19 bar and black hart have both been good for meeting other trans people in my experience. (19 bar does attract a bit of an older clientele). for looking for gay dudes specifically, most gay guys ik go to the saloon thats been my experience going there as well, however no guarantees on whether people will be respectful

There are lots of options depending on what vibe you want to go for.

• Saloon - this is pretty much going to be the first name that comes up for gay bars if you ask gays. It’s very much the gay dance club vibe. It’s a very large space and has 5 separate bar areas. There are drag shows, a stage with a shower, lots of video screens. Just be aware that they hold kink events in the back bar every so often. The doors are closed as there are enforced dress codes for these events but attendees are free to use the rest of the bar so you may see guys wandering around in nothing but jockstraps on certain nights.

• 19 - This is the dive bar of the gay bars. It’s smaller, older vibes. Very much your traditional bar fare. Darts and pool. Not a horrible patio area. Crowd tends to be older but it attracts all flavor of queers. People are usually friendly.

• Eagle - This bar tends to be used more by daddies and bears. But you’ll find some of all types. They have dedicated leather nights. There are also other events that happen pretty regularly.

• Lush - very much a neighborhood chill bar vibe with plenty of seating inside and out on a patio. Also a dedicated theatre space where drag shows and competitions happen. At one point they were doing RPDR watch parties in the theatre but I don’t go here enough to know if that’s still happening.

• Jetset - Underground dance bar vibe. Younger crowd. Very much made for dancing so not a lot of sitting space. It is a gay bar but, be warned, UMN students have discovered it so it is quickly gaining a lot of cishet patrons.

• Roxy’s -I’ve mostly only gone here for events. Drag shows, drag brunch, bingo, comedians, movie nights. If you like something more structured they have a pretty packed schedule.

• Black Hart - Neighborhood dive bar vibes. Not a huge space, but pretty lively and friendly. Regular gay bingo, karaoke, drag shows. The crowd does tend to lean sapphic (it is considered the lesbian bar), it’s very friendly to all queer folk. Just be aware of the soccer schedule (US national and Loons especially), as it’s also a soccer bar and games will bring in a lot of cishet patrons.

• Gay 90s - This is not a gay bar. Anybody who tells you otherwise is cishet or a liar. This is where bachelorette parties go to claim they went to a gay bar. That being said, it is a huge space and it has well-known drag shows.

The only two I can’t really give opinions on are Brass Rail in Minneapolis and Camp in St. Paul. I haven’t been to either. The ones I go to most often are Saloon, Black Hart, and 19.

ETA: Honorable mention to A Bar of Their Own. They don’t advertise as a gay bar, but it is queer-owned and it’s a sports bar that plays exclusively women’s sports.

I’m also autistic (lesbian) and have a hard time with bars due to getting overstimulated. I still hang out at the 19 and Black Hart sometimes but only if I have energy for it.

You can also hang out at Queermunity in uptown/whittier which I find much more calm and low sensory.

I’m new to town/just moved here so idk all the gay bars but here’s what I can tell you:

• 19 bar is old, very small/cozy, dive bar vibes, bit if an older crowd and slightly more male from what I’ve seen but you see some of everyone. Haven’t really seen them have events or theme nights, it’s pretty informal.

• Black Hart is medium/average size, leans more lesbian/sapphic I think; be aware it is a soccer bar so on game days there’s going to be a lot of random cishets lol. They have events pretty often including drag nights. I believe Tuesdays are the trans night at BH.

• Gay 90s (haven’t been) has high quality drag shows and is bigger, but it also has a ton of cishet people from what I hear and if you’re looking for a niche/authentic/truly queer scene that won’t be it.

That’s about all I know lol. J have heard Lush leans lesbian? And there’s a couple others that heavily lean gay male.

Black Hart, absolutely.

Black Hart or 19 bar might be your vibe

Not really what you’re looking for but perhaps a bar setting may be a bit much given how you’ve described yourself. Maybe other social settings? The Clapping Monkey is a coffee shop in Fridley and they have theme nights for activities. It’s attached to an antique mall and it has a very cool vibe for all folks. Best of luck, and hope you find what you’re looking for.

Have you poked around to see if you have an ERG or other support group through work or maybe your neighborhood? Just because jumping into a bar is sometimes easier in a small group. Or have you tried one of the many gaming spaces around, if you’re into that? I hope you find a cool spot 💜

r/transtwincities has lots of info too.

Every bar is a gay bar if you put your mind to it

Hey man, I’m a bi trans man (30 yo), and also on the spectrum.

I agree with people recommending the 19 for chill vibes. Also the drinks are actually affordable. There is a pretty wide age range, and a pretty even mix of genders. In my experience, people there tend to stay more localized within their own friend groups as opposed to mingling and trying to make new friends, so you will likely need to take the initiative and approach people yourself. If you play pool, this can be a good opportunity to do this.

The Eagle is more of a bear/leather bar and skews older and cis gay (although I’ve seen lesbian and straight couples there). I’ve never seen it crowded except on underwear party night, and while it is chill, I don’t feel like there are as many opportunities to meet people.

The Saloon is the biggest gay bar in the cities. It has several bars and patios you can wander between. It definitely skews cis gay, all ages. There are flashing lights and loud music, and it gets very crowded on weekends after 10 pm. That said, I have found that it is the easiest place to meet/talk to new people, so I go there most often.

I haven’t been the Black Hart, but have heard that it’s cool.

Feel free to DM me if you have any questions or want to hit up one of the bars together (also not looking to hookup, but would like to make more platonic friends in the community).

Hey dude! I’m a 42 year old gay trans man. Nice to meet another bro! I started going to bars about 4 years ago for the exact same reason.

Firstly I’d recommend going a little earlier in the evening and on non-event nights as you’re starting out. The Bolt, the Saloon etc get so crowded and loud that it can be a negative experience for a first timer.

And I highly recommend checking out the 19 Bar. It’s smaller, older, and has a large trans clientele.

Black Hart

Late 40s gay here. Sounds like you’re into bears. The Eagle/Bolt is the best bet. Strong and tied for 2nd place is The 19 and Black Hart.

I have met several trans women at Camp, but can’t think of a single trans man I’ve met there.