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LGBT Sites of Interest

In the heart of the city, the Mount Vernon neighborhood is the heart of Baltimore’s LGBT community.  Numerous LGBT-owned businesses and organizations can be found along Charles Street north of the Washington Monument.  A walk from the Inner Harbor or will immerse you in the city’s charming blocks of historic homes and shops along the way. 

Stop into the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland (GLCCB) (241 Chase Street 410-837-7748) to learn about events and organizations, check your e-mail, peruse its library and local LGBT artwork, and pick up the latest copy of Baltimore Gay Life and Baltimore Out Loud, the local LGBT newspapers.

The GLCCB hosts outrageous evenings of Gay Bingo every Wednesday at 8:30 pm at Club Hippo to benefit AIDS Action Baltimore.  The Hippo is also Baltimore’s premier destination for female impersonation and drag performances every Friday night.  But that’s just one of the many community favorites ranging from piano bars to entertainment complexes that cater to men, women and mixed crowds.

John Waters fans and cinema aficionados will enjoy a divine pilgrimage to the filmmaker’s hometown, where he still maintains a residence.  Head to “The Avenue” along 36th Street in the Hampden neighborhood, where Hairspay and Pecker were filmed, and where Café Hon still epitomizes Waters’ kitschy Baltimore.  Stop into Atomic Books where the artist shops and receives his fan mail.  True die-hards can visit Divine’s gravesite in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Towson.  Or, you can view the star in all her glory at the American Visionary Museum, which boasts a larger-than-life statue of Baltimore’s most famous diva.  Click here for additional listings of John Waters’ favorite hometown shops, restaurants and attractions.