The dogged days of summer are finally behind us, and the best time of the year is ahead.

No, I’m not talking about pumpkin spice season, or that weird spree of weeks where I watch Hocus Pocus too many times. I’m talking about Pride Season 2.0. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I know I’ve been yammering about Pride beyond June, and the evergreen nature of celebrating our existence. And it’s not like we need a formal festival to give us permission to do so. But in recent years, I’ve noticed an uptick in Pride festivals taking place in the fall. Especially this year, there’s a growing slate of international events — from Curaçao to Vermont — that are extending the season and showing the world that we’re always here. We love to see it. And while we’re thinking of it, check out Nathan’s new story about Southern Decadence in New Orleans, aka “Gay Mardi Gras.”

Shedding My Shame Through Decadence

It feels particularly righteous as we near the midterms, with Trump’s approval ratings in the dumpster and progressive politicians sweeping upsets in elections across the U.S. Will “Mango Mussolini,” as Rosie O’Donnell so eloquently quipped, attempt some dictatorial buffoonery? Quite possibly. But the rallying cries of resistance are getting too loud, even for an administration comprised of selectively ignorant court jesters.

As summer unclenches, and Hocus Pocus draws nigh, I feel hope in the air. I felt it as I plunged into the frigid waters of Lake Superior earlier this month (more to come on that), and I felt it as I watched O’Donnell return to form, brilliantly deriding the super-sized toddler in the White House. I feel it as I read hopeful headlines, from a new LGBTQ+ mayor in Delaware to same-sex marriage in Bolivia. I hope, as you read this month’s newsletter, that you feel it too.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting!

With Pride,

- Matt and Nathan

Queer Travel News

The Americas:

In California,

• San Francisco was named the world’s best city for LGBTQ+ life, in the 2026 report from the Sexually Liberal City Index, though American cities overall have fallen in the rankings due to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation under the Trump administration.

In Delaware,

• Susan Stewart was elected to become the first openly LGBTQ+ mayor of Rehoboth Beach.

In Idaho,

• In a delightful twist of fate, a fundraising campaign is underway to turn the Old State Saloon — the homophobic bar that hosted “Hetero Awesome Fest” — into a gay bar.

We Need to Talk About "Straight Pride"

In Kansas,

• A group of righteous trans men, calling themselves the “KS SB244 Compliance Crew,” staged protests at women’s bathrooms to highlight the absurdity of Kansas’ anti-trans bathroom bill.

In Massachusetts,

• Dani’s Queer Bar is renovating and expanding its downstairs bar area.

In New York,

• Lawmakers are attempting to repeal a longstanding, AIDS-era ban on gay bathhouses.

In South Carolina,

• The Velvet Pony is a new gay bar opening in North Charleston later this year.

In Texas,

• A federal judge shut down a state-wide drag ban, citing Dolly Parton and telling feeble naysayers “just don’t go.”

Europe:

In Bulgaria,

• The Eurovision Song Contest announced that the 2027 event will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria in 2027.

In Russia,

• The Russian LGBT Network announced its closure following a court decision branding the group an extremist organization.

The U.K.:

• An English High Court backed a policy from Police Scotland that grants transgender detainees the right to request a strip search by an officer of their same gender identity.

South America:

In Bolivia,

• Fabiana Banzer and Scarlett Rocha became the first same-sex couple to have a civil marriage, following a nearly four-year legal battle.

Africa:

In Ghana,

• The leader of Ghana’s Anglican Church, Archbishop Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, has spoken out to condemn the nation’s harsher anti-LGBTQ+ laws set to go before the president.

In Senegal,

• Following new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation earlier this year, 71 men were recently arrested for same-sex activities deemed “unnatural acts.”

Australia:

• For the first time, the country added sexuality and gender identity to its census.

Pride Planner

In the U.S.,

In California,

• The clothing-optional Folsom Street Fair is back September 27.

In Florida,

• Space Coast Pride takes place September 26 in Melbourne, with a parade and indoor vendors and performances at the Melbourne Auditorium.

• Jax River City Pride returns to Jacksonville October 3, including a parade, cabaret, a vendor marketplace, and more.

• Come Out With Pride Orlando is October 17 at downtown’s Lake Eola Park, marked by an enormous parade and festival.

In Hawaii,

• Kona Pride takes place September 18-20, featuring drag shows, pool parties, and tea dances aplenty.

• Honolulu Pride is October 16-18, with events like an opening party, parade, lei pool party, and drag brunch.

In Kentucky,

• Melanin Pride Weekend returns to Louisville September 18-20, including an open mic night, day party, and drag brunch.

In Louisiana,

• Southern Decadence returns to New Orleans September 3-7, offering a city-wade array of events, late-night parties, and a parade through the French Quarter.

A History of Southern Decadence

In Massachusetts,

• Worcester Pride takes place September 12, including an array of performers, artists, vendors, speakers, and more.

In Mississippi,

• It’s Pride Y’all is October 16-18 in Jackson, featuring a kickoff gala, drag story hour, comedy, music, a glow party, and more.

Listen to our podcast on Jackson Pride

In Missouri,

• Mid-Missouri PrideFest takes place in Columbia September 26-27, with a street fair, performances at Rose Music Hall, an artisan court, Pride parade, and more.

In Nevada,

• Northern Nevada Pride is September 12, complete with parade and festival.

In North Carolina,

• Blue Ridge Pride takes place in Asheville September 25-26.

• Durham Pride Week runs from September 27-October 3.

In Oklahoma,

• Tulsa Pride kicks off October 17, featuring a downtown parade, nightlife events at Starlite Bar, and performances from Tracey La Louisianne (aka Miss Gay America 2026).

In South Carolina,

• Charleston Pride features a pageant on September 17, followed by the full parade and festival October 17.

In Utah,

• Moab Pride hosts Queer Movie Nights at the MARC on September 16 and October 28.

In Vermont,

• Burlington hosts Pride Vermont on September 13, with a parade followed by a festival at Battery Park.

In Virginia,

• Virginia Pride returns to Richmond September 12.

In the Caribbean,

In Curaçao,

• Curaçao Pride Festival takes place September 30-October 4 in Willemstad, with events such as Pride brunch, queer poetry night, beachside festivities, art exhibits, and a parade.

In Canada,

In Alberta,

• Calgary Pride runs through September 6, featuring a queer arts market, a Pride gala, parade, and lots more.

In Quebec,

• Quebec City Pride is September 4-6.

In the U.K.,

In Cornwall,

• Cornwall Pride hosts Penzanze Pride on September 12.

In Europe,

In Malta,

• Malta Pride runs from September 4-13, featuring a full slate of events, parties, and parades.

In Serbia,

• Pride Belgrade runs through September 6.

In Australia,

• Brisbane Pride features events throughout October, with the main rally and march set for October 24.

Elsewhere on The Gay Lane

Other recent stories from The Gay Lane:

• First Impressions: Sydney, Australia

• “Broadway’s Forgotten Man” is a Queer Icon on Route 66

• The Gay Lane Travel Guide: Boston

On The Gay Lane Podcast

Our latest episodes:

• Australia Part 2

• Revolutionary Queerness in Boston

• Bright Lights, Sequined Steps, and Pride in Sydney

Beyond The Gay Lane

Our recent stories for other outlets:

• Authentic Food: Find the Gayest Fried Chicken at Atlanta’s Second Oldest Restaurant

• Tasting Table: The Absolute Best Date Night Restaurant in Every State

• Afar: The Only Way to Hike the Secluded, Multiday Colorado Trail is by Riding a Train From This Outdoorsy City

What We’re Reading

Queer stories that caught our attention:

• Gay Times Magazine: The Highs and Lows of the Gay Group Vacation

• Queering the Burbs: The Queer Case Against the Surveillance State

• Advocate: Dispatches From Route 66: Discover the Queer Stories Hidden Along the Iconic Road Trip

Heard at the Gay-Friendly Bar

“She won’t eat Santa Fe sushi, and she wouldn’t tell us she was a lesbian.”
- La Reina, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Meal of the Month

As I mentioned at the top of the newsletter, I had the pleasure of visiting the Midwest last month, and spent a week exploring beautiful Minnesota. From Duluth to Voyageurs National Park, and from cold plunges to queer-led cafes, it’s exactly what I’ve been craving all summer. I visited several standout restaurants along the way, but one that particularly stood out was Diane’s Place in Minneapolis, where I had brunch.

I had heard of Diane’s Place before, considering its rampant popularity and its slew of accolades. It’s a soulful Hmong restaurant from chef Diane Moua, whose esteemed pedigree includes stints at some of Minneapolis’ most famed restaurants, like Spoon and Stable. Now that she’s got her own place, so to speak, she’s cooking up a love letter to her heritage — one that feels notably resonant for a city that’s come to define a kind of pride for its immigrant communities. Even on an idle Monday, brunch was bustling as I savored a creamy coconut-pandan croissant, and a red curry crab omelette. Everything on the menu, and in the pastry case, looked incredible too, and there’s a separate cafe space for grab-and-go and soft-serve ice cream.

LGBTQ+ Businesses We Love

Studio Cafe in Duluth, Minnesota

During my first leg of my Minnesota outing, I spent a few days falling in love with Duluth. Perched on Lake Superior, just over the border from Wisconsin, it’s a beautiful, queer-friendly community that made me feel right at home. Who knew! One highlight was Studio Cafe, a loud-and-proud coffee shop and gallery, spotlighting local queer artists alongside a menu of Afghani desserts and Turkish pastries. The maximalist, peacock-clad cafe runs a Queer Art Club, offers gifts made by local creators, and offers a pay-it-forward gift card program. Everything about this place warmed my heart.

19 Bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota

As soon as I passed through the nondescript entryway and heard Madonna’s “Danceteria,” I knew I was in the right place. Open since 1952, 19 Bar is the oldest gay bar in Minnesota, and we’ve made it a point lately to seek out as many of these historic spaces as we can while we’re traveling. The vibes were literally perfect, too. I tend to prefer gay bars in the quieter afternoons, when a few local patrons play darts and gab with bartenders. In true Minnesota fashion, everyone was exceedingly welcoming and friendly, as I sipped my solo IPA and Shazammed the gay playlist. I loved it so much that I returned a few days later, hours before my flight home, to quietly bid farewell (for now). I’m grateful for spaces like these, and hopeful that they’ll continue to endure.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

This week, we’re reflecting on nostalgia in New Hampshire. Matt’s home state may is a place we’ve gone back to several times — to visit family, revisit places from his youth, and make our own memories. For Matt, and for a lot of queer people, that sense of “going back home” can be fraught with triggers and traumas, but there’s a lot that he loves there too. Especially now.

After our most recent trip to New Hampshire in July, and our podcast episode on Boston, we’re looking back at some of our must-visit destinations, lakes, and restaurants, as well as negotiating with the highs and lows of youth-gone-by nostalgia.

Tune in for vintage arcades, heart-shaped jacuzzis, eggplant parmesan subs, Hocus Pocus drag, late-night meltdowns, and so much more!

Where we eat/drink: Pizza by George, Puritan Backroom, Cello’s Farm House, Copper Door, Horsefeathers

Where we visited: The Palace Theatre, Lake Massasecum, Lake Winnipesaukee

Thank you for reading, following, and listening!

With Pride,

Matt and Nathan

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

There we were in New Orleans, standing in line at a nondescript building that housed a grocery store, with at least a hundred other gay men trying to act normal. All we knew was there was a party inside and that very soon, we would have to swap our clothes for towels.

This was the first time Matt and I had ever done something like this, and to say we were nervous is an understatement.

We were in New Orleans for Southern Decadence, an infamous gay party held over Labor Day weekend. The only event like this that was more infamous to me was San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair, a debaucherous event where hundreds of thousands of gay men hit the streets in their underwear, jock straps, or nothing at all. There’s public nudity, sometimes public sex, and lots of goings-on that the general public might deem extreme. I know I once did.

Southern Decadence, to me, sounded like an event more rooted in playfulness and themed parties, filled with elaborate costumes and drag. It’s no secret that alcohol, sex, and drugs are involved, but its history is a lot deeper.

It started in 1972 as a going-away party for a gay couple moving back to Michigan — a last hurrah for a group of friends living in a decaying old house, after they dropped out of “normal life” in the 1960s and ‘70s following the Vietnam War. The draft was sending all these young men off to die in a jungle that was so far removed from American everyday life that, for the first time, many simply said, “Hell no, we won’t go!” It seemed insane to go fight in another country’s civil war that posed no threat to our way of life.

As a city that has always been a refuge for artists, writers, musicians, and queer people living on the margins of society, New Orleans welcomed them with open arms.

New Orleans was the perfect place to escape their hometowns, and their families pushing them to “go fight for our country.” As a city that has always been a refuge for artists, writers, musicians, and queer people living on the margins of society, New Orleans welcomed them with open arms.

The Gay Lane Travel Guide: New Orleans

Planning the farewell party, everyone decided to dress up as their favorite “Southern Decadent,” and parade down the street to a local bar. And thus began an event that would blossom into a weekend party — known as a veritable “Gay Mardi Gras” — that now draws 300,000 visitors every year.

Matt and I hesitated to attend at first. Our relationship was still in its honeymoon period, so the prospect of a multi-day festival of vice felt a bit daunting for a new couple. But knowing what little we did about Southern Decadence’s storied past, as one of America’s quintessential gay events, we had to go and experience it for ourselves — inhibitions be damned.

We were both concerned with what to pack. Neither of us are “party gays,” nor are we accustomed to clubs or circuit parties. I don’t own a jock strap, nor sexy underwear. The only harnesses we own are for our dogs. I settled on the shortest jean shorts and a couple of Pride T-shirts, while Matt’s more eclectic wardrobe yielded some sheer shirts, skin-tight pants, and a metallic-gold romper with a V-neck down to his belly button.

That’s about as extreme as it got for us, but the thought of Matt wearing this flashy, tiger-striped jumper out in public was so uncharacteristic that I thought he was joking. The look on his face, though, said otherwise. It said, “Maybe?!?”

So I thought, “Why not?” If there’s one thing Matt and I definitely share, it’s a “When in Rome” mentality. Why would we go to a raucous party in a capital of vice and dress like we would back home? Either way, the decision didn’t have to be made at that moment, so I said, “Just throw it in the bag. Who knows.”

Getting to New Orleans, we checked into the Hotel Monteleone, one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in this country, and a jewel in the French Quarter. Waiting for us was a loose itinerary for the weekend, mostly filled with blocks of time for us to pick which events we wanted to attend. As we perused the spreadsheet, there was a column that noted what kind of event each was, with several of them labeled “sex party.”

Matt and I looked at each other. Neither of us had ever seen anything like this.

We laughed it off and went about some of Matt’s favorite haunts in New Orleans. Off we went to the Bacchanal, a dreamy wine garden and bottle shop in the Bywater, and Mona Lisa, an off-the-beaten-path gay-owned restaurant in a quieter corner of the French Quarter, decorated with hundreds of portraits and caricatures of the Mona Lisa. We strolled down Bourbon Street to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop, one of the oldest bars in the country. It was here where, after one too many cups of rum punch, I effectively gave a police car a lap dance. We had achieved about the most wild I have ever gotten while drinking. Until Saturday.

Checking the schedule, we figured we could keep visiting Bourbon Street highlights, or take a chance and attend one of the late-night parties happening across the city. Both doubting the others comfortability with such events, especially the ones labeled “sex party,” we decided to start simple with dinner and drinks. At dinner, Matt went silent, so I asked what was bugging him. His response surprised and relieved me at the same time: “Maybe we should pick a party and just go.” What went through my mind was both excitement and fear.

We had never done something like this, and had no real idea what to expect. But to be at Southern Decadence and not really participate seemed ridiculous. Like I said, we are very much “When in Rome” types, and we have done things out of our comfort zones many times, such as going up in a hot air balloon and zip-lining through the redwood canopy — with the ground nowhere in sight. But to be half naked in a room with strangers? It should seem so simple, yet felt so unnerving.

I took a leap of faith, and said, “You know, fuck it. Why not?”

