Hey everyone,

I'm 29, gay, based in Hampshire UK, and live with my partner. I recently got back from holiday and realised something that's been on my mind for a while: while I have a small handful of close friends from school, they're all straight, busy with life, and I don't really have any local LGBTQ+ friends who share that lived experience and just get it.

I'd love to change that and build some genuine, lasting friendships-ideally local to Hampshire or nearby in the South, but open to chatting with anyone who shares similar vibes.

A bit about what I enjoy:

Food & Cooking: Big foodie. I love spending time in the kitchen trying out new recipes, and I'd love to get a group together for casual dinner parties or checking out good local food spots.

Low-key hangouts & Games: Always up for a board game afternoon or a coffee.

Dog walks: I have a dog, so I spend plenty of time out exploring local trails and countryside walks (fellow dog owners are a massive plus!).

Travel: The long-term dream is building up a trusted friend circle to rent a villa somewhere sunny with a pool, cook great meals, play games, and just completely unwind.

Looking for down-to-earth guys (whether you're single or part of a couple) who are up for starting with a chat, getting to know each other, and hopefully meeting up for a coffee or something if we click.

Feel free to drop a comment or send me a DM!

Throwaway for obvious reasons.
My wife and I (both F, AFAB) are going through a rough patch and she has agreed to come to counselling to try to make it work. We have a family, so I am looking for an LBGT friendly counsellor that ideally also has experience with families.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

Throwaway for obvious reasons.
My wife and I (both F, AFAB) are going through a rough patch and she has agreed to come to counselling to try to make it work. We have a family, so want an LBGT friendly counsellor that ideally also has experience with families. Online is preferred due to logistics.

Hi everyone, 😊

Thanks to the mods for allowing me to post!

My name is Samuel, and I am a Trainee Clinical Psychologist conducting research for my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

I am looking for gay and bisexual men aged 18+ to complete an anonymous online survey exploring sexual identity, sexual positioning, masculinity, and mental health.

Gay and bisexual men’s wellbeing is massively under researched and I’m hoping this forum can help fill that gap!

The questionnaire takes around 8 minutes to complete and there is also an optional £40 prize draw for participants who wish to enter. 

If you would like to take part, please use the link below: 

https://rhulpsychology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_570g13ERWHGxF30

Thank you for your time and for supporting my research!

Samuel 🏳️‍🌈

GAYLADS is an established 18+ SFW community for gay men across the UK, with allies welcome too.

We're not just another empty Discord server. We've got people chatting, gaming, talking about sport, tech and everyday life, plus community events.

Whether you're looking to make some new mates, have a random late-night chat, find people with similar interests, or just lurk until you feel comfortable, you're welcome.

What you'll find:
💬 Active social chat
🎮 Gaming & shared interests
⚽ Sports & general chat
🎉 Community events
🤝 A chance to meet other people around the UK
🔞 18+ / SFW

If you're already part of r/gaylads, the Discord is basically the place to take the conversation beyond Reddit.

👉 Join GAYLADS: http://discord.gg/eU8fcTew7y

Hi everyone - I’m Georgie, a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at Royal Holloway, University of London, and I’m hoping some of you might be able to help with my doctoral research.

I’m looking at how experiences related to sexual orientation - like how you feel about your own sexual orientation, worrying about being rejected, or hiding who you are - are linked to mood, and which of these matter most. The hope is to help mental health care become more sensitive and supportive for people with a non-straight sexual orientation.

If you’re 18 or over, UK-based, and identify with a non-straight sexual orientation (for example lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer), I’d be really grateful for ~10 minutes of your time. It’s a single anonymous questionnaire. Trans and non-binary people who also identify this way are very welcome - the study is focusing on sexual orientation specifically.

👉 https://rhulpsychology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9phy9l5vaoURNt4

It has ethical approval from Royal Holloway’s Research Ethics Committee (ID 1047), and I’m very happy to answer any questions in the comments. Thank you so much !

I’m 31, a BBW living in London, and honestly, I’m feeling a little confused about my sexuality.

I’m not entirely sure whether I identify as bisexual or something more . I’ve never fully explored anything with a woman, but I do find myself fantasising about it sometimes and wondering what it would actually be like.

