Gay Guide to Porto Alegre
Brazil legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, and Porto Alegre, the progressive capital of the country's southern gaucho country, recognized same-sex domestic partnerships even earlier, in 2012. It carries a deep vein of queer-friendly, left-leaning politics.
The heart of nightlife is Cidade Baixa, a bohemian district whose streets, especially Rua da República, are lined with rainbow-flagged bars and clubs.
Longtime queer haunts like Venezianos, a cafe-pub drawing artists and journalists, sit alongside a rotating cast of dance clubs and mixed-crowd bars.
The city's Parada Livre, one of the oldest Pride marches in Brazil, fills the streets with parties and political energy each year.