The Naked Truth About Amsterdam

As we went through the list of parties (and decided that something called “Horse Meat Disco” might be too aggressive for our first foray), one stood out for its theme. The party aimed to recreate the atmosphere of the famous NYC bathhouse, Continental Baths, which opened in 1968 as “a gay fantasia, a palace devoted to hedonism.” While it didn’t last more than eight years, it was an almost mythical place in the history of gay America.

The Continental Baths was likely the most opulent bathhouse to ever exist, and so popular that it often commanded a line down the street. Everyone wanted to have a chance to be one of the scantily-clad men, hooking up with strangers. But it had a bigger claim to fame. The baths were also a musical venue, most famously hosting acts like Bette Midler, who even recorded an album there. So a party with such an atmospheric, transportive theme captured our attention.

And that brings us back to the beginning of this story, waiting anxiously in line next to an after-hours grocery store, not knowing what spectacle awaited us on the other side of the bouncer.

Matt and I had our tickets checked and were ushered into a dark hallway with a clothes check and a stack of towels to replace our clothing. We nervously undressed, barely able to see anything in the dark as we donned our towels. Inside was a large room with a band, bars, a center stage with a Bette Midler impersonator, and a sea of nearly-nude gay men.

I signaled to Matt that maybe a bit of liquid courage was in order, so we made our way to the bar. The mood was less tense a few drinks in, and everyone seemed genuinely overjoyed to be in a place that recreated a part of our collective gay past — a past that disappeared as the AIDS crisis swept across American cities that were refuges for the LGBTQ+ community.

Shortly after the Continental Baths closed in 1976, almost 90% of all of all bathhouses across the U.S. shut down as hundreds of thousands of gay men had their lives cut short due to the spread of HIV. It was devastating to go from a decade of unprecedented and newfound freedom, riding the wave of the sexual revolution and partying away all that pent-up repression, to watching your loved ones die. Practically a whole generation of gay men was wiped out, unable to tell their stories. These stories, which shaped our continued fight for freedom, were important. They still are.

In that moment, and in that homage to our history, we felt some of that sexual and emotional freedom wash over us too. Were there sexual things going on around us? Sure. Was it something to feel ashamed about? Absolutely not. Was it the first time either of us had ever really done something like this? Yes, but the nerves were melting away with the sweat. It was an eye-opening experience, and actually somewhat tame compared to what we had nervously assumed.

With some light debauchery going on around us, we just stood there listening to “Bette,” lost in a moment that felt like going back in time. I slipped my hand under Matt’s towel, cupped his cute little butt, and we exchanged smiles.

We thought of those men who last experienced such a scene, through liberating blowjobs and bathhouse revelry. By finally taking up space in a world devoid of the shame that society wanted them to feel, it led to this reality where I can be married proudly and openly to the man I love so deeply that I cannot truly express in words.

There’s Pride in Decadence, and I’m glad that I finally understood what celebrations like this mean to our community. Southern Decadence is what you make of it, and we truly made it our own.

Southern Decadence takes place September 3-7 in New Orleans. For more information, and to read about all of our favorite spots in one of our favorite cities, check out The Gay Lane Travel Guide to New Orleans.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Of all the travels we’ve embarked on so far this year, Sydney really cast a spell. Australia’s largest city, and the capital of New South Wales, it’s a place of near-mythical magic — marked by cinematic opera houses, larger-than-life bridges, and vivid light shows. Sydney is also one of the queerest, most LGBTQ+-friendly cities we’ve ever visited.

Earlier, we recorded a podcast about some of our time in Sydney, which you can listen to here. But for such a dream-come-true city, and the trip of a lifetime, it’s a place that merits a deeper dive. Much like our “Two Tales, One City” series, I wanted to offer a sincere “First Impressions” glimpse into a place that was new to us.

Sydney is one of those places I thought I’d only ever see on screen.

The opera house, the bridge, the bay. It’s all as iconic as the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Giza. And yet, it felt like such a faraway fantasy. Quite literally, the distance and travel time once seemed dauntingly impossible, but there was also something intangible about its mystique. Once you travel the world more extensively, though, the distance doesn’t feel quite so harrowing. And suddenly, Oz dreams come true.

The trip, admittedly, started out rather rocky. I was fully sobbing saying goodbye to our dogs, including our new-at-the-time pup, Cooper. It was our longest trip away since getting him a couple months prior, and it tore me up not being able to communicate with him — and with Finn — that we’ll be back. Our late-night layover in Dallas was delayed, stormy, and chaotically crowded. But once we finally boarded, things took a turn (shoutout to Qantas Airlines for the legroom!).

17 hours and two Benadryls later, we arrived bright and early in the Land Down Under. Seeing Sydney sprawled out before us as we descended into Australia was fantasy becoming reality. Here we were, on the opposite side of the world and in another hemisphere, with so much before us.

Read more

Hi y’all!

I’ve been working on a queer anthology project about overlooked figures in unexpected places, if you will. It’s a way to give flowers to those who never got them in life, but whose indelible legacies have left beacons of hope in their wake. I first got the idea when Nathan and I were driving along Route 66 — as we’re wont to do — and visited the Claremore Museum of History in Oklahoma. The museum serves as a veritable temple for a queer Oklahoman whose enormous artistic contributions have been far too overshadowed. Lynn Riggs inspired me to shed light on who he really was, and why his queerness kept him minimized. For another story on overlooked queer characters, check out Nathan’s excellent report on Frank Lloyd Wright’s gay apprentice.

I hope you enjoy! We’ve got more of these in the works, but if you know of any other overlooked queer characters from history, anywhere in the world, drop us a line!

A closeted gay man living in rural Oklahoma, son to a machismo rancher who mocked the arts and a wicked stepmother who locked him in an outhouse, the life of Rollie Lynn Riggs typifies assumptions of homophobia in America’s chicken-fried Bible Belt.

Born in 1899 in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Route 66 town of Claremore, about 30 miles northwest of Tulsa, Riggs’ subdued successes contrast stereotypes of a state known for gun-toting cowboys, oil rigs, and — eye roll — Tiger King. Though rigidly discreet about his sexual orientation, Riggs was a part-Cherokee gay playwright who would go on to leave a quiet legacy as one of Oklahoma’s token queers, whether he wanted to be memorialized as such or not.

Today, his rainbow-hued face adorns a mural at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center in Tulsa, and his hometown history museum has embraced him like its very own Andy Warhol, outfitting two exhibits with intimate ephemera, self-portraits, wistful paintings, and a tasteful nude painted by his — wink-wink — “roommate.” In many ways, Riggs’ trajectory from closeted Okie hell-bent on escaping his hometown for queerer pastures and bigger cities, mimics the social tides of the land he was so desperate to decamp.

Riggs, for the non-theater gay, penned Green Grow the Lilacs, a play that would ultimately serve as the sacred text for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first — and arguably most successful — musical, Oklahoma! Harkening to his love-hate homeland, the play ticks all the requisite boxes for a prototypical Oklahoman opus: a heterosexual love triangle, an objectionable farmhand, a sassy aunt, and a general sense of Frontier Era bacchanalia that predates statehood. It also paints an allegorical parallel between the colonization of Indian Territory and a kind of heteronormative colonization into murky marriage rituals like shivaree, an unsavory post-nuptials pastime that sounds an awful lot like blatant hazing.

A dramatic homage to his roots and Indigenous heritage, Riggs’ Green Grow the Lilacs opened in 1931 at New York City’s Guild Theatre, achieving modest success with a muted critical reception and a ho-hum run of 64 performances. Perhaps there was just something too insular about a story told from a time when the federal government was railroading territory and tradition; so intimate and personal that characters, in their Okie-specific drawl, were based on Riggs’ own family members. Perhaps it needed some sanded edges, some broadened appeal, and some catchy tunes to whistle to, like a Land Rush-era “Let It Go.”

It’s ironic, then, that this unflinching piece of art from a closeted gay Cherokee would go on to morph and warp into a candy-coated crowd-pleaser so emphatically pro-statehood that they slapped an exclamation point at the end of Oklahoma! and platformed a smash-hit ditty about wind and wheat — so successful that the titular number has since been adopted as the state song, and forever shaped the future of musical theater.

Read more

Following an egregious delay, we’re finally back with part two of our Australia podcast series. Check out our first episode on Sydney, where we attended a Pride gala and visited the largest queer cultural center on Earth. This week, we’re venturing north to Byron Bay.

In the “Rainbow Region” of Australia, we stayed at one of the dreamiest hotels we’ve ever been to, ate beach-chic cuisine, kayaked with non-dolphins, and discovered local Aboriginal history on an Indigenous hike.

And at long last, we FINALLY saw a koala in the wild.

Where we ate/drank: Belongil Bistro, Top Shop Byron Bay, Ember

Where we stayed: Hotel Marvell

Where we visited: Mr. Vintage, Arakwal National Park, Cape Byron Kayaks, Explore Byron Bay

Thank you for reading, following, and listening!

With Pride,

Matt and Nathan

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

What a year July has been.

It feels like the month has dragged on forever, filled with too many highs and lows to recount. We began in Oregon, where we were wrapping up Queer Wine Fest in McMinnville, and we ended it in our pool — the only suitable activity when the temperature in OKC swelters in the triple digits. I’ve been listening to Madonna non-stop, and making my own “confessions.” I ate at a chuckwagon in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and spent a few days sick in bed in a Victorian B&B (in all fairness, the chuckwagon brisket had nothing to do with my ailment).

Most recently, we spent a much-needed week visiting family — and cooling off — in New England. As much as I’ve come to love Boston, New England is a place I’ve struggled to call “home” anymore. But it will always matter to me. And this past trip was the best one we’ve had since Nathan and I have been together, filled with lazy lake days, fried clam strips by the beach, and hilarious happy hours with family. I don’t think I’ll ever consider myself a "yankee” again, but reconnecting with my roots in my own way feels like a salve.

Most recently, I learned that my first serious boyfriend passed away. It had been 13 years since we broke up in Chicago, and we sparsely spoke since then, but the news hit me like a sledgehammer. Not only am I heartbroken for his family and friends, but it knocked me back to memories of our years together — one of the most formative periods of my life. There is so much I want to say, and even more that I wish I could have shared with him, but right now I’m still figuring out how to articulate an unexpectedly painful loss.

July has been a lot, but there’s more to come. This month, I’ve got a fresh crop of Queer Travel News, including a wonderful new trans-friendly bathroom map in Idaho, a gay bar closure in Tennessee, and LGBTQ+ warnings out of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. There’s also a TON of Pride festivals in the coming months, from Austin and Toledo, to Quebec City and Prague. All that and more LGBTQ+-owned businesses, seafaring pubs, and more.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting!

With Pride,

- Matt and Nathan

Queer Travel News

The Americas:

In Alabama,

• The University of Alabama reversed its policies — and erased protections — towards sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination.

In Florida,

• The Fort Lauderdale-based Stonewall National Museum & Archives launched a $40 million campaign to move to a larger location.

In Idaho,

• Following a new law restricting gender-aligned restroom access, LGBTQ+ advocates launched a digital map of trans-friendly bathrooms across the state.

In New Hampshire,

• Governor Kelly Ayotte signed legislation that requires public school employees to out transgender students to parents or legal guardians.

In North Carolina,

• State Representative Erin Paré entertained the idea of a state-wide dress code for transgender teachers in public schools.

• A gunman was killed by police after opening fire outside of Shakey’s gay bar in Asheville.

In Ohio,

• Equality Ohio downgraded Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton’s LGBTQ+ grade from “A” to “pending,” following recent trans-phobic comments she made regarding the transgender ban in sports.

• Anti-LGBTQ+ billboards stating “No child has two dads. No child has two moms” have popped up throughout the state, prompting rightful outrage.

In Oklahoma,

• The Veil is a new “gothic” queer bar in Oklahoma City’s 39th Street gayborhood.

In Tennessee,

• One of Knoxville’s last gay bars, Club XYZ is closing following a rent increase from its — allegedly — homophobic landlord Daniel Schuh.

In Washington, D.C.,

• To better expand local LGBTQ+ representation, Capital Stonewall Democrats launched Queering ANCs, a digital program designed to recruit and train LGBTQ+ people and allies for the District’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

Europe:

In France,

• In a troubling and baffling appointment, Emmanuel Macron named François-Noël Buffet — a senator with anti-LGBTQ+ history — as Défenseur des droits, a human rights role designed to protect marginalized people.

In Germany,

• Tragedy struck at Berlin Pride, when a man drove a van into a crowd of attendees and proceeded to attack people with a knife. One woman was killed, and 29 others were injured.

In Poland,

• Despite LGBTQ+ support from the Prime Minister, the Constitutional Tribunal Court overturned plans to recognize same-sex marriages issued in other EU countries.

In Romania,

• Despite being banned for four years, a Pride march went ahead in Oradea.

Asia:

In Indonesia,

• LGBTQ+ people are at risk, following President Prabowo Subianto’s claims that “queer culture” is a national threat to society.

In Pakistan,

• A shooting in Peshawar left one transgender transgender person dead.

In Saudi Arabia,

• As it prepares to host the World Cup in 2034, officials are attempting to assure LGBTQ+ visitors of their welcome, despite homosexuality being illegal — and punishable by death.

In Singapore,

• Authorities arrested three teenagers over plots to target and harm LGBTQ+ people.

Africa:

In Senegal,

• The National Assembly of Senegal amended its constitution to formally ban same-sex marriage.

In Botswana,

• A bid to legalize same-sex marriage is currently being unsurprisingly opposed by church and cultural groups, like Dingwetsi Association.

Pride Planner

In the U.S.,

In California,

• Silicon Valley Pride marches back into San Jose August 29-30, complete with parade, live entertainment, local artists, family-friendly activities, and more.

In Connecticut,

• New London Pride has events all week, culminating with the main festival and after-party on August 8.

In Florida,

• Tropical Heat is a multi-day, all-male party in Key West, with LGBTQ+ parties and events from August 12-16.

In Illinois,

• Northalsted Market Days is August 7-9, featuring drag shows, food and drink, and entertainment.

In Louisiana,

• Southern Decadence returns to New Orleans September 3-7, offering a city-wade array of events, late-night parties, and a parade through the French Quarter.

In Missouri,

• Mid-Missouri PrideFest takes place in Columbia September 26-27, with a street fair, performances at Rose Music Hall, an artisan court, Pride parade, and more.

In North Carolina,

• Charlotte Pride is August 15-16, with events like a drag pageant, parade, interfaith service, and a Black Pride stage.

In Ohio,

• Toledo Pride touches down in Promenade Park August 14-16, featuring a Pride march, drag shows, DJs, a bar crawl, and more.

In Texas,

• The Austin Pride Parade & Festival takes place August 22, featuring live music, drag performances, local vendors, food, and a nighttime parade down Congress Avenue.

In Utah,

• While Moab Pride was moved to September, Queer Movie Nights take place at the MARC on September 16 and October 28.

In Canada,

In Alberta,

• Calgary Pride runs August 31-September 6, featuring a queer arts market, a Pride gala, parade, and lots more.

In Ontario,

• Ottawa’s Capital Pride hits the streets August 30.

In Quebec,

• Fierté Montréal Festival, aka Montreal Pride, is running now through August 9, with an enormous amount of diverse events to attend.

• Quebec City Pride is September 4-6.

In the U.K.,

In Cornwall,

• Cornwall Pride hosts Newquay Pride on August 29 and Penzanze Pride on September 12.

In Doncaster,

• Doncaster Pride is August 8, with two entertainment stages, a local vendor market, a march, and more.

In Kent,

• Pride events include Margate Pride on August 8 and Medway Pride on August 22.

In Manchester,

• Manchester Village Pride runs August 28-31, with a dance arena, a parade, community and family day, and beyond.

In Europe,

In Belgium,

• Antwerp Pride runs August 5-9.

In the Czech Republic,

• Prague Pride kicks off August 3, with events running through August 9.

In Denmark,

• Copenhagen Pride spans August 8-16, with the main parade on August 15.

In Germany,

• Essen Pride, otherwise known as ruhrPRIDE, is held August 8.

• Christopher Street Day, aka Lubeck Pride is August 14-15.

In Iceland,

• Reykjavik Pride is August 4-9, including diverse events like a clothes exchange market, Pride stand-up, a youth DJ workshop, a trans BBQ, a queer pub quiz, dyke night, and much more.

In Malta,

• Malta Pride runs from September 4-13, featuring a full slate of events, parties, and parades.

