Queer spaces where you can feel out and proud all year long

This casual, dimly lit watering hole in Silver Lake has been a favorite for LGBTQ clientele and their friends for more than 20 years. Enjoy cheap drinks underneath the large portraits of nudes that hang on the red-painted walls or choose tunes from a well-stocked analog jukebox.

Many of L.A.’s queer spaces are bars—not ideal for those who don’t drink, prefer not to stay out late or are under 21. That’s why Cuties is so important. All sexual orientations and gender identities can meet new friends and find community at this welcoming, pink-and–mint-green East Hollywood shop, where you can order espresso, coffee, teas and snacks, and check the bulletin boards for meet-ups.

Many bi people report a sense of isolation or erasure, often feeling as though they don’t fit in anywhere—but,thanks to social community amBi, that certainly doesn’t have to be the case. The Los Angeles chapter’s 3,000-plus members are invited to both public and private events all over the city. Make new friends at karaoke nights and on Saturday morning hikes or find common ground at weekly discussion groups.

This Saturday affair at the Standard, Downtown L.A., offers a particularly sexy deal: For $45, you’ll be served an endless smorgasbord of brunch favorites—biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles, bacon and eggs, plus bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys, juice or coffee—for an hour and a half. The show is hosted by Indica Sativa and Maebe a Girl, who became the first publicly elected drag queen in California in April, after snagging a seat on the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council.

Robin Gans and Sandy Sachs, both of whom moved here from New York in 1990 and found themselves disappointed by the lack of lesbian nightlife, founded Girlbar, this long-running, free weekly women’s party. Though L.A.’s queer club scene still caters heavily to men, women can duck into the Chapel at the Abbey every Wednesday for sexy go-go dancers, eclectic mixes from female DJs and a packed floor.

With more than two million books, videos, photographs, works of art and other items, ONE Archives has the largest collection of LGBTQ materials in the world. Make an appointment to do research (or just to flip through back issues of leather magazines) or schedule a group tour. What’s more, both ONE Archives and West Hollywood’s ONE Gallery host exhibits on genderqueer performance art, queer networks in Chicano L.A., gay motorcycle clubs and other topics.

Interested in more academic adventures? Check out the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, in West Hollywood, or the Tom of Finland Foundation, in Echo Park.

In need of advice on medical, mental health, housing or legal issues? This community hub has your number. At the Los Angeles LGBT Center, trans and nonbinary individuals can connect with programs at the Trans Wellness Center, near Koreatown, and attend the annual Trans Pride L.A. festival on June 14, the largest transgender Pride event in the country.

Lace up a pair of sneakers and join the VGL, regardless of your sexuality, gender identity or previous athletic experience. Sports include tennis, soccer, kickball, beach volleyball, bowling and even trivia and other anaerobic activities. No need to try out, just register with an existing team—in areas like Echo Park, Hollywood and Mar Vista—or start your own.