Raleigh’s Best Gay & Lesbian Bars (2024 LGBT Nightlife Guide)

If you are trying to locate the best gay and lesbian bars or clubs in Raleigh you will find all the info you need right here. This local LGBT nightlife guide will also cover things like mixed clubs, trans bars, drag shows, the main queer area near you and more!

On top of that the best LGBT dating sites will be getting a shout out, particularly a few sites that are more geared towards hooking up than getting too deep into a serious relationship at the moment. Plus we will mention all of the best Raleigh gay pride events and meet ups we know about.

Some people like to party, others don’t really want to hang out in lesbian or gay bars in your area all night and because of that we will attempt to give you as many options as possible so you can choose the right one for you.

Best LGBT Bars & Clubs In Raleigh

The best Raleigh gay, lesbian, or mixed LGBT bars and nightclubs would be:

• Legends Nightclub at 330 W Hargett St
• The Green Monkey at 1217 Hillsborough St
• Ruby Deluxe at 415 S Salisbury St
• Flex at 2 SW St

Best Gay Bars & Clubs

We know some of you are here to find out about gay bars in Raleigh for men to meet men. The thing is, as the world becomes more inclusive those old lines are getting blurred. These days most local gay bars are actually mixed, and any of the above spots can easily lead to gay hook ups.

Best Lesbian Bars & Clubs in Raleigh

The same can be said when it comes to trying to find a strictly lesbian bar. Go out to any of the bars or clubs from the mixed list and if there are not other lesbian women looking to meet women in your area then move on until you find the right spot for that night.

Drag Shows & Trans Bars

We aren’t really to the point of having full on trans bars in Raleigh, but you can find drag shows that may help you locate ts near you at:

• Drag Shows at Legends Nightclub on Fridays
• Drag Variety Show at Ruby Deluxe on Weekends
• Caza Nightclub

Look guys, we can’t be perfect on all the cities around the world that we cover. We know the scene pretty well here, but plenty of people who live here probably know it better.

It would be great if you could let us know about any errors we made or if anything is out of date on this page in the comments section at the end. Also, if you think any venues should be listed as solely places for men to meet men or women to meet women fill us in, thanks a lot.

Many of these gay or lesbian bars and clubs can be found in the LGBT nightlife area of Hargett Street around the 300 block. Go do your partying their and you will be able to check out the various venues and find out the right spots for your personal tastes.

By the way we have also discussed:

• Charlotte Gay & Lesbian Bars
• Virginia Beach Gay & Lesbian Bars
• Baltimore Gay & Lesbian Bars
• Nashville Gay & Lesbian Bars

Weekly, Monthly, & Pride Events

Here are some of the best LGBT events in your area that occur on a weekly or monthly basis:

• Take It Off at Flex on Fridays
• Bear Events at Flex on Saturdays
• Trouble Mondays at Legends Nightclub
• Q&L Sundays at Ruby Deluxe
• Queer-Oke at Ruby Deluxe on Mondays
• Women’s Monthly Meet Up at The Green Monkey on 2nd Fridays
• Trivia! Trivia! Trivia! at The Green Monkey on Thursdays

Many of you are probably already fully aware of NC Pride September.

Best LGBT Dating Sites

It used to be that local gay bars were pretty much the only places to try and find other LGBT people for dating or hook ups. Luckily that isn’t the case anymore, and now we want to tell you about one of our favorite options.

Plus not everyone is fully ‘out’ at the moment and may not necessarily want to be spotted and get their photos posted on social media. Whatever your reasons are LGBT dating sites are a great way to meet people without having to get all dressed up and head to a gay or lesbian bar to do so.

The first sites we want to mention are mainly geared towards casual sex, they aren’t exactly dating sites. As the divorce rates keep climbing lots of people are enjoying the single life and aren’t looking for any commitment at the moment.

Men Nation is a really good gay dating site for hook ups, and if you want to hook up with gay men in Raleigh you should definitely check it out. Lesbian Personals is a really cool lesbian hook up site, and they are both run by Adult Friend Finder.

You have probably seen AFF ads around the web since they have been helping people hook up for close to two decades. Guys looking for other gay men near you to hook up with can use Men Nation for great results.

Local women who want to meet lesbian women would be best off using Lesbian Personals, and those who are bi-sexual and like all types can check out Adult Friend Finder which covers the whole gambit.

These sites are a nice and discreet way for you to get your kicks if visiting the LGBT bars, doesn’t sound like what you want to do currently. We also should tell you about the world’s top transgender dating site, MyTransgenderDate. Trans dating in Raleigh is trending upwards at a rapid rate as more ts near you are finally comfortable living the life they want to live.

We just covered the LGBT nightlife in your area as best as we can but don’t worry we will update this page often. You know where to go to find mixed, gay, or lesbian bars and clubs in Raleigh plus drag shows to party with trans and all sorts of LGBT dating sites. We hope you make the most of the information at hand.