In the Netherlands,

• WorldPride Amsterdam is now running through August 8.

Elsewhere on The Gay Lane

Other recent stories from The Gay Lane:

• The Gay Lane Travel Guide: Boston

• Confessions, Too

• America Queer 50

On The Gay Lane Podcast

Our latest episodes:

• Revolutionary Queerness in Boston

• Bright Lights, Sequined Steps, and Pride in Sydney

• Allll Aboard the Durango Train

Beyond The Gay Lane

Our recent stories for other outlets:

• Travel + Leisure: A New Boutique Hotel and Growing Pride Celebrations Are Reshaping Napa Valley, California’s LGBTQ+ Travel Scene

• Afar: This Midwest Region is a Relaxing Escape for Wine, Art, and LGBTQ+ Community

• InsideHook: Why Tulsa Calls Itself the Capital of Route 66

Heard at the Gay Bar

“Are we giving a prostate exam over here?”
- Magnetic Valley, Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Meal of the Month

While we were back in New England last month, we made sure to stop at one of our favorite spots: Ship’s Cellar Pub. Nestled on the ground floor of the York Harbor Inn, in the pitch-perfect summer town of York, Maine, it’s everything I want in a restaurant.

The cozy space feels like dining in the hull of a wooden ship, complete with portholes, nautical art, and enough seafaring dishes to feed a fleet. Nathan and I have been coming here for years now. Any time we’re in New England, it’s one of our requisite restaurants — not only for its atmospheric coziness, but for its curated wine list and oceanic bounty. We always share a lobster flatbread (pictured), strewn with buttery morsels of lobster meat on a garlicky cracker crust. This time, we paired it with a crock of steaming, plump mussels. Service is always wonderful, and the beach view across the street is what summer vistas are made of.

LGBTQ+ Businesses We Love

Big Oak Flower Farm in St. Paul, Oregon

Let’s rewind back to our recent Oregon trip for Queer Wine Fest, because we experienced so many wonderful LGBTQ+-owned businesses that it was impossible to narrow into one newsletter. One of our first stops was Big Oak Flower Farm, where we got to tour the lush grounds of herbs, veggies, and of course, flowers. They offer bouquet workshops and U-pick flowers, DIY wedding consultations, and more.

Remy Wines in Dayton, Oregon

It’s impossible to overstate the magic of Remy Wines. Owned by Remy Drabkin, the founder of Queer Wine Fest and Wine Country Pride, and former mayor of McMinnville, the winery is anchored by a bucolic farmhouse straight out of a fairy tale, flanked by rows of verdant vineyards. The Old World-style wines are extraordinary, and they were a real highlight of Queer Wine Fest, but even more impressive is what a strong community-connecter it is. Drabkin, along with her amazing team — including “resident Remy whisperer” Gretchen Phelps — have truly raised the bar for what inclusive, queer-centered businesses can be. This year marked Queer Wine Fest’s final event, and we were honored to attend, but the legacy they’ve created will last forever.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Hello, dear readers!

We’ve been covering Boston a lot lately, from my story on “Queerness in the Cradle of Liberty” (spoiler: it involves losing baby teeth in hot dogs) to our recent podcast on the city’s revolutionary role in LGBTQ+ history. And yet, I hadn’t done this beautiful place justice with a full travel guide.

Queerness in the Cradle of Liberty

As with our previous travel guides, the full reports are for paid subscribers. These are extensive guides, drawing from personal experiences, so we’d be eternally grateful if you’d consider upgrading to a paid account. For $8/month, or $80/year, you can get our full extensive itineraries, as well as access to our archive of paid subscriber stories, podcasts, and online community. In the meantime, check out our previous travel guides:

• Oklahoma City

• New Orleans

• Big Island of Hawaiʻi

• Santa Fe

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting!

I took Boston for granted.

Growing up an hour north, I spent a lot of time there with my family. And while I have the fondest far-flung memories of the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, Fenway Park, and Quincy Market (i.e. the site of my infamous hot dog vs. baby tooth incident), it took me until adulthood to really connect with it. As a kid, it was at once excitingly clamorous and overwhelming; a big city with a bumpy subway line that always smelled like hot pennies and made me feel alive.

It wasn’t until recently, though, that Boston grew from youthful nostalgia to one of my favorite places in the country. A few years ago, when Nathan and I were visiting New England for my sister’s wedding, we spent time in Boston alone. It was the first time I can recall doing that, and it felt like discovering the city for the first time. Here was a place — an undeniably bustling, international metropolis — that welcomed travelers and settlers from all walks of life, with the kind of burly embrace I’ve come to expect of my New England homeland. This is notably true of its LGBTQ+ community, too. The first state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage, Massachusetts is regularly ranked as the best — and safest — state for LGBTQ+ people. Last year, in the face of Trump’s transphobic crusade, Boston declared itself a sanctuary city for trans people, and all members of the LGBTQ+ community. But even without an official proclamation, I knew that. Because I felt it.

Boston is a city where we can walk hand-in-hand past Old North Church, draped in its “All Are Welcome” Pride flag, and pose for photos in front of the Paul Revere House on our hunt for bucatini in the North End. We can share a Boston cream pie at the hotel where it was invented, or tea at the Boston Tea Party Museum, or hot dogs at Fenway, or beer at the Sam Adams taproom, where a gift shop is stocked with Pride stickers. For an American city as old as Boston, dotted with ancient cemeteries pre-dating the Declaration of Independence, it’s proof that inclusivity and queerness have always had their place in the American dream.

Today, it’s still a pioneer for progress. And I’ve never felt prouder to grow up with this city. From Pride festivals and drag shows, to historic hotels and queer bars, here is the ultimate LGBTQ+ travel guide to Boston.

Dwell

In my adult years on return trips to New England, I’ve been fortunate to stay at a wide array of hotels in Boston, from the glitzy modernity of the downtown W Boston to the Vegas-style Encore Boston Harbor — complete with the world’s only 21+ Dunkin’! My favorites, though, include The Liberty, a decadent boutique housed in the former Charles Street Jail, where prison bars still line door frames at aptly dubbed Alibi Bar & Lounge and CLINK. The hotel has also been a consummate ally, hosting Pride Month specials like fashion shows, “Yappier Hours,” and “Out & About” overnight packages.

We also love the Revere Hotel. Another dog-friendly property, it’s got an amazing downtown location, with stunning balcony views and surprisingly enormous rooms. The restaurant, Rebel’s Guide, had all your Boston needs covered, from chowder and lobster rolls, to herb-crusted cod. There’s a cannon in the dining room.

The Omni Parker House is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the country. Dating to 1855, the palatial property boasts a museum’s worth of history, from roundtables with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, to John F. Kennedy’s proposal to Jacqueline Bouvier, and Charles Dickens living here while rehearsing A Christmas Carol. Now it’s our turn to make our own history here, in the hotel where Parker House rolls and Boston cream pie were invented.

Read more

I’m currently working on a comprehensive Boston travel guide, but in the meantime — in the midst of a vacation to visit family in New England — we wanted to chime in on our lifelong loves of one of America’s most LGBTQ+-friendly cities.

We’ve both spent lots of time here, individually and together. And as we visit once more, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to dig into our experiences here. For Nathan, that means summer trips with his kids. For Matt, that means family time while growing up nearby.

Today, though, its Boston’s revolutionary queerness that keeps us coming back, time and again.

Thank you for reading, following, and listening!

With Pride,

Matt and Nathan

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Like the dutiful gay that I am, I’ve spent the past week pouring through Madonna’s Confessions II. And as so many critics have said, championing it as the Queen of Pop’s best new music in decades, I’m transfixed. From her sultry opening purr of “Thanks for coming,” on “I Feel So Free,” to the salacious volley on her “Bring Your Love” duet with Sabrina Carpenter, the entire album is a fever dream of dance floor nirvana. Something that, as an elder millennial queer, feels like a wistful remembrance of dance floors gone by.

21 years ago, Madonna opened her seminal Confessions on a Dance Floor with “Time goes by so slowly.” Today, she closes her confessional follow-up with the haunting lyrics, “Everything fades away” on “L.E.S. Girl.” It’s an almost chilling full-circle coda for someone as timeless as Madonna; someone who, even as a passive listener like myself, has always seemed invincible, otherworldly, and divine.

Especially considering her iconography in the LGBTQ+ community, I’m embarrassed to admit that Confessions II is the first Madonna album I’ve ever actually paid attention to. And I’m just as embarrassed that Madonna, at 67, seemingly has more energy than me — at 38 — to stay up late and hit a dance floor. But maybe why this album is hitting me so hard, and making me tear up on a plane as I listen to her reminisce about her own bygone youth on Avenue B, is because nostalgia is starting to scare me as I grapple with my own grip on aging and mortality.

Read more

Pride Month is over, and I’m tired.

I’m tired because, as an introvert with an increasing aversion for nightlife, there’s also so much my social battery can take. But I’m also tired of the unrelenting assault on the most basic LGBTQ+ rights. I’m tired of people like Mike Braun, governor of Indiana, calling June “Nuclear Family Month.” I’m tired of the U.S. Supreme Court using their power to demean trans people. I’m tired of places like Ghana and Malaysia, where the most heinous homophobic laws are being passed. I’m tired of it all, but I’m not slowing down. And neither should you.

This month, Pride events across the world bring joy and resilience to communities like San Diego, Omaha, Stockholm, and Berlin — all reminders that Pride is not confined to a month. Elsewhere, we’re clocking wins for LGBTQ+ equality in places like Nepal, West Midlands, and Minnesota, where an AIDS-era ban on adult bathhouses has been repealed. And of course, we are doing our damndest to live loudly, proudly, and authentically, and this month we’re shouting out some exciting new-to-us queer businesses in beautifully queer Oregon.

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting!

With Pride,

- Matt and Nathan

Queer Travel News

The Americas:

In California,

• Some gay bars in San Francisco’s Castro District, including The Mix, Badlands, and Toad Hall, are using AI face scanners to collect data such as “names, addresses, genders, and even how they behave inside the bar.” So maybe don’t go to these bars any more…

In Idaho,

• U.S. District Judge Amanda Brailsford ruled that transgender people won’t face criminal charges for using Idaho public restrooms that align with their gender identities.

In Indiana,

• In defiance of Pride Month, Governor Mike Braun declared June “Nuclear Family Month.”

In Louisiana,

• Governor Jeff Landry signed a law protecting workers from discipline for dead-naming transgender or non-binary colleagues.

In Minnesota,

• After closing all its gay bathhouses in 1988 due to the AIDS crisis, Minneapolis City Council repealed a ban on adult bathhouses.

In Pennsylvania,

• A new mural — titled “In Pride, In Power, In Memory” — debuted in the Gayborhood, honoring LGBTQ+ activists and pioneers like Gloria Casarez, Michael S. Hinson Jr., Tyrone Smith, Nizah Morris, and Dawn Munro.

In West Virginia,

• In a ruling on the West Virginia v. B. P. J. Opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court deemed that states can bar transgender girls and women from participating in female sports.

The U.K.:

In England,

• Leeds launched a bid to host the 2028 Bingham Cup, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ rugby tournament.

• Scott Green, the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, issued a public apology for the historic “mistreatment of LGBTQ+ communities across the region.”

• The UK Government published a draft bill to ban conversion therapy.

Europe:

In Hungary,

• Charges have been dropped against Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony after he defied former Prime Minster Viktor Orbán in organizing a Pride march in 2025.

Asia:

In Malaysia,

• The government announced it will stop using “LGBT” in favor of the term “budaya songsang,” which translates to “deviant culture.”

In Nepal,

• The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of marriage equality.

Africa:

In Ghana,

• Parliament approved a bill that criminalizes homosexuality, with up to three-year prison sentences for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+.

Pride Planner

In the U.S.,

In California,

• Kicking off with a Dyke March, San Diego Pride is July 11-19, with events like a rainbow-lit church service, a Spirit of Stonewall Rally, a parade, and a two-day festival (July 18-19).

In Massachusetts,

• The largest gathering of gay bears in the world, Provincetown Bear Week runs from July 11-18.

In Nebraska,

• Heartland Pride is July 18, featuring 100+ vendors, drag shows, a parade, and more.

In New Mexico,

• Deming Pride’s annual “Rockin’ Together” event is held July 31-August 2, featuring a slate of events, shows, and entertainment.

In Oregon,

• The Portland Pride Waterfront Festival is July 18-19, with a parade, a markers’ market, entertainment, food vendors, and more.

In Pennsylvania,

• Pittsburgh Black Pride is July 24.

In Tennessee,

• Pride at the Dragon, the only LGBTQ+ car rally to take place at Tail of the Dragon in the Great Smoky Mountains, runs July 6-12, with scenic drives and community events like cabin-decorating, trivia night, and go-kart racing.

In Utah,

• While Moab Pride was moved to September, Queer Movie Nights take place at the MARC on July 29, September 16, and October 28.

In Washington,

• Tacoma Pride is July 11 in Wright Park.

• Pacific County Pride takes place July 25-26 in Long Beach and Raymond, with a beachside kite fly, downtown festival, and celebrations set against a scenic coastal backdrop.

In Canada,

In British Columbia,

• Victoria Pride Society hosts Pride events through July 12, including a drag ball game, gay dog walk, parade, and festival.

In Nova Scotia,

• Halifax Pride runs July 16-26, featuring rainbow pancake breakfasts, a flag raising, game nights, Two-Spirit fireside chats, a spanking party (!), a parade, and lots more.

In the U.K.,

In Northern Ireland,

• Belfast Pride is July 17-26, with over 150 events, a Pride Village, parade, and the Belfast Pride Awards.

In Scotland,

• Glasgow Pride returns July 18,

In Europe,

In Germany,

• Christopher Street Day, aka Berlin Pride, is July 24-25, bringing more than 1 million people for the parade and festival.

In Luxembourg,

• Luxembourg Pride runs through July 11 in Luxembourg City.

In the Netherlands,

• Get ready for WorldPride Amsterdam, which takes place July 25-August 8.

In Spain,

• Barcelona Pride runs through July 18, with a parade on the last day.

In Sweden,

• Stockholm Pride runs from July 27-August 1, with a whole Pride District containing music, vendors, food, art, and more.

Elsewhere on The Gay Lane

Other recent stories from The Gay Lane:

• America Queer 50

• My First Pride

• Pride Can’t Be Cancelled

On The Gay Lane Podcast

Our latest episodes:

• Bright Lights, Sequined Steps, and Pride in Sydney

• Allll Aboard the Durango Train

• Gay Bars and Porn Star Martinis in Rotterdam and Amsterdam

Beyond The Gay Lane

Our recent stories for other outlets:

• InsideHook: The Straight Man’s Guide to Gay Bars

• Afar: I’ve Lived All Over the U.S. Here’s Why I Think the Best Gay Bars Are in Red States

• Condé Nast Traveler: 50 States, 50 People

Heard at the Gay Bar

“Is that vegan strip club still open?”
- The Sports Bra, Portland, Oregon

Meal of the Month

Okay so we’re cheating a bit this month and pivoting from a restaurant to a bar. But if you’ve been to Les Caves, a literal wine bar cave in Portland, than you get it. While we were in Oregon last week, we stumbled across this absolute gem near our hotel in the Alberta Arts District. Not quite a speakeasy, it’s a partially hidden subterranean bar accessed via a long series of steps, twists, and turns, culminating with the most enchanting little wine nook I’ve ever seen.

The space is aptly cozy and cave-like, including a sofa literally carved into the wall. It’s a small space, unsurprisingly, anchored around a pint-sized bar manned by friendly bartenders happy to delve into detail about any of their esoteric pours. What I loved most was that the by-the-glass selections are constantly rotating on a digitized board, based on whatever bottles other customers ask to be opened. Throughout the night, it changes to several different pours, keeping you on your toes, and allowing guests to sample different offerings. There’s also a lengthier bottle list, but rest assured that everything we sampled was not only stunningly unique, but dazzlingly delicious. This was the most fun we’ve had at a wine bar…ever?

