Beginning in May and through mid-June, qnotes readers had the chance to submit their ballots in a contest judging their favorite bars and clubs, restaurants and eateries, coffee shops and cafés, community organizations and leaders and more.
After hundreds of submitted ballots, our readers have spoken! We present this year’s QList, Best of LGBT Carolina — Readers’ Pick.
Statewide
Best gay club/bar
The Bar at 316
Honorable Mention: Scorpio
Best lesbian club/bar
Hartigan’s Irish Pub
Honorable Mention: Steel Blue
Best straight but LGBT-friendly club/bar
Dharma Lounge
Honorable Mention: Snug Harbor
Club/bar with best drink value
Scorpio
Honorable Mention: Chasers, Petra’s, Sidelines
Club/bar with hottest staff
The Bar at 316
Club/bar with best drag show
Scorpio
Honorable Mention: Legends
Best drag performer in Carolina
Roxy C. Moorecox
Honorable Mention: Buff Faye
Best LGBT non-profit
Equality North Carolina
Honorable Mention: LGBT Community Center of Charlotte
Best AIDS Service Organization
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN)
Honorable Mention: Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina (AAS-C)
Most effective grassroots advocacy
Equality North Carolina
Honorable Mention: Time Out Youth
Best LGBT community leader (female)
Teresa Davis
Honorable Mention: Roberta Dunn
Best LGBT community leader (male)
Ian Palmquist
Honorable Mention: Dan Mauney
Best LGBT young adult leader (under 30)
Vincent Burris
Honorable Mention: Loan Tran
Best LGBT politician/elected official
Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, Chapel Hill
Honorable Mention: Rep. Marcus Brandon (D-Guilford), LaWana Mayfield
Best Pride celebration in Carolina
Pride Charlotte
Honorable Mention: NC Pride
Charlotte
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned retail store
Paper Skyscraper
Honorable Mention: White Rabbit
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned restaurant
300 East
Honorable Mention: Dish, Hartigan’s Irish Pub
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned coffee shop
Amelie’s French Bakery
Honorable Mention: Smelly Cat Coffeehouse, Caribou Coffee (East Blvd.)
Best local LGBT non-profit
Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN)
The LGBT Community Center of Charlotte
Honorable Mention: Time Out Youth
Best LGBT-affirming faith institution
MCC Charlotte
New Life MCC
Honorable Mention: Myers Park Baptist Church
Best local drag performer
Roxy C. Moorecox
Honorable Mention: Tiffany Storm
Raleigh/Triangle
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned retail store
Cameron’s
Honorable Mention: Dapper Style House, The Green Monkey
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned restaurant
The Borough
Honorable Mention: The Spotted Dog
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned coffee shop
The Third Place
Honorable Mention: Caffe Driade, Cafe Helios
Best local LGBT non-profit
Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus
Honorable Mention: LGBT Center of Raleigh
Best LGBT-affirming faith institution
Calvary United Methodist Church
Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church
St. John’s MCC
Best local drag performer
Mary K. Mart
Honorable Mention: Kirby Kolby
Triad
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned restaurant
Lucky 32
Best LGBT-friendly, locally-owned coffee shop
DeBeen Espresso
Best local LGBT non-profit
Triad Health Project
Honorable Mention: Adam Foundation
Best LGBT-affirming faith institution
College Park Baptist Church
MCC of Winston-Salem
Best local drag performer
Paisley Parque
Honorable Mention: Raven Wood
There’s more
In addition to this year’s QList, be sure to check out dozens more LGBT-friendly businesses,
community organizations and more at qnotes’ online QGuide: qnotescarolinas.com/qguide/
Is your business or organization a QList winner? Show the entire world how proud you are of your QList win with our special QList web banner. Get the code here…