There’s a lot to be said for looking twice. An example to exemplify what I’m exampling: Last week, Instagram recommended a post to me praising Austin’s queer Fourth Street bars. I was interested if only because any and all writing about LGBTQ Austin intrigues me, but closer appraisal – a second look! – shocked me. Rather than a photo of Fourth icon Oilcan Harry’s real brick exterior, this account had created an eerie AI image of some rando bar with the Oilcan sign stripped of its gears, neon, and the titular Harry. Despite the majority of the account being artificially generated simulacrums of Austin landmarks, their follower count remains well over 100K, including many of my mutuals I considered smarter cookies than this.
This mostly reveals how empty supporting your community solely through social media can be. If you haven’t left your house to bop around IRL, you might not clock that Oilcan’s patio is in the back or that the Zilker Eagle isn’t a covered train. That’s knowledge you might build through active engagement with your local queer scene. While I’m not gonna name the account because I’d rather not give ’em traffic, here’s your reminder to practice ACTIVE engagement with info you get fed by socials – including me! We get better and stronger by combining love for our community with critical thinking skills.
Consider this a fun way to develop those skills: the Little Gay Shop’s just released the initial version of their Austin Queer Business Roundup map. In honor of Pride Month, they’ve got a bunch of local queer places from bookstores to retail to restaurants to service providers marked on a map of Bat City. But as any good data collector would, TLGS calls on the LGBTQ public to help them with filling in any spots they might’ve missed. If you know a business that meets their requirements that’s not already on their list, submit it via the form linked at thelittlegayshop.com/pages/austin-queer-business-map.
Are you a Black, queer, and trans artist living in Austin (or Dallas or Houston)? ACLU of Texas’ current artist-in-residence Dr. Robyn Adams has issued a call for y’all. As part of their “Black Futures in Flesh and Story” collaborative mixtape/lyric chapbook project, Dr. Adams is setting up storytelling workshops around the state with Austin’s happening June 27. To apply to be in one of these paid storytelling circles ($150) reach out to robynbriaadams@gmail.com with your name and participating city.
DJs of the Austin queer scene, your number’s been pulled. Queer Musicians ATX has issued a call for queer disc jockeys to submit their names for their upcoming Pride competition. The event, happening June 14 at Coconut Club, will feature 10 DJs going head to head for big prizes – including a weekend set at Neon Grotto. If you’re interested, reach out to @queermusiciansatx via direct message.
CRAFT Presents: Queer Craft Club
Thursday 28, CRAFT
Join the CRAFT open workshop behind Canopy for a night of queer making at their community table. 5pm.
Glamp Glamp Presents Met Glampa: The Guilty Gala
Thursday 28, Lynny’s
This experimental queer performance art open-mic stage calls for classy and contrite inspirations. Sign up’s at 6, and they promise they’re “starting on time this time.” 7pm.
Anybody But Tony: All Stars
Thursday 28, Barrett’s Too
Join DEI Comedy for their first anniversary event, featuring a lineup packed with all your favorite funny folks and hosts Everett and Holden. 8pm.
Javier and Melissa Talk About Love, OCD, Queerness, Catholicism, and Museums
Friday 29, MASS Gallery
Artists Javier Robelo and Melissa Fandos chat on the Gunter Street gallery’s grounds about the above mentioned subjects, but also “walking, birds, cousins, therapists, photography, best friends, the sea, phones, gardens, and mothers.” 8:30pm.
Hannah and Spencer End Homophobia
Friday 29 – Sunday 31, Fallout Theater
Thank GOD these guys have put this whole “hating gay people” thing to bed via a night of absurdist sketch comedy featuring Jo Foster, Syd Goin, Alisa Hernandez, Katy Matz, Andrew Miculka, Greg Phelps, Sam Pike, Will Stauber, and your guides for the evening, Hannah Schwager and Spencer Pruitt.
Down the Witches Road
Saturday 30, Hotel Vegas Patio
As part of the larger Geek Glams Bar Crawl, your Vixens of Volstead – May Magdalene, Mars, and Veronica Valentine – go witchy with a show inspired by spell-casters in pop culture. DJ Killgxrl spins. 4pm.
Craft + Chat
Saturday 30, Little Walnut Creek Branch Library
Join Asian Family Support Services of Austin along with Khush ATX for this crafting afternoon dedicated to queer South Asians. 2:30pm.
Drag for All
Saturday 30, OutWellness
Continue learning the art of drag from Haus of Pump, this time with “intersex baddie” Stellar Manx teaching lip sync techniques. Noon.
Drag Me to the Tavern
Saturday 30, Tiny Minotaur
Explore this enchanted garden with fantasy showers bringing cute drag flowers in the form of Queen Whoopsie Daisy, Buzzettea, Leia Sakura, and your host Sir Beau Elliot, Esq. 9:30pm.