LGBTQ+ Businesses We Love

The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon

I had heard of The Sports Bra, a pioneering LGBTQ+-owned space dedicated to women’s sports, in the past. But this was my first visit to the scrappy Portland institution. It’s the rare sports bar where country and team flags hang from the ceiling alongside Pride flags, and it helps that the food — like smash burgers, tempeh Reubens, and our delicious tuna melt — is way better than typical sports bar fare.

Bierly Brewing in McMinnville, Oregon

While we were in the Willamette Valley for Queer Wine Fest, we were delighted by the sheer variety of queer-owned businesses in and around McMinnville. Run by husbands JP and Ames Bierly, both of whom have celiac disease, it’s a 100% gluten-free brewery (including amazing food, like maple-frosted doughnuts) that pairs pints with Pride. As cliche as it sounds, these were some of the tastiest beers we’ve sampled lately, and you’d never guess these beers were gluten-free. The space is totally funky and eclectic, brimming with quirky pop culture artwork and a community library of “Rainbow Resources.” You love to see it.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

In case you haven’t heard, the U.S. is having a little birthday this week. And to celebrate, the White House has turned the National Mall into Temu Silver Dollar City. “This is the beginning of the golden age of America,” Trump said at this week’s debut of the Great American State Fair, where the menu was reduced to corn dogs, turkey legs, and Vanilla Ice. But beyond the spectacle and the ego of it all, and beyond the partisan politics that have plunged our country into a hellscape of wannabe authoritarianism of late, America is so much more than funnel cakes and UFC fights.

For all its flaws, and all its excruciating growing pains over the past 250+ years, America never needed a band of white nationalists to make anything great again. Since — and before — the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we’ve grown as a nation of immigrants and dreamers, of soaring cities and soaring ideas, of wide-open valleys and wide-open opportunities. Of course, it’s essential to acknowledge the atrocities that have plagued this country since well before July 4, 1776. The centuries of Indigenous displacement, the rampant racism, the active shooters, the “God Hates Fags” picketers, the sexual abusers, the billionaires hoarding wealth, and the tax dollars funding wars and genocide.

In spite of it all, there’s greatness here. But not because we banned trans people from certain restrooms, or criminalized abortion, or snatched upstanding citizens off the streets, or replaced human art with A.I. We’re great because of the diverse patchwork of cultures that exemplify the American Dream. We’re great because of the queer people who defy bigotry and marginalization to express themselves, project joy, and foster community. As Nathan so thoughtfully wrote in his essay on Pride and patriotism, America doesn’t “belong” to straight white republican men any more than it does to Latinx artists, drag queens, Two-Spirit dancers, gay cowboys, lesbian wine-makers, and non-binary chefs.

America: Love It or Leave It

So as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary this July 4, let’s focus less on the corn dogs and confetti, and more on the queer people who truly make this nation great. Now without further ado, here are 50 LGBTQ+ people, places, and things across the country — from a trans-owned brewery to gay rodeos and lesbian walking tours — that exemplify the parts of America worth celebrating.

Alabama: Invisible Histories

Based in Birmingham, Invisible Histories is a 501(c)3 archive established in 2015. Designed to preserve and platform LGBTQ+ history throughout the Deep South, the community-rooted organization collects and creates educational programming as a counter to centuries of erasure and oppression. Since its inception, Invisible Histories has uncovered more than 1,000 pieces of LGBTQ+ history across 13 states, catalogued in an extensive online database, digital collections, and exhibits, encompassing everything from the HIV/Aids crisis in Alabama, to LGBTQ+ history in Mississippi.

Alaska: Arciniega Street Productions

When I was in Anchorage last year, I had the pleasure of meeting with Kendra Arciniega, of Arciniega Street Productions. I wrote about her company, dedicated to LGBTQ+ and QTBIPOC communities in and around Anchorage, for The Gay Lane, and about how her efforts are helping to diversify the drag scene in Alaska. It’s a beautiful story about resilience and community, bringing diverse queens and kings into diverse spaces, like movie theaters and Latin restaurants. Read more about it here.

Arizona: Galeria Mitotera

In South Tucson, we met with Mel Dominguez and Melissa Brown-Dominguez, aka “the Mels,” behind Galeria Mitotera. It’s a Chicanx- and queer-owned gallery, rooted in the local arts community, where trans artist Mel Dominguez works with other minority artists to outfit a vibrant space filled with art, prints, books, bags, cards, and more.

Arkansas: Wanderoo Lodge

In our treasured little queer oasis in the Arkansas Ozarks, our favorite place to stay is Wanderoo Lodge. We adore Eureka Springs, for all its unexpected queerness and harmonious diversity, and this whimsical motor court-style property is the embodiment of all its inclusive quirks. The gay-owned inn feels like the closest thing to real-life Schitt’s Creek, where merchandise says “Homos & Hippies & Harleys & Hillbillies & Holey Rollers,” and Pride flags hang alongside American ones, and drag queens perform in front of audiences of all backgrounds, demographics, and ages. This was the first place where I saw a grandma get a lap dance.

California: Equality Vines

The world’s first “cause wine portfolio,” Equality Vines is a bottle shop and wine bar co-founded by Jim Obergefell, aka the man responsible for legalizing same-sex marriage federally. The shop is located in Guerneville, a boho Sonoma County town that we fell in love with so much that we almost moved there. Equality Vines works with wine-makers in Sonoma County to produce bottles like the “Love Wins” blanc de blanc and “Stonewall” Zinfandel, with a portion of all proceeds going to area non-profits dedicated to LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities.

Colorado: Aspen Gay Ski Week

Long before the notion of winter Pride was a thing, activists and allies were hitting the slopes in America’s most iconic mountain town. Aspen Gay Ski Week was founded in 1977, making it the first Gay Ski Week in the world, and still the only one to be a non-profit. Today, the event has evolved into a major economic boon for the inclusive community, bringing skiers and snow bunnies from across the globe for a week of rainbow runs, drag races (on skis), après parties, live entertainment, and lots more. Nathan wrote about how his first time skiing was actually at Aspen Gay Ski Week a couple years ago.

Connecticut: Chez Est

The only LGBTQ+ bar, restaurant, and cabaret in Hartford, Chez Est also sets the bar for inclusivity. Distinctly welcoming and diverse, the bar hosts events like weekly trans karaoke, Latin night, and Sapphic Saturday Tea in a surprisingly homey, brick-lined space. Chez Est also regularly hosts trans-specific fundraisers and trans-focused open-stage events.

Delaware: North Shores

Rehoboth Beach may be regarded as a gay mecca, but there’s a part of its shores that skew sapphic. North Shores beach, near Gordon’s Pond State Park, is known as the lesbian part of Rehoboth. And in true fashion, it’s far chiller and more laid-back than the gay male party scene south at Poodle Beach. It’s one of the very few lesbian-specific beaches in the U.S., making room for a community that doesn’t get enough space.

Florida: Se7en Bites

When DeSantis threw a tantrum over Florida’s rainbows, it ignited a needless culture war that saw the erasure of the state’s rainbow crosswalks — including, egregiously, the one outside the Pulse Nightclub Memorial. In response, heroes like Trina Gregory fought back. The chef/owner of Orlando’s Se7en Bites, a wildly popular brunch restaurant known for Americana like tuna melts and chicken biscuits, transformed 49 parking spaces — one for each person killed at the Pulse Nightclub shooting — into Pride murals. Dubbed “Parking Spaces for Pride,” she tapped local artists to paint in protest, and since it was being done on private property, there wasn’t a damn thing DeSantis could do about it.

Georgia: BlackOu+

A popular stop on The Chitlin’ Circuit, where Black musicians — denied access to white venues — rose to acclaim at alternate venues throughout the South, Macon has a storied history at the intersection of Black and LGBTQ+ representation. That legacy lives on at events like BlackOu+, a Black LGBTQ+ fete hosted by Macon Pride., designed to celebrate, showcase, and empower community members throughout central Georgia.

Hawaii: The Oasis

When we were on the Big Island last summer, we fell in love with the quiet, quaint pace of Pahoa. Mostly, that meant establishing a makeshift morning ritual at The Oasis, a quirky breakfast stop that doubles as a roadside drag venue on weekends. Helmed by two off-duty drag queens, the venue is an outdoor kitchen with a handful of covered picnic tables and a stage, overlooking lush rainforests. The food, including a corned beef hash breakfast sandwich, was so good — and the cooks were so wonderful — that we returned multiple times throughout the week, for a taste of community with a little bit of camp.

Idaho: OUTdoors Idaho

Run by the Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club, OUTdoors Idaho is the LGBTQ+ branch of the Outings group, which aims to welcome queer people into nature, and to foster a sense of safety and belonging in places where many of us have been denied. By curating group trips, like snowshoe treks by Idaho City and Greenbelt bike rides, the organization is striving to break down barriers, provide a sense of camaraderie, and show that nature is truly for all.

Illinois: The Legacy Walk

The only outdoor LGBTQ+ museum in the world, The Legacy Walk preserves queer history — and honors queer icons — along a half-mile stretch through Chicago’s Northalsted gayborhood. As visitors stroll, they’ll find a series of 25-foot rainbow pylons with 40 bronze memorials to different LGBTQ+ pioneers and heroes. More memorials are added each National Coming Out Day (October 11), with current displays ranging from James Baldwin and Leonardo Da Vinci, to Frida Kahlo and Sally Ride.

Indiana: Tube Factory Artspace

When we were visiting Indianapolis last fall, we were blown away by the community-building work being done at Tube Factory Artspace. Part of the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis, the artist-run property feels like a whimsical summer camp, featuring four contemporary exhibitions, outdoor gathering spaces, a reference library, events, colorful cottages for resident artists, and even the “Chicken Chapel of Love.” The campus is growing, too, with plans for more gallery space and even a culinary arts department. The non-profit project is all decidedly quite queer, with lots of LGBTQ+ representation in every art form, and the intentional functionality as a creative space for the public to gather really shows the unifying powers of art.

Iowa: Pie Bird Pies

One of the first businesses we highlighted when we launched The Gay Lane was Pie Bird Pies, a queer bakery in Des Moines baking up legit rainbow desserts. It’s run by head baker and co-owner Kristen Daily, who has made rainbow-colored Pride Pies for LGBTQ+ fundraisers and farmers’ markets. The wildly popular pies always sell out whenever they make an appearance, but Daily always brings them back for Pride Month, as a way to raise more money for LGBTQ+ organizations like One Iowa and Iowa Safe Schools. They’ve also made trans-colored pies and heart-shaped hand pies for Capital City Pride.

Kansas: Equality House

Somewhere over the rainbow…there’s an Equality House standing up to evil incarnate. That’s the rainbow-painted house located directly across the street from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, where “GOD HATES FAGS” flags billow like beacons of hate. We road-tripped to Topeka a couple years ago, specifically to show our gratitude for this brave abode, which serves as the headquarters for a nonprofit called Planting Peace, and sends funds to human rights initiatives across the globe. Visitors can take photos, sign a message of hope on the graffiti wall, and even pick veggies in the community garden. Even better: the Mott House, painted in the colors of the trans flag, is right next door, doubling down in resistance against hate, as an ode to late trans activist Stephanie Mott.

Kentucky: Queer Bourbon Week

In October of 2024, Nathan and I attended the inaugural edition of Queer Bourbon Week, a state-wide event that blended bourbon with Pride in places like Louisville, Covington, Lexington, and Paducah. We spent time in Louisville and Covington, especially, where we attended tastings led by lesbian Master Taster Melissa Rift, learned about Kentucky’s only LGBTQ+-owned distillery, attended a rooftop drag brunch and a Gatsby-esque gala, and much more. Now heading into its third year this fall, Queer Bourbon Week is such a brilliant way for a state to put its own personal stamp on Pride, while removing barriers to entry and welcoming a broader pool of queer travelers into your space.

Louisiana: Walking With The Gay Ghosts of New Orleans

Of the many things we love about New Orleans, its ghostly lore and queer history ring the loudest. They both converge on gay ghost tours, Walking With The Gay Ghosts of New Orleans, led by Marcus Shacknow. The most New Orleans thing ever, absorbed between sips of to-go drinks, these tours are less spooky and more salacious, speculating about everything from lesbian vampire nuns to Marlon Brando’s potential bi-curiosity while filming A Streetcar Named Desire.

Maine: Twin Ponds Lodge

Our first gay camping experience set a high bar. Nestled in the quiet woods near Waterville, Twin Ponds Lodge was a welcoming oasis with quality lodging and amenities, hiking trails, a bar, indoor swimming pool and hot tub, a pond with floaties and a dock, and — oh yeah — sex swings in the woods. We honestly had a fun, wholesome time at the clothing-optional campground, in a beautiful setting where the stillness of nature is broken only by the dulcet tones of glory hole moans. If you want to have a little fun, and let loose a bit, Twin Ponds is a place that feels genuinely safe, friendly, and relaxed.

Maryland: LBGTQ Heritage Project

Across the state, Preservation Maryland works to document and preserve LGBTQ+ history via its ongoing LGBTQ Heritage Project. With research dating to the 17th century, their efforts have developed a digital map of LGBTQ+ sites across Maryland, as well as a brochure detailing more of the state’s LGBTQ+ locations, people, and history. The project also oversees preservation projects, like the recent restoration of the Bruce Williams House and Susan Silber House, both activists who played important roles in LGBTQ+ representation and progress.

Massachusetts: Dani’s Queen Bar

Boston, as I’ve shared, has long been a cradle of democracy and progress. It’s a city where the old and the new harmonize side-by-side, and where history is very much alive. Nowhere is this more evident than Dani’s Queer Bar, a new-ish spot — in the bougie Back Bay, no less — that feels distinctly, earnestly androgynous. When I popped in for a solo happy hour, I was pleased to see one of the more diverse scenes I’ve ever met in any kind of LGBTQ+ bar. The drinks were more inventive and balanced than your typical gay bar, and service was enthusiastically welcoming. It felt like a glimpse into the future of what gay bars should be, and what they can be.

Michigan: Ox-Bow School of Art

We fell in love with Saugatuck when we visited Michigan for the first time last summer. Known as the state’s western “Art Coast,” the charming community has become the unpretentious Provincetown of the Midwest, where rainbow sidewalks lead the way to Pride events, gay car shows, and one of the largest LGBTQ+ resorts in the nation. And art, as it always does, started it all. The Ox-Bow School of Art has been a magnet for plein air artists since it opened in 1910, and over time, those artists inspired LGBTQ+ travelers to frequent the region. Today, the art school is still thriving, and still an LGBTQ+ beacon, host to ongoing queer and inclusive events like Friday Night Open Studios, harvest dinners, and Community Day workshops.

Minnesota: Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map

Created by the Minnesota Historical Society, to better highlight the Indigenous LGBTQ+ people who have called this area home for centuries, the Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map is a sweeping storytelling project that hits every corner of the state. The interactive digital archive is an incredible resource, offering historical context along with language notes, maps, Pride guides, and so much more.

Mississippi: It’s Pride Y’all!

Last fall, we had the honor of attending Jackson’s It’s Pride Y’all!, the largest Pride festival in Mississippi. Check out our Jackson podcast episode to hear more about it, but what we loved most about this small-city Pride — and what surprised me the most — was its synergistic blending of religion and queer joy. This being the Deep South, I expected a decent amount of unavoidable religion, but I loved seeing that intersection at Jackson’s radiant Pride festival, where pastors were giving out “Free Priest Hugs” and offering glitter blessings. On stage, drag queens would thank God between death drops. And on one particular rooftop party, I saw a church steeple shimmering between Pride flags.

Missouri: Neon Greens

Sure, Neon Greens is an outstanding fast-casual salad concept, which also operates as a hydroponic urban farm. Sure, I’m dying for it to open a location(s) in OKC. Sure, it’s gay-owned. But what really makes this place extra special is the degree to which they rise to support the LGBTQ+ community in St. Louis. I spoke with owner Josh Smith for a Gay Lane story last year, and we met him when we were in town in the fall. Laudably, he pours concerted efforts into hiring diversely and donating to local LGBTQ+ nonprofits. He also launched the city’s Queer Food Fest, now an annual event featuring queer-owned businesses, which donates funds to organizations like Metro Trans Umbrella Group.

Montana: Glacier Queer Alliance

Rooted in Flathead, Montana, the Glacier Queer Alliance is all about community, and about celebrating queer culture in unexpected places. The organization provides resources, events, and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people, and allies, to congregate and connect. Along with youth programs, and the Flathead Pride Festival, the alliance orchestrates events year-round, from “Summerween” drag roulette and pirate rafting, to family fun Fridays.

