10 Summer Meet-Up Ideas for Queers Who Like Friends, Fun, Potentially Also Ice Cream Cones

Hey, you! Yeah, you! I don’t know about you, but I think it’s fly when girls stop by for the summer and I think you probably do, too, and that means you probably desire to round up all those queer lady-types in one location for a pure moment of bliss this season and guess what? YOU CAN HAVE THAT! You can have that moment. You can have it all, don’t listen to anyone else.

You can spend the summer in the company of the coolest queermos in town if you host an Autostraddle meet-up of any kind before Fall comes and kills our dreams, and doing just that is easy as blueberry pie! Are you up for it? Say yes. No, say yasssss. All you have to do is get up the courage to host, make a solid plan, and then submit your event to us via our fancy all-new events submissions form! (Have I told you about the fancy all-new events listings mechanism yet? No? Be shocked. Be awed. Thank Cee.) We’ll help you get the word out and love you forever if you do these things, JSYK.

If you’re down to clown, here’s some ideas to get you started on this, your summer of a million babes.

Beach or Pool Party

2-canadian-olympic-team

Obviously the trump card meet-up this summer will be anything involving a large body of water, so. The best part about beach and pool parties is that people who hate water can still come and enjoy other people’s company, and also sand gets in your shoes but you end up too blissed out to care. I would also like to add that a beach or pool party in which drinks can be imbibed in said bodies of water is an experience matching that of high-fiving a million angels.

Carnivals / Small-Town Events You Nostalgically Treasure

cropped-IMG_3366

Every year, I find myself at home coincidentally at the same exact time the carnival comes to my childhood church parking lot. Since I went to a totally chill church in New Jersey, going to this carnival is more enjoyable than terrible, and also they have zeppoles there. If there’s a cruelty-free circus, tiny carnival situation, or even a large fair of some sort going on near the street where you live, probably you should invite other weirdo queer people from this website to meet you there so that you don’t ride the Scrambler alone and someone can hold your hair back after the Tilt-a-Whirl. Also, oh my gosh, do you like the Pharoah’s Fury? I love the Pharoah’s Fury.

Ice Cream Cones As Community-Building

xryvrv7mth8odao3xuan

I’m so into the idea of ‘straddlers around the world getting ice cream cones together. Like, if you do this, could you maybe make sure to post a pic right down there in the comments of everyone eating ice cream together so I can know my dreams came true? Acceptable alternatives to getting ice cream cones include shacking up at the local fro-yo place, making vegan ice cream in your kitchen, and also just rubbing ice cubes all over each other in the street.

Wet and Wild Water Park Trip

hc17ls29

Pack a formidable bathing suit. Pack a flask. Pack an athlete’s foot cream. YOU’RE GOING TO A WATER PARK WITH A BUNCH OF STRANGERS AND IT’S GONNA BE SO FUCKING AMAZING! I know this for a fact because before college I organized a meet-up with people from New Jersey who were also going to said college and we went to Mountain Creek and I shined bright like a diamond the whole time. I also radiated red for a long time after, I’m sure.

Get Lost, Go Camping

050712Girl_Scout_camp1

I’ve seen a lot of meet-ups about camping since I started my tenure as Straddleverse Editor and I’d like to say that I commend all of you so much for doing this without Riese, Marni, or Robin to guide you through the process. That sounds very hard. But anyway, if you’ve got some drivers who are willing and maybe some extra tents for people like me who have never tent-camped in their lives (#confessions), I’d highly recommend spending a night or two under the stars with your fellow Autostraddle readers and forgetting the world. Don’t get eaten by a bear!

Christmas XXXMAS in July Party

christmas-beach_219264

I’ve been planning to have a “Christmas in July” party since I got to college and found out what theme parties were, but it’s never happened. Here’s what I’m envisioning: you, me, all of our friends who are reading this article right now, a central A/C turned down to like, 50 degrees, and enough ugly sweaters to satiate every moth at A-Camp. Oh, and this playlist. Make some hot cider! Whip up some winter sweets! MAKE IT HAPPEN SO I CAN DIE A HAPPY PERSON OK.

Any Sporting Event Whatsoever

carrie-sex-and-the-city-memorable-look-mink-coat-w724-700x483c

Okay, full disclosure, I do not know what sports are “in season” right now. Is that the right phrase? That’s for vegetables, isn’t it. EITHER WAY! You know what’s better than day-drinking and eating hot dogs? Doing it in a stadium with a foam finger on and children within earshot just waiting to be corrupted by overhearing your conversations.

Stoop Kids

My memoir

I’m very attached to the idea of a stoop. If you have a stoop, share your stoop with a queer in need. Just tell the world, “meet me on my stoop.” I guarantee it’ll be a knockout event.

The Happiest Hour

MM-Slide-01

Ah, yes, summer. Season of a thousand hours of sun. Take advantage of the longer days with a post-work happy hour, AKA a bonafide bitch-fest. Extra points if you pick a restaurant or bar with a covered patio, frozen drinks, or cheap tacos. Everyone loves cheap tacos.

