Whether you’re freshly moved into a dorm, back from summer break, or navigating the final stretch of your degree, welcome home to one of the most vibrant queer cities in the Rust Belt. 💘
QBurgh is here to help you plug into the LGBTQIA+ life of Pittsburgh. This guide covers everything from community care and nightlife to where to find the best gay bagels (yes, that’s a thing). Our goal? To help you build queer joy, chosen family, and maybe even find your favorite drag brunch along the way.
LGBTQ Events
Where’s the party (and the protest)?
Pittsburgh’s queer scene is lit all year round, whether it’s trans rights rallies, drag bingo in a church basement, or queer picnics in Frick Park. Your first stop? The LGBTQ+ Pittsburgh Community Calendar, a centralized hub for all things fabulous and radical.
💌 Want events sent straight to your inbox?
Subscribe here for a weekly roundup of parties, performances, and mutual aid opportunities.
The queerest list of things to do in Pittsburgh
Subscribe to the LGBTQ Newsletter of Pittsburgh
LGBTQ+ Social Groups
Find your people, your way
Community is more than clubs. It’s connection. Whether you’re extroverted or soft-spoken, just out or questioning, there’s a space here for you.
Join a meet-up or group:
Don’t see your people yet? Start your own group! Pittsburgh queer orgs are usually down to help.
Queer Coffee & Small Biz Love
The holy trinity of queer academic survival: caffeine, safe space, and Wi-Fi.
Here are a few LGBTQ+ owned or operated gems:
Wanna find even more queer-friendly shops, art galleries, and services?
Peep the LGBTQ+ Business Directory.
The biggest list of LGBTQ businesses, groups, & clubs in Pittsburgh
Health & Wellness
Gender euphoria and safe sex included
Your campus health center might be a starting point but for even more LGBTQIA+ competent care, Pittsburgh has real-deal community providers:
💊 Also offering:
- Free STI/HIV testing
- PrEP & PEP access
- Hormone therapy
- Mental health care
- Mpox vaccines
- Hep C testing + cure
These orgs get it. And they got you.
💊 What’s the Tea on PrEP?
Let’s talk PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), aka the little pill (or shot!) that helps prevent HIV.
PrEP is a once-daily medication (or a long-acting injection every 2 months) that can reduce your chances of contracting HIV by 99% when taken as prescribed. It’s one of the most effective tools we have to protect ourselves and each other.
Why should queer students care?
Because your sexual health matters. Because sex should feel good and safe. Because we deserve to live without fear or shame around our desires.
PrEP is especially important for:
- Gay, bi, and queer men
- Trans women & transfeminine folks
- People who have multiple partners
- Anyone who wants peace of mind around sex
Bonus: Most community clinics cover PrEP for free or very low cost.
In Pittsburgh, you can get PrEP at:
💬 Don’t know where to start? Just call one of these clinics and ask to talk about PrEP. They’ve got you.
💖 Queer joy = informed consent + hot safe sex + healthcare access for all.
Sports and Recreation
Beginners, jocks, and everybody in between
You do not have to be athletic to play. Just willing to laugh and run around a bit.
✨ Stonewall Sports Pittsburgh offers:
All skill levels welcome. Trans-inclusive and affirming of all bodies.
More queer sports leagues are available with:
Arts & Creative Culture
Queer creativity pulses through Pittsburgh’s art scene. Must-visits include:
There’s a vibrant queer arts scene in Pittsburgh—from drag to spoken word.
🎨 True T PGH
Celebrates Queer People of Color through performance, art, and activism.
🎤 Open Stages
P Town Bar hosts weekly open stages where you can hone your drag craft.
🎶 Pittsburgh Pride Choir
Western PA’s premier LGBTQIA+ and allies choral group. You should audition!
📽️ Check out:
Volunteer!
Get involved, give back, stay connected
💜 Volunteering is the best way to meet people and help your community thrive.
🌟 Try:
DM their Instagram or check their websites to sign up.
Bars, Clubs, & After-Hours
Pittsburgh’s gay nightlife is old-school, iconic, and still evolving. But where’s Pittsburgh’s “gayborhood”?
Parties
There’s no time to sleep with all of these parties:
Your Safety
Look out for each other, always
Pittsburgh is welcoming but we’re still navigating a complicated world. Whether you’re out downtown at night or walking home from class, take care.
📱 QBurgh’s Safety Tips include:
- Report crimes to the Pittsburgh Police. If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Try to walk in well-lit areas, with other people around.
- Be cautious when approached by strangers.
- When leaving a party or a bar, travel in groups.
- Order an Uber, Lyft, or cab, call a sober friend or family member to take you home. DUIs are dangerous to everyone, and they cost a lot of money.
- Be aware at the bar or venue. Always pay attention to your drink and never leave it unattended. Be aware of unattended or suspicious backpacks, bags, or packages.
- If you’re meeting up with someone you met on an app, tell your friends where you’re going and describe the person you’re with.
- If possible share a screenshot of the person’s social media with a trusted friend.
- Meet your date in a public place.
- Try to find out as much about your date as possible.
- If practical, record your date’s vehicle description and license plate number.
- If your date is making you uncomfortable, don’t worry about politeness. LEAVE!
Never be afraid to ask for help or reach out to the local community.
Take the QBurgh Reader Survey
We wanna hear from you! 🧡
Take the QBurgh Reader Survey and help us make our content even more fabulous, useful, and queer-as-hell for students like you.
🎁 As a thank you, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Amazon or 5801 Video Lounge (if you’re 21)! 5 winners will be randomly chosen.
🗣️ Your voice = your power. Help us grow queer media that reflects you.
Keep Pittsburgh Queer!
This city belongs to you, too
Pittsburgh’s queer community is tender, resilient, and radical AF. Whether you’re stepping into your identity for the first time or deep in your journey, this city holds space for you.
Check the calendar often, grab a copy of QBurgh magazine, attend a protest, flirt across a dance floor, and make queer Pittsburgh your own.
🧡 More resources, orgs, and magic moments await.
Check out QBurgh’s LGBTQ+ Directory for even more ways to plug in.
Wishing you the queerest, safest, most affirming school year ever.
You got this.
– With love,
The QBurgh Team