Nebraska: The Urban Abbey

Part non-profit coffee shop, part bookstore, and part United Methodist Church, The Urban Abbey is truly doing God’s work when it comes to bridging religion and Pride. Located in Omaha, inclusion and hospitality are its core tenets, offering a community hub and church services where “every soul is welcome, valued, and beloved.” Big shoutout to founding pastor Rev. Debra McKnight, a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Nevada: Nevada Gay Rodeo

Gay cowboy culture has roots in Reno. After the first official gay rodeo was held here in 1976, as a retort to local ranchers refusing to rent animals for LGBTQ+ events, the first Nevada Gay Rodeo started small with just 10 calves, one pony, and barely 100 attendees. It quickly grew into a national and international spectacle, evolving into the International Gay Rodeo Association, and expanding to cities across the country. But it’ll always have its roots in Reno, where the rodeo returned in 2025 to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

New Hampshire: Manchester True Collaborative

Back in my home state, in the city where I went to school, progress is happening. And that’s thanks to altruistic organizations like the Manchester True Collaborative, the first LGBTQ+ community center in New Hampshire’s largest city. In addition to hosting Manchester Pride, the volunteer-led non-profit houses resources, a store, and diverse events — from monthly socials and LGBTQ+ veterans’ art groups, to makeup classes and queer field days.

New Jersey: Miss’d America Pageant

What could be more New Jersey than a beauty pageant in Atlantic City? How about the Miss’d America Pageant, an annual drag showcase, and Atlantic City’s longest running LGBTQ+ event? Held since 1994, initially as a satire of the Miss America Pageant, it’s grown into a full-blown spectacle all its own, featuring drag queen contestants from across the country competing in traditional categories like talent shows and swimsuit competitions. It’s drag representation on a grand scale, with a portion of proceeds going to LGBTQ+ organizations.

New Mexico: Queer Nights in Santa Fe

Our beloved Santa Fe may not have any traditional gay bars, but as a famously inclusive artsy oasis in the high desert, it more than makes up for it with queer spaces — and queer events — that feel far more inclusive. El Rey Court hosts weekly queer night at its wonderful agave bar, La Reina, with proceeds going to a local trans charity, while the Hotel Glorieta features queer nights on the third Friday of each month at Lady Duff’s Lounge, and the Mystic motel hosts theirs on the last Thursday of each month. It’s a wonderful way to showcase and celebrate the local queer community, while providing travelers like us with a communal space.

New York: She Walked Here

Stonewall is obviously vital, but there’s so much queer history elsewhere in New York that gets overlooked. Like She Walked Here, a lesbian history project documenting Buffalo’s surprisingly sapphic history. Inspired by their book Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold, which detailed the role of local lesbians in the mid-19th century, co-authors Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeline Davis hosted a series of promotional events in 2018, including a walking tour of former lesbian bars that once thrived here. Today, the three-hour and three-mile tour is a self-guided walk, to defunct places like The 557 Club and Pink Pony.

North Carolina: Neng Jr.’s

Asheville’s first Filipinx restaurant, Neng Jr.’s hails from trans non-binary chef Silver Iocovozzi, who blends Filipino flavors with locally sourced Appalachian ingredients. Housed in a former arcade, the intimate 18-seat eatery changes its menu almost daily, featuring dishes like beef filet wrapped in padovano leaf and served with turnips, carrots, and sauce a la adobo madeira. But it’s the important visibility, and the deserved national acclaim for chef Silver, that have really put Neng Jr.’s on a national map for all the right reasons.

North Dakota: Turtle Mountain Two-Spirit Society

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa made history in 2020 when it became the first tribe in North Dakota to formally recognize same-sex marriage. Today, that same pioneering tribe is home to the Turtle Mountain Two-Spirit Society, an organization that serves to educate, unite, and advocate for Indigenous LGBTQ+ people, and those who identify as Two-Spirit. They host their own Pride in June, along with other community-enforcing events, like poetry slams, talking circles, and shows from Two-Spirit drag queens and kings.

Ohio: Queens of Queen City

It’s apt that a place known as Queen City would have its fair share of queer history. In Cincinnati, Queens of Queen City is a project that collects, preserves, and documents those hidden queer histories, from impactful figures to pivotal moments in art, science, and politics. There are books, and book signings, as well as a fascinating queer history Instagram account — run by Queens of Queen City co-founder Jacob Hogue — that showcases hidden figures lost to LGBTQ+ lore.

Oklahoma: Dennis R. Neill Equality Center

In our home state, we were blown away by the breadth of the work at Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, a massive LGBTQ+ community center in Tulsa. Established in 1995, and now run by Oklahomans for Equality, the 18,000-sq.-ft. facility is one of the largest in the region, offering an event center, library, wellness center, health resources, and more. Be sure to check out plays and cabaret in the on-site Lynn Riggs Theater, so named for the queer Oklahoman playwright who penned the source material for Oklahoma!

Oregon: Remy Wines

As I type, we’re in McMinnville, Oregon, gearing up for the fifth and final Queer Wine Fest. Hosted at Remy Wines, by queer wine-maker — and former McMinnville mayor — Remy Drabkin, it’s hard to put into words just how impactful and important this event has been for the community, and for LGBTQ+ visibility on a much larger scale. In just the couple days since we’ve been here, we’ve heard countless stories from people about how much they love Queer Wine Fest, and how they travel here every year for it. We met Remy, and learned about how much positive change she was able to enact across the community. Today, you can’t walk a block without encountering half a dozen Pride flags. As a fundraiser for Wine Country Pride, the annual event has been a major boon, and the winery has done incredible work not only platforming that Pride in the Willamette Valley, but providing more space for queer people to feel seen.

Pennsylvania: Philly Pride Visitor Center

It shouldn’t be all that surprising that the City of Brotherly Love has become one of the most pioneering LGBTQ+ cities in the U.S. The latest effort in Philadelphia marked the debut of the Philly Pride Visitor Center, one of the few dedicated LGBTQ+ visitor centers in the country. Located in the historic Gayborhood, the facility offers exhibits and historical context, along with travel resources and souvenirs created by local queer artists.

Rhode Island: Small Format

The idea of third spaces is especially relevant for queer people tasked with finding community in unexpected places. In Providence, Small Format is among the most vibrant third spaces we’ve seen — a colorful art gallery and exhibition space that doubles as a cafe and coffee shop. The space hosts Pride events and other activations, like sapphic speed dating and Juneteenth plant giveaways, while the sunny menu features brunch fare like turkey bacon breakfast sandwiches, strawberry lemon cheesecake French toast, and matcha sugar cookies.

South Carolina: Closet Case Thrift Store

The only LGBTQ+-owned thrift store in South Carolina, Closet Case Thrift Store doubles as a non-profit called We Are Family, an LGBTQ+ organization that strives to provide support for queer youth. The gender-inclusive shopping space is colorful, eclectic, and fun, offering tons of trans-affirming items, along with resources, clothing swaps, Pride collections, and more.

South Dakota: Uniting Resilience

Based in Rapid City, Uniting Resilience is an Indigenous-led non-profit dedicated to celebrating and supporting the local Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ communities. It was founded by Monique “Muffie” Mousseau and Felipa De Leon, members of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, which formally recognized same-sex marriage in 2019. Today, the organization advocates for Two-Spirit representation through outreach and events like the 4th annual Black Hills Two-Spirit Powwow and the 150th Anniversary Battle of the Little Bighorn Victory Ride.

Tennessee: Pride at the Dragon

One thing I’ve been pleased to discover since meeting Nathan is the intersection of queer travel and classic car culture. And perhaps nowhere is this more evident than Pride at the Dragon, an annual gay car rally through the legendary winding roads of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Held in July, attendees come from across the country to drive through the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains, with pit stop events like mini golf, karaoke, and foam pool parties.

Texas: The Round-Up Saloon

Among the largest gay country bars in the nation, The Round-Up Saloon is a longstanding institution in Dallas’ gayborhood. On any given night, the sprawling space hosts line dancing lessons, karaoke, Paint N’ Pour cocktail socials, and beyond — all in a lively, friendly, and inclusive space with multiple bars, and multiple genres of music. Come in your sequins, your crop tops, or your cowboy hats; you’ll feel right at home.

Utah: Utah Rainbow Hikers

Queer people belong everywhere, be it a gayborhood or a hiking trail. And as a queer person who typically prefers the latter, I’m particularly grateful for organizations like Utah Rainbow Hikers. From the folks behind Sapphic on the Summit, the community is designed to bring queer people into Utah’s beautiful natural landscapes, in group settings that feel safe and communal. Organized hikes are posted online, offering a wide variety of options for hikers with all experience levels, with most outings embarking from the Salt Lake City area.

Vermont: Fox Market and Cafe

The oldest gay bar in Vermont is actually more of a gay grocery store, which is the most Vermont thing I’ve ever heard. It’s also not very old. Open since 2021 in East Montpelier, Fox Market and Cafe functions as an inclusive community space for all. The cafe features sundries and grocery items, along with lattes, wine, beer, and board games. The food menu is especially impressive, focusing on breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and housemade pastries. Even for a famously queer state like Vermont, it goes to show that sanctuary exists in different forms.

Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg

It feels a little strange tapping a Colonial museum as a queer gem, but the important work being done at Colonial Williamsburg is worth celebrating. The Virginia institution, which helped define democracy some 250 years ago, has put concerted efforts into expanding its historical offerings, especially as it relates to LGBTQ+ figures from the 18th century. Examples include Thomas Hall, an intersex person ordered to dress in clothes of both sexes, and Baron von Steuben, an openly gay Prussian officer who helped train George Washington’s army. The region also hosts LGBTQ+ and Pride events, including the inaugural Greater Williamsburg Pride this year, and its tagline — “the revolution is here” — feels like an apt analogue for queer people.

Washington: Cal Anderson Park

A queer oasis in the city, Cal Anderson Park forms the heart of Seattle’s gayborhood in Capitol Hill. Named after Washington’s first openly gay state legislator, it’s a green space for the community to congregate, as well as the host of Seattle Pride events, gender-diverse walks, and the AIDS Memorial Pathway.

West Virginia: Lost River

Even in some of the reddest states, rainbow dots are beacons. Such is the story of Lost River, a wooded wonderland nicknamed the “Provincetown of the Potomac” for its small-but-thriving queer community, LGBTQ+-owned businesses (like the Lost River Trading Post and The Guesthouse Lost River), and Lost River Pride. It’s a beautiful place to feel safe and seen, especially where many queer travelers might not expect it.

Wisconsin: Giant Jones Brewing Company

In one of America’s beer epicenters, one brewery stands out loud and proud. Giant Jones Brewing Company is a trans-owned outlet in Madison, from Jessica and Erika Jones, carving out a social haven for the LGBTQ+ community, and taking up space in an industry still dominated by cis gay white men. Each year, the brewery hosts Trans Day of Visibility events, including a pop-up trans bookstore, and meet-and-greets with trans brewer, Jessica Jones.

Wyoming: Laramie PrideFest

In the same city where one of the worst hate crimes in American history took place, a days-long Pride fest is course-correcting past homophobia and raising the bar for what LGBTQ+ inclusivity and events can look like. Where Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998, beaten to death for being gay, Laramie PrideFest shines bright. Today, Laramie is the highest-scoring city in Wyoming, earning a record high of 94/100 on the most recent Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. Part of that work can be attested to Laramie Pride, which features two weeks of city-wide programming every June, along with year-round community-building events, like cabaret shows and movie nights.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

This week, we’re recapping the first part of our recent trip to Australia, where we spent several days in Sydney and Byron Bay, both in New South Wales. For the Sydney portion, we witnessed Vivid Sydney, a ravishing annual lights festival, and toured Qtopia, the largest queer cultural center and museum in the world.

We had some of the best meals — and views — of the year, and partook in more queer culture on a gay walking tour, in gay bars, and at the Pride Fest Gala.

Where we ate/drank: The Oriana, The Rusty Rabbit, Bills Bondhi, The Palomar, The Oxford Hotel

Where we stayed: Shangri-La Sydney, 25Hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia

Where we visited: Vivid Sydney, Soak Bathhouse, Sequined Steps, Qtopia

Thank you for reading, following, and listening!

With Pride,

Matt and Nathan

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Those are words I could’ve never imagined saying to anyone.

For years I drove by Oklahoma City’s gayborhood and wondered. At the heart of it, the LGBTQ+ District Hotel is front-and-center along one of our major highways — a haven for queer people, not just in OKC, but for those in surrounding states. As a closeted man, it beckoned me for decades. What would it be like to be among queer people, dancing the night away? But the thought of what would happen if I even went to explore brought me back down to reality.

Would someone see my car, tell the wrong person, and burn my life down to ashes?

Would I be ostracized by my friends and parents?

Would I lose my family and my livelihood?

Those were my fears. After all, I still had no idea who I really was. Sure, I knew I wasn’t exactly straight, but I loved my wife, and was at least attracted to women. So how could I really be gay? Maybe I was bisexual? There was no chance to find out. I got married in college to my high school girlfriend, and built a life together with two kids, two businesses, and a hefty mortgage. I spent my 20s not going out to clubs or having boyfriends, but working my way up business and social ladders, trying to “be someone” — a life I could be proud of…

When I did finally break down at 38 and decide that I could no longer live in the closet, my life did burn to the ground. Looking back, I cannot fathom how I came to the decision to out myself to my wife with those words: “I think I might be gay.” After all, I had never so much as touched another man. How was I so sure? But after the initial dust settled, and I was thrown out of the house one late night, I knew that at least now I could be myself and have the freedom I so desperately needed after so many years of living with a secret I had literally told no one.

Pride was the opposite of that closeted life, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for that. All I pictured was leather-clad guys in jock straps, marching in a parade, and scantily clad twinks who — while attractive to me — scared me to death. What did I have in common with what I thought this community was all about? The truth is I had no idea what the LGBTQ+ community was about, or how diverse it truly is. All I knew had been shaped by the conservative hetero community I had made my life in:

“Why do they need a parade?”

“What about straight Pride?”

“I don’t care about what happens in your bedroom, but you shouldn’t broadcast it to the world!”

My first Pride was an accident.

One beautiful June day, I — along with my wife and two kids — decided to take a drive in our little classic convertible, headed down Classen Boulevard in OKC, towards downtown. Ice cream sounded like a good idea, so I turned on 39th Street, through the heart of the gayborhood to our local dairy chain, Braum’s. But all of sudden, as we came over a hill, we found ourselves near the end of the Pride parade. Everyone thought we were just another classic convertible carrying a drag queen or a local dignitary, but upon second glance, they were probably baffled to see what looked like a heterosexual nuclear family. The kids had fun waving to everyone, though.

A couple of years later, not publicly out yet, and in the middle of the fallout from my disclosure to my wife that I wasn’t exactly straight, I found myself at that same Braum’s, meeting a man who was unknowingly eating an ice cream cone in what I thought a suggestive way. I had found Michael online, when I searched for “support group for gay men married to women.” He suggested we meet at a chill gay pub on the 39th Street strip, but again, I was terrified to set foot there. I had never been to a gay bar, or hung out with almost any gay men. So the Braum’s across the street would be as close to the gayborhood as I would get, because at least I could explain away someone seeing my car there.

As I got to know Michael, and found out we shared many experiences, we got to be close friends, and he gradually introduced me to this community I had for so long feared and thought I didn’t belong. I met more people from every part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and realized it was so different than what I had imagined. Gay men weren’t scary. I didn’t have to have abs, a perfect skin care regimen, or fashionable clothes to find a date. I could just be myself.

After a year or so, it finally felt right to attend my first Pride, now that I finally felt kinda proud. Proud to have had the guts to face who I really was, Proud of my former years, not regretting my decision to try out a “traditional” life. Proud of getting to be a good dad to my kids, and Proud to be open to talk about all of it without shame.

