JOIN US FOR OUR JUNE 28 PRIDE CRAWL LINK-UP DOWNTOWN (EVENT BY TFC)

Welcome to Social Link Frederick 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

We are the premier LGBTQ+ Ally social group serving the rapidly growing Frederick area. Your link (get it?) to authentic community and connection. We organize a variety of high-vibe social events around Frederick each month that allow you to hang out with other queer people and "just be" your authentic self, having plutonic fun doing activities that won't break the bank. All while supporting the local businesses that support us along the way!

BTW: We're not-for-profit and don't charge any fees or collect any commissions. Host does this on a volunteer basis.

Link-Up @ Our Mid-Month Mixer! 🌈

Join us at Tenth Ward Distilling Company for an evening of friends, fun, and community! We #wardofftheordinary there on Wednesday, July 15th, from 6-9 pm at our monthly LGBTQ+ mixer. It's the perfect lowkey, high-vibe midweek reset!

Come meet awesome new people and catch up with old friends alike in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

🍹 Sip craft cocktails from the new summer menu! All are made from their locally distilled spirits, made with unique flavors.
🍔 Enjoy 10% off neighboring Maxwell's Kitchen until 7! They have delicious gourmet burgers, shakes, unique sides, and more!
🎲 Play fun table games with friends from Surelocked In! They have a variety of unique and traditional card and table games.
🏳️‍🌈 Enjoy a dedicated space to mix & mingle in style! Grab your cocktail, then head back to the Barrell Room for lite refreshments, music, and fun in this industrial-chic event space.
💁‍♀️ Support a local, woman-owned ally business! Going on 10-years strong, Tenth Ward is a Frederick-based, woman-owned small business that supports the LGBTQ+ community.

More Summer Events 🫶

With Pride Month in full swing, Frederick Pride taking place June 26-28, and so many pre-pride events beforehand, June is a busy month for LGBTQ+ folks and allies in Frederick, with the fun carrying over into July!

The Frederick Center's Brunch Crawl

Organized by the Frederick Center, this is the perfect Frederick Pride weekend capstone event. The concept is simple: we meet together at The Frederick Center, get our Brunch Passports, and then navigate the map of Downtown Businesses as a group.

RSVP on Facebook

Meeting at TFC at 10:30 AM, Departing at 11:00 AM for the Crawl.

Night Out at the Keys Pride Baseball Game

The final Frederick Pride event, this is a fun opportunity to break up the monotony of the workweek by watching these talented Orioles High-A Affiliate athletes in action! Gen Admission tickets are $17, and we'll meet up as a group to attend.

Buy Tickets

Meeting at 6:30-6:55 PM by the Courtyard Concession Area.

"Crazy 8" Movie Night & Warehouse Cinemas

With a meetup planned for July 22nd, Warehouse Cinemas is doing a "crazy 8" promotion where you can watch any movie and get any food or concession item for $8. Plus, their 50% off "tappy hour" speical continues to run. Its gonna be great!

RSVP on Facebook

Meet from 6-7 PM in the dining area. Stay and hang or go see a movie of your choice.

The Social Link Standard 🤝

We're here to have fun, fostering genuine connection and community between LGBTQ+ folks and our allies. The cost of entry is mutual respect. It should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway: we'll treat one another with dignity and decency, respecting one another's boundaries, identities, privacy, preferences, and right to "just be" our authentic selves.

💛 We are here to foster genuine connections between all L-G-B-T-Q folks + Allies of all relational statuses. We appreciate that romantic connections are bound to occur; our primary focus is on fostering enduring friendships.
🫶 We’re here to build a community, not a contact list. No forced networking, no gimmicks, no nonsense. Just genuine conversation, good energy, and great people.
🧑‍💼 We aim to support local, LGBTQ+ owned or allied small businesses where everyone knows they belong and feels free to be their authentic selves.
✨ A Seat for Everyone: Whether you’re a Frederick local or brand-new to the area, come as you are. Your host, Brandon, is excited to welcome you and help you foster new connections.

Working with other LGBTQ + Ally Groups 🌈

While at times we may have competing events, which is a very good thing for the community, most of us don't aim to directly compete. We just kind of do our own thing day to day and collaborate where it makes sense. We're one big chosen family made up of many smaller chosen family groups. That's what makes us so great.

The Frederick Center (TFC) is, in many ways, the backbone of the LGBTQ+ community here in Frederick. They are most visible in June during Pride Month as the organizers of Frederick Pride and all the hard work that goes into that. Year-round, they are heavily focused on community outreach and advocacy, doing a lot of amazing work with LGBTQ+ youth, seniors, and trans communities.
Pride on the Patio is another longstanding LGBTQIA+ group that hosts a flagship weekly social on Tuesday evenings at Showroom in Frederick + other periodic events. They are very active participants with The Frederick Center and in the community.
A note on Ad-Hoc Groups: Several other informal groups meet up periodically. Pride at the Pubs is a longstanding group worth checking out; it tends to skew male, but welcomes all.

Meet Your Host, Brandon McClure, MBA

I grew up in the DC burbs, did an enlistment in the Navy, before returning to set up shop in the Baltimore metro for most of my adult life. It wasn't until 2023 that I completed the trifecta and moved to the Frederick area. I fell in love! The people. The food. The activities. Market Street, Carroll Creek. Nonstop festivals, fairs, and events in the City & County. All the nearby hiking and nature. All of it.

The only thing is that meeting platonic adult friends outside of work to just hang out and just have fun with can be tough for anyone, especially LGBTQ+ folks and remote workers. Lots to do around town, but not necessarily people to go do them with. Not to mention a shortage of dedicated adult recreational LGBTQ+ spaces to just be around other queer people. LGBTQ+ friendly spaces are everywhere here; it just takes a while to learn the lay of the land after finding an "in".

I've met a lot of other people who feel this way- craving greater community- and keen to do recreational activities with people they can "just be" their authentic selves around. I want this group to be a "third place" for people, where there are opportunities to connect in several different ways that won't break the bank: mixers, move nights, game nights, hikes & other outdoor activities, brunch, and more. All while supporting local businsesses along the way.

Other than that, what to say? I love organizing these things and connecting the community more than I do actually socializing lol. I work in AI & Tech Enablement. Have a pet dog, cat, and boyfriend :P.

Connect Professionally? LinkedIn | LGBTQ Biz Guru

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