Gay Spa | LGBTQ+ Travel Gui, Spa Gay Rights & Safety Tips

Contents:

• THE BT LGBTQ- AND GAY-FRIENDLY HOTELS BARCELONA, SPA
• SPANISH VILLAGE MAK S OWN RABOW AFTER UNCIL'S GAY PRI FLAG BANNED
• GAY SPA - OUR 6 FAVOURE PLAC TO EXPERIENCE LGBT SPA
• SPA IS GETTG ITS FIRST LGBT RETIREMENT CENTERALL-INCLIVEIN A UNTRY WHERE DISCRIMATN IS BAD ENOUGH TO PH SOME ELRLY RINTS BACK TO THE CLOSET, THERE’S A SIGN OF HOPE—A NEW CENTER BEG BUILT MADRID TERG TO GAY RINTS.BARBIE LATZA NAUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 2:19PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 20, 2014 6:45AM EDT THE DAILY BEASTIN MOST SOCIETI, THE THOUGHT OF WHAT TO DO WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL OR TRANSGENR OLD PEOPLE IS NOT EXACTLY A PRRY. BUT SPA, WHERE HOMOPHOBIA ULD BE NSIRED A NATNAL PASTIME, GAY PEOPLE OFTEN HAD TO GO BACK TO THE CLOSET WHEN ME TIME TO THK ABOUT ELRLY RE. THAT IS ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE, AT LEAST MADRID, WHEN THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBT RETIREMENT CENTER OPENS NEXT YEAR. THE CENTER, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN NAMED AND WHICH WILL BE THE SEND EUROPE AFTER A SWEDISH LGBT RETIREMENT CENTER THAT OPENED LAST YEAR, IS THE BRACHILD OF FERI ARMENTEROS, FOUNR OF THE 26 DECEMBER FOUNDATN, AN NGO FOR SPA’S LGBT MUNY NAMED AFTER THE DAY 1978 WHEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS NO LONGER “DANGERO TO SOCIETY” SPA. HE SAYS THE CENTER IS NECSARY BEE “ELRLY LGBT DON’T EXIST” THE EY OF MOST PEOPLE. THAT, HE SAYS, “PH PEOPLE BACK TO THE CLOSET,” OFTEN THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR EQUALY DURG THEIR YOUNGER YEARS.THE CENTER IS BEG BUILT THE SHELL OF A HOTEL MADRID AND WILL OFFER UP TO 230 RINTS VAR LIVG OPTNS, CLUDG APARTMENTS, ASSISTED LIVG FACILI, AND A WG FOR HIV POSIVE RINTS, SOME OF WHOM HAVE BEEN PROHIBED OM LIVG OTHER ELRLY RE FACILI SPA AND OTHER EUROPEAN UNTRI. THE AVERAGE ST OF BASIC ACMODATN WILL BE ABOUT $1,380 A MONTH. ARMENTEROS SAID THERE AMENI WILL CLU “HIS AND HIS” SPORTS FACILI AND SNA, AND A “HERS AND HERS” BETY SALON, ALONGSI THE ARTS AND CULTURE CLASS AND PHYSTHERAPY OFFERGS THAT ARE STANDARD ISSUE MOST RETIREMENT MUNI.SPA IS ONE OF EUROPE’S LEAST TOLERANT UNTRI FOR THE GAY MUNY, ACRDG TO THE UNTRY’S LGBT FERATN, WHICH HAS NDUCTED SEVERAL EYE-OPENG STUDI RECENT YEARS. IN ONE SURVEY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUNTS, WHERE THEY SAY THE HOMOPHOBIA BEGS, THE ACT OF EXCLN MANIFTS SELF THE FORM OF BULLYG, WH TWO OF FIVE SPANISH STUNTS REPORTG THAT THEY “OFTEN” OR “ALWAYS” WNS HOMOPHOBIC SULTS AT SCHOOL. THE FERATN ALSO REPORTS THAT DISCRIMATN ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN IS RAMPANT THE WORK FORCE, WHERE MANY LGBT WORKERS HAVE TO HI OR LIE ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. MORE THAN 160,000 LGBT PEOPLE LIVE MADRID, AND MANY HAVE FILED PLATS AGAST THE CY FOR ALLOWG BLATANT DISCRIMATN. “MANY MANAGED TO E OUT, SOME STILL KEPT UNR WRAPS, BUT AN OVERWHELMG MAJORY WENT BACK TO THE CLOSET THE MOMENT THEY END UP RE HOM,” ARMENTEROS TOLD THE LOL “THE OLR GENERATN WERE BROUGHT UP WH A DIFFERENT SET OF VALU, VERY REPRSED, AND GENERAL THEY STILL STGGLE TO ACCEPT THE LGBT LLECTIVE.”RETIREMENT MUNI TERG TO THE LGBT MUNY HAVE BEEN GROWG POPULARY THE UNED STAT, WHERE GUIS EXIST TO HELP PEOPLE FD APPROPRIATE FACILI. THE TREND IS NOT SO PREVALENT EUROPE. SWEN WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN UNTRY TO GURATE A DITED LGBT RETIREMENT FACILY, WHICH WAS OPENED STOCKHOLM 2013. THE CENTER, LLED THE REGNBAGEN HOE OR RABOW HOE, IS PLETELY FULL AND NOW HAS 95 PEOPLE ON THE WAG LIST FOR APARTMENTS. WHILE SWEDISH GAYS HAVE NOT GENERALLY SUFFERED THE SAME STIGMA AS THEY HAVE SPA AND OTHER SOUTHERN EUROPEAN UNTRI PECIALLY, RINTS SAID THAT WAS STILL NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR GAY UPL TO LIVE TOGETHER RETIREMENT MUNI THEIR UNTRY. “TAKE CULTURAL MORI, FOR EXAMPLE,” RINT BJöRN GATE TOLD SWEDISH RAD WHEN THE CENTER OPENED LAST YEAR. “IT WAS DISVERED LONG AGO THAT THEY PE MUCH BETTER WH OLD AGE WHEN LIVG WH PEOPLE THEY HAVE SOMETHG MON WH. IT MATTERS A LOT THAT YOU ARE AMONG KDRED SPIRS.”STILL, ARMENTEROS SAYS HIS RETIREMENT CENTER WILL NOT DISCRIMATE AGAST STRAIGHT PEOPLE. “WE’RE NOT GOG TO ASK YOU WHO YOU SLEEP WH WHEN YOU APPLY,” HE TOLD THE SPANISH NEWSPAPER THE OLIVE PRS. “ANYONE N E, THE ONLY THG TO BEAR MD IS THAT SPECIALIZ ELRLY LGBTS. AS IS, THERE ARE HOM FOR EX-SERVICEMEN, NUNS, OR RETIRED WORKERS OM SPECIFIC PANI, AND NO ONE SAYS THEY ARE BEG DISCRIMATORY. [LGBT PEOPLE] DON’T HAVE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN THEY N TALK ABOUT AND OFTEN THEY NCEAL THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN TO AVOID REJECTN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT DON’T HAPPEN ANYMORE.” BARBIE LATZA NA
• GAY BARCELONA: OUR GUI TO THE BT LGBTQ SPOTS THE CY