My oldest was 11 then; very mature, and very happy for me to be myself. Selling the idea of Pride to that kid was easy. Hazel, my youngest, was the wild card. She was seven, and I wasn’t sure if she still grasped the concept of having a queer father, or what the LGBTQ+ community is. So I sat her down and explained what being queer was about, and that we might go to a parade celebrating being proud of who you are, as a show of Pride to a world that could be openly hostile. It was a bit above her level, but the moment I mentioned rainbows, her eyes lit up and the excitement came spilling out of her. She rushed to her closet, grabbed her rainbow dress that she dearly loved, and was ready to go see a parade full of rainbows. It was so pure.

Next came the negotiation with my ex, who was less than enthusiastic to say the least. After all, she had literally told me to “stop trying to make the kids gay,” and that Pride was not appropriate for children. After a heated back and forth, I finally dug in and told her that since it was held during my weekly time with the kids, we would be going.

When the day came, it coincided with a nearby car show, and we decided to attend both. As that was concluding, my car buddies started talking about maybe a drive to a brewery after, but I nervously told them we had other plans, admitting that we were going to the Pride parade nearby. But their response surprised me. No snide comments, even in jest, just support. One of my straight friends said “Oh that’s today? I might join you.”

As we all walked together to find a shady spot, my friend Dean saw someone along the way, started chatting, and told us to go ahead. We continued to walk down the street when we heard a little girl calling out “Hazel! Hazel!” My kiddo turned around to find one of her classmates, excited to see a friend. I was introduced to her moms, who invited the three of us to join them.

As I watched Hazel jumping for joy, dressed head to toe in rainbow, waving a Pride flag next to her friend, I realized that WE belonged. No matter how we all got to this place, we were all proud to be there next to our family and friends, showing up to demonstrate that family is made up of all kinds of people — some we are related to, some are found family. The common denominators are mutual love and dedication to each other. I looked over at my oldest, and they gave me a warm, knowing look, and I gave them a big hug back.

I knew the next few years were going to be hard, but that moment gave me hope that somehow, some day, it will be okay.

While my kids haven’t got to go to another Pride with me, I have hope one day it happens again. Maybe even with their kids.

But now, after attending so many Pride celebrations all over the world, from the Ozarks to Australia, standing proudly next to the most amazing man I could’ve imagined, I know exactly what Pride is about.

Last year, Matt and I accidentally found ourselves leading the parade for WorldPride in D.C., walking right towards our nation’s Capitol, holding a sign that said, “We won’t go back.” And I won’t. I couldn’t if I tried.

I finally know what it’s like to be loved for exactly who I am, to be respected for who we are as a couple, and seen as “normal” alongside straight people. I finally know that love is simply love, and if someone can’t understand that, then I need to be outspoken for the Pride I have for who I am, displaying a direct protest to that disrespect, or even downright hate. We cannot be silent, hiding in the shadows, hoping it will just go away.

Pride is more important now than ever. So, whether you’re newly out or in the closet, and whether you’re a beautiful queer person or a homophobe who still needs to learn, I want to wish all a heartfelt and happy Pride!

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

After a brief podcast pause to catch up on work and life (and travel to Australia!), we’re chatting about our favorite Colorado mining town on this week’s podcast! Located in SW Colorado, Durango is a place that has been a thread through Nathan’s life, from his first visit as a toddler, to later returns as a father, a solo traveler going through divorce, and a husband on his honeymoon.

It’s a story he wrote all about here, and it’s beautiful. On this episode, we’re talking about the famous Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Train, our beloved Strater Hotel, and the Durango Hot Springs — and Beanie Babies! — from Matt’s recent solo trip.

Where we ate/drink: The Bookcase and Barber speakeasy, Animas Chocolate Co., El Moro Spirits & Tavern, Diamond Belle Saloon

Where we stayed: Strater Hotel

Where we played: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Durango Hot Springs, Durango Antique Market

Thank you for reading, following, and listening!

With Pride,

Matt and Nathan

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Last month, a day before Long Beach Pride was set to commence, the festival was abruptly cancelled, igniting a messy war of words — and a bit of ill-advised AI slop — between the President of Long Beach Pride, the City of Long Beach, and hundreds of social media commenters, a vast majority of whom decried the organization for not alerting ticket-holders or vendors, shirking accountability, and not ensuring the proper permits. It wasn’t the kind of hot mess we were hoping for.

In its stead, though, the parade marched on a couple days later, and a slew of independent businesses and organizers stepped in with their own Pride events, including a post-parade Pride Party in the Park, aptly dubbed, “Cancelled? Never Heard of Her!” Events like these, which Visit Long Beach was happy to highlight, are at once a retort to detractors and drama, and a welcome reminder that Pride — no matter if it’s infighting, funding, or political hostility — can’t be cancelled.

Especially in recent years, Pride Month has been met with contentious pushback, anti-DEI policies, and corporate sponsorship challenges, and while many — especially those in allied blue cities — have managed to persevere, others have had to pivot. But since its inception as a concept, Pride has always been about perseverance, and often the brightest light emerges from the darkest moments. Challenges like these don’t erase anything; they only serve to inspire creative change. Just as rainbow crosswalk erasure in Florida inspired “Parking Space for Pride,” and a Pride flag ban in Utah galvanized lawmakers to sidestep the ordinance with new Pride banners in Salt Lake City, the resilient dexterity of the LGBTQ+ community is not to be trifled with.

When they try to keep us down, we keep on rising. When they try to cancel Pride, we double down and clap back with a whole month’s worth of events. While these things can get needlessly messy, and occasionally devolve into social media strife, that resilience is important to remember this month — and all year, every year. From Long Beach to Tucson, here’s how Pride is pivoting in the wake of cancellations.

Read more

As a toddler, my parents took a road trip with me to ride the newly operational Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which had just reopened as a tourist attraction after being abandoned for decades. Now the area’s most iconic attraction, Durango has one of the most beautiful steam train excursions you can take, running through beautiful Rocky Mountain vistas on a route originally built to transport silver ore from the high-altitude town of Silverton down to Durango, where it could be processed and distributed to the rest of the country.

My father had remembered the town from an epic trip he took as a teenager with his parents. My grandfather was a keen sports car enthusiast, and in 1957, he planned a trip where they would drive my dad’s Austin Healey convertible, and my grandparents’ Mercedes convertible from Dallas, where they lived, to Colorado to experience the Rockies, and the mining towns that were newly welcoming tourists after being ghost towns for decades. Decades later, this trip with my mom and I was him reliving some of those memories. I have pictures of my long-haired, bell bottom-wearing father posing with my mother holding me next to his big boat of a Lincoln, but no memory of that trip altered the course of my life.

From that day forward, it was my father’s mission to move there. I always picture him humming John Denver tunes, beckoning him to the place where he belonged. A few years later, when I was eight, my parents sat my sister and I down and told them we were moving to Colorado. As I had only ever lived in one house in Tulsa, and had no memory of being here, this was shocking news. Unknown to me, Tulsa — like the rest of Oklahoma — was fast becoming its own ghost town. After a huge implosion of the oil market, jobs and businesses went away, leaving many people out of work and broke. My father was one of those people, and had used this disaster to try to relocate us to his favorite town in his favorite state.

And Durango almost did become my childhood home. My father found a job, found a house, and put our home up for sale in Tulsa. But then disaster struck. After he had been working for six months there, and we prepared to make the move, he lost his new job. Our house was already sold, so we couldn’t stay in Tulsa, but without a job, they couldn’t close on the new house in Durango. So, at the last minute, my grandmother stepped in and suggested we move to a small town outside Oklahoma City where she lived and worked as a realtor. There, it was suggested we could buy a cheap house and regroup. The plan was to just stay for a while, but of course, some dreams never get realized, and my parents stayed there until my father passed away six years ago. To his dying day, he’d talk about being buried in the Colorado mountains.

Durango echoed throughout my childhood; a symbol of how my father had failed and given up on his dreams. For years and years, as he struggled to stay employed in the worst economy of his lifetime, all I heard about was Durango, and how awful Oklahoma was. I got sick of hearing about it. I got tired of my parents fighting about it. I started to resent the fleeting trips back there, whenever my father could swing it, unsettled because I knew we could ill afford being there, listening to my father wax poetic about how special it was and how we’d get there one day. It got so bad, that the moment my father said “Colorado,” I immediately rolled my eyes and stopped listening. I started avoiding the state, especially as I came of age and moved out to start my own adult life.

But in my 30s, something changed. I heard a news story about how the Durango train was starting a real-life adapted version of the popular Christmas tale, The Polar Express. This time, I had a toddler of my own, and that book was such a favorite that we had to read it even when it wasn’t Christmas. I knew that we had to make the trip. So even though I was going through a significant job and life change during the great recession, we loaded up and headed to Durango.

While seeing this through the eyes of my child, I gave Durango and Colorado another chance.

As we checked into the 150-year-old Victorian Strater Hotel, where my family had stayed in 1957, and again in 1981, my kiddo lost their mind in delight as we opened our hotel room window and watched the train start off its run to the “North Pole,” enveloped in the smoke billowing off the stack. What followed was pure Christmas magic, and while seeing this through the eyes of my child, I gave Durango and Colorado another chance.

A couple years later, I was invited to do a four-day classic car rally through Colorado, and I found myself driving my own 1957 Austin Healey convertible down the beautiful Million Dollar Highway, through the mountains, past the waterfalls, and into Durango once again. I started to really understand why the natural beauty of this place, and the small-town charm, had captivated my father so many years ago. It was like I was reliving one of his memories; one that I had only experienced through his stories. After that, I started returning every year to do this rally, and each year, Colorado became more and more one of my favorite places as I explored back roads, forgotten towns, and parts of the state that few people see.

My life changed dramatically when I came out and started the process of a divorce. I lost all of my money, my cars, and my house, and had to take a low-paying, high-stress job. When that happened, travel ceased. Then a few months in, I got served a court motion that laid me out. When I read that my soon-to-be ex-wife — backed by her wealthy parents — was attempting to gain full custody of my children, it was a blow that I could not take. I woke up the next morning, rattled by the fact I had mixed enough Xanax and alcohol that I had — for the first time in my life — lost time, forgotten the events of the evening and found emails and texts that revealed I had been suicidal enough to say goodbye to people.

I called my mom; told her I needed to leave town and clear my head. I borrowed a credit card, loaded up my dog (and best friend) Lola, and headed to — where else — Durango. It seemed like the closest place I knew that didn’t remind me of home. That trip saved me. A road trip was just what I needed to get some clarity. Being surrounded by the beauty of the Rockies woke me up to the simple fact that life is worth living no matter how bad it may seem when you’re wrapped up in all your routines at home. I realized that, while my life might be changing, and some really bad things were happening to me, there was no reason to end it.

When I met Matt a few years later, I pretty rapidly knew he was THE ONE. Our romance blossomed quickly, and partly because we got to start traveling together, which absolutely puts a spotlight on your relationship, I knew how compatible we are in everyday life, and where our goals lie. The first trip I joined him on happened to be in Colorado, and I found out just how much he loves the state too.

Subsequently, after we got married, we knew that we needed to spend our honeymoon in the places we shared a love for. We picked out a couple of favorite places, including Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and a new one we were keen to explore together for the first time: Taos. But to end the trip, I wanted to introduce him to the place that seemed like one of the most important places in my life. We even checked into the Strater Hotel, where I watched Matt captivated by the hotel’s authentic charms.

Since then, we’ve both been there again together several times, and Matt was recently back on his own for work, which put a spotlight on some parts of the town I had never known about. How did I not know there was an amazing brewery, and natural thermal hot springs with soaking pools? Add to that newfound restaurants and the strong pull to revisit the adjoining Mesa Verde National Park, full of the ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings, and I cannot imagine it will be long before we return.

How Durango became such a lightning rod of a place in my life is somewhat of a mystery to me, but it’s also become dear to my heart. Life has a way of healing old wounds, and I feel like the reason I kept being pulled back there was the need to make peace with the fractured relationship I had with my father. His love for this place drove a wedge in my family, which I resented for so long, yet his love for this place healed that too. Getting to fall in love with Durango, and Colorado, on my own terms made me understand my father a little more, and forgive him. Many people see travel as a luxury. I see it as a necessity. It makes you grow as a person, and yes, occasionally, a place heals a part of you.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Happy Priiiiiiide!

We’re gonna keep this intro brief, because Pride Month frankly speaks for itself, we’ve written about it ad nauseam, and our Pride Guide 2026 is fully loaded with festivals and events across the globe. Oh, and we’re in Australia right now, en route to Bryon Bay.

Pride Guide '26

Like we’ve always said, Pride is not confined to a month or a place. Pride is evergreen, and everywhere. That said, Pride Month is — and always will be — enormously important, and a time to celebrate our community. Peep our Pride Guide above to fully dig in to events happening across the globe, from North Dakota to Switzerland. For us, we’re excited to kick off Pride Month at the Pride Fest Gala here at Qtopia Sydney, and later this month, we’ll be popping off at Queer Wine Fest in Oregon! I’m sure we’ll go to more Pride events, but we’re also low-key homebodies (it’s true!), and we can be just as Proud at home with our dogs.

Beyond Pride festivals, here’s what we’ve got this month: non-binary recognition in Japan, LGBTQ+ Scout leaders in Italy, restaurants and LGBTQ+ businesses we’re loving here in Sydney, and some inspiring trans-inclusive news out of both Iceland and Texas (of all places).

As always, thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting!

With Pride,

- Matt and Nathan

Queer Travel News

The Americas:

In California,

• Drag icon Pattie Gonia is asking Patagonia to drop the egregious lawsuit they leveled at her, presumably for use of a name that belongs to South America.

In Colorado,

• After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s ban on conversion therapy, the House Assembly clapped back by approving legislation that uses “viewpoint neutrality” to maintain the ban on the dangerously homophobic practice.

In Florida,

• A lesbian couple in Key West is suing the city after they were threatened with daily fines over a rainbow-painted fence.

In Kentucky,

• Bourbon & Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week announced its third annual event, scheduled for October 1-4, 2026.

In Texas,

• The San Antonio City Council made history last month when it approved a resolution recognizing Trans+ History Week from May 4-10.

In Vermont,

• Lawmakers passed a pioneering bill expanding protections for transgender people in prison.

In Washington,

• Seattle politicians and LGBTQ+ advocates sent a letter to the Mayor’s Office, cautioning a state of civil emergency due to the influx of trans and queer Americans relocating from conservative states.

The U.K.:

In England,

• After Reform UK slashed its funding last year, Durham Pride has been rescued by trade unions.

• Leeds appointed its first openly gay Lord Mayor, Stephen Holroyd, and Lord Mayor’s Consort, Simon Mapals.

Europe:

In Iceland,

• The annual Trans Rights Index and Map named Iceland as the most trans-friendly country in Europe and central Asia.

In Italy,

• The Italian Association of Catholic Guides and Scouts ruled to allow LGBTQ+ Scout leaders to join for the first time ever.

In Poland,

• Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the country will recognize same-sex marriages performed in other European Union countries.

Asia:

In Iran,

• Because they’ve got nothing else going on to worry about, the country asked FIFA to ban Pride flags at World Cup matches.

In Japan,

• In a big win for non-binary identity recognition, the Osaka High Court ruled that the family registration system violates equality protections by only offering “male” and “female” as gender options.

Pride Planner

In the U.S.,

In Alabama,

• In Birmingham, Central Alabama Pride is June 13-14, with a parade on Saturday and the festival on Sunday.

• Mobile hosts events throughout Pride Month, including Rainbow Pride of Mobile’s block party June 11-12, and LODA ArtWalk’s Pride night on June 12. Stay tuned for more events here.

In Alaska,

• Skagway Pride is held June 6, with drag queens and kings, food vendors, and entertainment.

• Kodiak Pride features drag shows June 19-20.

• On June 27, the Anchorage Pride Parade marches throughout downtown, along with events and vendors at the Delaney Park Strip.

In Arizona,

• Bisbee Pride runs June 19-21, with a parade, pool party, live music, a doggy drag show, and more.

• Flagstaff’s Pride in the Pines is June 20 in Thorpe Park, with a parade, vendor market, volleyball tournament, food trucks, and more.

In Arkansas,

• In Little Rock, SoMa Pride is June 13 in the SoMa District, with a street festival following the parade.

• Eureka Springs, the queer oasis in Arkansas’ Ozarks, hosts its own Pride June 11-14.

• The 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville hosts a Pride Party, with the theme “Nature is Queer,” June 19 from 7:30-11 p.m.

