DJ Pamela: My 5 best LGBTQi clubs

It was during one of the Blacknuss parties at Fasching that Pamela Leal Viñals, who at the time was working at the venerated jazz club, discovered DJing. The legendary funk collective has been a staple of Stockholm's live scene since the early 90s, but during this particular night, Pamela focused her attention on the band's DJ spinning 12" vinyl. "It looked a lot of fun", she chimes.

Semi-seriously she asked bandleader Martin Johansson if maybe she could have a go behind the decks. After some convincing, she got the chance. And a nudge in the right direction.

"He handed me a vinyl of Carleen Andersens 'Mama Said' and said 'play this one', and from that moment on I was hooked", Pamela continues. "It was 1992, the year I both started DJing and came out. Back then, DJing was a male-dominated occupation. I remember when I had my first gig at nightclub Le Garage on Herculesgatan a couple of years later, there was a group of skeptic guys observing my entire set, arms crossed from the sidelines."

Since then, Pamela – under the moniker DJ Pamela – has been a busy house and techno DJ in Stockholm's club scene. From legendary dance floors like Kolingsborg, and beloved LGBTQI rooms like Lino, Monday Bar, and Stockholm Goes Gay, to gigs at Pride festivals all over Sweden.

Naturally, a lot has changed since the 90s. Pamela, also a music teacher, has witnessed house and techno DJing transitioning from a niche subculture to a mainstream behemoth. Where Pamela spent hours looking for dance floor fillers in record stores like Pitch or Megaskivakademin, DJs today have practically all music available digitally, just a couple of clicks away.

"Just to be clear, I don't mean this condescendingly. But I think the notion of DJing is completely different for today's young. For them, a DJ is someone playing for a crowd of thousands on a large stage, with pyrotechnics firing behind them. In other words, a far cry from the cramped underground clubs I started playing in."

More troubling though, says Pamela, is the dwindling number of large LGBTQi venues in Stockholm. Many beloved bars and nightclubs, like Bitter Pills or King Kong, have gone out of business. Some due to complaints about loud music late at night. Others fell on hard times in the wake of the COVID pandemic and simply couldn't keep afloat financially. Pamela says Stockholm needs something more permanent, besides the occasional parties at other clubs.

"We need something more stable, enduring. It might come off as a tired cliché, but music brings people together and lets you be yourself. In Sweden, we're incredibly privileged that we're allowed to be that, and there are many places in the world where you're not."

• Mälarpaviljongen: “One of my favorite places with a great mix of people. Straight, LGBTQi, queers with different ethnicities, and various DJs playing. Located beautifully by the water. Just a great place to play at."
• Moxy: “Moxy is a club for women, usually at Nalen. Big variation of DJs and music styles, and everybody goes all-in. You really can be yourself."
• Club Backdoor: “Large night club by the Tele2 Arena. Lots of gays, but straight-friendly as well. The drag scene has exploded here, especially in the younger crowd, probably due to the success of the TV show Drag Race Sweden. People are mindful and nice, and older drags help out the new generation."
• DeMi: "Not a nightclub, but a great place for a dinner or casual drinks. DeMi is a small, intimate, restaurant on Katarina Bangata with a nice vibe and people. They also have regular DJs. I've played there myself and it's always a lovely time."
• Hotellhänget: ”Hotellhänget ('The Hotel Hangout') was founded by three women in 2013 feeling there were few places for lesbian women. They decided to meet up at the bar in Clarion Hotell on Ringvägen (on Södermalm) just to have casual drinks, hang out, and socialize. It started with 12 women, but over time developed into one of the biggest events for women, trans, LGBTQi, and non-binary people. Always packed with people, with many tourists, and admission free."
• Gunn Lundemo: "I'd like to add one extra tip. Not a place but a person; Gunn Lundemo. Gunn is a DJ and club organizer who always makes great parties. So keep an eye on her schedule, the gigs are always a blast!"
• QueerSalsa: "Another extra tip that's not a place, but a great activity. QueerSalsa is a dance school/class for anyone who dances (or wants to learn how to dance) salsa or bachata and doesn't care who leads or follows. Everyone's welcome, everyone gets to learn how to lead and follow, and everybody dances with everybody. They host regular dace evenings at Sprallen by Eriksdalsbadet during the summer."