Elles bar (l.), La Mutinerie, ©Charles Gublert (dr.)
We often talk about the Marais "gay district", a "gay bar" or even "gay pride", but what about the spaces designed by and for queer women, and in particular lesbian women? To restore this parity, Le Marais Mood gives you an overview of the best lesbian bars in the Marais!
The Mutiny
The Mutiny, ©Charles Gubler
We can read on Wikipedia that a mutiny is a collective action of revolt within a group regulated by discipline. And that’s the whole spirit of La Mutinerie, a queer bar opened in 2012 that collectively fights against patriarchy and established gender norms.
“It’s a feminist place by and for girls, trans people and queers in general. » tells us the charter of the place. And indeed, this hybrid space is much more than a simple bar. It is in fact a self-managed collective made up of queer people, each of whom has chosen to make the place as accessible as possible, in order to bring together an often precarious LGBTQ+ community in the same place.
Every weekend, queer DJs set the mood on the track. And apart from the musical programming, the Mutinerie also offers a library and premises available to multiple associations. During the month, there are very often organized in bulk: discussion groups for single-sex trans people, association offices, yoga and feminist self-defense classes, performances, flash tattoos and even drag shows.
The program of activities is available directly on their website, but also on the La Mutinerie Instagram account.
▼ The Mutiny
176-178 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 Paris
Open every day from 17 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tel: +01 42 72 70 59
They bar
The Elles bar
Why does the Marais have only three lesbian bars, four times fewer than gay establishments? Quite simply because women's economic means are less than those of men. In France, their salary is 25% lower than their income. And then the doorsteps and rents became exorbitant.
It took more to discourage Marie who, a year ago, opened the “Elles Bar” a discreet address, rue du Plâtre, opposite the Lafayette Anticipation foundation. As its name suggests, it is a women's bar... but not only that. “Here, we welcome everyone,” said the owner. Of course, women are the majority, but we also find all profiles of the LGBTQIA+ community,” adds the founder who is not the type to cultivate intimacy. If Marie “came out of the closet”, it was not to find herself in a ghetto!
“At the Elles bar, we meet for a drink, but also during Brazilian evenings or jewelry sales. We also organize table football tournaments because everything is good for partying and bringing lesbians out of invisibility,” insists this warm-hearted fifty-year-old who was a waitress in heterosexual establishments for years before officiating, a time, at “Ici Bar” then, in April 2021, to open its own establishment, in place of the Village – the very first homosexual bar in the Marais, which opened its doors in the 1970s.
With the Mutiny et the Bar'Ouf, le They bar serves as an anchor for the lesbian community at a time when another trend is emerging: traveling parties, more affordable to finance than opening an establishment. With the Elles bar, lesbians have found another “safe place” in this neighborhood that matters to them.
▼ Elles Bar
12 Rue du Plâtre, 75004 Paris
Wednesday and Sunday from 17 p.m. to 22 p.m.
Thursday 17 a.m. to 00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday from 17 p.m. to 02 a.m.
The Bar'Ouf
The bar’Ouf
Le Bar'ouf was created by "two women in love with life and conviviality", as we can read on their site. You can even reserve a table online to avoid disappointment after a long wait! Depending on the week's program, come and enjoy a blind test evening, billiards or karaoke.
The menu is quite extensive and affordable with a pint for €6, a Monaco for €3,50 and cocktails for €7-10.
▼ The Bar’ouf
182 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 Paris
Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 17:30 p.m. to 01 a.m. and Thursday to Saturday from 17:30 p.m. to 02 a.m.
Tel: +06 15 04 61 00
Text: Morgane Joulin and Katia Barillot
24.06.22
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