Girls wanna have more than fun: The alternative geography of lesbian gathering in Paris

Abstract

The article aims to present the urban geography of lesbian and, to some extent, queer visibility in Paris. In particular, the focus is on the places lesbian and queer women frequent in order to meet and interact with each other. Through the combination of different methodological approaches, I tracked down the changes which have occurred in the LGBTQ Parisian scene since 2010 regarding the closing of lesbian businesses and the emergence of itinerant and ephemeral parties, which pass through the city, especially on the right bank of the Seine. Historical research, communication via Internet and social media, new venues for meeting people, informal networks and new cultural or festive associations are among the examined factors in conjunction with gentrification processes. The purpose is to present the recent developments and new strategies that lesbians and queer women have employed in order to ‘occupy’ the urban space and establish their visibility around the city of Paris. Taking into consideration the heterogeneity and multiplicity of lesbians and queer women, I suggest that LGBTQ parties interrupt the heteronormative continuum of public space and make the lesbian visibility more open, powerful and ubiquitous.