Austin’s progressive and artsy vibe make the city perfect for LGBTIQ+ travelers and is both welcoming and filled with tons of great food, events, and nightlife.
Austin is a weird and wonderful place. It’s a college town and a hippie outpost, but it’s also a booming metropolis and the capital of Texas. It’s a city of contrasts and dichotomies. It’s big, yet small; it’s filled with high-paying tech jobs, but also artists and creatives; and it’s an incredibly liberal and progressive town… in the middle of Texas.
The best LGBTIQ+ bars and clubs in Austin
One of the coolest things about Austin is that its main LGBTIQ+ scene is concentrated downtown on West 4th Street. This makes it incredibly fun and easy to bar hop from place to place throughout the night.
During my visit to the city, my friend said he’d set me up with a guide. He claimed this guide was someone who knew Austin inside and out, and that they were excited to show me a good time. Little did I know that my guide for the evening would be one of Austin’s most prominent drag queens, Vylette Ward.
Ward wanted to show me around 4th Street, and our first stop was the bar where she began her drag career, Oilcan Harry’s. Ward mentioned that this is one of Austin’s oldest gay bars, having been around for over 25 years. It is known for its various drag shows that take place throughout the week. From karaoke nights to talent contests, drag queens and kings host a variety of shows and events every night.
Upon our arrival, the bar was doing its 9 pm early show, typically featuring newer queens. Ward whispered into my ear that early shows like this are how they break into the scene, providing a space to hone their skills and solidify their on-stage persona. Despite a smaller crowd than the later show attracts, the audience loved every minute of it. Every death drop, sashay, and wig reveal prompted roaring applause from the crowd.
Later in the night, we headed to Rain on 4th, conveniently located next door. With a crowded dance floor, great DJs, an outdoor patio, and weekly parties, Rain is Austin’s favorite spot to dance the night away. Naturally, Ward knew virtually every bartender, DJ, and patron at the club, receiving greetings from almost everyone we passed.
Typically, I don’t enjoy dancing at clubs, but Rain had such an awesome vibe and a wide array of music that I couldn’t resist. A blue spotlight glittered off a disco ball, sending prisms of glowing light around the dance floor. While they played standard gay club music like Ariana Grande, they also included wonderfully unexpected songs, such as a remix of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and even “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes.
Rock music at a gay club? I loved it, and the whole crowd seemed to be on board too. We all bounced in rhythm with the song’s famous guitar riff, and many (myself included) started singing along. Something about that moment felt exceptionally special and uniquely Austin. It’s rare to hear music in gay clubs that isn’t primarily pop, dance, or trance.
Most of the action on West 4th takes place on a single block situated between Lavaca and Colorado streets. In addition to Oilcan Harry’s and Rain, there’s also Neon Grotto and Highland Lounge, among others. Ubers line up along the curb, friends hug before heading inside, and groups meander from club to club, giving the sidewalks a lively atmosphere.
However, Austin’s queer scene extends well beyond just West 4th Street. One of the city’s most beloved (and welcoming) nightspots is Cheer Up Charlie’s. This bar is known for attracting and welcoming everyone across the LGBTIQ+ spectrum, serving as a meeting place for gay men and the lesbian community, as well as trans and nonbinary individuals.
Describing itself as “Vegan + Queer,” Cheer Up Charlie’s maintains Austin’s trademark counter-culture vibes. Boasting great cocktails, rotating DJs, and musical guests, it’s an ideal spot for anyone who feels out of place in the mainstream atmosphere of most LGBTIQ+ bars and clubs.
Excellent LGBTIQ+ spaces beyond the clubs
Austin has much more than just LGBTIQ+ nightlife, and no space proves that better than Halcyon. Located on West 4th Street among the clubs and bars, Halcyon provides a coffee shop by day and a relaxing lounge at night. Throughout the morning and afternoon, you can order coffee and tea, as well as some fantastic sandwiches and salads.
My personal favorite was their chicken pesto sandwich, which gets warmed in a panini press and comes complete with sundried tomatoes and provolone cheese. I sat on Halcyon’s covered patio facing 4th Street. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy something cold on a hot Texas afternoon, and the people-watching is noteworthy. Austin attracts a significant number of bachelor and bachelorette parties, so there are always groups of slightly tipsy people walking down the streets or cycling along on a party bike.
With a mostly-queer staff, Halcyon is a relaxed and welcoming space for those looking to find community without needing to visit a bar. Moreover, Halcyon organizes weekly events ranging from afternoon drag brunch to live music performances and much more.
