LGBTQ Boston
As the capital city of the first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage, Boston stands proud, accessible and welcoming.
The city boasts one of the largest LGBT populations on the East Coast with neighborhoods such as the South End and Jamaica Plain offering a good variety of neighborhood pubs, dance bars and inviting lounges drawing a mixed gay/straight crowd. The city also touts a number of mainstream clubs that host weekly or monthly gay nights. In recent years one would be hard pressed not to find a rainbow flag proudly hanging from homes and business in just about any neighborhood in the city.
Boston hosts notable annual events and festivals such as Boston Pride Week every June celebrated across the city and the yearly LGBT Film Festival, a must see and be seen event held in late March/early April.
LGBTQ Events
Back to Top of List- dbar
- Recurring weekly on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday
The draw of dbar doesn't end at dinner. When the lights go down, the evening has just begun... Once the plates are cleared, the lights are dimmed, and the music goes up a few octaves, dbar After Dark is officially underway. Our gastropub turned nightclub is a party every night of…
- Back Bay
- Recurring weekly on Sunday, Saturday
Experience the ultimate weekend entertainment at Summer Shack's themed Drag Brunches! Summer Shack is proud to host many fabulous drag queens as they take on a new theme each weekend. Some of the upcoming drag brunch themes listed are the Barbie Drag Brunch, Beyonce Renaissance…
Our annual National Coming Out Day brew returns for a fourth year. Proud To Be____, is brewed in partnership with the Transgender Emergency Fund of MA. This margarita-inspired beer is a gose with a huge burst of lime, agave & sea salt and the name is meant to represent the…
Roll (and walk) with Rooted In, Queer In Cannabis, and Lavender Education all around Boston! Queer in Cannabis (@queer.in.cannabis) and Lavender Education have teamed up to create an exciting and HIGHly queer cannabis walking tour. Each tour not only highlights stops at local…
Fresh from emceeing Madonna’s The Celebration Tour , comedian BOB THE DRAG QUEEN is set to dazzle audiences with his first headline comedy world tour, THIS IS WILD! This tour marks a significant milestone for Bob, the winner of season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race , who has since…
Join the original 'Columbia' — Nell Campbell — for a screening of the unedited movie with a live shadow cast, audience participation, a costume contest, and more! Get exclusive tickets to the V.I.P. Meet & Greet to meet Nell Campbell herself, have a personal photo opportunity…
- Club Cafe, Boston
Get ready for an unforgettable night at the 27th Annual Lesbians & Friends LGBTQIA+ Dance! Hosted at the fabulous Club Café, Boston's top venue, this event promises a memorable evening filled with high-energy music by guest DJ Christina from San Francisco, delightful hors…
Join us on our Cambridge LGBTQ+ Visionaries Walking Tour! On this tour around Cambridge, we will learn about the many ‘firsts’ in LGBTQ+ organizing and the LGBTQ+ rights movement by visiting historic sites and exploring the stories of activists that paved the way before us. Along…
You better watch out, you better not cry, because “The Queens of Christmas” ( Entertainment Weekly ) are coming to Boston with a brand-new edition of the internationally acclaimed THE JINKX & DELA HOLIDAY SHOW! Another holiday season brings another year of fabulous spectacle…
We’ve had tourists ask about walking the Yellow Brick Road - we’re sorry to disappoint them by pointing out that they may actually mean the Freedom Trail with its painted red brick line that connects the 16 main sites dealing with the history of Boston and the American Revolution. You may also want to walk the Equality Trail - a self-guided walking tour that follows the route of Boston's first Gay Pride March in 1971 and offers information about issues and individuals related to this route.
So come be a part in our continuing history. Oh and at the end of the Freedom Trail, no need to click your heels three times to get home - we recommend the MBTA.
…Let's not forget Cape Cod is just down the coast a bit. Provincetown has long been a prominent LGBTQ tourist destination. Ferries from Boston (no cars) offer a quick and relaxing way to make the trip or by car it is just a little under three hours.
Please see our full Calendar of Events
Popular LGBTQ Restaurants and Bars
Back to Top of List- 11 Beacon Street
- (617) 227-3100
A 1920's style speakeasy located on Beacon Hill. For memorable cocktail and cuisine experiences Boston, Carrie Nation Cocktail Club on Beacon Street offers not only an extensive menu of exquisite dishes and drinks, but also a touch of history.
- 1236 Dorchester Avenue
- (617) 265-4490
dbar is Dorchester's premiere destination for fine dining, delicious cocktails and exciting nightlife. Outdoor dining is available! See amenities tab for more information.
- 26 Chandler Street
- (617) 482-4428
A favorite with the locals, Trophy Room is the epicenter of fun for the South End neighborhood. With a colorful atmosphere, superb food and drink options, and a lively brunch on Sundays. Everyone is welcome at The Trophy Room! Where bartenders will create your favorite cocktail…
ADDITIONAL LGBTQ+ RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Blend, in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, is a gastro pub that combines the aspects of great food, music, lights and entertainment all into one. Blend "blends" up that neighborhood gastro pub feel where everyone is welcome.
Cathedral Station is a gay sports bar and neighborhood pub that welcomes everyone. The location provides a bar area, dining area, outdoor patio area and free parking in the back.
Club Cafe, located in the South End, is a gay friendly cabaret, piano bar, dance club and American bistro offering the perfect place to dine and drink and dance the night away. Enjoy special performances, comedy shows, Karaoke Wednesdays, and more!
Jacque’s Cabaret, located in Bay Village, is the oldest show bar in Massachusetts with shows 6 nights a week.
Midway Cafe For over three decades, the Midway Cafe in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood has featured top-notch entertainment. The nightclub hosts live music, dance nights, Queeraoke every Thursday, and more!
The Alley Bar is located in downtown Boston. Dance to Top 40, Hip Hop, and Latin hits every 1st, 3rd, and 4th Friday of each month, take the stage and sing your heart out on Karaoke Sundays, or shoot some pool on the second floor while enjoying your favorite cocktail!