Our Favorite LGBTQ Owned Businesses
Show your support for your local community with a visit to one of these cool spots in cities across Europe and the US
5 Min Read
5 Min ReadSummer is almost here, and so is Pride Month! You may not be able to attend a parade yet this June, but you can still show up for gay rights—or show your support as an ally—in a safe, socially distanced fashion! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite LGBTQ owned businesses across Europe and the US to help you get back out there and explore.
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Celebrate Pride all year long by supporting one of these LGBTQ-owned businesses.
Above all, when you support a small business, money stays in the community!
So check out an LGBTQ events collective in London, a must-visit bookstore in Chicago, a queer hair salon in Oakland and more!
European LGBTQ Owned Businesess
Athens
Noiz Club is a welcoming LGBTQ owned nightclub in Athens’s Gazi District.
The stylish dance hall regularly features renowned international and local DJs, making it an ideal place to go dancing with a group. Noiz Club is normally open seven nights a week, but is currently operating on a reduced schedule due to Covid restrictions.
Check out the action Wednesday through Saturday nights!
London
Australian expat Maryann Wright is the genuis behind Sappho Events, a new initative to help the UK’s LGBTQI community bond during lockdown.
The organization’s slogan is “Find your LGBT+ people,” and their website and social channels make it simple for newcomers to London to do just that.
Upcoming June events—which are being held online for now—include an hour-long yin yoga class and a drag makeup workshop led by King Len Blanco.
Paris
There’s no better place to honor the legacy of gay Paris than the city’s oldest LGBTQ bookstore, Les Mots à la Bouche.
This charming shop carries a variety of books by gay and lesbian authors, as well as plenty of general fiction and non-fiction.
The store originally opened in Le Marais in 1980, but last year moved to the 11th arrondissement. The new shop is located at 37 rue Saint-Ambroise, between Place de la République and Père-Lachaise cemetery.
Vienna
If you’re looking to see and be seen, there’s no better place than Vienna’s trendy Village Bar. The bar has innovative cocktails and an impressive music video wall, which makes an excellent backdrop for selfies.
The Village Bar is set on a side street near the city’s bustling Naschmarkt.
LGBTQ Owned Businesess in the US
Boston
Jacque’s Cabaret is Beantown’s oldest surviving LGBTQ bar. The establishment dates back to the 1930s, and by the mid 1940s Jacque’s was Boston’s first gay bar.
This venerable watering hole was also the gathering point for Boston’s first Gay Pride March, held on Saturday, June 26, 1971.
Today, Jacque’s Cabaret is known for its dynamic drag shows. Check out our guide to Boston’s gay neighborhoods for even more to do.
Chicago
For more than 40 years, Unabridged Bookstore in Lakeview has served the local community. This LGBTQ owned bookstore has a full selection of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and kids’ books.
You can also join their Speculative Book Club, currently hosted on Zoom.
You can find even more local businesses to support in our guide to Chicago’s LGBTQ neighborhoods.
Denver
The aptly named Triangle Denver is located inside Downtown Denver’s historic Triangle Builing.
In addition to being one of the city’s best LGBTQ owned bars, it’s foodie heaven.
Triangle’s farm to table menu is a locavore’s dream come true, and the craft cocktails are mixed to perfection.
The bar has an impressive composting operation, and buys local whenever possible.
New York City
Located on the Lower East Side, the Bluestockings Cooperative is the only queer, trans, and sex worker run bookstore in the city.
Founded more than 20 years ago, the space is now a gathering place for the LGBTQ community.
You can browse for books or join one of the cooperative’s book clubs to make some new friends in NYC.
Check out Blueprint’s guide to some of NYC’s coolest gay neighborhoods for even more things to do.
Los Angeles
Upcycling is even cooler than traditional shopping, at least when you do it at Suay Sew Shop. This adorable LGBTQ owned studio puts out its own line of ethically made clothing, home goods, and gifts.
Everything they sell is made exclusively from deadstock, domestically grown organic fibers, and post-consumer waste.
You can also have any item in your wardrobe “remade” by Suay’s talented stitchers.
San Francisco Bay Area
Do want to freshen up your look? Check out Beauty Botanica, a queer hair salon in Oakland. The menu of services includes wet and dry cuts as well as extensions and color.
Talented stylist Olivia Bianco-Chaidez offers both single-process and balayage highlights.
After your styling session, go rock your new locks around town. You’ll find plenty of ideas in our guide to three of San Francisco’s most fab gay neighborhoods.
Seattle
Seattle’s hip Capitol Hill neighborhood is home to Wildrose, one of the oldest lesbian bars in the US. This watering hole has been woman-owned and operated since 1984.
Wildrose has DJs on the weekends, and karaoke every Wednesday at 9pm. There’s even outdoor seating!
Washington, DC
If you’re spending the summer in the nation’s capital, pick up some small-batch liquor from Republic Restoratives. This woman-owned, queer-led boutique distillery also has bottled cocktails. (These are perfect for anyone who isn’t a confident home mixologist.)
We’re on board with their Civic Vodka, distilled from North American corn.
Each of these small businesses lends its flavor to the city around it and helps transplants find a new community.
This is why it’s so important for all of us to get out and explore new places.
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