• Kicking off with a Trans March, Rally, & Festival, Northwest Arkansas Pride is June 26-28 in Fayetteville, with other events like a parade and festival (June 27) and a Hi Tea Dance & Pool Party (June 28).

In California,

• In the Santa Ynez Valley, SYV Pride kicks off Pride Month with a whole slew of events, including a disco-themed Pride event at Future Perfect Wine (June 1), “Gayraoke Nights” every Tuesday in June at Maverick Saloon, a sunset Pride celebration at Brave & Maiden Estate (June 5), an “All the Colors of the Rainbow” wine event at Stolpman Fresh Garage (June 11), a 21+ “Pride Prom through the Ages” dance at The Tavern at Zaca Creek (June 12), and the SYV Pride Parade (June 13), followed by a family-friendly Pride Festival.

• Held June 4-7 in Truckee, Queer Ascent is an inclusive climbing experience designed to expand access and representation for LGBTQ+ climbers of all skill levels.

• Pacifica Pride hosts the Pacifica Pride Car Parade on June 6, with free car decorating June 5.

• Lodi Pride takes over Idol Beer Works on June 6 for a day of celebration and empowerment, including drag shows and DJs, an acoustic corner for poetry and solo sets, a community fair, crafts, and a beer garden.

• Napa Pride kicks off Pride Month with a tea dance June 7, followed by a Yountville Pride Hunt (June 8-12), the Pride Pet Parade (June 13), Pride in the Park (June 14), a Day of Solidarity (June 20), a Pride Car Cruise (June 20), and more.

• Half Moon Bay Pride is June 14 at Mac Dutra Plaza, featuring food vendors, dancing, vendors, and a parade.

• Monterey hosts its own Pride Festival on June 27, with a parade culminating at Custom House Plaza for a celebration featuring queer entertainers.

In Colorado,

• In Breckenridge, Breck Pride runs from June 11-13, including a Pride March, carnival-style games, art experiences, and hikes organized by LGBTQ Outdoor.

• Steamboat Springs hosts Yampa Valley Pride June 13.

• In Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Pride takes place June 13-14, with a beer garden, vendors, and a parade.

• Denver PrideFest is June 28, featuring a parade, vendors, entertainment, and a Gayborhood Market.

In Connecticut,

• The largest in the state, Middletown Pride kicks off June 6, complete with a march, rally, concert, tea dance, vendors, food trucks, and more.

• Ridgefield Pride in the Park takes place June 6.

• In Norwalk, Pride in the Park is June 13.

• West Hartford Pride has events all month-long, culminating with the Pride Festival on June 27.

In Delaware,

• The Delaware Pride Festival takes place June 6 in Dover (not to be confused with Dover Pride, which hosts events year-round).

In Florida,

• Key West Pride runs from June 3-7, featuring a parade and a full slate of week-long events, including Pride Karaoke and Pride-themed trolley tours.

• St. Pete Pride hosts events throughout the month, including Family Day on the Pier (June 7), a Stonewall Reception (June 11), a Pride Pool Party (June 21), and Pride Weekend (June 26).

• In Fort Lauderdale, America’s largest “Pride-on-Water” — FLoatarama — takes place June 13, starting with a yacht party and brunch cruise, followed by a waterfront T-Dance, DJs, a lunch buffet with open bar, and more.

• Wilton Manors’ 25th annual Stonewall Pride returns June 20, complete with a block party festival and glow night parade.

In Georgia,

• Athens Pridefest and Parade takes place June 6, with a vendor marketplace, food trucks, drag shows, live music, and a Pride Parade.

• Augusta Pride is held June 26-27, complete with an outdoor dance party, parade, entertainment, and poolside after parties.

• Rome Pride runs June 26-28, featuring everything from drag shows and food trucks, to Pride Sunday Church Service.

In Hawaii,

• Aloha Maui Pride, anchored in Wailuku, runs from June 1-13, with events like LGBTQ+ Family Day (June 1), Pride Proclamation and Flag Raising (June 3), a Sunset Boat Cruise (June 5), Pride Brunch (June 7), and the Maui Pride Festival (June 13).

• The Kauaʻi Pride Parade & Festival is June 6.

In Idaho,

• North Idaho Pride Alliance has a month of events lined up in the Coeur d’Alene area, including Pride in the Park (June 6), a Pizza Fundraiser (June 18), and Pride on the Runway (June 26).

• Sun Valley Pride is held June 11-13, with events like Pride in the Garden.

• The Queerly Arts Festival takes place June 25-28 at Visual Arts Collective in Garden City, featuring art and performances from local artists.

• Idaho Falls Pride festivities start June 26 with a drag show at the Westbank Convention Center, followed by a parade and festival on June 27.

In Illinois,

• The Village of Oak Park celebrates Pride with a special Thursday Night Out Pride Event June 11.

• The Aurora Pride Parade takes place June 14, with a parade kicking off at noon.

• The largest Pride in the Midwest, Chicago Pride Fest runs June 20-21 in the Northalsted gayborhood, followed by the massive Chicago Pride Parade on June 28.

In Indiana,

• Southern Indiana Pride takes place June 6 in Clarksville.

• Greenwood Indiana Pride is June 6.

• Indianapolis kicks off Indy Pride with Pride Night at Victory Field June 11, followed by a parade and festival June 13, and Pet Pride June 14.

• South Bend Pride is held June 20 in Potawatomi Park, with live performances, vendors, food, and family-friendly fun.

In Iowa,

• In Des Moines, Capital City PrideFest is June 12-14, with events like drag story time, a Teen Zone, Pride Yoga, Pride Worship Service, the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, and more.

• The Iowa City Pride Parade & Festival takes place June 20 downtown.

• Valley Junction Pride is June 28 in West Des Moines.

In Kansas,

• Dodge City Pride hosts “Queens of the Cowtown,” a Pride weekend with Drag Night (June 26) at El Torino’s Club, and Pride Fest (June 27) in Wright Park.

• Topeka hosts Pride Palooza June 20.

• Anchored at the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Wichita Pride features a parade and festival on June 27.

In Kentucky,

• Paducah Pride is back, at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention & Expo Center, June 6.

• Covington’s NKY Pride kicks things off with a parade and festival June 7.

• Louisville’s Kentuckiana Pride Festival is June 20, with a parade through NuLu and a slew of performers.

In Louisiana,

• Based in Lafayette, the Acadiana Queer Collective kicks off Pride-themed events, including a Pride Acadiana Gala (June 6), Family Meet Up Day (June 20), and multiple queer book clubs.

• New Orleans Pridefest is June 11-14, with events TBD.

• Southwest Louisiana Pride Fest is June 13 at the Lake Charles Event Center, featuring free family time events and Drag Race alum Jorgeous on the main stage.

• The 17th annual Baton Rouge Pride Festival is June 27 at the Raising Cane’s River Center, with live entertainment, drag performances, an LGBTQ+ artisan market, a resource fair, and more.

In Maine,

• Ogunquit Pride is June 1-7, with events such as a flag raising, entertainment, movies, and a Picnic in the Park.

• Located near Lewiston and Auburn, Great Falls Pride is June 7.

• Central Maine Pride takes place June 7 in Waterville.

• The Pride Portland Parade & Festival is June 20, with a parade at 11:30 a.m., and a festival that starts at noon.

• Bangor Pride is slated for June 27.

In Maryland,

• Baltimore Pride spans June 8-14, to include a festival, parade, karaoke, a skate party, a block party, and more.

• Frederick Pride is June 27 at the Frederick Center.

• Montgomery County Pride in the Plaza takes place June 28 in downtown Silver Spring.

In Massachusetts,

• Provincetown Pride spans June 4-7, with a full crop of events — from a scenic ferry crossing to drag variety shows — throughout the weekend.

• Boston Pride For the People is June 6, featuring a parade and a festival attended by over 1 million people.

• The fifth annual Springfield Pride Parade hits the streets in Massachusetts June 6.

• Berkshire Pride kicks off with a Flag Raising and Proclamation in Pittsfield on May 30, followed by Lenox Pride (June 6), North Adams Pride Night (June 12), Lee Pride (June 13), and a parade June 20.

In Michigan,

• Pride Week in Saugatuck-Douglas runs through June 6, stocked with parades, parties, music, and events like Pride Putt-Putt, a tea dance, and a Pride paddle cruise.

• Located in Traverse City, Up North Pride hosts various events through June, including Queer Fiber Arts Club (June 1), Pit Spitters Pride Game (June 8), Rainbow Run (June 20), and a Pride Ride (June 25).

• Motor City Pride hits the streets in Detroit June 6-7, complete with parade, festival, and food trucks.

• Upper Peninsula Rainbow Pride hosts Pride Fest June 13 at Mattson Lower Harbor Park in Marquette, complete with live music, food vendors, family-friendly fun, and a drag show.

• The Grand Rapids Pride Festival is June 20-21 at Calder Plaza downtown.

• Lansing Pride is held June 27 in Old Town Lansing.

In Minnesota,

• Billing itself the “First Rural Pride,” East Central Minnesota Pride is held June 6 in Pine City, complete with food trucks, live performances, LGBTQ+ community resources, and family fun.

• The Golden Valley Pride Festival celebrates 10 years of Pride on June 13.

• The Bloomington Pride MN Festival is June 14 at Bloomington Civic Plaza.

• Capping a month of Pride-themed events, Twin Cities Pride culminates June 27-28.

In Mississippi,

• While Jackson’s main Pride festival doesn’t take place until September, Capital City Pride celebrates Pride Month with events like a drag brunch (June 7), LGBTQ+ Virtual Book Club (June 11), and a Rainbow Run 5k (June 13).

• Gulf Coast Pride is June 6 in Biloxi, Miss., with a full slate of drag shows, dancing, vendors, and events.

In Missouri,

• Featuring a pageant and parade in Kansas City, KC Pridefest is June 5-7.

• Ozarks Pridefest is June 13 in Springfield, with a parade kicking off at the Martin Luther King Jr Historic Bridge.

• St. Louis Pride Fest is June 27-28, featuring a parade, vendors, and entertainment.

In Montana,

• Bozeman Pride is June 6, when Pride in the Park is followed by Pride-A-Palooza and Night of Pride.

• In Kalispell, Flathead Pride Festival is June 11-14.

• The fifth annual Missoula Pride is June 19-21.

• Billings Pride Fest has events spanning June 14-June 20, including Pride Worship Service (June 14), Youth Queer Prom (June 18), a Pride Parade and Festival (June 20), and Pride at the Zoo (June 23).

• The Anaconda Pride Festival features both Butte Pride on June 26, and Anaconda Pride June 27, with events including a drag show at Washoe Theatre (June 27).

In Nebraska,

• Lincoln’s Star City Pride features a family-friendly festival on June 12, a parade on June 13, and Pride Brunch on June 14 at Tavern on the Square.

• With the theme “Rage With Love,” Grand Island Pride returns June 27.

In Nevada,

• Held at Carson City’s Brewery Arts Center, Nevada Pride is June 12-14, with events like Pride Movie Night, vendor fair, and Pride Brunch.

• Pride Month in Las Vegas includes Pride Skate Nights, pool parties, queer hikes, dance parties, and a special Pride event on June 28 at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel & Casino.

• The sixth annual LGBTQ Henderson Pride Fest takes place June 13 in Henderson, followed by Pride Family Water Park Day (June 14) at Cowabunga Bay, and Pride Family Bowling (June 21) at Strike Zone Bowling.

In New Hampshire,

• Nashua hosts its own Pride festival and parade June 20 at Holman Stadium.

• The Portsmouth Pride Festival and Marketplace is June 20 at Strawberry Banke, complete with 100+ vendors, a beer tent, and live music.

• Manchester’s Pride parade and festival is June 27, with a parade down Elm Street followed by a festival at Veteran’s Park.

• White Mountains Pride is June 27 at North Conway Community Center Park.

In New Jersey,

• Atlantic City Pride events include a Rainbow Ride, Pride Flag Raising, and Tea Dance (June 8).

In New Mexico,

• Albuquerque Pride returns June 12-14, with a parade down Route 66 in Nob Hill, and a festival at Albuquerque Civic Plaza.

• Ahead of Santa Fe Pride on June 27, Pride Month activities include a Pride Train on June 13, the Pride Week Kickoff T-Dance on June 21, Drag Bingo on June 24, and Somewhere in the Rainbow Queer Night on June 25.

  

In New York,

• In the Adirondacks, Lake Placid welcomes Pride Month with a screening of To Wong Foo at the Palace Theatre on June 1, followed by Afternoon Tea with the Queens at the Saranac Lake Free Library June 2, and later, a drag show at Twisted Raven June 27 and Pride Brunch at The Belvedere Restaurant June 28.

• Mountaintop Pride Weekend in the Catskills takes place June 5-7 at Scribner’s, with activations like pop-up shops, flash tattoos, a DIY flower bar, DJ sets, and more.

• The Buffalo Pride Parade kicks off June 7, alongside a Pride Fun Run and community festivities.

• In Albany, Say It Loud! BIPOC Pride takes place June 13 in Washington Park, with performances, local vendors at A Big Gay Market, and wellness resources from the Pride Center of the Capital Region; this is followed June 14 by the Capital Pride Parade and Festival, with David Archuleta headlining.

• Binghamtpon Pride hosts Pride Palooza in the Park on June 13.

• With a festival, parade, and LGBTQIA+ 5k run/walk, Brooklyn Pride takes place June 13.

• Chelsea Community Church (CCC) celebrates Pride with its 3rd annual Celebration of Pride service on June 14, with the centerpiece event being The Blessing of the Drag Artists.

• Long Island Pride is June 14 in Huntington, with a parade, concert, beer and wine zone, food vendors, family zone, and more.

• The biggest Pride parade and festival in the country, New York City Pride starts with Harlem Pride on June 27, followed on June 28 with the annual NYC Pride March.

• Niagara Falls hosts Rainbow City Pride June 27, when the falls are illuminated in rainbow colors, and activities include drag performances, family-friendly programming, local vendors, and a fireworks display over the water.

In North Carolina,

• Pride Winston Salem is June 13, with a parade, food trucks, entertainment, and more.

• Out! Raleigh Pride runs June 26-27 on Fayetteville Street downtown, with a KidsZone, beer garden, vendors, entertainment, and more.

• On June 27, Boone Pride beckons a downtown parade and a festival at the Watauga County Agricultural Conference Center.

In North Dakota,

• Bismarck’s Dakota OutRight festival takes place June 12-14, with everything from drag shows and Pride mixers, to fashion shows and Free Mom/Dad Hugs.

In Ohio,

• Stonewall Columbus Pride starts with a Pride brunch on June 7, followed by a festival June 19-20, a Pride March on June 20, and a Stonewall Drag Race on June 27.

• Pride in the Cle is held June 6 downtown, with a march, food trucks, performances, and all manner of vendors.

• Clermont County Pride is June 13 in Milford.

• Cincinnati Pride takes place downtown June 27.

In Oklahoma,

• Pride on 39th celebrates its 39th year on — you guessed it — 39th Street from June 5-7 in Oklahoma City’s gayborhood.

• Pride on the Plaza returns to Oklahoma City’s Plaza District June 12.

• The adults-only Sip and Stroll at the OKC Zoo is Pride-themed June 19, with drag shows and LGBTQ+ organizations offering community resources.

• Oklahoma Pridefest is June 26-28 in Oklahoma City’s Scissortail Park.

In Oregon,

• Bend Pride is June 6 in Drake Park, with a huge lineup of performances, a food garden, and much more.

• In Salem, Capital Pride hosts a Pride parade and block party June 13.

• Queer Wine Fest pops off in McMinnville, on June 28, bringing together queer-owned, queer-made, and queer-grown wines from across the U.S.

In Pennsylvania,

• Pittsburgh Pride kicks off June 6-7, with a Pride Prom on June 5.

• Philly Pride takes place June 7 at its new home on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

• The fifth annual Pride in the Haven takes place June 27 in Lock Haven.

• PrideFest in Wilkes-Barre, features a parade and celebration on June 28 in Public Square.

In Puerto Rico,

• Pride Puerto Rico is held June 7 in San Juan, with a parade, performances, a rally, vendors, and more.

