This city has style—and is about to be full of pride!

These dog days of March are some of the hardest for those of us stuck in temperate areas. But if you just can’t wait for summer, we have one city for you that’s about to erupt in Pride: Miami, Florida.

In just a few days, Miami Beach will transform into a rainbow paradise as its world-renowned pride celebration kicks off in early April! This year, the event falls on the first weekend of April, culminating in a massive parade along Ocean Drive Sunday afternoon.

If you can’t make it for Miami Beach Pride this year (although there always seems to be cheap flights to Miami from east coast cities), know that the city actually hosts TWO pride celebrations. Miami itself (separate from Miami Beach) hosts Wynwood Pride in early June.

The Gay Scene 🏳️‍🌈: South Beach pulses as the epicenter of Miami's gay nightlife, with the legendary Palace Bar anchoring the scene with its famous sidewalk drag shows. For daytime fun, 12th Street Beach flies rainbow flags as the unofficial gay gathering spot. Mainland Miami offers its own queer hotspots in Wynwood and Downtown, including R House's celebrity-packed drag brunches.

For the Ladies 💁‍♀️: While Miami's lesbian scene is more fluid than fixed in specific venues, several spots have become go-to destinations for queer women. The best weekly party is Yes Ma’am, Tuesday nights at Blackbird Ordinary in Brickell. Sweet Heat Miami, the city's premier event series for LGBTQ+ women, throws pop-up parties throughout the year with their biggest bash coinciding with Memorial Day weekend.

Things to See and Do 😎:

• South Beach - Spend a day soaking up the sun on the iconic white sand beaches. 12th Street Beach is the unofficial gay beach, marked by rainbow flags and a lively atmosphere.

• Haulover Beach - If you're feeling adventurous, visit this clothing-optional beach popular with LGBTQ+ sunbathers. Located north of Miami Beach, it offers a more relaxed vibe.

• Wynwood Walls - Explore this outdoor museum showcasing large-scale works by some of the world's best-known street artists. The surrounding Wynwood Arts District is filled with galleries, boutiques, and hip restaurants.

• Vizcaya Museum & Gardens - Tour this breathtaking Italian Renaissance-style villa and its spectacular gardens for a dose of culture and countless photo opportunities.

• Little Havana - Experience Miami's Cuban culture through food, music, and art. Don't miss Calle Ocho for authentic Cuban restaurants, cigar shops, and occasional street festivals.

Where to Stay 😴: The Gaythering Hotel is Miami Beach's premier gay boutique hotel, featuring a men's-only sauna, weekly events, and a friendly bar that attracts locals and tourists alike. Rooms start around $189/night. For something more luxurious, the Hotel Victor on Ocean Drive offers stylish accommodations with direct views of the Pride parade route.

How to get there ✈️: Getting to Miami is easy with direct flights from most major cities, and once you're there, rideshare services and the Miami Beach Trolley make getting around a breeze.

PS: Extra points if you get the Golden Girls reference in the headline.

PPS: If you can’t get to Miami Beach Pride, here are some other early Pride celebrations coming up soon

Some *~Interesting~* Reads

News you may have missed on traveling, queers, and traveling queers 🗞️

• WorldPride D.C. is facing international boycotts amid safety concerns that travel to the U.S. is no longer safe for LGBTQ+ folks: “The United States is no longer a free democratic country that WorldPride signed up for.”

• And on a related note: here’s what to do if you ever come under scrutiny at a border

• In better news: it was a bad week for MAGA trolls who tried to annoy people at gay bars

• And, an LGBTQ+ Republican group was savagely mocked after throwing a party for ‘Normal Gays’

• Another iconic NYC Gay bar is closing— and one writer argues, the city will never be the same

• ‘A movement taking shape’: Many US retirees are looking to move abroad. Here are the best countries for them

• How this queer business duo turned their dream into Brooklyn’s “Pasta Night”

• Here’s how overtourism can actually hurt local LGBTQ+ communities

• If you’re going to Brazil—maybe stay off Grindr for a while

• Inside Europe’s biggest Lesbian festival: Velvet Ibiza

• You’ve never seen a Pride celebration quite like this

• The White Lotus is getting swarmed by the morality police after that shocking brotherly moment

• This is what AI thinks gay men in all 50 states are like

• An anti-LGBTQ+ group is urging Disney to pull out of this "woke" index, but, not so fast…

• These are the 38 countries that have legalized marriage equality—in order

• And: this drag icon interviewing ‘UK’s hottest politician’ is the best video you’ll see all week

Q&A Time:

This week we want to know: What's your gayest travel habit?

Last week we asked, have you been to any of the resorts on our list of 12-must visit gay resorts? Here are the results:

• “Didn't even know that they existed but now that I know I would definitely reach out and make a booking to them”

• “Island House. Absolutely the best week of total Gay ever. And it was during Fantasy Fest. I’m still in love with Key West.”

• “We have enjoyed 6 of these gay destinations yet choose to stay away from exclusively gay resorts essentially for a rest from the fabulousness”