Queer Cafe

Welcome Summertime

Welcome the summer with open arms and bare feet! The time of intense heat and humidity, tropical themes, and midsummer madness is here! Don your Hawaiian shirts, leis, sandals, and 4" inseam short shorts! From Memorial Day to Independence Day! From Pride Month to Labor Day! And don't forget Juneteenth and Fathers Day! The Summer Solstice is honored and celebrated with picnics, luaus, cookouts, parades, fireworks, and trips to the beach. Perhaps you'll find yourself surfing or sailing or just sipping pina coladas. This is the season of leisure, relaxation, and recreation. It is a time for reflection, recovery, and restoration. A time to regain our energy and refuel our passions.

Summer is Sizzling at These 10 Gay Beach Destinations
G Flip Covers Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’
Summer Activities: Experts Rate the Risks

Retrospective: Celebrities at Pride Events

Beachworthy Books Lovers of Queer Lit are Reading This Summer
Summertime by Norah Jones

PFLAG: List of Camps for LGBTQ Youth

All the Queer Tracks You Need This Summer
Fire Island Dance Festival

Season of Passion

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”
-William Shakespeare

“Warm air throbbing with locust songs. Warm clouds screening the heaven's blue rifts. Warm sun shadowing overhead cloud drifts. Warm sky straining earth tethered at her cloud thongs. Far away a thrushes' choir trills. Far away the murmur of a river's rills. Drumming of the thunder fist. Coming of the rain mist. Peeping, creeping, leaping, sweeping o'er the weeping hot hills.”

-E.E. Cummings

“Today the Summer has come to my window with its sighs and murmurs; and the bees are plying their minstrelsy at the court of the flowering grove. I sing dedication to life in this silent and overflowing leisure.”
-Rabindranath Tagore

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”
-Sam Keen

Amazing Ways to Get the Most Out of Orlando Pride this Summer

Rainbow Camp: Summer Camp for LGBTQ Teens
Summertime is Here (1976)

LGBTQ Summer Band Camp

New Orleans: LGBTQ Festivals and Events

Summer Celebration: Father's Day, Juneteenth, and LGBTQ Pride

Auste and Sangaile

My Summer of Love

Summertime by Willie Nelson

Month of LGBTQ Pride

June is LGBTQ Pride Month. In the LGBTQ community, it is one of the highlights of the summer season. It is a time of celebration, affirmation, solidarity, and empowerment.

LGBTQ Pride (or Gay Pride) is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people as a social group. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBTQ rights movements and celebrations. Ranging from solemn to carnivalesque, pride events are typically held during June, which is LGBTQ Pride Month. Pride events typically include parades, marches, rallies, commemorations, concerts, community days, dance parties, and festivals.

Theatre Camp: Trailer

Summer is Sizzling at These 10 Gay Beach Destinations

Beachworthy Books Lovers of Queer Lit are Reading This Summer

Let’s Make This the Summer of the Creamsicle
Summer Travel Essentials

Summer of Mesa: Full Length Movie

Where Did Our Favorite Queer Celebrities Go on Summer Vacation?
Info: LGBTQ Fun, Leisure, Recreation, Vacation

Summer is Here by Eric Gadd

Travel Vlog: Sunny Days in California

Kevin and Moose: Long Hot Summer

Camp Brave Trails: LGBTQ Youth Summer Camp

Amazing Ways to Get the Most Out of Orlando Pride this Summer
Standing Up for Equality: Pensacola Pride's 30th Anniversary
Everything You Need to Know for Pensacola Pride's 30th Anniversary

Pensacola Pride's 30th Anniversary

Florida's elected officials won't keep these partygoers from saying gay

Even during an election year, Pensacola is showing up and showing out for LGBTQ rights.

As the November 2024 presidential election slowly approaches, Florida has proposed a slew of anti-LGBTQ bills the past few years, but tourists attending Pensacola Pride aren't giving up on equality that easily.

This year, Memorial Weekend Pensacola is hitting their 30th anniversary and Johnny Chisholm is pulling out all the stops to ensure every member of the queer community can show their Pride. Ahead of the big milestone anniversary, Chisholm explains what's in store and open up on why it's more important than ever to celebrate Pride.