THE BT LGBTQ- AND GAY-FRIENDLY HOTELS BARCELONA, SPA

Spa has undoubtedly e a long way om the days of Fran’s dictatorship, when homosexualy was classified as “a danger”. Once Spa beme a mocratic untry, same-sex sexual terurse was legalised 1979 and gay marriage and adoptn were legalised 2005, the third untry the world to do so.

In a 2017 terview El País, Pomos founr Luis Alegre said Spa was “the most tolerant untry the world when to homosexualy”.

Acrdg to a 2019 study to the global acceptance of homosexualy by the US’s Pew Rearch Centre, Spa was the third most gay-iendly untry the world after Swen and the Netherlands.

SPANISH VILLAGE MAK S OWN RABOW AFTER UNCIL'S GAY PRI FLAG BANNED

In 2021, the homophobic murr of a young man over Gay Pri weekend shocked a untry regard ternatnally as one of the most tolerant when to LGBTIQ+ (Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Queer) rights. However, acrdg to Catalonia’s Observatory agast Homophobia, 2022 LGBTI hate crim have skyrocketed aga by 70 percent 2022 across Spa.

A member of the Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) muny wears a sticker on his cht readg "Stop Homophobia" durg the annual Pri para Madrid, on July 6, 2019. There are dozens of stori of homophobic attacks and sults om all across Spa, and although social media helps to brg attentn to the crim, many rema unreported. “In Spa, people wh a favourable opn of the Vox party, which recently has begun to openly oppose some gay rights, are much ls likely to say that homosexualy is acceptable than those who do not support the party, ” the PEW Rearch Centre’s last report highlighted.

However, Spanish society remas firmly agast LGBTIQphobia, wh 89 percent acceptg homosexualy acrdg to the Pew Rearch Centre and Spa beg crowned world lear for transgenr rights a 2018 Ipsos study.

GAY SPA - OUR 6 FAVOURE PLAC TO EXPERIENCE LGBT SPA

Six out every ten Spaniards say they have a relatnship/iendship wh people om the LGBTIQ+ llective, one every five have attend Pri celebratns, 76 percent are favour of gay marriage and 73 percent believe the LGBTIQ+ should be open about their sexualy (hight of all 27 untri surveyed).

