My Queer Diary: 3-9 February '25
Welcome to My Queer Diary, a weekly digest of LGBT+ events taking place around Edinburgh.
Thanks to the community organisers, event promoters, artists, workers and business people keeping the queer community thriving.
Monday 3 February
Queer by Nature
18:30-20:00, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 4 Duncan Place, EH6 8HW
We are a friendly group of queer people who care about the natural environment, who come together to spend time in nature, share knowledge and learn together. We will be joined by Nikki from Learn to Live Somatically, who will talk about somatic therapy. Numbers will be limited so please consider messaging the group on Instagram in advance or contact queerbynature.edi@gmail.com.
Tuesday 4 February
Outrage: Ellen Jones on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights
19:00-20:00, Lighthouse Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, EH8 9DB
Visibility doesn’t necessarily mean equal rights, as many in queer communities are all too well aware of. How do we most effectively tackle the fights for true, concrete LGBTQ+ rights that lie ahead? Join us for a galvanising, insightful evening in the company of award-winning writer and activist Ellen Jones, as she introduces us to her first book: ‘Outrage: Why the Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality Is Not Yet Won and What We Can Do About It’.
Edinburgh Gay Men’s Choir Open Rehearsal
19:30-20:00, Lifecare Centre, 2 Cheyne Street, EH4 1JB
Edinburgh Gay Men’s Choir invite you to come sing with us. It is great fun and very sociable. We are a community choir and perform at our own concerts and raise money for local charities. We also sing at other events such as the Big Burns Supper. You don’t need any previous experience of singing, nor do you need to know how to read music. Come along to our open rehearsal! All welcome for drinks, socialising and a good sing.
Wednesday 5 February
Intergen Smash-up (Intergenerational Art-Making)
17:30-19:30, The Crannie Community Hubx, 9 Cranston Street, EH8 8BE
Hosted in partnership with LGBT Youth Scotland, this is a new quarterly opportunity for LGBTQ+ people over 50, to join in with one of the LGBT Youth Scotland groups, to transform their weekly social space into an intergenerational smash-up! Enjoy facilitated creative and social activities with people of a different generation, to connect our stories and help strengthen our community.
Prize Surprize Gameshow
21:00-01:00, The Street, 2b Picardy Place, EH1 3JT
Do you want to play a GAME? This is NOT a pub quiz - it’s a GAMESHOW! Enjoy our take on some of your favourite game-show games…. & a few that have been totally made up too!! Back after a January break… we bring you the MoST fun you can have on a Wednesday in a bar… it’s “Prize-Surprize” with £100 cash jackpot to get us going… followed by “Sing-along-to-your-favourite-song” (known to most others as karaoke!!) until close!!
Kook Drag Cabaret
22:00-01:00, Paradise Palms, 41 Lothian Street, EH1 1HB
We’re hosting an extra special night, raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians while showcasing some exciting new faces of the Edinburgh drag scene plus our resident king Daddy Delight and hostess Mystika Glamoor! Come for the drag, stay for the raffle and banging disco tunes from DJ Zak Riding ‘til 1am!
Thursday 6 February
Trans Drop-in Sexual Health Clinic
13:00-16:00, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 4 Duncan Place, EH6 8HW
An inclusive, welcoming space for trans and non-binary people to get tested and discuss PrEP, contraception, or overall sexual health and wellbeing
Queer Life Drawing with Maya
17:00-19:00, Kafe Kweer, 5 St. Peter's Buildings, EH3 9PG
A semi-tutored life drawing class which celebrates the queer body, especially the nude. Each week bears a different theme and will have Maya giving tips and advice on how to play into your artistic strengths while learning more about drawing the human body. Materials are provided. The class is queer- and student-run, and intended for absolutely anyone!
