THE BEST Washgton DC Gay Clubs & Bars (Updated 2023)

Contents:

• D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS
• WASHGTON, D.C.'S HIDN GAY HISTORY IS UNVERED 'SECRET CY'
• WASHGTON DC GAY DISTRICT: DUPONT CIRCLE
• BT GAY AND LBIAN BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS WASHGTON DC
• WASHGTON DC GAY SHOPS
• THE BEST WASHGTON DC GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS WASHGTON DC
• WASHGTON GAY CISE CLUBS
• WASHGTON DC GAY SNAS
• GAY WASHGTON DC
• THE BT GAY BARS WASHGTON, D.C.

D.C.'S BT GAY BARS AND HANGOUTS

Wh our LGBT gui to Washgton, DC, disver the bt lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr bars, clubs, nightlife and moreDpe the fact that jt about half of DC’s transient populatn is nservative (give or take a few percentag pendg on whoever’s the Whe Hoe), the LGBT muny is not only thrivg, ’s practilly the majory lear. But, as wh any cy’s gentrifitn pattern, wherever gays and lbians move, gay and lbian bars are sure to follow.LGBT Gui to Washgton, DCNellie’s Sports BarA gay-iendly sports bar? The above map and s acpanyg history tell the story of the bars, bookstor, group hom, clics, and church that have played sential rol DC's gay muny for the past half century.

WASHGTON, D.C.'S HIDN GAY HISTORY IS UNVERED 'SECRET CY'

Durg the 60s and 70s, as LGBT activism moved more to the public foreont, the number of gay bars grew throughout the District; also emergg this time were Guild Prs, which published gay travel guis, fictn, and a newspaper lled Gay Fom, as well as the Washgton Free Clic, which provid STD unselg to gay men.

The growth of gay spac slowed down the 1980s, she says, but at the same time the clud DC's first gural High Heel Drag Queen Race, which has now bee an stutn. The slowed growth ntued the 90s and 2000s, but 's very possible that's bee time has passed, there's been ls of a need for gay people to hi pla sight. “Nowadays bars like Nellie's, one of the few notable gay bars to open sce 2000, are attend by straight people, and many bars whout the tentn of beg a gay bar wele and celebrate their LGBT muny.

The data Kate ed to create the map is available through the Rabow History Project, an anizatn dited to llectg, prervg, and promotg gay, lbian, bisexual, and transgenr history DC.

WASHGTON DC GAY DISTRICT: DUPONT CIRCLE

In Febary 2016, the Washgton Bla noted an "unual flurry of activy" wh the openg of four new gay bars, the majory of which land the U Street/Shaw/Logan Circle area. Larry’s Lounge is a gay neighborhood pub, wh always-affordable drks, solid happy hour specials, mouth-waterg pub fare (see: sweet potato tots) and one of the cy’s iendlit pats (you n brg your dog, too!

Suated right the heart of Adams Man’s btlg 18th Street is Pchers, a gay sports bar, and A League of Her Own, the adjacent bar for lbian and queer women. The LGBTQ+-iendly Embassy Row Hotel is a member of the Internatnal Gay & Lbian Travel Associatn and was named “one of the bt rooftop pools Ameri” by USA Today. Wh some of the most polilly and socially active LGBT muni the natn, the District has been the birthplace for many movements and anizatns, such as the Mattache Society of Washgton and the Gay Men’s Chos of Washgton, D.

BT GAY AND LBIAN BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS WASHGTON DC

Certaly, the District do not tend to be the first cy that to md when nsirg the untry’s most LGBT-iendly ci, pecially when many of the hate-filled mpaigns the 1950s that hoped to crack down on those who were gay were lnched by police and feral officials centered the District. Dpe this, there have been several people, march, and headquarters the cy that have bolstered the polil strength of the LGBT muny, such as the Natnal March on Washgton for Lbian and Gay Rights 1979. It also served as a headquarters for gay civil rights anizg that eventually led to overturng the Amerin Psychiatric Associatn's fn of homosexualy as a mental illns.

