This LGBTQ-owned hotspot is one of the most popular bars in Northalsted.
Grab a drink, play some free darts, and mingle with the diverse crowd of regulars. The laidback spot is primarily known as a lesbian bar, but all are welcome. This neighborhood institution has been welcoming bar-goers since 1978. This LGBTQ nightlife mecca has a bar or club on every corner, and The Closet is one of the originals. You can’t talk about gay bars in Chicago without talking about Northalsted (also known as Boystown).
Come for trivia, the free Sunday night buffet, and the themed dance parties - then come back the next morning for brunch at attached sister restaurant Tweet. But don’t think for a second that makes the place feel pretentious - everyone is welcome at Big Chicks and everybody has a good time. The walls are plastered with the owner’s personal collection of paintings and photos, including big names like Diane Arbus. This lively and colorful spot is part LGBTQ hangout, part art gallery. Don’t miss the live entertainment, like karaoke nights, Silky Soul Sundays, and a lively dance floor featuring everything from pop to house music. The South Shore staple is also one of Chicago’s first black-owned gay bars, making it all the more meaningful for the spot’s many regulars. One of the city’s oldest gay bars, Jeffery Pub is a neighborhood institution. And each comes with their own unique history and vibe.Ĭheck out some of the best gay bars and clubs to experience Chicago’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene. Our gay and lesbian bars have a little bit of something for everyone, with late-night lounges, dance clubs, burlesque and drag shows, and long-standing neighborhood watering holes in almost every corner of the city. For a cover charge, you can join the throng of sweaty bodies bouncing to EDM in the basement of this Henry Street bar.Chicago’s nightlife is a lot like the city itself - inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to all. Sotto: While not branded as a gay club like the others, Sotto's downstairs dance floor is known to attract an LGBTQ crowd.In any case, this longtime Madison staple is deserving of its party place reputation. The neighborhood it's in, sandwiched between fast-food restaurants and strip malls, isn't especially inviting, either. The drawback to FIVE is its distance (4.5 miles) from downtown. This place has a large disco, lounge, and patio for summer evenings. FIVE Nightclub: Prior to Prizm, there was FIVE Nightclub (known as Club 5 back in the day).A variety of events keep the place interesting, including 18-and-over dance parties on Thursdays, ladies' nights, karaoke on Wednesdays, and plenty of other themed parties.
Prizm: A 15-minute walk northeast of the Wisconsin Capitol grounds, along the hip and trendy Williamson Street, this slick dance bar and video bar (formerly called Plan B) has garnered a massive following of gay men, lesbians, and more than a few allies.In addition to having a bustling gay-friendly nightlife scene, even bigger gay bar hubs are just down the road (Milwaukee is a 75-minute drive and Chicago-boasting one of the country's largest gay scenes-is a two-hour drive away). This is where the name of its annual OutReach Magic Festival, now held every August, came from.
The LGBTQ community here would gather at what was called MAGIC picnics, de facto Pride fests, during the '80s or perhaps even before. In fact, Madison was celebrating pride before pride was even a thing. It isn't often that a city this size-with a population of about 250,000-has so much pride. The outdoorsy, progressive, and well-educated settlement that straddles Lake Mendota and Lake Monona offers a small-town alternative to big city living for gays and lesbians. It probably has something to do with the youthful demographic that University of Wisconsin-Madison attracts and the city's reputation as a "liberal bubble," often having different political opinions than the rest of the state. Unassuming as it may be, Madison, Wisconsin, is a mecca for the LGBTQ crowd.