Positioned on South Congress, in the heart of Austin’s trendy SoCo neighborhood, is the campy and funky (and super queer-friendly) Austin Motel. Decked out with neon lighting, retro-style furniture, and a giant Pride flag in the lobby window, the Austin Motel is a quirky and exciting lodging option. Best of all, even guests who aren’t staying at the motel can purchase day passes to enjoy the property’s 1950s-inspired outdoor pool and lounge area.
For additional lodging options, Marriott serves as an LGBTIQ+ inclusive brand that has expressively committed itself to welcoming the community. The company operates three fantastic properties in downtown Austin, all featuring rooftop pools, including the Marriott, JW Marriott, and the W, which hosts its own monthly themed drag brunch (often featuring my newfound friend, Vylette Ward).
Barbecue is one of Austin’s oldest culinary traditions, and the city is renowned for joints like Franklin BBQ and Terry Black’s. Nonetheless, a relative newcomer to the competition, la Barbecue, has quickly gained popularity among locals. It has also disrupted the predominantly male-dominated BBQ industry. Owned by partners LeAnn Mueller and Alison Clem, this female and LGBTIQ-led barbecue joint has established itself as one of the best restaurants in the entire city.
For those with a sweet tooth, Wunderkeks is a gay-owned cookie company led by husbands Luis Gramajo and Hans Schrei. It ships nationally and has garnered a celebrity following that includes Busy Phillips, Tori Spelling, and Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons. Locals frequently visit Wunderkeks to strike up conversations and stock up on cookies and brownies.
How to find the LGBTIQ+ community
There are numerous excellent ways for LGBTIQ+ visitors and locals alike to find a sense of community in Austin. BookWoman is Austin’s local feminist bookstore that, in recent years, has warmly embraced stories of intersectionality, thereby becoming a welcoming space for queer women. In addition to selling books, BookWoman also hosts weekly events including poetry readings, speakers, and open mic nights.
The Little Gay Shop sells an array of fun and unique gifts and goods, all created by the LGBTIQ+ community. From stickers to candles, books, magazines, and more, the shop is loaded with fantastic finds.
The Little Gay Shop also serves coffee and features an outdoor seating area. I appreciated this addition to the store because it encourages patrons to grab a drink and mingle. For anyone looking to shop, the store offers everything from t-shirts that read “Hope will never be silent” to artwork declaring “Y’all means all.” I chuckled at their collection of bumper stickers, each adorned with playful messages like “Sorry, Gay Driver.” To foster community, The Little Gay Shop also organizes events such as queer trivia and book club meetups.
For those who enjoy a bit of friendly competition, head over to The Iron Bear, Austin’s local bear bar. They host a weekly Geeks Who Drink pub trivia event every Thursday. This serves as an excellent opportunity to meet new friends, find a team, and delight in some lighthearted competition.
Save the date: Austin’s best LGBTIQ+ events
Austin offers a wealth of activities year-round, but LGBTIQ+ travelers will be particularly interested in visiting during Austin Pride, which typically takes place every summer. Other noteworthy events include the renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, an annual entertainment and technology showcase that has blossomed into a globally-attended occasion over the last decade. SXSW usually occurs in early spring.
Another highlight is the famous Austin City Limits music festival that happens each autumn. This festival not only draws visitors from around the world but also features queer musicians such as Lil Naz X and SZA.
What LGBTIQ+ travelers need to know before going to Austin
While Austin is incredibly progressive, it’s essential to remember that you are still in Texas, a state currently working to diminish rights for LGBTIQ+ individuals. Fortunately, you’re unlikely to encounter issues while in Austin, thanks to its youthful, progressive population and city-level organizations that provide resources lacking at the state level. In fact, Austin is arguably one of the most liberal, progressive, and queer-friendly cities in the entire country.
On a broader scale, Austin is experiencing growing pains. The city has rapidly expanded over the past decade, now ranking as America’s 11th-largest city. With swift growth, traffic can present challenges, as the city hasn’t yet constructed a large-scale transit network. However, for those staying near the city center, it’s quite walkable, and electric scooters are readily available on practically every corner.
Resources and info for LGBTIQ+ visitors
Do512 is a fantastic Austin-centric website featuring its own LGBTQ webpage that lists daily queer events throughout the city, covering everything from comedy shows to viewing parties.
Other valuable resources to explore before your visit include Austin’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which helps discover queer-owned businesses, and Vivent Health, the city’s main LGBTQ health provider and community organization that hosts events and can assist with access to PEP and PrEP, even for visitors.
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