San Diego surfs on its gayttitude

July 27 2013

by Stéphane Jaladis / TETU

San Diego, the little sister of Los Angeles, does not have the same notoriety on this side of the Atlantic. It is only known in France for having served as the setting for a few films such as Top Gun, with an irresistible Tom Cruise in his younger years, and the mythical Some Like it Hot, in which Marilyn Monroe accompanied by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as transvestite musicians hide in the Coronado Hotel to escape the Chicago mafia.

The Californian city is as popular today as it was in the 1950s. Its living environment is the envy of millions of Americans, and families flock to its sandy beaches every summer. "San Diego is an outdoor living city with the sea on one side and the desert less than two hours away on the other. Its inhabitants cultivatea healthy lifestyle for the body," says Joe, a gay man who has lived in San Diego for 25 years. In fact, everyone here seems to spend their time practicing sports activities: jogging, cycling, baseball...

A parade of sexy soldiers
First European settlement in California (in 1769!) of which a few wooden houses straight out of a western movie still remain in Old Town, San Diego was for a long time a quiet Californian city living in the shadow of the exuberant San Francisco and the sprawling Los Angeles.

The landscape of its immense bay only really changed after 1945. "San Diego grew with the rise of the middle class, which supplanted the retirees who came here to live peacefully, before becoming more international with the arrival of new communities," adds Joe. The military is still very present among the 1.3 million inhabitants of the city, which hides a Marine base to the north and houses the U.S. Pacific Fleet in its port.

Imposing and well-tanned, there is something for everyone: military men in fatigues, in officer's suits during the day or in ceremonial suits at night, Navy sailors in uniform or in civilian clothes, rather cool, sportswear version... The parade is rather sexy! "Life for gay military personnel has become easier in San Diego following the September 2011 repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" law," says Clark, a young G.I.

This principle of "don't ask, don't tell" had in fact required soldiers to hide their homosexuality since 1993 or risk being discharged from the U.S. Army. After the repeal of the law by President Obama, more soldiers are now openly gay and very active on dating sites like Grindr. This newfound freedom is all the easier to live with since San Diego is openly gay-friendly, with several deputies and members of commissions sitting on the city council belonging to the LGBT community.

For the first time in 2012, military personnel march in uniform at the San Diego Gay Pride © DR

Dominating the city to the north, Hillcrest is the historic gay district even if many gays and lesbians have migrated to North Park and University Heights, neighboring neighborhoods that are gradually donning the colors of the rainbow flag. University Avenue and its perpendicular streets are home to most of the bars, clubs, restaurants, gyms, saunas and other establishments for the LGBT community.

The LGBT community is particularly active during festive events such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hillcrest CityFest (in August), the Gay San Diego Rodeo and the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (both in September). The highlight of this calendar is of course the gay pride, whose 2013 edition took place on Saturday, July 13, with the added bonus of a weekend-long LGBT Pride Festival on the lawns of Balboa Park.

The green lung of the city, this immense park is dominated by the elegant Spanish neo-colonial buildings of the 1915 California-Panama Exposition. Today, this timeless place is home to cultural centers, several theaters and some fifteen museums on every theme, from design to natural history, air and space, photography and fine arts. Balboa Park has another major attraction in the city, the zoo, whose thousands of animals are particularly well integrated into a lush natural environment. Only the poor polar bears seem to be a little warm!

As far as visits are concerned, San Diego plays the maritime and even marine card with its port, with first of all the unavoidable Seaworld and the show of its giant killer whales. Then there is the Maritime Museum, which exhibits two submarines, including an astonishing Soviet submersible dating from the Cold War, as well as a flotilla of old sailing ships and true-to-life replicas such as the Surprise, a star ship since its participation in Master and Commander and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. A must for all fans of Russel Crowe or that crazy Jack Sparrow!

A few steps are enough to board the aircraft carrier Midway, which has taken a well-deserved retirement in San Diego after having served in the Navy from 1945 to 1992. The huge gray building displays in its bowels and on its flight deck the different types of planes and helicopters used by the U.S. Navy since the Chance Vessel.the huge gray building displays in its bowels and on its flight deck the different types of planes and helicopters used by the U.S. Navy since the Chance Vought F4U Corsair, the famous aircraft of "Pappy" Boyington (alias Robert Conrad) in the series Les Têtes brûlées. A "harbor tour" or a boat cruise allows you to appreciate these "relics" from a distance, with the skyscrapers of Downtown in the background.

Flip cup competition
But San Diego is not only a tourist destination, the gay life is particularly free and active. The program of the coming festivities is spread over the forty pages of the LGBT Weekly magazine, the bible for not missing anything during your stay. The parties in the bars start early, as early as 5pm or 6pm for happy hour, with the atmosphere warming up to the rhythm of the beer glasses. You can start the tour with a few neighborhood bars that some will find more authentic, like the Loft with its warm atmosphere or the Caliph "for young people who like old people and vice versa," says Mark, an elegant ephebe with a smile on his face.

at the Fiesta Cantina, the atmosphere is already at its best during a "flip cup" competition. The rule is simple: two teams of guys (and one girl that night) compete around a table to flip a cup balanced on the edge. The two groups go wild as the relays go on and each one swallows half a glass of beer once the feat is accomplished. a few feet away, Urban Mo's reveals another image of America on this Saturday night, with its dance floor invaded by seductive line dancers. Many of them are shirtless, with their pecs protruding and cowboy hats screwed on their heads for this weekly country night. It's a complete contrast to the drag queens sitting at the bar wearing wigs and tiaras.

as midnight approaches, these Cinderellas and cowboys for a night, like most of the Hillcrest gays, head forRich's, the trendy club on the avenue. There's no time to waste, because the decks stop at 2 a.m. when the purchase of alcohol becomes prohibited. Rich's regularly opens its doors on weekdays to girls (but boys are "welcome", assures the bouncer), eveningsthe audience and the atmosphere almost surpass those of Saturdays when these gentlemen are the gods of this temple of electro

The gay week also has its unmissable events such as the brunch at Babycakes and the Sunday barbecue at Pecs. Not to mention the Thursday night happy hour on the terrace of theInn at the Park, the gay-friendly hotel in the neighborhood. It's "the place to be", always well frequented by pretty boys in their thirties. In summer, you have to know how to play with your shoulders to make your way through the crowd. Especially on the 4th of July, the national holiday, when gays come to marvel at the fireworks illuminating the bay. An evening not to be missed to make pleasant meetings...

Black Beach in La Jolla (see below) © Stéphane Jaladis

On the abandoned beach
San Diego is inseparable from its immense beaches and its muscular surfers, molded in their black neoprene suits. To sunbathe in a sexy speedo or in the simplest clothes, gays have their habits at Black's Beach located at the foot of the cliffs of La Jolla, the local Beverly Hills, north of San Diego. Attracting in summer even the most handsome males from Los Angeles or Arizona, the place is isolated and known to insiders because you have to find the right path (near the clubhouse of Torrey Pines Golf Course) to go down to the beach.

For the accessibility and the "fun" side of the West Coast, it is better to put your towel down at Ocean Beach or Pacific Beach. The former is hippy chic, the latter more trendy. Closer still because it is located in the heart of the immense bay, Coronado Island, known for its famous wooden hotel dating from 1889. Half of the island is occupied by the American Air Force, Coronado is a separate enclave whose twenty thousand inhabitants cultivate their privileged lifestyle. However, the bathers are numerous, ignoring the fighter planes and helicopters that cross the sky. They are also not surprised by the schools of dolphins that swim a few meters from the shore and that you can almost touch with your hand. A magical sight.

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