Cruising gay san francisco

Pay homage to LGBTQ+ history at sites like the GLBT History Museum or Human Rights Campaign Store. Both can be reached via BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, which is the most cost-effective way to get from the airport to downtown and vice versa. Feel the cool breeze while spotting landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

Check out the Mission District for an artsy, trendy neighborhood with Latino flair. Open in season from May to October.

Swagger Like Us – For an underground queer club vibe, check out this event that gives new queer hip-hop artists, DJs, and dancers a place to show off their skills. Regular all-day drink specials offer just one more reason to drop in, no matter the time.

One of the few San Francisco gay bars outside the Castro or SoMa neighborhoods, the Cinch is equal parts dive bar and dance club.

Guests can enjoy several common areas including the front parlor, library with fireplace, sunroom, and the outdoor decks and gardens.

A good spot to catch up with friends over happy hour and on Sunday afternoons when it’s quite popular.

Oasis – This venue by drag legends D'Arcy Drollinger and Heklina presents drag shows, cabaret, and theater productions to a mixed gay/lesbian crowd in SoMa.

The Stud – A cornerstone in the San Francisco gay bar scene, this dive-ish bar in SoMa has been around the block.

The public transit system, known as Muni, is the best way to get around. This pass also provides admission to the California Academy of Sciences, a Blue & Gold Fleet Bay Cruise, the Aquarium of the Bay, and entrance to either the Exploratorium or the de Young Museum and Legion of Honor Museum. Last Call closed down during the pandemic, and was subsequently sold on to new owners – but they've kept the same vibe (and name). 

The place to see and be seen for everyone from leather-clad bears to tiny twinks to party-hardy lesbians.

While there are a handful of great queer patios in SF, El Rio's large, light-strung, plant-laden backyard is one of the best, with outdoor ping pong competition and free al fresco oysters on Friday evenings at 5:30pm.

This friendly neighborhood bar is one of the most low-key options in the Castro. Grab Mexican fare in the Mission before shows at drag paradise Oasis.

Their motto is “make it nice and be nice” and they live up to that ideal with great service and even greater food. Big groups who feel like pushing the boat out for an evening have the option of sitting at the “chef's table,” with its own prime menu.

Franciscan Crab Restaurant -Part of a building that looks like a rather jazzy luxury ship that’s washed ashore, this restaurant is up on the vessel’s second deck with huge windows showing off a spectacular view over Bay Bridge and the rest of San Francisco.

Weekly events include karaoke on Wednesdays, Picante (Latin night) on Thursdays, and RuPaul’s Drag Race on Fridays.

Daytime Realness – A monthly Sunday afternoon patio party with drag and dancing at El Rio in the Mission. Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!