If you’re looking to meet an honest-to-goodness cowboy, head to Oklahoma City. Here you’ll find that the ten-gallon hat has never gone out of style. It’s Oklahoma’s largest city, so it attracts rough-and-ready types from hundreds of miles around. Look for the men in two downtown neighborhoods, the NW 39th Entertainment District and the Bricktown Historic Entertainment District.

There are plenty of events throughout the year, but the most popular is Oklahoma City Gay Pride, which includes a pet parade, an excursion to the Oklahoma City Zoo, and a block party - the last week of June each year.

Seven professional arts organizations call the Civic Center Music Hall home: The Canterbury Choral Society; Celebrity Attractions with national touring Broadway shows; Lyric Theatre and Academy with year-round professional musical theatre; The Oklahoma City Ballet
, one of the finest regional ballet companies in America; Oklahoma City Philharmonic performing classics, pops and family concerts with acclaimed guest soloists; The Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre Company with a variety of comedies, dramas, and musicals; and The Oklahoma City Theatre Company, with a repertory of classical and contemporary drama.

 

Getting here

Will Rogers World Airport  is about 6 miles from downtown. Oklahoma City Metro Transit provides daily airport service to downtown along the Meridian Avenue corridor. Depart from the Transportation Plaza on the baggage claim level of the terminal. Rates and schedules are available at their website.

 

Getting around

You’ll need a car to get around, especially if you want to go farther afield. Embark has information online for routes, fares and schedules of the daily (except Sundays) bus and trolley services.

 

Neighborhoods

The NW 39th Entertainment District is where you’ll find the best of the city’s nightlife, gay and straight. The Bricktown Historic Entertainment District is also a good bet, with canal taxis plying the waters here.

 

Media & Resources

The GAYly has gay news and cultural coverage for and about Oklahoma City. Wichita and Tulsa.

The OKGazette is the the general arts and entertainment alternative, with online articles, listings, reviews, and most recent issue reader.

For map locations and website links to the businesses below, and more, see our gay Oklahoma City listings pages.
 

Accommodations

Nowhere else in the Midwest will you find a place like Habana Inn (2200 NW 40th St; 405-528-2221) with over 175 hotel rooms, two swimming pools, three bars, and a restaurant. You may never have to leave, and the cruising never stops at this complex.

 

Bars

Habana Inn has three of the most popular area bars:  the Copa, large dance club on two levels, with big floor and ample stage surrounded by tables. A good cross-section arrives for the underwear contests, amateur strip contests, drag acts, and male dancers. Finishline, their country-western dance club, has another large dance floor, plus pool tables. The Ledo Cabaret and Lounge, martini bar, has piano entertainment -- best on weekends.

More gay bars are nearby.

Boom (2807 NW 36th), cabaret, dinner theater and nightclub, has male dancers, Sunday Gospel Brunch, and drag shows emceed with caustic wit by Ginger Lamar.

The Hi Lo Club (1221 NW 50th), casual retro lounge bar with gay/lesbian mix, live music, burlesque and drag shows, trivia games, Sunday Brunch and Beer Bust.

The Park (2125 NW 39th), gay bar with dancing, male dancer eye candy, free Sunday buffet spreads.

Phoenix Rising (2120 N.W. 39th) neighborhood bar, open nightly with a touch of leather, dance floor, male dancers, back deck, drag cabaret shows.

Tramps (2201 NW 39th), neighborhood drinking man's saloon with patio, Friday and Saturday male dancers.

 

Womens' bars

Alibi's (1200 N. Penn); KA'z (2024 NW 11th); and Partners 4 Club (2805 NW 36th) dance club.

 

Non-alcohol afterhours

For over 20 years the Wreck Room (2127 NW 39th) has opened for Friday and Saturday after-hours dancing, no alcohol served, straight and gay people of all kinds. All-ages 16+ until after midnight, then 18+ until the people go home, with drag shows from 11pm.

 

Restaurants

Boom (2807 NW 36th) restaurant as well as bar, with Sunday bruch cabaret shows.

Gusher's (2200 NW 39th Expressway) at Habana Inn, features lunch and dinner specials and boasts the finest prime rib in OKC.  Late-night meals and pizza are served until 3:30am on weekends and on Saturday and Sunday mornings they have breakfast too.

 

Toys, videos, and more

Jungle Red (at Habana Inn), big selection of 2Xist underwear, leather, body jewelry, pride merchandise, adult novelties, lube, magazines, videos, gifts and cards. Afternoon to late-night hours for the bar crowd.

Not far from the gay district Christie's Toy Box has two locations (3126 N May and 1039 Meridian). Leather goods, shoes, lingerie, and fetish wear, plus DVD videos, toys, pride gear, and magazines are their thing.