Q: Congratulations on 30 years of Pensacola Pride! What even goes through your head when I say 30 years?
Johnny Chisholm: Thanks! Many many memories of parties and people past.

Q: If you were able to go back in time and tell yourself 30 years ago that Pensacola Pride would still be going strong, how do you think your younger self would react?
Chisholm: I'm happy and grateful that we are still able to do something people enjoy after so many years.

Q: 30 years is a very monumental occasion. What should people expect for this anniversary year?
Chisholm: The same great parties and DJs. We are having Trixie Mattel of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame spinning a special DJ set at our Saturday Tea Dance. Our Sunday white party will be named “Abracadabra” in honor of our very first party 30 years ago.

Q: For people who've never attended a Pensacola Pride before, what are they missing out on?
Chisholm: We have the most beautiful beaches and the absolute most fabulous parties! This year, of all years, is very important to show our Pride.

Q: With it being an election year, why is it so vital for people in the LGBTQ community to show their Pride this year?
Chisholm: We have to show people that we are already here and part of the wider community.

Q: Many people in the LGBTQ community are nervous to travel to Florida. What would you like to say to people who are hesitant about attending Pride celebrations in Florida?
Chisholm: Pensacola Beach is a very safe and welcoming community.

Q: Can you give us a hint as to what DJ's you think will come out to Pensacola Pride this year?
Chisholm: Our DJ lineup is: Abel, Robbie Carrigan, TDon, Joe Gauthreaux, Will Lowe, Eddie Martinez, Trixie Mattel, Dan Slater, Karsten Sollors, and Tom Stephan.

[Source: Ricky Cornish, Advocate, May 2024]

Amazing Ways to Get the Most Out of Orlando Pride this Summer

And That's Enough

she was radiance. shoulder blades and beaches. and orange headphones.
carsick Saturdays and card games I could never win, just like her heart.
but I think I'm okay with that.

at least I played the game: poker face on, cards down.
and that's enough.

sometimes our calves would brush as we sat watching movies.
and that's enough.

I was awkward and she was graceful.
I was nothing and she was absolutely everything.

but for a summer she dealt me in.
and that's enough.

-Caroline Kaufman

Camp Camp: Summer Vacation for LGBTQ Adults

LGBTQ Denver

Summer is Sizzling at These 10 Gay Beach Destinations

Summer Activities: Experts Rate the Risks

Summer Olympics: 100 LGBTQ Athletes

Where Did Our Favorite Queer Celebrities Go on Summer Vacation?

Summer of Love: London's LGBTQ Youth Scene

Rainbow Camp: Summer Camp for LGBTQ Teens

My Summer of Love

Beachworthy Books Lovers of Queer Lit are Reading This Summer

Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

Summer Reading: Summer of Salt

Midsummer Madness

“Why this is very midsummer madness.”
-William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

“Summer Solstice happens about June 21. All things move in spirals, and I watch the year move in a spiral, right now spiraling up to the sun's climax. I celebrate summer and the heat of the gods.”
-Francesca De Grandis

“Tis wealth enough of joy for me In summertime to simply be.”
-Paul Laurence Dunbar

“For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.”
-William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet

“Everything good, everything magical, happens between the months of June and August.”
-Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty

“I love how summer just wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket.”
-Kellie Elmore

New York City Pride

Provincetown LGBTQ Events

Summer is Sizzling at These 10 Gay Beach Destinations

Qords: LGBTQ Youth Music Camp in North Carolina

Seattle Pride

Summertime by Natalie King

Visit Florida: LGBTQ Getaway

Summer of Sangaile: Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid

Summer Reading: My Lesbian Beach Party

Summer Celebration of Being Gay

Embracing Love and Liberation

Summer, the season of warmth and vibrant energy, brings forth an atmosphere of jubilation and freedom. For members of the LGBTQ community, this season takes on a unique significance, providing an opportunity to celebrate their identity and embrace love in all its colors.

