Gay Guide

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California has recognized same-sex marriage since 2013, but Laguna Beach, the artists' cove on the Orange County coast, was Southern California's original gay beach town decades before that. Hollywood crews and vacationers helped seed a queer scene here as far back as the 1920s, and the bar at the historic Coast Inn became one of the oldest gay venues in the western United States.

There is no gayborhood; the draw is the coastline itself, above all West Street Beach, long one of Orange County's most popular gay beaches, framed by coves, tide pools, and the town's gallery-lined village. The legendary Boom Boom Room at the Coast Inn anchored the nightlife for generations and remains a touchstone of the city's LGBTQ+ history.

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Laguna pairs its plein-air art heritage and dramatic bluffs with a long, proud queer legacy.

Laguna Beach Pride runs events year-round, with an annual celebration each June honoring that history.