Every time I leave Paris, I always feel like I've left something behind that I'll never be able to replace. Is there anywhere else in the world that can make me feel like that?
My guess is no. Paris is, simply put, a gay paradise. Luxury shopping, fine art, romantic landmarks, cheap (yet good) wine, heavenly cheese, fashion-forward nightlife, beautiful people, rude people, Franprix - it's all in one "little" metropolitan city across the pond. Sure, all of that stuff comes off as the biggest cliché, but when it comes to the City of Light (there you go, another cliché) they're actually all true. They're the reasons why Paris has become an addictive travel destination for so many people around the world, including, of course, tons of us in the LGBT community.
It's totally fitting, then, to realize that Paris is the world's largest city with an openly gay mayor, Bertrand Delanoë (in office since 2001), and that its annual Gay Pride is one of the most popular in Europe. LGBT Parisians have a stronghold in their city, and they definitely aren't ready to let go of it.
To people visiting the Paris for the very first time, I'm actually going to go against the grain and recommend hitting all the regular, cliché tourist traps - the glittering Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Arc de Triomphe at the end of the Champs-Elysees. They're all romantic spots that could easily help you fall in love in Paris, but, even more likely, they'll help you fall in love with Paris. And trust me - a love affair with Paris could end up as something you may never be able to replace.
--Bryan Chin