Self-Discovery... Summer, with its longer days and sunny skies, offers a time for introspection and self-discovery. For many individuals, the season becomes a catalyst for embracing their true selves, including their sexuality. Coming to terms with one's queer identity can be both liberating and challenging, but the warmth of the season encourages a sense of acceptance and a desire to live authentically.

Pride Celebrations... The summer months are synonymous with Pride celebrations worldwide, commemorating the historic Stonewall riots and advocating for LGBTQ rights. Pride events create a platform for gay individuals to openly express their identities and demonstrate solidarity with their community. These colorful and exuberant festivities foster a sense of unity and empowerment, encouraging gay individuals to embrace their uniqueness unapologetically.

Love and Relationships... Summer love stories are a classic theme in literature and popular culture, and for queer individuals, this season serves as a backdrop to their own tales of romance. Love knows no boundaries, and summer provides a welcoming environment for couples to hold hands, share intimate moments, and celebrate their affection openly. Whether strolling on a sun-kissed beach or picnicking under the shade of a tree, the season encourages the expression of love in its purest form.

Family and Acceptance... Summer vacations often bring families together, offering opportunities for LGBTQ individuals to foster understanding and acceptance among their loved ones. As the warmth of the season permeates hearts, families may embrace the diversity of their queer members, supporting and celebrating their identities with love and understanding. The summer spirit can facilitate healing and bridge the gap between generations, leading to a more inclusive family dynamic.

Summer, with its vivacity and warmth, provides an idyllic backdrop for queer individuals to embrace their identities and celebrate love, both for themselves and their community. From Pride events that champion acceptance to personal moments of self-discovery and love, the season empowers queer individuals to live authentically and openly. However, amidst the celebrations, it is essential to remember that the fight for true equality and acceptance continues beyond the summer months. By nurturing an inclusive and compassionate society, we can ensure that the celebration of being queer extends throughout the year, promoting love, understanding, and respect for all.

Summer Reading: Summer of Salt

Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

Summer of Mesa: Full Length Movie

Fire Island Dance Festival

Beachworthy Books Lovers of Queer Lit are Reading This Summer

Summer Activities: Experts Rate the Risks

My First Gay Summer: Mykonos, Greece

PFLAG: List of Camps for LGBTQ Youth

Kevin and Moose: Long Hot Summer

Summer is Here by Eric Gadd

Down to the Beach

Down to the beach, down to the beach, on a sunny day we go

Down to the beach, down to the beach, where a chilly sea breeze blows

Beach bags packed with sun screen lotions
Hands rubbing people’s backs in slow motion
Glistening oily bodies radiating with sensation

Down to the beach, to relax and unwind
Only there the ladies reveal their round saucy behinds

Summertime by Norah Jones

Summer is Sizzling at These 10 Gay Beach Destinations

Rainbow Camp: Summer Camp for LGBTQ Teens
Auste and Sangaile

Summertime is Here (1976)

Down to the beach as never-ceasing waves play across the shores
People happily play dreading any rainy downpour

Down to the beach where young lovers closely nestle
As sand creatures cause the sand to bristle

Down to the beach where seagulls glide in the air with screams and whistles
Kids picking up shells and building stormy sand castles

Down to the beach, Down to the beach where mostly good vibes flow
We go whilst there is still sun without snow

-Lovina Sylvia Chidi

Summer Activities: Experts Rate the Risks

Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

Where Did Our Favorite Queer Celebrities Go on Summer Vacation?

Retrospective: Celebrities at Pride Events

Summertime by Norah Jones

Summertime Reflections

"As one of the four natural cycles, summer follows spring and foreshadows autumn. In this time of the year, we have a brief window of opportunity when days become hot and long, while nights are short and sweet. The sun shines its brightest and most intense and everything around is urging you to go outdoors. It is the best time to go on vacation, spend time near the sea, eat watermelon, and drink daiquiris. We find ourselves playing outdoor sports, partying with families and friends, going on picnics, and sunbathing. It is the season for watching baseball and fireworks and attending outdoor concerts under the stars. Nature is full of bright colors, the birds are singing, and everything around you is flourishing. Plants and trees are giving fruits, flowers are blooming, and you can smell amazing aromas in the air. And everyone seems to feel happier during the summer."