Bullough’s “Before Stonewall: Activists for Gay and Lbian Rights Historil Context” publitn, Kameny is scribed as "one of the most signifint figur" the Amerin gay rights movement. ” Here, participants clud pneerg gay rights activists John Richard “Jack” Nichols, who -found the Mattache Society of Washgton, and Lilli Vcenz, who was the first lbian member of the Mattache Society of Washgton.

This former bookstore Dupont Circle was found 1974 by Dean Maccubb, who ntributed to the migratn of LGBT members to the Northwt neighborhood, acrdg to Frank Muzzy his book, “Gay and Lbian Washgton, D.

WASHGTON DC GAY SHOPS

Wh a march past the Whe Hoe, a rally near the Capol, and approximately 200, 000 people, the Send Natnal March on Washgton for Lbian and Gay Rights on October 11, 1987 is one of D. “Secret Cy: The Hidn History of Gay Washgton, " by Jam Kirchick, is a 654-page tome that took years of rearch and an exhstive vtigatn to printial archiv, historil terviews and once-classified ernment rerds.

“I realized that all the stori I was readg, and the personali and phenomena, whether was McCarthyism or the Reagans, FDR or JFK, that there were the gay stori lurkg the background, ” Kirchick said. Those stori lurked the background out of necsy: The st of g out as gay — or, more likely, beg outed agast one’s will — was enormo profsnally and socially. “It was the specter of homosexualy that provoked the first and only suici by a member of Congrs his Capol Hill office, ed Lyndon Johnson to et that his historil lead would evaporate, and seized the paranoid md of Richard Nixon send only to the plots of his ever-expandg enemi list, ” Kirchick wr.

THE BEST WASHGTON DC GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS WASHGTON DC

” Rumors of homosexualy were tastrophic to those who were acced of , but Kirchick also asks the rear to nsir the broar human and societal impact of such wch hunts on gay Amerins workg ernment. “To asss the full sle of the damage that the fear of homosexualy wrought on the Amerin polil landspe, one mt take to acunt not only the reers ed and the liv cut short, but somethg vaster and unquantifiable: the possibili thwarted, ” Kirchick wr. Although openly LGBTQ people have ma their way to the hight ranks of ernment today, was not long ago that spected homosexuals workg for the feral ernment were hunted down, publicly huiated and termated wh the full force of the ernment.

There were whispers that Reagan was possibly participatg “homosexual nduct, ” and some Republins saw Reagan’s potential nomatn as a “danger to the Republin Party and the untry. The possibily that Kemp uld jo the ticket was evince that there was a “homosexual rg” around Reagan and that he was “the ventriloquized pawn of shadowy and sister forc, ” Kirchick wr. When a ngrsman later asked Reagan’s munitns ai about the loss of the nomatn for Kemp, he reportedly said, “It was that homosexual thg, ” Kirchick wr.

“Secret Cy” ends wh the princy of Bill Clton, who said a mpaign speech ont of a largely gay dience Los Angel 1992, “I have a visn, and you are a part of . ” Wh those words, Clton would do somethg that would have seemed unfathomable to most, if not all, of his precsors: make an explic appeal to gay Amerins for their support a printial electn.

WASHGTON GAY CISE CLUBS

Rather than one specific gay area, the scene Washgton has most pals, Washgton DC offers a robt and dynamic gay district which ters to a range of different tast. Word has that this place offers one of the bt gay atmospher town, and s monthly 80s dance party ‘The Breakfast Club Remix’ is a sure fire h wh the lols.

