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 115 LGBTQ+ clubs, leagues and regular nights in 16 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.
17 groups across 16 cities · Meets on a Thursday (2 only once a month)
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 siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Chicago Smelts
Tue & Thu 7pm; Tuesday runs start at Union Station from late Sept to mid-April
23rd & P Streets NW (Dupont/West End)
Non-competitive 3, 4 or 6-mile group runs at your own pace. Visitors are always welcome, and you just sign a guest waiver online first.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to DC Front Runners – Weeknight Runs
Tue–Sun 8:30–9:30pm
Church of the Holy Trinity basement, 1904 Walnut St (Rittenhouse)
A long-running LGBTQ+ recovery meeting held six nights a week. The same space also hosts a 10:30pm 'Night Owl' meeting and Crystal Meth Anonymous at 7:15pm.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Sober & Gay (AA)
Thursdays; free lessons 8–9pm (line dance & two-step alternate), then open dancing
The Heretic, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
Free country dance lessons for beginners and regulars, taught by DanceOut Atlanta. No cover. Come for the lesson even if you don't stay late.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Thursday Country with DanceOut Atlanta
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 siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Atlanta Rainbow Trout
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 siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Boston LANES (Liquid Assets New England Swimming)
Third Thursday monthly, 7–10:30pm, no cover Monthly
Next: Thu, Nov 19
Jacques Cabaret Underground, 79 Broadway (Bay Village)
A free monthly country night. They teach line and partner dances along with a bit of LGBTQ+ country-western history, so you can show up with no experience.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to 617 Country – Queer Line & Partner Dancing
Monthly on a Thursday, 6–8pm (Oct 15 2026); check the calendar for the next one Monthly
Resource Center Community Center, 5750 Cedar Springs Rd (Oak Lawn)
A monthly board and card game night for LGBTQ+ adults. Easy to join solo, since people pull up a chair at any table.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Adult Game Night at Resource Center
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 siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Nadadores Swim Team
Tuesdays 7pm at Hermann Park; Thursdays 7pm and Saturdays 8:30am at Memorial Park (3-mile runs)
Hermann Park (McGovern Centennial Gardens, Lot C) and Memorial Park (restrooms by the Tennis Center)
Houston's oldest LGBTQ+ run/walk group, founded in 1984. It's free and all levels are welcome, including couch-to-5K beginners.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to FrontRunners Houston
Tuesdays & Thursdays 6pm; Saturdays 10am with brunch after
The Rock at Town Lake, north side of the MoPac pedestrian bridge (Lady Bird Lake)
LGBTQ+ runners and walkers looping Lady Bird Lake at every distance. No RSVP is needed, and there's dinner or brunch after.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Austin Front Runners
Thursdays 10am–noon, drop-in
The Center on Colfax, 1301 E Colfax Ave
A free drop-in art session run by the Center's West of 50 program. You don't need any experience, just show up and make something.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Open Art Studio
Tuesdays and Thursdays 6pm
6th Ave & Laurel St (Balboa Park, Bankers Hill side)
The club's after-work runs and walks on the west side of Balboa Park. Paid parking in the park ends at 6pm.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Front Runners & Walkers San Diego – Weeknight Runs
Six weekly fun runs/walks: Tue/Wed/Thu evenings, Tue/Sat/Sun mornings; see site for meeting spots
Various; Griffith Park is a regular home base
LA's long-running LGBTQ+ run and walk club, celebrating 45 years. Every pace is welcome, and walkers are part of every outing.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Los Angeles Frontrunners
1st & 3rd Mondays and Thursdays, 8pm–midnight, with lessons at 8:30 and 10pm; check the venue for the night
Los Globos (3040 Sunset Blvd, Silver Lake) and The Paramount (2708 E Cesar Chavez Ave, Boyle Heights)
LA's beloved queer line-dancing party. Each night starts with lessons from teachers on stage, so total beginners pick it up fast. 21+.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Stud Country
Saturdays 9am at Stow Lake Boathouse; Tuesdays 6:30pm from the Ferry Building; Thursdays 6:30pm from Noe & Market
Stow Lake Boathouse (Golden Gate Park) on Saturdays
The original Frontrunners club, founded in 1974. Groups range from casual walks to long runs, and there's coffee after on Saturdays. Very newcomer-friendly.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to San Francisco FrontRunners
Sundays 5–10:30pm (beginner two-step 5:30, line dance 6:30); Thursdays 6:30–10:30pm (two-step 6:45, line dance 7:30)
550 Barneveld Ave (Bayview)
The longest-running queer country-western dance night in the US. Beginner lessons are built into every night and you don't need a partner. $7, 21+.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Sundance Saloon
33 more groups meet on days that change. Show them too.
Schedules are as each group gives them: monthly groups meet once a month, 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.