From Mixwell to Stonewall Bali: Navigating the LGBTIQ Scene in Bali
I arrived in Seminyak, southern Bali, on 6 October 2023. It was the right decision to stay only three days in the south. I no longer feel like I fit in with the gay scenes of bars and glamorous friends in Seminyak. It seems like everything about Seminyak’s iconic gay bar, Mixwell, is tiring. It’s the same old, sleazy place I no longer belong to. I’ve been questioning why I’ve spent the past eight years in this place and what I’ve been seeking. Was it friends? Boyfriends? Sex? Honestly, I found none of those things.
A new gay bar, Stonewall Bali, with a refreshing concept, opened in August 2023 in Seminyak. It gives hope to the LGBTIQ community as it is dedicated to the legacy of acceptance that the original Stonewall Inn stands for. The bar aims to be an inclusive space that welcomes diversity and promotes love without limits.
Its vision is to provide a sanctuary for individuals from all walks of life to unite and express themselves freely without fear of judgment or prejudice. Andrew Saputra, in an article published on Coconut Bali, described Stonewall Bali as the latest addition to the Seminyak bar scene, exuding unapologetic flamboyance. I said hi to Scott, the owner, and exchanged phone numbers that night, hoping we could talk. But his reluctance to speak with me was often off the beaten path in the…