WASHGTON DC GAY SNAS

Nellie’s Sports Bar was the first gay venue to open outsi of Dupont Circle, and has reached legendary stat thanks to s popular events cludg trivia and drag bgo. Sttered around the gayborhood you’ll fd moreAlthough not known as a fashn pal, gay Washgton DC still has an credible selectn of shoppg for the queer traveler. 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Washgton MonumentHotels near Natnal Gallery of ArtHotels near Library of CongrsHotels near Feral Center SWHotels near ArchivHotels near Feral TriangleHotels near L'Enfant PlazaHotels near SmhsonianHotels near WaterontHotels near Capol SouthHotels near Navy Yard – BallparkHotels near Eastern MarketHotels near Stadium–ArmoryHotels near Ronald Reagan Natnal Airport (DCA)Hotels near Baltimore-Washgton Intl Airport (BWI)Hotels near Dull Intl Airport (IAD)Motels near Baltimore-Washgton Intl Airport (BWI)Motels near Dull Intl Airport (IAD)Motels near Ronald Reagan Natnal Airport (DCA)Hotels near Gallt UniversyHotels near Prce Gee's Communy CollegeHotels near Maple Sprgs Baptist Capol Heights, MDHotels near Strayer Universy - Maryland Suland, MDHotels near Try Washgton UniversyHotels near The Catholic Universy of AmeriHotels near Pontifil John Pl II InstuteHotels near Bent Career InstuteHotels near Dudley Bety CollegeHotels near Howard UniversyPopular All-Inclive RortsPopular Beach 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& Landmarks Washgton DCTransportatn Washgton DCOutdoor Activi Washgton DCSpas & Wellns Washgton DCMms Washgton DCShoppg Washgton DCNature & Parks Washgton DCFood & Drk Washgton DCFun & Gam Washgton DCTheater & Concerts Washgton DCBoat Tours & Water Sports Washgton DCClass & Workshops Washgton DCEvents Washgton DCTraveller Rourc Washgton DCSightseeg Tours Washgton DCB Tours Washgton DCSegway Tours Washgton DCWalkg Tours Washgton DCWater Sports Washgton DCBoat Rentals Washgton DCDolph & Whale Watchg Washgton DCGondola Cis Washgton DCSpeed Boats Tours Washgton DCKayakg & Canoeg Washgton DCRiver Raftg & Tubg Washgton DCSurfg & Wdsurfg Washgton DCSwim wh Dolphs Washgton DCBeer Tastgs & Tours Washgton DCCoffee & Tea Tours Washgton DCArchectural Buildgs Washgton DCBridg Washgton DCCastl Washgton DCCemeteri Washgton DCCivic Centr Washgton DCRelig S Washgton DCEdutnal s Washgton DCFountas Washgton DCGovernment Buildgs Washgton DCHistoric S Washgton DCHistoric Walkg Areas Washgton DCMilary Bas & 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Cy CenterThgs to do near Waldorf Astoria Washgton DCThgs to do near The Hay-AdamsThgs to do near Phoenix Park HotelThgs to do near Motto By Hilton Washgton DC Cy CenterThgs to do near The Dupont CircleThgs to do near AC Hotel Washgton DC DowntownThgs to do near Riggs Washgton DCThgs to do near Pendry Washgton DC - The WharfThgs to do near The Madison HotelThgs to do near Melrose Geetown HotelFenals BeachNatural Bridge Wildlife RanchPearl Market (Hongqiao Market)Wtfield Fom s HallPolynian SpaPlaza BlanThunr Valley CasoCua Dai BeachMirabell Palace and GarnsPort Crcent State ParkBarcelona Gothic Quarter Walkg TourBoat trip om Oluniz Blue Lagoon to Butterfly Valley and Geer Island wh lunchFlorence & Pisa om La Spezia PortExperience the Real Cameron Highland om PenangSMALL GROUP Chianti 2 weri & meat feast @ Dar CecchiThe Ultimate Napa & Sonoma We TourNorthern Lights B Tour om ReykjavikPyramids of Giza - Self-guid Walkg Tours wh an dgui appBurj Khalifa: at the top (Level 124 and 125)Mon Chéri Cise 5 star: Unique 2 Days Tuan Ch - Halong bay - Lan Ha BayRtrantsFlightsVatn RentalsTravel StoriCisRental CarsToursAdd a PlaceTravel FomAirlTravel GuisRoad TripsHelp CenterUned StatDistrict of Columbia (DC)Washgton DCThgs to Do Washgton DCGay Bars Washgton DCGay Clubs & Bars Washgton DCAll thgs to doCategory typAttractnsToursDay TripsOutdoor ActiviConcerts & ShowsFood & DrkEventsClass & WorkshopsShoppgTransportatnTraveler RourcTyp of AttractnsNightlifeNightlifeBars & ClubsBar, Club & Pub ToursComedy ClubsDance Clubs & DissCigar BarsWe BarsBlu Clubs & BarsGay Clubs & BarsJazz Clubs & BarsKaraoke BarsPiano BarsCoffeehoTraveler ratg & upNeighborhoodsUpper NorthwtNatnal MallGood forFree EntryGood for CouplBudget-iendlyGood for KidsGood for Big GroupsHoneymoon spotGood for Adrenale SeekersHidn GemsAdventuroGood for a Ray Day1 place sorted by traveler favorClear all filters1. An isolated rner between the SW Freeway and the Anastia River was known for 35 years as a gay enclave, wh two big clubs, three nu male stripper bars, a bathhoe and a gay bookstore. The 18-pl admissn polici and work opportuni attracted many young guys om surroundg stat and beyond, providg safe meetg plac and g out spac for generatns of gay men.