Go to the (Dog) Park

dog-park-hang-out

I went to the dog park once with a bunch of queers and everything was fuzzy and nothing hurt. We brought some snacks in well-sealed containers to keep the pups safe and spent the afternoon watching a bunch of tiny beasts run around and freak out with excitement about things like tennis balls, which I’d like to think was a really great moment of reflection for us all. The bonus? You’ll meet all the dog people in town all at once and feel less alone about not liking anyone’s cat ever.

ARE YOU EXCITED YET?? Use the hashtag #straddleverse when you’re sharing all those adorable pics of you and your new friends, and you’ll probably be reposted by Autostraddle on insta!

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!
Related:

Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

70 Comments

  1. Stoop Kid meet-ups: perfect for the queer agoraphobe. Agoraphobes in da house! Am I the only one who was profoundly impacted by Stoop Kid’s unnamed agoraphobia? He was house/stoop-bound. Mental illness on Hey Arnold!

    There are so many cute/fun ice cream shops in NYC! I want to eat ice cream with you all!

  3. I thought Christmas in July was an Australian/southern hemisphere thing so that people of European origin could partake in European Winter Christmas traditions in our winter (when it is a least a bit closer to ‘cold’.)
    That’s kind of weird and funny that people do it in the Northern Hemisphere too.

    • wait, that makes so much sense. honestly, i just like christmas. i feel like someone recently questioned if christmas in july is a thing but it just feels like such a THING to me, but what’s weird is i have no fucking clue where i learned of it / how i got so into it, so there’s that. i have poor memory, like warm weather, and love gifts, and thus, a dream is born that will never die.

  4. Love the beach and camping ideas! Or maybe a hike (less daunting than an overnight). Ant Seattle or Tacoma straddlers interested?

  5. in lieu of stoop meetups, in the south we could have porch sits. and like, my porch has couches so everyone’s always invited

  7. I simultaneously really really want to do this but I also realize that I’m super awkward and intimidated by people. If anyone has any ideas for cool things to do in Houston hit me up! Maybe a meetup where we go to all the museums on free museum day (which is every Thursday) or maybe to the Galleria. I know nothing about what there is to do here.

    • I’d be down as long as it’s after August 7 (my move-in date to my new apartment!).

  8. I just want a snowball.

    Does anybody want a snowball?
    It doesn’t have to be a snowball…

      • I have never had a rainbow snowball in all my 24 years of snowball consumption. Are they often a multi-flavour situation like I’ve suspected?

        Any NOLA peeps want to try for a Snoball Social? Look at dat alliteration, Ice Cream Social has nothing on that.
        Also ice cream you’re not nearly as vibrant and tacky coloured as snoballs.

        • I’m down, but I’m not sure who else in Nola is on autostraddle; but if you wanna try and set smthng up that would be cool.

          Yeah the yellow is ice cream and blue bubble gum and I think the red is strawberry but not sure. That’s the 3 they use and the other colors are just from mixing with each other.

          Image and video hosting by TinyPic

    • wait but what about sno-balls, the pre-packaged desserts that are chocolate cake w/ cream in the middle wrapped in marshmallow and coconut shreds i would eat all the sno-balls with you

      • This is karma for talking about mummification when people were trying to eat isn’t it?

        But it’s not like you had any clue that coconut is my mortal enemy.

        Yes, Carmen you could have the coconut based abominations you want and I would give them to you. The Sun is just too far away and I don’t have a spaceship nor do I have Saiyan powers.

  9. SOMEONE COME CAMPING WITH ME.

    Seriously, it gets lonely to only have company on, like Fridays and some Saturdays, and maybe a random Tuesday or something. And I’d love to meet more of y’all because y’all are awesome.

    • Oh come on you can’t just propose camping and then not say which corner of the globe you’re on! (Here’s hoping it’s around Philadelphia)

      • I’m in New York, up in the Adirondacks. So not like on the other side of the globe from Philly, but not exactly in it’s backyard either.

        • oh god i love the adirondacks and if i lived closer to them i would 100% go camping with you. i’m just letting you know. but hey! i bet a lot of queermos do live near you and would also go camping with you, sooooo! only one way to find out…

  10. Speaking of ice cream, Brooklyn Straddlers, Ample Hills is pretty much the best and a meetup there would be awesome

    • Let’s do it! How about a potluck picnic
      Barnsdall Park: 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

  13. The Berlin straddlers’ next meetup will take plave in a park with some kind of water situation where we’ll lie down and literally do nothing. Just fyi if someone wants to join. r

    • this is just a forewarning that i am TOTALLY going to suggest crafternoons in my next meet-up inspiration post and i am forever indebted to you for this idea and can we somehow have a crafternoon together even though i live in dc because i just feel very much like we are soul twins in this moment.

  18. As far as sporting events go: women’s soccer is the greatest, queerest sport around. :) They have games in Houston, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City, and other cities. The women’s league really needs the support! And again, it’s super gay.

    • So true! Plus it’s totally supporting a women’s pro sports league and that’s great too! Go dash!

  20. anyone in Austin want to have an AS summer meetup? Maybe not ice cream bc it’ll immediately melt?

  21. Any Virginia Straddlers? There’s an Arbor Day (though weeks ago) concert benefit on Saturday in Richmond. Wanna picnic in Maymont or another Richmond park? I’m also moving near Norfolk for a while soon. Where the southern VA straddlers at? The population seems nil.

Comments are closed.