How have you met other gay people?

Emz93

Just thought it might be interesting to start a thread on this since so many people seem to start threads about wanting to meet other gay people. How did anyone get to know other gay people and strike up friendships with them? In a club, society or the scene etc?
I had literally no gay friends until early this year where by chance I met someone in a lecture in college, became friends. He was already out and so had a few gay friends and when I came out to him he introduced me to them so I guess it was pure luck that I chose to sit beside him that day :P joining the lgbt society this year in the hope to meet other people too

Daith

Ended up going to a meetup on QueerID. Met a huge number of people but became close friends with about five of them.

ewan whose army

Well for me QSoc and I don't know I just made a habit of going to the Front Lounge or Pantibar on weekends for a pint generally someone else bored would talk to me, I have made some friends that way.

Although I met my boyfriend online (that still sounds wierd despite its really common now)

mr.anonymous

Mostly online for me. I suppose boards.ie was the first place I came out!

I've at least two good friends who I met online. Means a lot for them and me to have someone to talk to about these things. First time I was out on the 'scene' I was with one of them.

Be lost without the internet in this way!

ewan whose army

I will say just chilling in places like TFL and Pantibar have helped me, you talk to some really interesting people. I used to be conflicted about my sexuality, and was scared of it I guess. I got chatting to an older gay guy (60s?) who told about how awful it was when he was my age , and how I am so lucky to have grown up where its increasingly acceptable to be gay with places like Pantibar existing, QSoc etc.

He gave me a reality check I guess, I started to accept who I am, now I want to do more for LGBT rights and stuff. Despite the crap he went though he was never ashamed of who he is, I want to be the same not ashamed of who I am.

baby and crumble

Mostly general college societies (not LGBT specific), work, some online and through Running Amach (Awesome resource for women BTW).

jabarrett35

I've moved back permanently to the Waterford city area, and was just talking about how to meet other gay men in the area with a friend. I said I had no idea, bars I've never found very successful for meeting friends.Im in my mid 40s though fortunately or unfortunately I look a lot younger. So if anyone one has any ideas they'd be gratefully excepted. I'm a bit on the serious side so bars are painful for me unless I'm with my own friends. Never been great at small talk.

azezil

It all started online for me then through people I got to know online got some introductions to others offline. But the ones who've stood the test of time were the ones I got talking to online first.

ongarboy

I met some through work and others out on the scene. The rest I met through those initial contacts/friends I established. Its easier to meet new people through introductions from existing friends/people I find.

However, I met my best friend through the Gaire website 10+ years ago on a blind date that didn't materialise into romance but where we clicked in most every other way and still do. I know a lot of those personal ads say seeking friendship but often really mean just sex and/or relationship. In this case, I was lucky to meet a great and lasting friend.

Rick_

I met one gay guy online who it turns out lived not far down the road from me and he is a good friend now.

I met my two other gay friends through my ex as they were his flatmates at the time and are actually a couple who are engaged.

My next door neighbour's son is gay, and the next house after that has a daughter who is a lesbian. We have chatted and have our suspicions about the fella living in the house next down the row!

Think there is something in the water around our way!

MarriedButBi

I have a gay friend I met online. He's cool and we chat a lot. Online. We met once.

Guyanachronism

baby and crumble wrote: »

Mostly general college societies (not LGBT specific), work, some online and through Running Amach (Awesome resource for women BTW).

First gay friends were through college societies as well but not the LGBT ones. And I would recommend to any LGBT person going to college to take up some hobbies as well as joining the LGBT soc. Drama and debating being obvious ones.

I met my boyfriend (well fiance since june ) through a gay friend who I had met online. But my good LGBT friends, I've always met through hobbies or through other friends.

nigmatron

I prefer to meet guys out etc rather than online...

bodice ripper

day to day life. I do not go out of my way to meet people of a particular persuasion.

McChubbin

My first friend was one I met online at the age of 12- she was 17 and recently came out as bisexual. At the time I was still discovering my own sexuality and going through a confusing puberty. She really helped me through it and when I was 15 I told my mother I might be bi. We're still friends today. I send her regular packages in the post to America and she often sends me cute bobble hats she knitted herself.
I'll admit, I've had a massive crush on her for years but nothing will ever come of it as she lives in the arsecrack of Minnesota but we're as close as can be.

My other friend is a lesbian in a long term long distence relationship that I met through my ex-boyfriend's friends. She's lovely and we're meeting up for an impromtu photoshoot soon.
Those are my only LBGT friends but I'd love more. The problem is that I'm very introverted and shy offline and I'm not great at socializing. I also live in Swords and to my knowledge there's practically feckall in the way of resources here for the LBGT community. I'd go into town to the likes of The George, The Front Lounge and Pantibar but being that most of my general network of friends are online, I have no-one to maintain an actual physical friendship with and thus no-one to go to the bars with.
It also doesn't help that I have two extremely overprotective parents who don't like the idea of me trapezing around town at night. :rolleyes: