Queer Stockholm

Island hopping in Scandinavia's gay capital

Credit: StockWig

The charming city of Stockholm is an archipelago consisting of fourteen islands connected by more than fifty bridges, numerous walking paths, commuter ferries, historic trams, and even an expansive metro line. Public transit is easy to use, and it’s best to take advantage of it as car services are pricey. Summertime is when you can take advantage of all that the city has to offer, whether that’s the numerous clothing-optional gay beaches, accessible urban cycling paths, sun-drenched queer garden parties, or the general jubilee of its citizens. The water quality of the main harbor is so high you’ll often see locals and tourists alike enjoying the numerous swimming areas in the heart of the city.

Credit: Author and Pexels.com

The city is riddled with colorful historic buildings and fascinating museums such as Vasa which showcases a restored 17th-century sunken ship. Stockholm encompasses the feeling of a European “old-world” charmer while embracing modernity, especially in the form of human rights. Sweden is one of the most queer-friendly countries in the world, and pretty much wherever you go you’ll see LGBT+ families, same-sex couples, and trans people living their fabulous queer lives. Sweden legalized same-sex acts in 1942, allowed legal name changes in 1972, and was the 7th country in the world to legalize gay marriage in 2009. If that wasn’t enough, Sweden is incredibly progressive when it comes to its immigration policies, and you might be surprised to see a high population of global communities represented in the queer scene from Africa to Asia and the Middle East. Although Stockholm has no official gayborhood, the bulk of queer life happens in the hip Södermalm, the historic Gamla Stan, and the industrial southern warehouse districts.

The Fotografiska museum and its hip eatery that overlooks the harbor. (Credit: author)

For those seeking thought-provoking expositions, don’t miss Fotografiska. The contemporary photography museum in Södermalm is complete with a trendy lounge that overlooks the city’s waterways. For the vintage pop girlies, the ABBA Museum is your chance to be a dancing queen. Next door the charming island of Skeppsholmen is full of peaceful tree-lined walkways, the Swedish design museum ArkDes, and the city’s showy Modern Art Museum(Moderna Museet).