Gay? Lesbian? Bisexual? Transgendered? Queer? Straight? There are a number of places in Baton Rouge students may have never heard of where they can be themselves, dance with a same-sex partner without being judged and have a great time.
Baton Rouge is home to a great queer — the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community — nightlife many people are completely unaware of. Icon, located at 2183 Highland Road, is near campus and a great place to take your same-sex partner for a night of drinking, dancing and revelry. It is pretty big, with two full bars, a piano lounge, a huge dance floor and leather couches situated throughout the club.
Icon is known for its weekly drag shows and predominantly male crowd. But, of all the gay bars in Baton Rouge, this bar is probably the most gender diverse.
For the most part, this bar is an excellent place where anyone would feel comfortable partying. With loud techno music blasting all night and a drag queen always within spitting distance, you can’t lose. Cover varies, usually $5 and up.
      The Fishbowl, located at 7367 Exchange Place, is a lesbian bar whose clientele varies greatly. During the week, The Fishbowl is a low-key place, a good place to sit, have a beer, and shoot pool or play darts. These mellow nights usually are enjoyed by an older, middle-aged crowd, but the weekends are vastly different.
A Friday night at The Fishbowl is filled with many younger people dancing to rap, techno, some top 40 and requested music. While men do party at The Fishbowl, mostly women frequent this place.
The management is friendly; the drinks are good, and there is no cover. It is not difficult talking to the customers here as the crowd tends to be quite sociable.
George’s Place, near campus at 860 St. Louis, has been around for a while and is an excellent place to go all week long. George’s Place, predominantly male, is a cozy bar, with two pool tables and a tiny stage.
One of the main attractions at George’s Place is the karaoke. There is usually a substantial group for karaoke, and it’s almost impossible to find someone that’s not having a good time.
George’s Place seems to be a comfortable place for older men to hang out or meet people. But, the younger crowd certainly is beginning to stake their claim in this local hideout.
If you want to go to a gay bar, but don’t want to listen to techno all night or be flanked by hordes of women, this is an ideal spot with no cover.
Cat’s, located at 8146 Greenwell Springs Road, is one of the most gender-specific bars in town but hosts an extremely loyal and large flock. Cat’s is a lesbian bar that few men enter, but most women who frequent this bar seem to enjoy the atmosphere.
The music is eclectic and fun to dance to and there are always plenty of women to dance with. Cat’s customers vary in age from 18 to older than 40. It’s a little bit of a drive to get to Cats, if you’re coming from campus. There is no cover, and it’s usually worth the drive.
If you’re a member of the queer community and don’t have any idea where you can go out at night and feel comfortable, try these nightspots. Remember gay bars aren’t just for gay people. They’re for gay-friendly folks, too.