Events & Community
LGBTQ+ events, festivals, drag shows, and community celebrations in Orlando.
Friendsgiving in Downtown Orlando
Friendsgiving Orlando, chosen family, and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving downtown. Thanksgiving is Nov 26. See what Anthem has on that week. Read more
What Circuit Music Is, and Where It Came From
Mike Vacirca
Circuit music explained: tribal house, big vocals, and the gay floors that raised money while they grieved. Read the history, then see Anthem’s calendar. Read more
A Glossary of Queer Nightlife Language
Mike Vacirca
Queer nightlife slang, explained and credited: kiki, tea, read, house, mother and more, with the Black and Latino ballroom origins the words came from. Read more
Ballroom Culture and Voguing: A History
Mike Vacirca
Ballroom culture history, from Harlem’s houses to voguing to the language pop culture borrowed without credit. Read it, then see what is on stage at Anthem. Read more
Native American Heritage Month in Orlando
Mike Vacirca
Native American Heritage Month Orlando, with the Two-Spirit history most of us were never taught. Read on, then see what November holds at Anthem. Read more
A Short History of the Gay Bar
Mike Vacirca
The history of gay bars runs from Mafia-run back rooms to Stonewall to now. Why the room still matters, and what is on this week at Anthem in Orlando. Read more
Intersex Awareness Day: Oct 26 in Orlando
Mike Vacirca
Intersex Awareness Day is Oct 26, and the I in LGBTQIA+ is not decoration. What intersex means, why the date exists, and where to mark it in Orlando. Read more
Ace Week in Orlando: Oct 25-31 at Anthem
Mike Vacirca
Ace Week Orlando runs Oct 25-31, and a gay bar is not only about hooking up. Here is what asexual and aromantic nightlife looks like at Anthem. Read more
Reggaeton and Perreo: A History
Mike Vacirca
The history of reggaeton runs from Panama to Puerto Rico’s underground tapes to the global charts. Read it, then hear it Thursdays at Latin Night at Anthem. Read more
Latinx AIDS Awareness Day in Orlando, Oct 15
Mike Vacirca
Latinx AIDS Awareness Day Orlando falls Oct 15, a Thursday. Free rapid HIV testing at Anthem, then Latin Night. Find out how to get tested here. Read more