GAY WASHGTON DC

” As an epicenter, gay drkers n fd no shortage of optns, om sports bars to cktail bars to dance clubs, many of which are ncentrated near Dupont Circle and 17th Street, where gay bar-hoppg is prime. Perhaps the most unr-the-radar gay bar to outsirs, as well as the most polil of Washgton's gay bars, the Der is home to high-profile Democratic and Republin operativ who regularly put asi polics when they arrive for the party. Grab a Lemon Squeeze (the bar's mastay cktail), a pile of tater tots and ntle to a booth to see and be INFO →KNOWN FORfull menucheap datebar foodCobaltCobalt has long been a mastay on the District's gay-centric 17th Street Corridor.

In keepg, beware: It n get INFO →KNOWN FORcraft beeroutdoor / patbar foodDo's Bar at FlorianaIn the basement of an Italian rtrant off the very-gay 17th Street, Dupont Circle, is Do’s Bar.

THE BT GAY BARS WASHGTON, D.C.

He's been servg drks and hostg at the ty hiaway for a now, and is beloved by the gay and straight crowds INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datefull menuJR's Bar & Grill The “grill” part of JR's Bar & Grill is mostly absent. For years, the bar banned dancg but fally relented after a of prsure by patrons—not that there's much room to dance; between trivia nights and happy hour, n be packed cheek-to-cheek most of the INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datedancglive micLarry's LoungeYou won’t fd Larry’s Lounge listed on any gay bar map of Washgton, D. They’ll merely check on you om time-to-time to make sure you’re still alive and to brg you ee INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datebar foodoutdoor / patNellie's Sports BarWhen Nellie's first opened 2007 at the rner of 9th & U Street, NW, some wonred if a gay bar uld thrive a lotn so far removed om the center of Washgton’s gay nightlife scene.

But, as the cy’s gay muny has moved east, Nellie's (named for the owner's grandmothers—y, multiple grandmothers) now the most popular gay bar all of D. Though 's billed as a sports bar—and ser sports fans fely e here to tch a game—the TVs rarely factor on DJ nights when crowds pack Nellie's rooftop INFO →KNOWN FORsportscheap datelive micdancgfull menuNumber 9When the owners of the wildly popular gay nightclub Town Danceboutiqe set out to open a cktail bar, they named honor of their nth venture together. Like a gay-Amerin Moul Rouge, Town is a glterg maze of baret, gogo boys and edy shows that create a sort of what-uld-happen-next circ atmosphere.