SPA IS GETTG ITS FIRST LGBT RETIREMENT CENTERALL-INCLIVEIN A UNTRY WHERE DISCRIMATN IS BAD ENOUGH TO PH SOME ELRLY RINTS BACK TO THE CLOSET, THERE’S A SIGN OF HOPE—A NEW CENTER BEG BUILT MADRID TERG TO GAY RINTS.BARBIE LATZA NAUPDATED JUL. 12, 2017 2:19PM EDT / PUBLISHED APR. 20, 2014 6:45AM EDT THE DAILY BEASTIN MOST SOCIETI, THE THOUGHT OF WHAT TO DO WH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL OR TRANSGENR OLD PEOPLE IS NOT EXACTLY A PRRY. BUT SPA, WHERE HOMOPHOBIA ULD BE NSIRED A NATNAL PASTIME, GAY PEOPLE OFTEN HAD TO GO BACK TO THE CLOSET WHEN ME TIME TO THK ABOUT ELRLY RE. THAT IS ALL ABOUT TO CHANGE, AT LEAST MADRID, WHEN THE UNTRY’S FIRST LGBT RETIREMENT CENTER OPENS NEXT YEAR. THE CENTER, WHICH HAS NOT YET BEEN NAMED AND WHICH WILL BE THE SEND EUROPE AFTER A SWEDISH LGBT RETIREMENT CENTER THAT OPENED LAST YEAR, IS THE BRACHILD OF FERI ARMENTEROS, FOUNR OF THE 26 DECEMBER FOUNDATN, AN NGO FOR SPA’S LGBT MUNY NAMED AFTER THE DAY 1978 WHEN HOMOSEXUALY WAS NO LONGER “DANGERO TO SOCIETY” SPA. HE SAYS THE CENTER IS NECSARY BEE “ELRLY LGBT DON’T EXIST” THE EY OF MOST PEOPLE. THAT, HE SAYS, “PH PEOPLE BACK TO THE CLOSET,” OFTEN THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR EQUALY DURG THEIR YOUNGER YEARS.THE CENTER IS BEG BUILT THE SHELL OF A HOTEL MADRID AND WILL OFFER UP TO 230 RINTS VAR LIVG OPTNS, CLUDG APARTMENTS, ASSISTED LIVG FACILI, AND A WG FOR HIV POSIVE RINTS, SOME OF WHOM HAVE BEEN PROHIBED OM LIVG OTHER ELRLY RE FACILI SPA AND OTHER EUROPEAN UNTRI. THE AVERAGE ST OF BASIC ACMODATN WILL BE ABOUT $1,380 A MONTH. ARMENTEROS SAID THERE AMENI WILL CLU “HIS AND HIS” SPORTS FACILI AND SNA, AND A “HERS AND HERS” BETY SALON, ALONGSI THE ARTS AND CULTURE CLASS AND PHYSTHERAPY OFFERGS THAT ARE STANDARD ISSUE MOST RETIREMENT MUNI.SPA IS ONE OF EUROPE’S LEAST TOLERANT UNTRI FOR THE GAY MUNY, ACRDG TO THE UNTRY’S LGBT FERATN, WHICH HAS NDUCTED SEVERAL EYE-OPENG STUDI RECENT YEARS. IN ONE SURVEY OF HIGH SCHOOL STUNTS, WHERE THEY SAY THE HOMOPHOBIA BEGS, THE ACT OF EXCLN MANIFTS SELF THE FORM OF BULLYG, WH TWO OF FIVE SPANISH STUNTS REPORTG THAT THEY “OFTEN” OR “ALWAYS” WNS HOMOPHOBIC SULTS AT SCHOOL. THE FERATN ALSO REPORTS THAT DISCRIMATN ON THE BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATN IS RAMPANT THE WORK FORCE, WHERE MANY LGBT WORKERS HAVE TO HI OR LIE ABOUT THEIR SEXUALY. MORE THAN 160,000 LGBT PEOPLE LIVE MADRID, AND MANY HAVE FILED PLATS AGAST THE