Charlotte - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Charlotte has no single gay neighborhood. Its LGBTQ bars are spread out, with clusters in South End, along South Boulevard and in the Plaza Midwood and NoDa neighborhoods northeast of Uptown. For a night that takes in several spots you will usually need a car or a rideshare, although South End is easy to reach on the light rail.

The Scorpio on Fairwood Avenue in South End is the city's oldest and largest LGBTQ club, with a rooftop, a stage, a veranda and a parlor. On South Boulevard, Bar Argon, a video bar with a patio, shares a building with Sidelines, an LGBTQ sports bar with pool tables. Chasers on The Plaza has dancers, karaoke and DJ nights. Petra's on Commonwealth Avenue in Plaza Midwood is a piano bar and cabaret with live music and drag. The Woodshed on Queen City Drive is a laid-back neighborhood bar with a big patio and a home base for the local leather crowd.

There is no gay bathhouse in Charlotte. Dedicated lesbian bars have closed as well, so queer women tend to meet at events and in mixed bars.

The most important organization is Charlotte Pride. It runs the big festival and parade in Uptown every August, the LGBTQ film festival Reel Out Charlotte in May, and year-round programs for the Latine community, trans people, women and LGBTQ people of faith. Time Out Youth serves LGBTQ young people aged thirteen to twenty-four with support groups, youth events, therapy, housing assistance and work in schools, including support for gay-straight alliances.

If you are looking to connect, these groups and the event calendars of the bars, which post theme nights and shows regularly, are the best places to start.