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Friends & community
Making friends after school, after a move, after a breakup. Harder than anyone admits, and easier with a plan.
Find your peopleLate night, Columbus · A community for gay & bi guys
Hey, Columbus.
Your people are
on High Street.
Trivia at Union Cafe on Tuesdays, pizza and karaoke at Slammers, Pride in Goodale Park in June. Friends, advice and plans from guys all over Columbus.
Free · No real name needed · Lurk as long as you like
Showtunes at AWOL Wednesday? Who's marching at Pride in June? Short North or German Village?
Find your people
What meets near you this week?
Choose a city and what you're into. We'll show what meets in the next seven days.
Start a conversation · tap one to make it yours
What are you cooking this weekend?How do I tell my parents I have a boyfriend?Looking for a beginner-friendly hiking groupNeed a Mario Kart crew, all skill levelsGot the job. Had to tell someone.First date ideas that aren't just drinks?The most gay thing you did this week, goCame out at 35. What now?Anyone else start lifting in their 30s?Best queer book you read this year?How did you make friends after moving somewhere new?Which gay sports league should I try first?
Today on DirectGay
Something new every time you stop by.
🏛️ Coming up in queer historyNov 27, 1978Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone are assassinated at San Francisco City Hall.More in Queer History 💬 Question of the dayWhat are you cooking this weekend?Answer it in Cooking & Food 🍸 Bar of the dayRipcordHoustonLeather/Levi's bar with a shop.See it in the bar guide 🛏️ Stay of the daySurfside Hotel and SuitesProvincetown, MAA straightforward harborfront hotel with its own beach, an outdoor pool with a poolside bar, and continental b…Where to stay in Provincetown
Columbus · right now
What's the move?
Tell us your mood. We'll look at the time and day and pick something in Columbus: a bar, a club, a class, a show.
Your Columbus plan is one tap away.
Ways in
However you got here, there's a door for you.
Some days you want advice. Some days you want to argue about a TV finale. Most guys here do both. Start wherever feels right, or tell us what you're into and we'll put it first.
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Hobbies & side quests
Trail buddies, a gaming squad, a running club, someone to cook for. Shared interests make the best friendships.
Pick a hobby03
Dating & relationships
Apps, first dates, boundaries, rejection and long-term love, talked about honestly by guys who've done it.
Talk dating04
Coming out & figuring it out
Early, late, partly, not yet. Every timeline is a real one, and nobody here will rush yours.
Ask, or just read05
Wins & milestones
New job, first 10K, ten years together, finally told your dad. Post it and let the guys here cheer.
Share a win06
Culture & laughs
Pop culture, queer history, memes and the group-chat energy you didn't know you were missing.
Join the chatFresh from the community
What guys are talking about lately.
Read as much as you like before you join. When something makes you go “same,” that's your cue.
Sex & Health Welcome to Sex & Health: ask the questions you'd rather not ask your doctor first Friends & Community Say hi: who are you, where are you, and what are you into? Friends & Community Weekend plans: what are you up to, and want company? Coming Out & Figuring It Out Start here: every timeline is a real one Wins & Milestones Monday Wins: post something good, big or tiny Outdoors Find a trail buddy: post your area and what you're into
Every week
Small rituals, so there's always a reason to drop in.
TodayMonday WinsSomething good from last week, big or tiny. We'll cheer either way.TueAdvice HourThe question you've been sitting on. Somebody here has been there.WedShow & TellWhat you're reading, watching, building, training for or making.ThuThrowback ThursdayA queer history moment, your first Pride, a song that got you through.FriWeekend PlansWhat are you up to? Find company for it, or steal someone's idea.SatSide Quest SaturdayTrail, court, market, museum: tell us where you ended up today.SunSunday SupperWhat's cooking? Recipes, flops and what you're doing with the leftovers.
Advice that's actually useful
Specific, kind, and written by people who've lived it.
No vague “just be yourself.” Real scripts, real examples, and an honest note on where the advice might not fit your life.
Friendship
How to make gay friends as an adult (that aren't on the apps)
Why it gets harder after school, the show-up-three-times rule, where guys who want friends actually are, and scripts for turning “we should hang out” into a real plan.
“None of that means something's wrong with you. It means friendship now takes a plan.”Read the guide
Coming out
Coming out on your own timeline
There's no deadline and no single big moment. How to decide who to tell, when and how, what to actually say, and what to do if it doesn't go the way you hoped.
DatingDating without the dread: apps, first dates and rejection
Profiles that say something, first dates that don't feel like job interviews, how to ask for what you want, and how to give (and take) a no gracefully.
Starting laterFeeling behind? A field guide for late bloomers
First relationship at 30, first gay bar at 40, first kiss at 25: why “behind” is a myth, and easy ways to get to the experiences you actually want.
Out in the world
Bars, places to stay, big weekends, and your city.
A bar directory you can browse by mood (piano bar? two-step? actually hear each other?), gay-owned guesthouses and hotels with no affiliate links, a researched events calendar, and city guides for when you move or visit.
Newest city guides: Salt Lake City, Rehoboth Beach, St. Louis and Columbus. City by city: your first time at a gay bar, where to two-step, where to watch the game and sober nights out.
Coming up near Columbus
In the news
- Where Are They Now? 2000s VH1 Star David Amerman (aka 12 Pack)Instinct · 4h ago
- Spanberger campaigns in support of Question 2Washington Blade · 7h ago
- Beefy Batman + More Favorite Instagrams This WeekInstinct · 10h ago
- Coalition of Wikipedia writers fights to preserve queer history amid global anti-LGBTQ+ backlashLGBTQ Nation · 10h ago
The house rules, in one breath
Here's what you can count on.
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Come as you are.
Jock, nerd, bear, twink, none of the above, still deciding. There's no gay test at the door.
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Ask the real question.
The awkward one, the basic one, the 2 a.m. one. Somebody here has been exactly there.
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Kind, and specific.
Good answers here come with examples, not slogans. Disagree all you like without being cruel.
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Privacy is sacred.
No outing, no doxxing, no screenshots of private people. Ever. Your email stays private too.
Lurk as long as you like.
When you're ready, say hi.
Free, private, and no real name needed. Just a username and an email for sign-in codes.