Our directory organizes venues into eight categories. Some are self-explanatory. A few cover more ground than the label suggests, and one or two exist mostly so a very specific kind of venue doesn’t get lumped in somewhere it doesn’t belong. Here’s what each one actually includes, and where to look if you want a sense of what a category looks like in a specific city.
Bars
Bars are the broadest and most common category on the site: dive bars, cocktail lounges, dance clubs, drag venues, sports bars, and everything in between. If a venue’s main draw is drinks and a social scene, it’s filed here regardless of exactly what kind of bar it is. Bars in New York is the single largest list on the site by a wide margin, which makes it a reasonable place to see the full range this category covers, from quiet neighborhood spots to full nightclubs.
If you’re new to visiting these kinds of venues, it’s worth reading our nightlife etiquette guide first, since a dive bar and a Saturday-night club run on pretty different expectations even though both are technically “bars.”
Restaurants
Sit-down restaurants, cafes, and casual dining spots that are LGBTQ+-owned, LGBTQ+-focused, or well known within the community, even if the food itself has nothing to do with that. A restaurant doesn’t need a rainbow theme to belong here; a well-regarded neighborhood spot that happens to be owned by someone in the community counts just as much as anywhere with a pride flag out front. Restaurants in New York has the deepest list, if you want a sense of the range.
Hotels
Hotels, inns, guesthouses, and short-term rentals that are LGBTQ+-owned or specifically known as welcoming to LGBTQ+ travelers. This is often the category worth checking first if you’re planning a trip, and it’s also where a city’s history shows up most clearly: hotels in Provincetown reflects decades of a town built specifically around LGBTQ+ tourism, which is a different feel than a single friendly hotel in a city where that’s the exception.
Gyms
Fitness centers, gyms, and athletic clubs that are LGBTQ+-owned or have a significant LGBTQ+ member base. Coverage here is smaller than bars or restaurants simply because there are fewer of these venues overall; even gyms in New York, the largest list in this category, is a fraction of the size of the bars list for the same city.
Shops
Retail stores: bookshops, clothing, gift shops, adult retail, and other LGBTQ+-owned or LGBTQ+-focused businesses. A wide range of business types share this one category, and shops in Los Angeles gives a sense of just how varied it is, from independent bookstores to specialty clothing.
Bathhouses
Bathhouses and similar venues, listed as their own category rather than folded into anything else, given how distinct they are from a typical bar or club. Coverage is thin in most cities; bathhouses in San Francisco is one of the better-represented lists, reflecting a scene with a genuinely long history there.
Arts & Culture
Galleries, theaters, museums, and performance venues with an LGBTQ+ focus or strong community connection. This is one of the smaller categories site-wide, but arts and culture venues in New York is a real exception, and often includes some of the longest-running, most established venues on the site.
Heritage
Historic sites and landmarks with specific LGBTQ+ significance. This is the smallest category by far, and the one most worth checking if you’re interested in a city’s LGBTQ+ history rather than just where to go tonight. Heritage sites in San Francisco, a city with one of the longest documented LGBTQ+ histories in the country, is a good place to start if this is what you’re after.
Using categories to filter, not limit
You’re never locked into one category. A city page lets you filter down to just one, but the “All” view shows everything together, sorted the same way regardless of type. If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, starting with “All” and browsing is often more useful than picking a category first. And once you’ve narrowed down a venue you’re curious about, reading its actual reviews tells you more than the category label ever will.