Five Queer-Friendly Spaces and Party Crews to Follow in Sydney

From secret warehouse parties to revamped Oxford Street pubs.

Marissa Ciampi
May 30, 2017

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Overview

Sydney's LGBTIQ+ scene is thriving. There are great, queer-friendly gatherings happening all around the city, from secret warehouse parties with a BYO policy, to regular drag and queer nights and charity celebrations. The vibes may vary, but the all-inclusive nature prevails. In partnership with Skyy Vodka, who are supporting marriage equality with a #cheerstoequality campaign, we've rounded up five venues, party crews and events that can guarantee a fun time in an atmosphere that's welcoming to all. Whether you're part of the queer community or just tagging along with a friend, here are five of the best queer-friendly spaces Sydney has to offer.

HEAPS GAY

For the past three years, Heaps Gay has been throwing some of the best LGBTIQ+ parties in Sydney, leading the queer community with intimate events that are all about dancing, art, inclusion, and absolutely no lockouts. The party crew is known for popping up in warehouse spaces across Sydney, as well as hosting events at Mardi Gras, Vivid Sydney and collaborating with Keep Sydney Open. This year Heaps Gay are bringing back their third annual Vivid Festival party, and donating $1 from every ticket to Redfern's community-focused 107 Projects. The Heaps Gay party crew regularly double their paid parties as charity initiatives, an even better reason to join them on an unrestricted night out.

The Glitoris: Alli Sebastian Wolf.

THE BEARDED TIT

The Bearded Tit is one of Redfern's most eclectic watering holes, often filled with a host of colourful characters. The bar doubles as an art and creative space, showcasing weird and wonderful local artists (including The Glitoris, by Alli Sebastian Wolf above) and welcoming everyone into its kitschy interior, which features everything from barber chairs and fruit chandeliers, to crocheted penises and a taxidermy boar playing the trumpet. The bar is also known for bringing some of Australia's best pop and dance acts in for a full-on party. Upcoming nights including a live performance for the Broads album launch and a retro Hawaiian-themed fashion show and dance party. The venue has teamed up with the aforementioned Heaps Gay in the past, to create a rooftop pop-up bar for Mardi Gras 2016.

SLYFOX

Enmore's Slyfox is an all-round party venue, boasting late nights with a stellar lineup of DJs and live bands. Retro decor and a moody atmosphere give the venue a warm and inviting glow, and their regular dance nights have helped put Enmore on the map as a go-to place for queer parties. Their rotation of events run every Tuesday to Sunday, ranging genres from punk, indie and jazz to funk, hip hop, house and techno. Their regular queer nights include the weekly free entry Birdcage party — running every Wednesday, the self proclaimed "queerest shin-dig" in Enmore is about to celebrate their 5th birthday with a blowout bash. Acts include K-pop dropout Nes, the R&B beats of Mowgli May and tropical vibes of Pineapple Pineapple.

THE FLINDERS HOTEL

The Flinders has gone through a few revamps since closing due to lockouts back in 2015, and once again, it officially relaunched this year in March, partnering with Skyy's #cheerstoequality campaign to celebrate inclusiveness, equality and the return of a classic. While a few things have changed since The Flinders of old closed — including the addition of a swanky marble bar imported from Italy, a custom DJ booth and repainted graffiti walls — the spirit of the original venue is still alive and well, continuing to be 100 percent inclusive and welcoming on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. The revamp has brought on a new cocktail list of classic favourites and their 3am licence is back in action as well, promising heaps of late night parties with some of the Flinders original DJs to boot. The bar is perfectly situated in the queer centre of the city, making it ideal for a regular party haunt of the LGBTIQ+ community.

CANNED FRUIT

Canned Fruit is Sydney's newest all-inclusive queer party and they've been making a name for themselves with their regular Canned Fruit Wednesdays at Enmore's Secret Garden Bar. The "juicy" parties promise drag performances, cheap drinks and no labels, along with the requisite dance floor tunes. Past weeks have featured the likes of femme duo Fox Force II, CF preacher Double D and "Enmore's unholiest" Burley Chassis DQ, with upcoming events featuring the fabulous Cherry Kills channelling Patsy Stone and beats master Dunny Minogue. Themes range from "80s and Fabulous" to the iconic film But I'm A Cheerleader. The small bar has become a regular go-to for the inner west queer community, and gives off some serious let loose, anything goes vibes.

Show some SKYY Vodka support for marriage equality by taking a selfie and tagging it with #CheerstoEquality and #AusPol.

Top image: Heaps Gay.

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