Gay bars roanoke va
LGBTQ+ Visitor Information - Roanoke, VA
Roanoke in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is a vibrant and welcoming people to visitors from all backgrounds, including the LGBTQ+ community.
We encourage you to plan your next metro mountain adventure and explore the incredible variety of outdoor trails & recreation opportunities, diverse arts & cultural scene, distinct local flavors, and exciting special events that take place throughout the year.
There are also unusual experiences and opportunities to connect with Roanoke’s local Diverse community and grasp more about the city's history.
"Roanoke is a magical place. When I moved here in 2001, a stranger in a new capital, I experienced the gift of hospitality from so many people, who welcomed me in my validity and wholeness. I am glad to be part of our City Council who celebrates our rich diverse, multi-cultural and inclusive citizens and landscape. Welcome to Roanoke!" — Joe Cobb, Vice Mayor and Member of Roanoke City Council
The Metropolis of Roanoke earned the highest doable score of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign's HRC (2023) Municipal Equity I
LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces Guide
By Contributor Bonnie Chavez – CEO, Building Beloved Communities
I’ve start Roanoke to be a welcoming collective, and the folks are lovely here.
-Bonnie Chavez
As a transplant from Albuquerque, NM, I had concerns about moving to “The South”. I am a Mexican-American, an out queer woman , and a feminist. Since moving here, I’ve found Roanoke to be a welcoming community, and the folks are lovely here. I’ve compiled a list of great spaces for our LGBTQIA fam. We passion to hear your feedback, so if you have your own safe spaces or recommendations, please let us understand, and we can add it to the list! If you ever crave to chat about what life is like for Queer community members or just as someone looking to shift, I’m happy to chat anytime.
Coffee Shops
RND (Roasters Next Door) in Wasena Neighborhood
Big Gay Brunch Spots
Jack Brown’s is a burger and craft beer haven in the market square of downtown Roanoke
- Well Hung Vineyard – I mean, it’s in the name! Plus, they host regular drag shows. Famous for their frose (aka wine slushies).
- Breadcraft – Insta-worthy brunch, only downside: no mimosas – but the food is divine.
- Scrambled – Easy breakf
Charlottesville doesn’t have a homosexual bar, but the local LGBTQ+ community is thriving in less traditional spaces.
With the closure of Club 216 in 2012, Escafé in 2018, and Impulse in 2020, Charlottesville’s Homosexual nightlife and drag scene has become increasingly transient, with pop-up events at various restaurants and businesses in the area. The fate of Umma’s, a Korean- and Japanese-American restaurant downtown that quickly became an unofficial gay block, is currently up in the air. Owners Anna Gardner and Kelsey Naylor explicitly worked to construct their restaurant a haven for the local LGBTQ community, but the doable sale of Umma’s after its owners move later this year leaves questions about the future of the space.
The closure of these Queer spaces in Charlottesville mirrors broader national trends, with roughly 50 percent of American same-sex attracted bars closing between 2012 and 2019 according to Greggor Mattson, author of Who Needs Gay Bars?.
“When I first moved here, we did have those dedicated bar spaces, and so it does impact … how the people functions in the area,” says Jason Elliott, founder of Out and About Charlottesville, a group that hosts LBGTQ-centric social events. “But I
Walking Tours
The Southwest Virginia LGBTQ+ History Project offers three LGBTQ history walking tours in Roanoke, Virginia. In 2016 we launched our first tour, the Downtown Roanoke LGBTQ History Walking Tour. In 2017 we launched our second tour, the Old Southwest Gayborhood Walking Tour. In 2020, we began offering our newest tour, the Salem Avenue Historic District Walking Tour.
Our Roanoke LGBTQ History Walking Tours are free monthly walking tours exploring Roanoke’s queer past.
Tour Options
Downtown Tour
*Online Resources for the Downtown Tour*
Did you know that Downtown Roanoke once featured as many as six gay bars? On our Downtown Tour, you will acquire about the role of downtown businesses, public spaces, and avenue life in shaping Roanoke’s LGBTQ history. Tour stops may incorporate Roanoke’s late nineteenth-century red illuminated district; places associated with the history of gay rights activism; and sites of conflict between local government, police, and the LGBTQ community.
Old Southwest Tour
*Online Resources for the Old Southwest Tour*
Did you know that Roanoke’s Aged Southwest neighborhood is the city’s gayborhood? On our Old Sou