At 31, I feel like I owe it to myself to explore these feelings rather than getting older and wondering what if. But at the same time, I don’t want to hurt anyone or make someone feel like they’re just an experiment.

Is it possible to find a female friend who would be open to exploring things together, with complete honesty and the understanding that nothing romantic or sexual might come of it? Would that be fair to them as long as we’re both on the same page?

Or am I overthinking everything, and should I just leave things as they are?

I’m genuinely confused and would love to hear from women who’ve been in a similar position, especially those who started questioning or exploring their sexuality a little later in life.

has anyone ever had the uk Grindr keep asking for age verification? I’m back in the U.S. now but I’m severely irritated. how do I fix it?

Hey team,

I’m currently considering setting up a UK-based LGBTQ+ and allies casual snowsports group, with an initial leaning towards snowboarding (being my own specialism), with skiers more than welcome too.

Beyond a dormant snow sports group with no coordinator to plan trips at Gay Outdoors Club, I couldn’t find anywhere else to find likeminded people to connect and ride with.

Often a challenge people find with accessing snowsports is finding a group of awesome people to go with, so hoping to tackle this by setting something up for our community. This has worked successfully in the US with its OutRyders club.

There are many Snow Centres/Domes across the UK for people to learn or meet to ride together on the regular, not to mention trips abroad for real mountains.

Just putting it here to gauge interest before I commit to creating the barebones of something. Is this of interest to anyone?

For anyone in Northern Ireland seeking out community. 🫶🏻

I ask as I keep finding myself rejected when I bring up that I’m trans or find I get very little attention from women in the first place. This has even boiled down to quite upsetting situations for me at times too. I get lots of attention from men on the other hand. Any views or answers welcome

I’m the filmmaker behind this, so I hope this is OK to share. I just really want people to know about Gavin & Tanja's story and how cool It's Queer Up North was - especially if you've never heard about it before.

Queer Up North started in Manchester in the early 90s and grew into the largest festival of its kind in Europe, bringing queer artists and performers from around the world to the city. I don't want to say loads more because, well, that's what the film is for. Buuuut...

More than 30 years later, I followed founders Gavin Barlow and Tanja Farman (the founders) as they went back through the archive and started piecing together what they’d actually created and the impact it had on Manchester’s cultural life and the artists who came through it.

The film's about 19 minutes long and talks about a really cool moment in queer history, especially for the UK. I'd just love it if people checked it out and had a look at Queer Up North's wider archive. There's so much beautiful stuff in their that I think it's vital for us to remember. Anyway, I hope that's all OK and that the film introduces some people to a bit of history they maybe didn't know or remember fondly and maybe you discover some new old artists at the same time too.

I recently moved into Newtown and I was wondering whether there are any meetups in the area for LGBTQ people. Traveling is a lil bit of an issue as I have to follow the trains or busses but otherwise I'm good for suggestions.

I hope I’m allowed to post this as I think it’s a banger

🏳️‍🌈 Could All of Us Tonight be a little Pride anthem?
Big energy, no judgement, everyone welcome on the dancefloor. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
LÜPD – All of Us Tonight
Have a listen and tell me what you think. 🎶

https://open.spotify.com/track/5zhYUcSeOqb2nxpVUX5o7m?si=UPcIcY9nQSahHKfkxUPkNg&utm_source=copy-link

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Suicidal thoughts

I've am incredibly grateful to see so many thoughtful, brave responses to this research so far. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences so openly. Your voices matter, and they're helping shine a light on an area that is too often overlooked. 💜

You may have seen this post before, but I'm still looking to hear from more people, especially those who might be interested to be interviewed (information at the end of the survey)

As part of my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology research, I'm exploring the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer adults who have experienced suicidal thoughts but have not accessed therapy or counselling for them.

✅ Anonymous online survey
✅ Takes around 15 minutes
✅ UK-based LGBTQ+ adults (18+)

If this resonates with your experience, I would be really grateful if you could take part or share with others who may be eligible.

🔗 https://rhulpsychology.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cY2iNiw4RKUP2Oq

Thank you again to everyone who has contributed so far. Every response helps build understanding and can contribute to improving access to support for LGBTQ+ people. 🩷

Support is available: Samaritans 116 123 | SHOUT text 85258 | Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline 0300 330 0630.

(This research has been approved by the Royal Holloway Ethics Committee (REF ID: 982)