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.
22 groups across 16 cities · Meets on a Tuesday (4 only once a month)
Tuesdays 6:30pm and Saturdays 9am, year-round, rain or shine
Lakefront Trail at the Totem Pole (Addison St & Lake Shore Dr), just south of the Waveland tennis courts
A friendly LGBTQ+ run and walk club. Walkers usually do 1–2 miles and runners 3–5, so it's a good fit for total beginners.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago
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
Third Tuesday of each month, 7–9pm (holidays can shift the date) Monthly
Next: Tue, Nov 17
Center on Halsted, 3656 N Halsted St (Lakeview/Northalsted)
Chicago's longest-running gay men's book group. It's free and open to all ages, and it reads gay-themed fiction and nonfiction. Drop in for one book or come every month.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Gay Men's Book Group – Chicago
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)
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
Tuesdays 7pm; 2nd Tuesday meets at Pier 6, Brooklyn Bridge Park
Grand Army Plaza Arch, Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
A relaxed loop of Prospect Park followed by dinner at a different neighborhood restaurant each week. A good way to meet queer Brooklynites.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Front Runners New York – Brooklyn Tuesday Run
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)
Tuesdays 6:30–9:30pm, $10 class
Beanlandia, 3300 Royal St (Bywater)
Line dance classes for the LGBTQ+ community and friends, held in a coffee shop. Beginners are welcome.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Big Easy Stompers Line Dancing
Second Tuesday monthly, 7–9pm Monthly
Next: Tue, Nov 10
Resource Center Community Center, 5750 Cedar Springs Rd
A Spanish-language LGBTQ+ game night and potluck. Bring a dish if you like, and English speakers are welcome too.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Noche de Juegos y Potluck
Tuesdays 10am–noon, free
Schubert Hall, Pride Center at Equality Park (Wilton Manors)
A free weekly coffee hour at South Florida's big LGBTQ+ center. Especially popular with older guys and anyone new to town.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Coffee & Conversation at The Pride 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
Saturdays 9:15am at 9th Ave & Downing (coffee after); Tuesdays 6:30pm at North Sloan's Lake; Wed trail runs Apr–Sep
Dora Moore Elementary, 9th Ave & Downing St (Capitol Hill/Cheesman)
Denver's LGBTQ+ run and walk club for every pace. The Saturday run is the biggest and is followed by coffee at Buzz Cafe.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Colorado Frontrunners
Tuesdays 10am–noon, weekly
The Center on Colfax, 1301 E Colfax Ave
A weekly morning coffee chat for queer men, focused on conversation and friendship. Low-key and easy to walk into.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Men's Coffee Group at The Center on Colfax
Weekly, 7–8pm
The Center on Colfax, 1301 E Colfax Ave
A weekly sober social that opens with a low-key activity to break the ice. For anyone sober or sober-curious.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Queer & Sober Denver
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
Last Tuesday of each month, 6–7pm, in person and on Zoom Monthly
Next: Tue, Oct 27
West Hollywood Library, 625 N San Vicente Blvd
A free monthly discussion of LGBTQ+ books, with copies available to borrow from the library. Relaxed and easy to drop into.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to LGBTQ+ Book Club at West Hollywood Library
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
Third Tuesday of each month, 6–7:30pm, drop-in Monthly
Next: Tue, Nov 17
Main Library, 100 Larkin St, 3rd floor (Civic Center)
A free, drop-in LGBTQIA zine-making meetup with supplies on hand. Great for creative types and first-timers alike.
Official siteChecked Oct 2026Report a change to Zinething at the Hormel LGBTQIA Center
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.