic sodomite route
Beyond Carnival and Pride, there’s still plenty to do. The “Venezia Sodomissima” tour takes you on a breakneck journey through the annals (anals?) of Venetian LGBTQ+ history. As you navigate Venice’s senseless web of narrow, dark paths, you’ll learn what merchants in the Middle Ages did when they left their wives to “barter” here for several months. You’ll also have a chance to visit Il Museo di Palazzo Grimani (Rugagiuffa 4858, Venezia), where the grandson of the city’s former ruler lived. In his free time, he collected frescoes of naked, suspiciously friendly Greek men, as well as paintings of Dionysus flirting with a male satyr.
Free your mind, ARTPOP
If you’re going to spend hours somewhere staring at art, let it be Venice. There are the usual haunts like Piazza San Marco, Doge’s Palace (P.za San Marco 1, Venezia) and Scuola Grande di San Rocco (San Polo 3054 a, Venezia). But also make pit stops at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Dorsoduro 701, Venezia) and Gallerie dell’Accademia (Calle della Carità 1050, Venezia). The former regularly spotlights queer artists, whereas the latter is home to the Vitruvian Man, the famous sketch by “almost certainly gay” Leonardo da Vinci.
Every two years, including 2024, Venice hosts its Biennale. Temporary art exhibits from artists from around the globe appear all over the city, suffusing Venice with a sense of discovery. The Biennale is also very popular among the wealthy international gay set, so you will see handsome gay couples flaunting their very expensive fashions. Either way, you’ll want to enhance your art adventure with a memorable meal. Ai Mercanti (Corte Coppo 4346/a, Venezia) specializes in traditional Venetian fare, while Ristorante Glam (Calle Tron, 1961, Venezia) combines contemporary dishes with cocktail-fuelled people-watching.
Find a Mister in Mestre (or Padova)
We haven’t recommended any gay bars in Venice because there are none. Though there are queer parties during Pride and Carnival, the city, with its high rents, simply has no room for true clubs or bars, let alone queer ones. However, those who need the thump, thump, thump of the club (or of a stranger’s bed) can hop a bus for the quick ride to Mestre, where you’ll find regular queer events at Trash & Chic (Via Elettricità 10, Venezia), as well as a friendly sauna crowd at Metrò Venezia Club (Via Cappuccina 82/b, Venezia). A short train ride to Padova will get you close to the cruise bar Hot Dog Club (Via Domenico Turazza 19/scala A, Padova).
That said, you can still find many LGBTQ+-friendly bars in Venice proper, such as Bra’s Cocktail Bar (Campo Santi Filippo e Giacomo 4294, Venezia).
For a break from all that walking and sight-seeing, head over to Alberoni Beach on Lido Island, which is known to be a gay-friendly hangout. Oh, how the times have changed since the 1400s.