Edinburgh Trans Choir
18:15-20:30, LGBT Health & Wellbeing, 4 Duncan Place, EH6 8HW
Are you trans, able to get to Edinburgh, and want to sing? We are Edinburgh Trans Choir (ETC), a relaxed biweekly choir by trans people for trans people
Queer Folks' Tales
19:30-21:30, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High St, EH1 1SR
Welcome to Queer Folks’ Tales, where queer storytellers from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages and cultures share stories of LGBTQ+ lives, past, present and future. Sometimes hilarious, often moving, occasionally shocking, the mix of true and fictional stories across the year is as varied as the range of storytellers invited. Hosted by Turan Ali, joined by writer/actor Michael Johnson, singer-songwriter Raveloe and drag performer Alicia Tryde.
FERAL: A Queer Femme Club Night
22:00-03:00, The Mash House, 37 Guthrie, EH1 1JQ
Get ready to lose your inhibitions and dive headfirst into a night of queer femme chaos. This is a space for the girls, femmes, queers, sapphics, dykes & dolls. If you feel at home in queer femme spaces, or want to - this space is yours to own and embrace your wild side. This isn’t your typical girls night out—this is where queer feminine energy comes to play. Come hungry, come bold, come as the best version of yourself.
Friday 7 February
Intergenerational Creative Poetry Writing
17:00-19:00, Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High St, EH1 1SR
LGBT Youth Scotland and conFAB have teamed up to deliver a series of six weekly poetry and spoken word workshops, led by poet Éadaoín Lynch. These sessions are aimed at trans/nonbinary people of all ages, and they are a great opportunity to develop new skills, meet new people and connect with your community. This series will have a particular focus on exploring and expressing gender identity through your poems/spoken word. Beginning 7th February ending 14th March.
Staff Pride Network Evening Social
17:30-22:00, The Auld Hoose, 23-25 Saint Leonard's Street, EH8 9QNB
This event is open to all LGBT+/ally staff and postgrad students at the University of Edinburgh and Napier University. Even if you're not a Staff Pride Network member (yet), you're very welcome to join us and find out what we're about. We hope you'll find that we're a welcoming crowd. We get together from 5:30 PM until late: feel free to drop in for as long as you like. We will be in the seating area to the left of the bar as you enter.
Hot Mess Queer Dance Party
23:00-03:00, Sneaky Pete’s, 73 Cowgate, EH1 1JW
Simonotron plays tear-drenched orchestral disco, raw, bumping house, high-NRG classics and bleepy psychedelic techno all night long. Offering dancefloor comfort and joy for people of all genders, sexualities, ethnicities and ages, Hot Mess will blow your mind, give you little forehead kisses, and call you a good boy. Jules a former Hot Mess regular, will be at the party taking photos for a future exhibition about Edinburgh queer nightlife (with permission).
Saturday 8 February
Can’t find any specifics for tonight but there will be regular nights on at:
The Street, 21:00-03:00, 2b Picardy Pl EH1 3JT
The Planet, 21:00-03:00, 6 Baxter's Pl, EH1 3AF
They should update their instagram pages during the week with details.
Sunday 9 February
Queer Moves
11:00-12:15, Dance Base, 14-16 Grassmarket, EH1 2JU
A monthly group in Edinburgh for LGBTQ+ people (16+) to explore dance and movement. This group was created through the desire to connect with the queer community in Scotland and make space for those who wish to explore dance and movement for art, healing, fitness, socialising and connection. Our vision is to create moments for exploration, training and learning through improvisation, body mobilisation, vocal practice and story-telling.
Queer Men for Queer Literature
12:15-14:00, Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive at the Edinburgh Palette, 151 London Road, EH7 6AE
A friendly monthly discussion group about gay books and gay writing, for people who enjoy reading and talking about how gay writing has impacted our lives. These sessions are for anyone who identifies as a gay, bi, or queer man and wants to discuss books. You don't need to prepare anything in advance, but you're welcome to bring along a text or extract from a piece of published gay writing you feel a connection with.