Sporties, or the Sportsman's Hotel is an icon of the Brisbane gay scene and when I was there, was the friendliest place I came across.

Parts of it were being renovated at the time but the crowd was still enjoying karaoke and the 9 foot tall drag queen that came to chat to my scared straight mate and I was a laugh. You can find drag shows, karaoke and trivia nights in the Sportsman, and for those inclined and the braver-than-me curious boys, the Mineshaft downstairs caters to the leather boys. It seems that one of the rooms is missing some lights, but I believe some of the boys like it that way!