-Celebration of the Seasons, Earth's Holidays

Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And oft’ is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal Summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

PFLAG: List of Camps for LGBTQ Youth

Fire Island Dance Festival

Summer is Sizzling at These 10 Gay Beach Destinations

Rainbow Camp: Summer Camp for LGBTQ Teens
Summertime is Here (1976)

Beachworthy Books Lovers of Queer Lit are Reading This Summer

On the beach of dreams, we sit watching a never setting sun.
Never wondering how long our love will last, or how much time, we have.
Our dreams stretch out forever like our love my dear.
Our hearts beat as one whenever you are near.
Each day as the sun rises, I want to return to the beach.
The beach of dreams, which both of us share.
-David Harris

"As the lazy summer days unfold, we think of sitting around the pool, going for long walks, biking, reading fiction and hanging out with family or friends. What could be more refreshing than spending time with those we love and care about while at the beach? What about reflections? I find that summer is a great time for some quiet musing. It is a time to look at my activities over the first half of the year and envision how I want the next half of the year to unfold. I engage in long conversations with friends, ask more questions and spend more time in thought. Undoubtedly, those long, lazy summer days can be my most productive of the year, as I engage in contemplation and planning."
-Joyce Odidison, Interpersonal Wellness Services

Summertime by Natalie King

Chicago Pride Postponed

Visit Florida: LGBTQ Getaway

Summer of Sangaile: Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid

Summer Reading: My Lesbian Beach Party

Provincetown LGBTQ Events

"Reinvention, renewal, inspired ideas ... they all have time to breed just a little more during those lazy summer afternoons when you may be taking an extra walk, sitting on a beach, hopefully even holidaying somewhere wonderful. These are moments when we disconnect from the everyday moments that drive our every movement, the tasks and the chores of life, jobs, family, commitments and just take a deep breath — literally and metaphorically. When you take that deep breath, that pause, that moment of reflection, what do you do with that time? What could you do with that time? Are you using it in a quiet and important way to focus on you? It’s not such an odd question, really. Don’t we all get so caught up in the business of life, that we don’t stop to make sure we’re on the right trajectory? That time is yours — so use it wisely. Are you doing what you want? Inspiring yourself to have the greatness in your life you deserve? Loving the best way you can? Sharing the way you want Indulging in the things you love? Nurturing your passions? Every moment is a chance for Reinvention so never stop asking yourself if you’re happy and how to have more of what you want/need/love in your life."
-Kathi Sharpe-Ross, The Reinvention Exchange

At dawn, bare footed, viewing as far as eyes can reach,
the water's edge advances and recedes along the beach.
Before me I see a carpet of half-buried shells of sea-creatures,
tide washed and rippled in sodden sand along the beach.
I move, exploring, sodden sand oozing between my toes,
beyond me the wavelets breaking on the sand along the beach.
Behind me, my wandering trail is blurred and indistinct,
as the water's edge advances and recedes along the beach.
At mid-day, on the soft dry sand behind the water's edge,
undressed worshippers lie in the sun that beats down along the beach.
At night, the moon's reflection at the water's edge
resembles sea serpents playing in the wavelets along the beach.
-Michael Williams

New York City Pride

Qords: LGBTQ Youth Music Camp in North Carolina

Seattle Pride

“With summer sweat and passions seething, the primal dance of earth's deep breathing,
We welcome you, sweet Summer's muse, with wild abandon and kicked-off shoes.
Through glaring sun and tropic rains, our spirits soar free and unrestrained.
Naked across the fields traverse, immodest souls in glee perverse
Regale the steamy season's air and lay their inhibitions bare.
The heaving waves of roaring ocean, the bustling streets of raw emotion,
Nature's sensuous ebb and flow, the cabaret and striptease show
Join the raucous celebration, fraught with zeal and titillation.”
-Celebration of the Seasons, Earth's Holidays

Summertime by Natalie King

Chicago Pride Postponed

Visit Florida: LGBTQ Getaway

Summer of Sangaile: Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid

Summer Reading: My Lesbian Beach Party

Summertime by Willie Nelson

Sun-Kissed Love: Summer Day on the Beach

Summer is a symphony of sunlight and laughter, where the sand becomes a canvas for adventures and the waves sing a soothing melody. Amidst this vibrant tapestry of the season, the beach becomes a sanctuary for love to bloom, and in this particular tale, two young men find themselves immersed in the warmth of the sun and the embrace of each other.