Mutual Aid Bake Sale
Saturday 30, Monkeywrench Books
A chance to snag vegan, gluten-free, and otherwise pastries with all donations going directly to disabled comrades and community members who need help with care and living expenses? Yum! 2pm.
Pop-Up Clay Club
Saturday 30, MASS Gallery
Get freakin’ ceramic’d with a pop-up from Monofonus Studios, the MASS’ across-the-street neighbor. Both a showcase of the studio’s members’ work as well as a market, this event curated by Grayson Hunt also features a fired up Earth Oven and by-donation mimosas. 11am.
Body Mechanics
Saturday 30, 4211 Todd Lane
Gear’d up with nowhere to go? Try sliding over to hear DJs like Lyssette’s Missing, Future Blondes, Post Modern Sleaze, Jumpr (San Fran), and “the Diva Witch Bitch” Divalis. 10pm.
Onda Nova
Sunday 31, AFS Cinema
Part of Queer Cinema: Lost and Found, a video from programmer Elizabeth Purchell precedes this soccer movie about a group of young women challenging the sport’s social norms. 3:40pm.
Cheer Austin Boat Party
Sunday 31, Highland Lakes Marina
Join the pom-pom parade for this fundraising excursion on a boat featuring a costume contest, lip sync battle, and more. Benefits Rainbow Connections ATX. 10:30am.
Coco Coquette’s Sweet Sixteen
Sunday 31, Coco Coquette
A tip of the wig to these birthday babes as they celebrate 16 years as a small biz with a confectionary costume contest, cake, and a 16% off sale throughout the shop. 2pm.
Critter Car Wash Fundraiser and Swim
Sunday 31, Package Austin
Your wheels will be sparkingly clean after the pups and handlers of Central Austin Boop Society give it a wash. Donations benefit the groups continuing programming for the local critter community, and get you access to the on-site pool, special drinks, and DJ spins by Chique Fil-Atio. Noon.
Queer MMA
Sunday 31, Black Widow MMA
No experience necessary to join this free class led by Coach Lu and special guest Coach Morgan, a Tae Kwon Do specialist. Trans Resistance Project tables with trans medical care resources and info. 11am.
Wet T-Slur Contest
Sunday 31, Cheer Up Charlies
For their third year in a row, the trans hotties of Austin gather to compare soaked shirts under the watchful eye of “mommy” p1nkstar. Plus, the big water slide gets broken out. 4pm.
Xtasy Cookout
Sunday 31, allgo
Presented by Pride in Black ATX and allgo, this summer grill and chill features free entry, free food, and free testing courtesy of AHF. Plus DJ Que Fanci spins. 4pm.
D.E.B.S.
Wednesday 3, Hyperreal Film Club
Pride Month means TWO Carabiner Club screenings in June! First up is an Aughts sapphic action-comedy featuring “it” girls of the moment Jordana Brewster and Devon Aoki, and GMILF icon Holland Taylor. 7:30pm.
Times Square
Wednesday 3, Barrett’s Too
Back around their old North Loop digs, Bloody Rose Boutique presents their Pride Movie & Music Series. The fun kicks off with an Eighties musical featuring Tim Curry and a live performance by Maiden Mother Crone. Plus, a mini vendor market. 7:30pm.
Lez Fest
Thursday 4, Hotel Vegas + Volstead
From Scissor Sisters ATX alongside sapphic social groups Aura and Sevens ATX comes a mega U-Haul truck-sized party featuring local bands, DJs, vendors, tattoo artists, and more – all for the lesbians! 6pm.
In the Calendar
Die Harder: The Burlesque Show
Friday 29, Sky Candy
You probably never imagined you’d be seated at a burlesque show themed on the famous Bruce Willis holiday film Die Hard, but some of the best gifts come in surprising packages. Through “striptease, storytelling, and spectacle,” aerial and burlesque artists will dazzle the eyes for a narrative-driven show bringing the action classic to life. Featuring Brad French, CanDeStroy, Ginger Snaps, Zoja Exotica, and many more, this show promises that you’ll “Buy the whole seat but you’re only going to need the edge!!!!” Snap up a VIP ticket while you still can – they’re going fast. – Kat McNevins
The Handmaiden
Saturday 30 – Sunday 31, Alamo Village, South Lamar, Slaughter Lane, Lakeline, and Mueller
A special place in heaven’s reserved for good medium-to-medium adaptations, and buddy, it’s pretty sparsely populated. Translating a work from its original format into a totally different one is a difficult task that many don’t approach with the level of care shown by South Korean director Park Chan-wook in his cinematic re-creation of Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith. As erotic and English as the title implies, Waters’ story gets transported to 1930s colonial Korea in the 2016 picture with the novel’s Victorian class-centric conflict given a new dimension thanks to Park’s exploration of the era’s Japanese occupation. Hidden identities, pornographic paintings, and perhaps the most sexy massage of a rotten tooth ever committed to film accentuate the original novel’s sapphic crime story while creating a visual journey that’s unassailably unique. – James Scott
This article appears in May 29 • 2026.
