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…
- Improv Asylum
- Recurring weekly on Saturday
You and your group will meet at the Asylum CoLab in the conveniently-located Faneuil Hall for a quick cocktail and to freshen up into some quick drag before you’re whisked away through the city of Boston for a 90-minute tour you’ll never forget. The Queens will point out tales of…
- Arrow Street Arts
- Recurring weekly on Sunday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
For Pilar and Bird, parenting a trans tween is all about guessing how to get it right when they’re not even sure what that means—and it doesn’t help that they’re not on the same page. Vi just wishes they would keep up: she’s busy navigating her first crush on super-cool Jacob…
Join us as former Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall and Professor Nancy Cott reflect on the Goodrigde case and its impact on the legalization of same sex marriage. Twenty years ago, in May 2004, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling in Goodridge v. Dept. of Public…
- Hammond Castle Museum
- Recurring daily
John Hays Hammond Jr. died 5 years before Pride Month was first celebrated in 1970. While it is impossible to know how our Museum’s founder would have specifically identified in the modern landscape of diverse Queer identities—ongoing research efforts at the Museum supports a…
We love a good takeover! Meet us in Downtown Crossing for a very special block party that kicks off Pride Month! DJ Live will be providing all the hits, with special performances from Candace Persuasion, Lilly Rose Valore, Gia D'Witches, Blacc Brandi, Zon Legacy Pheonix, The…
- New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall
Join us on a journey filled with laughter, love, and the unmistakable flair of the iconic Boston Gay Men's Chorus. “Friends of Dorothy” is a captivating and enchanting show that takes the audience on a journey through a whimsical wonderland of delightful surprises. Get ready to…
Drag superstar Thorgy Thor and the Boston Pops kick off Pride Month with her take-no-prisoners comedy, self-proclaimed “fashion clown” style, and musical talents. Celebrate Pride in style with the “reigning queen of classical music!" Keith Lockhart, conductor Thorgy Thor, special…
It's giving 80's Glow Party meets Rooftop Deck in Downtown Boston meets House Music to ring in the debut of our annual Love Conquers Ale brew for Pride Month! Join us at the Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom to dance the night away under the stars with an amazing B2B set by DJ…
- Wellesley Village Church, Wellesley, MA
Come and experience the amazing Voices Carry photography collection curated by Southborough Safe Spaces and displayed at Wellesley Village Church. Featuring over 300 beautiful photos of LGBTQIA+ people from all walks of life, a full program with guest speakers, photographers…
- Rowes Wharf, Boston
Boston Alliance of Gay Sports partners with Mass Bears and Cubs to bring you our Pride 2024 Kick-Off Boston Harbor Cruise! Boarding starts at 2:30 p.m., with a 3 p.m. departure. The three-hour cruise ends with the Music City Queen returning to dock at 6 p.m. Complimentary buffet…
Get into the spirit at Time Out Market Boston on Sunday, June 2nd where a market extravaganza awaits! Celebrate Pride Month and the entrepreneurial spirit of LGBTQ+-owned businesses, this event showcases a curated selection of unique and thoughtful gifts. Explore a wonderland of…
- The Ross Lot, Quincy
Please help us in making this historic event a success! Join us for: Guest Speakers Drag Performances Food & Beer Vendors Local & LBGTQ+ Vendors DJ & Much, Much More! Quincy Pride is an all-volunteer, grassroots committee. The great City of Quincy is known for its…
Freedom Trail® Foundation's Rainbow Revolutionaries Tours will step off to illuminate the lives, loves, and fights for liberty of Boston’s LGBTQ+ community, while exploring how queer individuals have been making history for centuries. Led by 18th-century costumed guides, the…
- Eliot Church of Newton
Join Voices Rising as we celebrate our ever-expanding community and mark our 20th anniversary with favorites from two decades of song. Voices Rising was born in February 2004, in a living room full of singers who wanted to make music and build community together. Now, two decades…
Donna De Lory and Niki Haris, with over 30 years of friendship, share a profound musical and spiritual connection. They wowed audiences for nearly 15 years backing Madonna on tours and videos, showcasing their exceptional harmonies. Their reunion as Niki + Donna brings forth a…
- The Rockwell, Somerville
Alexa Albanese is back at The Rockwell for the third year in a row to kick off Pride with her original LGBTQ+ comedy-variety show. Be a part of this live studio audience and enjoy late-night style desk bits, games, music, and more! Featuring Nicole Abbondanza, Steph Dalwin…
A gay and lesbian culture flourished in Boston, in private homes, the theatre, coffee houses, the baths, and of course, bars. We will follow the footsteps of gay and lesbian friends from the 1840s to the 1980s, from Thoreau's walks along the Common and Charlotte Cushman's…
- Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common
The Boston Dyke March believes in anti-capitalist, intersectional gender liberation and welcomes all who feel the same. The March is a grassroots Pride event that is Mask Required, ASL interpreted, wheelchair, stroller, and scooter accessible. An accessibility vehicle is…
LesbianNightLife takes over the hottest rooftop bar in the city, the Rooftop@Revere Stuart St., Boston. Dance under the stars and indulge in some of Boston’s best hand-crafted cocktails in a series of Summer Rooftop events brought to you by LesbianNightLife! 3 Djs Battle it…
- Boston Common
PRIDE IS BACK!📢🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ Boston Pride For The People is excited to announce the return of a Pride Month celebration in Boston on Saturday, June 8th, 2024. The celebration will include a parade, a festival, and more as this new organization creates a unified city Pride…
Boston's Best Pride block party returns! ...A tradition for 36 years!
- Boston Common Bandstand
2024 will mark the 4th annual running of Boston Theater Company's Road of Rainbows - the first athletic event of its kind in Massachusetts, where gender has no bounds. At RoR, you can be YOU and run for YOU, with love, support, and a team cheering you on! The event will take…
The Femmes are an all-woman and non-binary party and wedding band specializing in songs by female and non-binary artists. When you’re at a Femmes show, you’re at a high energy concert experience. Epic sing-alongs, expertly crafted harmonies, and musicians who absolutely LOVE to…
Join us for our annual Pride Night at Fenway Park on Tuesday, June 11. Ticket holders who purchase through this special offer will receive an exclusive Red Sox Jersey in Pride colors. This jersey will be available in sizes Adult S-XL, with sizes distributed on a first-come…
- Various Locations
- Recurring daily
Boston urban pride weekend celebrates being black and our queerness. During urban pride weekend we curate events and spaces that are for us while providing resources to our community that are not readily accessible. WE PARTY WITH A PURPOSE !!!!
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 below 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!