CY FOR ALLOWG BLATANT DISCRIMATN. “MANY MANAGED TO E OUT, SOME STILL KEPT UNR WRAPS, BUT AN OVERWHELMG MAJORY WENT BACK TO THE CLOSET THE MOMENT THEY END UP RE HOM,” ARMENTEROS TOLD THE LOL “THE OLR GENERATN WERE BROUGHT UP WH A DIFFERENT SET OF VALU, VERY REPRSED, AND GENERAL THEY STILL STGGLE TO ACCEPT THE LGBT LLECTIVE.”RETIREMENT MUNI TERG TO THE LGBT MUNY HAVE BEEN GROWG POPULARY THE UNED STAT, WHERE GUIS EXIST TO HELP PEOPLE FD APPROPRIATE FACILI. THE TREND IS NOT SO PREVALENT EUROPE. SWEN WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN UNTRY TO GURATE A DITED LGBT RETIREMENT FACILY, WHICH WAS OPENED STOCKHOLM 2013. THE CENTER, LLED THE REGNBAGEN HOE OR RABOW HOE, IS PLETELY FULL AND NOW HAS 95 PEOPLE ON THE WAG LIST FOR APARTMENTS. WHILE SWEDISH GAYS HAVE NOT GENERALLY SUFFERED THE SAME STIGMA AS THEY HAVE SPA AND OTHER SOUTHERN EUROPEAN UNTRI PECIALLY, RINTS SAID THAT WAS STILL NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR GAY UPL TO LIVE TOGETHER RETIREMENT MUNI THEIR UNTRY. “TAKE CULTURAL MORI, FOR EXAMPLE,” RINT BJöRN GATE TOLD SWEDISH RAD WHEN THE CENTER OPENED LAST YEAR. “IT WAS DISVERED LONG AGO THAT THEY PE MUCH BETTER WH OLD AGE WHEN LIVG WH PEOPLE THEY HAVE SOMETHG MON WH. IT MATTERS A LOT THAT YOU ARE AMONG KDRED SPIRS.”STILL, ARMENTEROS SAYS HIS RETIREMENT CENTER WILL NOT DISCRIMATE AGAST STRAIGHT PEOPLE. “WE’RE NOT GOG TO ASK YOU WHO YOU SLEEP WH WHEN YOU APPLY,” HE TOLD THE SPANISH NEWSPAPER THE OLIVE PRS. “ANYONE N E, THE ONLY THG TO BEAR MD IS THAT SPECIALIZ ELRLY LGBTS. AS IS, THERE ARE HOM FOR EX-SERVICEMEN, NUNS, OR RETIRED WORKERS OM SPECIFIC PANI, AND NO ONE SAYS THEY ARE BEG DISCRIMATORY. [LGBT PEOPLE] DON’T HAVE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN THEY N TALK ABOUT AND OFTEN THEY NCEAL THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATN TO AVOID REJECTN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT DON’T HAPPEN ANYMORE.” BARBIE LATZA NA

It’s perhaps this creasg openns and tolerance among the majory of Spanish society, and the eedom that this brgs to the LGBTIQ+ muny, that is triggerg the select few bigoted people Spa to turn to vlence and homophobia. Jt north of the cy center is the predomantly LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Chue where many of the gay bars and nightlife n be found. Spa is one of the most gay-iendly untri  the world, boastg a harmon mix of rich tradn and liberal views.

