Sarasota - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Sarasota has a modest LGBTQ+ infrastructure. There is no gay strip or designated gay neighborhood, and the usual gay travel guides do not list a dedicated gay club in the city. What it does have is a handful of reliable places and well-organized community work.

The best-known spot is the Purple Rhino on South Beneva Road in the southern part of the city. It is one of Sarasota's longest-running gay bars and is run by volunteers as a nonprofit. Drink sales support LGBTQ+ causes in the area. Officially the Purple Rhino is a members-only club, so visitors should check the entry rules beforehand. Drag nights are on the calendar.

In the neighboring town of Venice, south of Sarasota, you will find Qmunity. Owner Gina M. Garcia stresses that it is a restaurant, not a bar. It is meant as a place where LGBTQ+ people and everyone else can eat and spend time together, with a menu drawing on cuisines from around the world and decor that nods to LGBTQ+ history.

Project Pride SRQ handles community organizing. The nonprofit runs the Gulfcoast Pride Festival in the Rosemary District every October and is the first place to look for LGBTQ+ groups, events or volunteer opportunities in Sarasota and Bradenton.

There is no documented gay sauna or bathhouse in Sarasota. For a wider choice of bars and clubs, head north to Tampa, where the Ybor City nightlife district is home to the LGBTQ+ club Bradley's on 7th on East 7th Avenue.