A part of getting to know Key West was getting to know its unique side. Not only is Key West a beautiful, tropical paradise, it's also queer, artsy, and a tad nerdy. This is basically all of the things that I love in one place!
There is lots of queer culture to soak up, whether it's through the drag shows or a beautiful AIDS memorial. With its rich, queer history focused on inclusivity and social justice, Key West is a major destination and home to the LGBTQ community.
I also loved the art galleries and unique themed restaurants in Key West. Brightly colored modern art and even "sexy" titled desserts made up more quirky surprises than I could have imagined.
A History of Human Rights and Equality
From wandering pirates and poets to visiting presidents, Key West has a tradition of welcoming a diverse group of visitors and residents since the 1800s. Since the 1970s, Key West has remained a prominent community for LGBTQ folks.
The 1970s, in particular, saw an influx of mostly gay men and lesbian women who were attracted to the climate, the creative community, and the relaxed attitude. Gay men and lesbian women played a significant role in Key West's historic restoration and preservation as well as its commercial revitalization.
At the turn of the century, HIV-positive activist and long-time resident of Key West, James Thompson, began a campaign promoting his Key West philosophy of "one human family." This philosophy became the city's official, inclusive philosophy and started a grass roots movement "to unite all people and guarantee everyone equal rights, dignity, and respect."
The best part about this philosophy is that it can be felt all over Key West! Much like my experience walking around P-Town last year, Key West feels safe, supportive, and friendly at every turn.
Queer Bars/ Drag Shows
What's a queer city with out its bars and drag shows?
Ivana and I stumbled on—or rolled up (on our bicycles)—a bar called 801 Bourbon Bar toward the end of our first day. We were heading to the beach to check out sunset but had some time to kill.
Following the rainbow crosswalk, we meandered into this dimly lit dive. We were drawn by the sounds of karaoke and a drag queen shouting into a mic.
We were immediately welcomed by the host queen. This often happens in small town gay bars and especially in off-peak season for tourists. There were many locals hanging around the bar and we stood out as newcomers. She came right over to us and insisted on selfies—and we were happy to oblige.
I made sure Ivana and I tried a few local beers before we left—including their "Balls Deep" specialty!
801 Bourbon Bar is well known for its long-running drag shows upstairs. This kitschy, quirky show featured some very traditional style drag. We were amazed at a very elderly drag queen who lip synced to old show tunes.
This was definitely not your RuPaul's Drag Race style show. This was almost awkward and trashy at times but I found it edgy and hilarious as a result. It stood in contrast to our present-day polished, standards-driven drag world.
Ivana and I didn't check out the other club's drag shows. Aqua and LaTeDa are the two others. We only heard about Aqua which has Vegas-style drag. People told us it was more for straight crowds—so we avoided it. But I did hear the shows are worth the cover charge and also resemble a more traditional style of drag.
AIDS Memorial
One day, while cycling around the island, Ivana and I came across an AIDS Memorial.
The queer community came to Key West before the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. So, as it did across the country, the HIV/AIDS epidemic hit Key West hard. Over 700 of its less than 30,000 residents—gay and straight alike—were killed.
Private funds were donated to Key West in 1997 to build an AIDS Memorial including 730 names. Since 1998, the Friends of the AIDS Memorial Inc. have maintained upkeep of the memorial. They also organize an annual march and reading of the names on December 1 for World AIDS Day.
I personally loved this memorial. The quotes are beautifully written and the world map and the granite engravings are beautifully done.
The area was beautiful, too, right by the White Street Pier which has a huge compass built into the pavement.
Art and Galleries
There are galleries all up and down Duval street in Key West.
One of my favorites was Effusion. This gallery includes some vibrant, pop-style artists that reflect a tropical, art-deco style mixed with Miami Beach eclecticism.
There is a Peter Lik gallery on Duval Street that we also checked out. This is the gallery of the photographer who became particularly well known for capturing the most expensive photograph in Arizona's Antelope Canyon.
Although his galleries are all over the country, this was my first time visiting one. One of the workers there showed us a room with a dim switch to demonstrate how the lighting impacts the colors and shadows of his photographs. Incredible quality.
We also caught some fun car-art. Our first night in Key West, we found an artist on Duval street whose van matched his beautiful etchings. In another part of Kay West, we found a car decked out in an awesome tropical paint design and glued-on shells, flowers, birds and other tropical motifs.
These quirky, artsy cars reminded me of the ones I saw in Portland, Oregon!
Themed Restaurants
For some reason, Ivana and I ended up going to two themed restaurants during our stay in Key West. We enjoyed both for their atmosphere, quirkiness, and delicious food!
The Flaming Buoy
Ivana and I fell in love with a fun, nerdy little restaurant in Key West called the Flaming Buoy.
There were Star Wars toys and figures and posters around the bar. The wait staff all wore star wars t-shirts. The best part was the restroom which was decked out in Star Wars memorabilia.
I had a grand time snapping photos with the darth vader helmet before returning to my table.
Beyond the nerdy decorations, the restaurant has a really pleasant atmosphere. It's an open bar-to-room dining area with tall ceilings, dim lighting, and modern-yet-funky art on the walls.
Ivana ordered the Entree Trio which included fresh catch fish and mashed, thai curry shrimp, and bacon-wrapped scallops. For my entree, I had the fresh catch pan-seared with banana salsa and it came with a broccoli cake and grilled pineapple. They served small portions here but everything was very tasty and well-prepared.
Better Than Sex
What could be better than sex? In Key West—it's dessert. The dessert-focused restaurant Better Than Sex has an incredibly long list of dessert options to choose from. And they're all gushing with flavor and innuendo!
This spot is so popular, you have to arrive late and get on a list to get a seat. We arrived around 9pm, put our name down, and went for a walk to the near Key West Cemetery. Weird? Maybe. But we enjoyed this mildly creepy, evening walk a few weeks before Halloween on our way back to Better Than Sex.
The host brought us to our booth in the corner of the restaurant. The seating is intentionally tucked away with dark curtains dividing up the sections for privacy. But all people are doing is eating dessert!—or are they?
The menu came on a tablet. We could flip through suggestively titled menu items like "Peanut Butter Perversion" and "Cookie Nookie Pie" while reading descriptions that emphasized "smooth" and "creamy" textures. Everything about it was sexual innuendo and we were laughing and so appreciative for this blatantly raunchy humor.
Unlike other restaurants that give you a handful of dessert options, the options here seemed endless. It was nearly impossible to decide with my sweet tooth and hers. But we finally landed on the "Fever," which included a brownie and vanilla ice cream, and "Blueberry Birthday Suit," which included french toast with blueberry compote.
We licked the plate clean!
In Conclusion
Key West has a rich queer history with an inclusive and accepting vibe. There are plenty of queer-owned businesses and bars to get your drag show fix. This is balanced by a wonderfully creative and quirky restaurant scene that can serve up some fun, nerdy, and even sexy memories for anyone. I really loved this part of my time in Key West.
