Groups & leagues
A bar is great for a night out, but it's hard to get past small talk over loud music. A run club, a chorus or a game night gives you something to do together and the same faces every week, so by the third visit people know your name. Here are 160 LGBTQ+ clubs, leagues and regular nights in 23 cities, each with the month we last checked it was still running.
Not sure how to start? Read How to make gay friends as an adult, then pick one thing here and go three times.
11 groups across 23 cities · Swim teams
Coached practices most weekday evenings plus Saturday mornings, at Gill Park and Sheridan Park
Gill Park (Lakeview) and Sheridan Park
An LGBTQ+ Masters swim team for everyone from returning lap swimmers to competitors. The coaching is friendly, and there's a lively social side.
Official site for Chicago SmeltsAdd to calendar: Chicago Smelts
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to Chicago Smelts
Up to 7 practices a week (weekday evenings + weekends); see club calendar
Gallaudet, Takoma & Deanwood aquatic centers
DC's LGBTQ+ masters swim team. Come to as many or as few practices as you like, and scholarships are available.
Official site for DC Aquatics Club (DCAC)
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to DC Aquatics Club (DCAC)
Tue 7am & 7:30pm, Wed/Thu 7:30pm, Sun 10:30am; free trial available
McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech (Midtown)
Atlanta's gay-friendly masters swim, water polo and tri club. Ask for a free trial practice. You just need to be able to swim freestyle.
Official site for Atlanta Rainbow TroutAdd to calendar: Atlanta Rainbow Trout
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to Atlanta Rainbow Trout
Several practices a week across Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx; book via the team's Fall 2026 schedule
Pools in Manhattan, Brooklyn & the Bronx
NYC's LGBTQ+ masters swim, water polo and artistic swimming team. There's adult learn-to-swim and a second-Tuesday water polo clinic for beginners, plus plenty of socials.
Official site for Team New York Aquatics (TNYA)
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to Team New York Aquatics (TNYA)
Tue 7pm, Wed/Thu 7:15pm, Sat 9:30am, Sun 11am
BCYF Mason Pool (Roxbury) & South End Fitness Center
Boston's LGBTQ+ masters swim team, with coached workouts and a friendly crowd. Confirm practice times with the team before your first swim.
Official site for Boston LANES (Liquid Assets New England Swimming)Add to calendar: Boston LANES (Liquid Assets New England Swimming)
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Tue & Thu 6:30–8pm, Sat 10am–noon; first two practices free
Charles Hadley Park Pool, 4800 NW 12th Ave (Miami)
Miami's LGBTQ-friendly masters swim team, now in its 30th year. Swimmers are grouped by speed with coached workouts, so you just need to be able to swim laps of freestyle.
Official site for Nadadores Swim TeamAdd to calendar: Nadadores Swim Team
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to Nadadores Swim Team
Masters swim and water polo practices through the week; pool times have moved, so check the team's site
Denver and Lakewood pools
A queer masters swim and water polo club for adults 18 and up of any orientation or gender identity. Beginners are welcome, your first two practices are free, and drop-ins are $12 after that, with financial help available.
Official site for Denver Squid (Swimming Queers United in Denver)
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to Denver Squid (Swimming Queers United in Denver)
Sundays 9:45am (Kroc); Mondays 7:15pm (Coronado); Tuesdays 6pm (City Heights); Wednesdays 7pm (Kroc); Fridays 7pm (Kroc); Saturdays 10:30am (Coronado)
Kroc Center, 6753 University Ave (Rolando); Brian Bent Memorial Aquatics Complex, Coronado; City Heights Swim Center
An LGBTQIA+ masters swim club that has been in the water since 1985 and takes adult swimmers of every level. There are six coached practices a week, and people often get food together in Hillcrest afterwards. Some practices need you to register ahead.
Official site for Different Strokes Swim Team (DSST)Add to calendar: Different Strokes Swim Team (DSST)
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Coached Masters swim and water polo practices most weekday mornings/evenings plus weekends
West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center; Echo Park Indoor Pool
A big LGBTQ+-founded Masters swim and water polo club with ex-Olympians and recreational swimmers in the same pool. Beginners are welcome.
Official site for West Hollywood Aquatics (WH2O)
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Weekday and weekend Masters practices
Seattle University and other Seattle-area pools
An LGBTQ+ and allies Masters swim team that's also a social club. It welcomes swimmers who are just getting back in the water.
Official site for ORCA Swim Team
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to ORCA Swim Team
Coached Masters swim (and artistic swimming) practices through the week; first drop-in is free
San Francisco pools (see club schedule)
An LGBTQ+ Masters swim club for every level, from competitive swimmers to people who just want a social workout. Your first practice is free.
Official site for SF Tsunami Aquatics
Checked Oct 2026Report a change to SF Tsunami Aquatics
Schedules are as each group gives them: monthly groups meet once a month, twice-a-month ones in the weeks they name, and seasonal leagues only in season. Times change, so check the group's own site before you go. Something wrong, or a group we're missing? Post in Friends & Community. Nobody pays to be listed.