GAY BARCELONA: OUR GUI TO THE BT LGBTQ SPOTS THE CY

In larger ci like Madrid and Barcelona, ’s not difficult to fd gay-iendly and gay-owned and operated acmodatns and tour pani. A trendy and stylish retreat, this adults-only hotel classifi self not as gay-iendly but as hetero-iendly, as the LGBTQ muny is s first prry.

BARCELONA (Rters) - When police orred a lol mayor southern Spa to take down a rabow flag put up to celebrate gay pri on Friday bee was illegal, more than 300 hoeholds the village rallied to the e and flew their own the time gay pri celebratns took place Spa on Sunday, the Andalian village of Villanueva Algaidas near Malaga was awash wh flags hangg om balni, wdows and even a bar Civi, Socialist mayor of the village of 4, 000 habants, only found out was illegal for thori to fly the flag after three rints plaed about the one he had put said the lol ernment was bound by a recent lg by the Spanish Supreme Court that only official flags, of Spa, s regns or the European Unn, n be flown om uncil buildgs. -based Pew Rearch Center found 88% of Spaniards accepted homosexualy, makg one of the most acceptg untri of the 39 polled. When to gay-iendly statns around the globe, ’s hard to beat one of the gayt, most geo of them all: Spa.

Wily looked upon as a mol natn for gay rights Europe ( 2013 the Pew Rearch Center ranked Spa as the most gay-iendly untry the world, ) Spa ntu to ph the envelope for equaly and tolerance, wh laws place to protect same-sex marriage, adoptn, and transgenr rights. Add to the mix some of the world’s largt, most wildly fun Pri Ftivals and a rich cultural history that liv on the passnate, diverse untry today, and you’ve got all the makgs for an epic gay Spa getaway that will quickly have you returng for more. Gay BarcelonaAh, Barcelona—easily gay Spa’s most veted statn, a cultural playground of archectural masterpiec, world-class Catalan cuise and sweepg whe sand beach.

A smopolan cy wh distct, laid-back Mederranean vib, Barcelona promot an atmosphere of tolerance and diversy, of which perhaps the bt example is Catalonia’s landmark Anti-Homophobia Act. A geo gay Barcelona getaway n be had anywhere the cy, but the ever-popular Eixample neighbourhood—also known as Gayxample—is the epicentre of the cy’s most sought-after gay-popular tablishments.

Photo: EnBarcelona promot an atmosphere of tolerance and diversy, of which perhaps the bt example is Catalonia’s landmark Anti-Homophobia ActWe wouldn’t blame you for makg a beele straight to Barcelona’s 4. ) Due to their central lotn, the gay Barcelona beach always attract a crowd, but that also means there are plenty of handsome, sun-kissed men around, too.

Be sure to stop by Chirguo BeGay while you’re there, a gay Barcelona stutn servg up lic drks and beach a gay party not soon fotten, time your vis to Barcelona over one of s world-renowned ftivals. Every Augt, some 100, 000 people scend on Barcelona for Europe’s largt gay ftival and ten days of rto good tim punctuated by themed dance parti and epic DJs. Of urse, Barcelona offers plenty of actn any time of year, wh a vibrant gay nightlife scene to rival any European pal.

One of our favoure Barcelona gay bars is Plata Bar, a stylish cktail bar wh a sunny terrace, handsome staff, and expertly crafted drks.

Another in for gay Barcelona nightlife is El Cangrejo, bt known for s weekend drag performanc and kschy, lourful r. Gayxample’s central lotn mak an excellent base om which to explore Barcelona’s highlights (the bt of which we’ve outled our gay Barcelona Cy Gui). Then there’s TWO Hotel and Axel Hotel, both sleek gay acmodatns that promise a warm, welg atmosphere wh plenty of opportuni for mglg wh like-md travellers.