Oakland - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Oakland's queer infrastructure rests on a handful of well-rooted places. The main hub is the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. It supports queer people of all ages with youth services, trans support, programs for older adults, a food pantry, help with rent and housing, support groups and mental health services. The center also runs the Glenn Burke Clinic, which offers health care and testing for sexually transmitted infections, and it organizes Oakland Pride.

For going out, there are two fixed addresses. The White Horse sits on Telegraph Avenue at 66th Street, in the Bushrod Park neighborhood near the Berkeley line. It is widely described as the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country. For decades it was a refuge while other Bay Area bars were being raided, and it was the scene of an early gay liberation sit-in. It is owned by a queer woman of color, and the calendar runs from drag and DJ nights to Sunday tea dances and monthly group meetups.

Downtown, on Broadway, you'll find Fluid510, a large queer club with a restaurant, bars on two floors, drag shows and weekend brunch. It is run by the former owners of the Port Bar.

No gay bathhouse is known in Oakland. The scene as a whole is smaller than San Francisco's, but it is closely tied to its neighborhoods, and a lot happens through community groups and the center rather than through bars. If you're new in town, the center's calendar is the best place to start: it lists group meetings, workshops and events, and it's an easy way to meet people.