Meet Alex and Ryan, two souls entwined in a love as deep as the ocean they frolic in. As they arrive at the beach, the sun dances on their skin, painting them in hues of gold and bronze. With laughter as their soundtrack, they spread their towels on the sandy canvas, eager to embark on their summer escapade.

The beach is their playground, and they dive into the waves with unbridled joy. With each splash and each ripple, they revel in the freedom of being together, their laughter echoing against the vast expanse of the sea. As they emerge from the water, droplets clinging to their skin like glistening jewels, they steal glances filled with affection, knowing that in each other’s arms, they’ve found home.

Their day unfolds like a love story written by the sea. They build sandcastles adorned with seashells, their fingers interlacing as they mold dreams from grains of sand. They chase seagulls along the shore, their laughter mingling with the cries of the birds as if they're part of the same symphony.

As the sun begins its descent, casting a warm glow upon the horizon, they snuggle on their towels, watching the sky turn into a canvas of vibrant hues. With whispered promises and tender caresses, they embrace the serenity of the moment, knowing that in each other’s arms, they’ve found solace from the chaos of the world.

As twilight envelops the beach in its embrace, they share a kiss, a testament to the love that knows no boundaries. In that fleeting moment, under the canopy of stars and the gentle lullaby of the waves, they find perfection in each other’s embrace.

For Alex and Ryan, this summer day on the beach is more than just a day of fun—it’s a celebration of their love, a testament to the beauty of being true to oneself, and a reminder that in the warmth of the sun and the embrace of each other, they’ve found paradise.

As the night unfolds its velvet curtain and the stars twinkle overhead, they walk hand in hand along the shore, their footprints mingling with the whispers of the waves. And as they disappear into the darkness, their love remains, an eternal flame that continues to illuminate the sands of time, casting its radiance upon all who dare to dream of a love as boundless as the ocean.

Hampton Beach

The sunlight glitters keen and bright,
Where, miles away, lies stretching to my dazzled sight
A luminous belt, a misty light, beyond the dark pine bluffs and wastes of sandy gray.
The tremulous shadow of the Sea! Against its ground of silvery light, rock, hill, and tree,
Still as a picture, clear and free, with varying outline mark the coast for miles around.

On—on—we tread with loose-flung rein, our seaward way,
Through dark-green fields and blossoming grain,
Where the wild brier-rose skirts the lane, and bends above our heads the flowering locust spray.

Ha! like a kind hand on my brow comes this fresh breeze,
Cooling its dull and feverish glow, while through my being seems to flow
The breath of a new life, the healing of the seas!

Fire Island Dance Festival

Where Did Our Favorite Queer Celebrities Go on Summer Vacation?

Summer of Sangaile: Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid

Now rest we, where this grassy mound, his feet hath set
In the great waters, which have bound, his granite ankles greenly round
With long and tangled moss, and weeds with cool spray wet.

Goodbye to pain and care! I take mine ease today.
Here where these sunny waters break, and ripples this keen breeze, I shake
All burdens from the heart, all weary thoughts away.

I draw a freer breath, I seem like all I see— Waves in the sun—the white-winged gleam—
Of sea-birds in the slanting beam— And far-off sails which flit before the south-wind free.

So when time’s veil shall fall asunder, the soul may know.
No fearful change, nor sudden wonder, nor sink the weight of mystery under,
But with the upward rise, and with the vastness grow.

And all we shrink from now may seem no new revealing;
Familiar as our childhood’s stream, or pleasant memory of a dream
The loved and cherished past upon the new life stealing.

My Summer of Love

Summer Reading: Summer of Salt

Camp Brave Trails: LGBTQ Youth Summer Camp

Summer is Here by Eric Gadd