In Rhode Island,

• RI PrideFest celebrates its 50th anniversary in Providence on June 20, complete with the Illuminated Night Parade, and 200+ vendors and nonprofit organizations.

• This year’s Newport Pride is June 27, with a parade, a family-friendly festival, drag shows, and an after-dark party.

In South Carolina,

• The Rock Hill Pride Festival is June 14-20, with events like one-act Pride Plays, drag brunch, PFLAG football, Pride bingo, a Roaring ‘20s-themed White Party, and an outdoor festival.

• In Myrtle Beach, Grand Stand Pride is held June 20 at Nance Plaza.

• SC Black Pride is June 21-28 in Columbia.

• Colors of Pride takes place June 27 in Greenville, marked by a march, tons of vendors and food trucks, and live music.

In South Dakota,

• Rapid City’s third annual Black Hills Pride Parade marches through downtown June 6.

• The Sioux Falls Pride Festival returns June 13, featuring live entertainment, drag performances, local vendors, food trucks, and a community resource fair connecting attendees with LGBTQ+ organizations and allies.

In Tennessee,

• Memphis Pride Fest is June 4-7, with the main parade and festival on June 6.

• Knox Pride hosts its Annual Pride Night at the Zoo Knoxville on June 7.

• Taking place June 27, Nashville Pride brings together a parade, a youth zone, vendors, and entertainment.

In Texas,

• The Sugar Land Space Cowboys celebrate Pride Night Extravaganza on June 5, in a head-to-head with the Sacramento River Cats, with special programming including an “LGBTQ+ Flags On-Field Ceremony” and limited-edition Pride baseball jerseys for sale.

• Dallas Pride returns June 6 in its new downtown location, along with a new sunset parade.

• Pride Houston returns for its 48th annual event June 6, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees downtown for a festival and parade.

• Pride Corpus Christi tours a variety of events for Pride Month, including Mr. & Miss Coastal Bend Pride (June 6), Pride Movie Night (June 11), Pride Pub Crawl (June 12), and the Pride Diva Showcase (June 25).

• Amarillo’s Yellow City Pride takes place June 14 at Sam Houston Park.

• El Paso’s Sun City Pride hosts its 19th annual Pride Parade June 27, followed by a post-parade picnic with music and vendors.

• Pride San Antonio is June 27 in Crockett Park, with food, entertainment, a health fair, “Texas Wrestling,” and more.

• Lubbock Pride Fest takes place June 27 in the Lubbock Arts District, with 100+ booths, food trucks, and live entertainment.

• In Fort Worth, Trinity Pride Fest is June 27.

In Utah,

• The Utah Pride Festival, complete with parade through downtown Salt Lake City, takes place June 6-7.

• In Salt Lake City, the Red Butte Garden & Arboretum once again hosts Blooming with Pride June 12, featuring botanical art displays inspired by Pride.

• West Valley City hosts its second annual Pride event June 13, with live performances, food, vendors, drag shows, and immersive art experiences.

• Salt Lake City Pride takes place June 27-28.

In Vermont,

• Woodstock hosts its third annual Pride of Woodstock June 5-6, starting with a welcome cocktail event and DJ dance party (June 5), followed by a High Heel Race, Pride Craft Fair, Drag Brunch, and Tea Dance (June 6).

• Barre Pride returns June 6, with a bake sale, Pride ride, food vendors, family activities, and more.

• St. Albans Pride has its own Pride festival June 13.

• Bethel Pridefest is June 25-27, featuring a Pride fair, drag shows, trans storytelling, and more.

• Rainbowpalooza combines Pride and Vegfest June 27 in Springfield, with vendors, food, family-friendly activities, and more.

In Virginia,

• Portsmouth Pride Fest returns June 6 for a full day of family-friendly fun, live music, a dog park, food trucks, “The Slay-Ground”, and more.

• Suffolk Pride is June 6.

• Loudoun Pride celebrates its fifth anniversary on June 6 in Ida Lee Park.

• Culpeper Pride is June 7 at Mountain Run Winery.

• In Norfolk, Pride Night at the Virginia Zoo takes place June 13.

• In the Hampton Roads region, Hampton Roads Pride spans the weekend of June 27, including a block party, Pride at the Beach, a brewery tour, and march.

In Washington,

• The 5th annual Walla Walla Pride Festival is June 6 in Heritage Square Park.

• Spokane Pride returns June 12-13, marked by a parade, festival, dance party, and more.

• Capital City PrideFest spans June 26-28 in Olympia, offering a three-day event that’s zero-waste, family-friendly, and dry.

• Seattle Pride marches through downtown June 28, culminating with drag shows, dancers, DJs, and more.

In West Virginia,

• In Charleston, Rainbow Pride of West Virginia takes place June 6, promising a day filled with parades, dancing, drag shows, music, and more.

• There’s a Morgantown Pride Block Party on June 13.

• Fayetteville’s Pride festival takes place June 20.

• Berkeley Springs’ annual Pride Picnic in the Park is June 27.

In Wisconsin,

• PrideFest Milwaukee is June 4-6, with drag shows, DJ sets, a dance pavilion, vendors, a volleyball tournament, and more.

• Chippewa Valley Pride in the Park returns June 13 in Eau Claire, with vendors, food trucks, drag performances, and family-friendly activities aplenty.

• June 20 marks Green Bay Pride.

• There’s a Sheboygan Pride Picnic on June 27, complete with drag shows, live music, and food trucks.

In Wyoming,

• Laramie PrideFest hosts Pride events all months long, including a Pride Proclamation at City Council (June 2), the Rainbow Road Bar Crawl (June 5), Laramie PrideFest Drag Show (June 6), Pride Storytelling (June 11), Pride in the Park (June 13), and a Matthew Shepard Candlelight Vigil (June 14).

• Jackson Hole Pride hosts a drag show and dance party at Mangy Moose Saloon on June 6.

• Pride Cheyenne is June 13, with food trucks, vendors, crafts, and more.

In Washington, D.C.,

• Capital Pride hosts city-wide events throughout June, culminating with the Capital Pride Parade on June 20, and the Capital Pride Festival on June 21.

For more Pride, including international festivals from Bulgaria to Finland, check out our full Pride Guide 2026!

Elsewhere on The Gay Lane

Other recent stories from The Gay Lane:

• Queerness in the Cradle of Liberty

• A Pride You Should Know: Gay Games Valencia

• Your Car is So Gay

On The Gay Lane Podcast

Our latest episodes:

• Gay Bars and Porn Star Martinis in Rotterdam and Amsterdam

• Dreams, Screams, and Harald With the Good Hair in Norway

• Sailing the North Sea

Beyond The Gay Lane

Our recent stories for other outlets:

• Travel + Leisure: This U.S. State is Home to the Largest Remaining Tallgrass Prairie on Earth

• Afar: The 7 Best Drag Shows, Queer Nights, and Welcoming Bars Along Route 66

• 405 Magazine: Celebrating a Century of Route 66

Heard at the Gay Bar

“Where did they hide the dildo? How did they not find the dildo?”
- Kinselas, Sydney

Meal of the Month

In case I haven’t made it clear enough, we’re currently in Australia, eating our way through Sydney, and loving every morsel. Our first dinner here was also one that really set the bar, not just for this trip, but for every dining experience we’ve had thus far this year. The Oriana is a brand new multi-floor concept, perched at the end of a harbor-side passenger terminal in The Rocks neighborhood. Each floor has a different vibe, from a beer garden and a pub, to a finer dining room where we had dinner overlooking the iconic Sydney Opera House. And somehow, considering Vivid Sydney was illuminating the architectural marvel, the food and drinks were just as striking.

We started with a couple chic martinis, including a glam Apple-tini made with vanilla and cream vodka, puckery sour apple, apple, and lemon, as well as the Tie Clip Martini with vodka, dry sherry, gentian, saline, and grapefruit. To eat, we shared crisp potato paves topped with dry-aged beer tartare and full-blood Wagyu bresaola, as well as raw tuna, chives, spicy mayo, and Osetra caviar. We also loved the Burrata with heirloom pumpkin, fig, endive, and pepitas, and fresh taglietelle tangled with plump nuggets of lobster. Coupled with lovely service and staggering views, it was a show-stopping start to an amazing trip to Sydney.

LGBTQ+ Businesses We Love

Qtopia in Sydney, Australia

We’ll have MUCH more to come on this in the near future, but suffice to say that Qtopia — the largest LGBTQ+ cultural and history center in the world — is a life-changing institution. We’ve never seen a museum this extensive, doing such diligent and heartfelt work to archive, honor, and celebrate the queer community near and far. Composed of multiple galleries and exhibition spaces, ranging from salacious to heart-wrenching, this is the kind of institution LGBTQ+ people need and deserve. Qtopia is also responsible for much of Sydney’s Pride programming. Stay tuned for more, because Qtopia is the kind of place that merits a far deeper dive.

The Rusty Rabbit in Sydney, Australia

Aptly, right after we toured Qtopia, we strolled a couple blocks down the street for lunch at the whimsical and wonderful Rusty Rabbit. Pride artwork on the facade — and “Daddy” caps for sale — clued us in to the fact that this was yet another LGBTQ+ haven in one of the most LGBTQ+-friendly cities we’ve visited. The food, too, was a ray of sunshine on an overcast day. We sat outside and dug into wholesome brunch plates like sweet potato-corn fritters topped with bacon, smashed avocado, corn salsa, and poached egg, as well as the Champ Bowl with harissa hummus, avocado, poached eggs, grilled chicken, kale, cherry tomatoes, dukkah, and pickled cabbage. If we could eat like this every day, that would be ideal.

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.

Boston may be the birthplace of the American Revolution, but it will always be the city where I lost my first tooth in a hot dog at the cradle of liberty.

Growing up an hour north, I spent a good amount of time in Boston in my youth, accumulating a lifetime’s worth of nostalgia over my various visits to the aquarium, the Freedom Trail, Fenway Stadium, and Boston Common. New Hampshire was home, but I’ve always been able to trace my growth in this city, through different eras and seasons of life. It’s something that came into focus on my recent trip back to Boston, where I got a whirlwind tour of the city’s immersive activations for America250.

More so than just about any city I can think of, Boston is one where — with each visit, as weird as it sounds — I feel like I’m experiencing it as a new version of me. There’s the toothless me, bleeding all over a hot dog at Faneuil Hall’s Quincy Market — otherwise known as the “Cradle of Liberty.”

There’s my Boston cream pie era, when the custardy sponge cake dominated my birthdays — and my doughnuts — for years.

There were the road trips to visit relatives in Massachusetts, when my siblings and I would hold our breaths in city tunnels, to see if we could hypothetically survive being underwater for that amount of time (what??).

There was my Back Bay adolescence, when I thought shopping at Urban Outfitters made me cool, that Trader Joe’s was aspirational, and that stockpiling loose-leaf tea at Tealuxe (R.I.P.) was a personality.

There were all the boyfriends — and one regrettable ex-husband — I took back home to meet my family, passing through Boston through those same underwater tunnels where I sometimes still quietly hold my breath, just to see.

And lest I forget that 140-foot-tall gas storage tank along I-93, with rainbow paint stripes across its side. As a kid, it always caught my eye as we drove through town, and now as an adult, it’s my frame of reference as I descend into Logan International Airport. Just last month, I learned for the first time that the mural is nicknamed the “Rainbow Swash,” painted by Corita Kent in 1971. As I gazed out over the skyline from the 52nd floor of the Prudential Tower, I spotted it again, as unmissable as that first glimpse, so many years ago.

Nowadays, I find myself in a new era in Boston, but one that feels oddly full-circle.

Read more

The veritable Olympics of queer sports, the Gay Games take place in a different city every four years, starting with San Francisco in 1982. Since, they’ve taken place in LGBTQ+-friendly cities like Vancouver, Amsterdam, Sydney, Chicago, and Cologne. And this year, they’re taking place in Valencia, as the Gay Games 2026 feature accessible city-wide sporting events — designed to showcase the stereotype-defying breadth of queer interests — from June 27-July 4.

“The Gay Games are the largest multi-sport and -cultural event in the world, organized for and by the LGBTQIA+ community,” describes Jon Landa Diestro, Officer for Promotion and International Affairs at GGVLC26.

From its inception, when it literally was called the Gay Olympic Games until the International Olympic Committee got them to change the name, the event has operated under three pillars: that everybody, regardless of experience or skill, has the right to participate; that everybody is included, regardless of sexual orientation or expression; and that everyone should be proud of giving their personal best. Aside from an 18-year age requirement to participate, everyone is welcome.

“This is the most unique experience you could have as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, but also as a sports person,” Landa Diestro adds, decrying tropes about physical ability, gender, and experience. “It’s about belonging to your community, and also demanding more visibility, safety for queer athletes. This is what the Gay Games are about.”

The Gay Games, as he details, have always defied tropes. While certain sports are deemed more “acceptable” for queer people, and certain members of the LGBTQ+ community are granted more leeway, the Gay Games seek to celebrate individuality as the ultimate strength.

“Being ourselves and playing sports is how we exemplify this sentiment,” he notes of the 39 sports — from bowling to beach volleyball — open to the participation of anyone. “The problem with our society is we can’t be ourselves in general. What we do is create safe spaces for those who decide to become visible, so they can do it in the best — and safest — way possible.”

While not a technical Pride festival, which Landa Diestro praises as essential to the Gay Games’ existence, the event takes to the streets in its own ways.

“We are in the streets, too, but we demonstrate in pitches, in track and field stadiums, and in the port where you’ll be paddling with your dragonboat team,” he describes, touting the merits of participants traveling to a loud-and-proud place like Valencia, where they can learn about the city, and locals can learn from visitors. “We want visitors to realize this is much more than paella, sangria, and playa.”

Valencia, he notes, is where some of the most advanced transgender-affirming laws were approved in 2017, before the government of Spain adopted a similar law. It’s also a city that’s accessible for people living with disabilities, where public transit is robust and affordable, and where ample green spaces improve the quality of life.

There are 39 competitive sports open to all registrants, with two of them — colpbol and pilota Valenciana — being non-competitive exhibition sports unique to the Valencia games. The most popular sports, Landa Diestro says, include open-water swimming, diving, artistic swimming, triathlon, water polo, volleyball, badminton, field hockey, and football (the “soccer” one). Furthering inclusivity and accessibility, e-sports, artistic gymnastics, and cross-training are all new to the Gay Games this year. Like the Olympics, medals are handed out for gold, silver, and bronze, but everyone gets participation medals in their welcome packs.

Between the sports, other events taking place during the Gay Games include choral and band festivals, an exhibition about local queer artists, a fashion show, and even a tribute to voguing in sports.

With 75 countries represented to participate, the Gay Games Valencia officially kick off with an opening ceremony on June 27, led by Master of Ceremonies Choriza May, from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. The ceremony will play tribute to Gay Games history, as well as local history, with upwards of 10,000 people projected to attend. For the closing ceremony on July 4, organizers will pass the flag to the next city hosting the Gay Games in 2030: Perth, Australia.

“I recommend people to join the Games, and if not, I’d recommend people to visit Valencia for many reasons,” Landa Diestro says of his adopted hometown. “I remember in the ‘90s, when gay people couldn’t be themselves, and they moved to London. But Spain has become another safe destination for queer people, and that’s what you’ll find in Valencia.” The optimal inclusive city to host the Gay Games, it’s an opportunity for LGBTQ+ people — from all walks of life — to safely express themselves, and show Pride in a new way.

“Pride is about ‘love is love,’” Landa Diestro summarizes. “The Gay Games are about ‘be yourself.’ This is about who we are, how we are, what we are like, because nobody on the streets can see who I love, but they can see who I am. We are Valencia.”

Gay Games Valencia Details:

When: June 27-July 4, 2026

Where: Venues throughout the city

Admission: Registration fees vary, from general admission to per-sport. Check prices here.

Registration: Secure your spot as a participant or attendee here by May 31

Thank you for following The Gay Lane. To support independent queer creators, please consider subscribing or making a donation. We take great Pride in authenticity and originality, and that means going the extra mile — or thousands of miles — to celebrate queer culture in unexpected places. This may sound simple, but it takes a great deal of intentional effort, time, and resources to bring this to life with the quality and care that we believe it deserves. Your support makes all the difference.