Dear Liza,
I am a 47 year old lesbian, and I moved to Philadelphia about four months ago. At the moment, I’m single, and I moved here from North Carolina for my job.
I’d always heard great things about the LGBTQ+ community in Philadelphia. In NC I had a couple of friends who done the reverse move that I just did.
My question is, how can I go about meeting other folks in the community? I’m not looking for dating right now. Im just trying to make some friends and build some community here in Philly.
Signed,
Seeking Community
Dear Seeking Community,
This is actually an incredibly common situation. I have had a lot of clients who are in the exact same boat as you are. It seems to me, that if you’re not at school, or working in a job setting with many other community members, finding friends is not quite as easy.
Here are some suggestions I give to clients:
meetup.com is a wonderful place to start. You can find tons of Meetups, some LGBTQ+ specific, and some not. My advice would be to choose a Meetup or more than one, where you actually are interested in the Meetups topic. That way, you’ll have a good time regardless of if you make a new friend. Also, you’ll always have something in common with any friends you do meet this way.
If you are interested in other activities and maybe some exercise, there are a lot of LGBTQ+ sports teams, or sporting events you can sign up for.
My best advice is to familiarize yourself with the William Way Community Center, or (WWCC). WWCC is at 1315 Spruce Street, and is currently open evenings only. WWCC offers many social group activities. Some are in person, while others are virtual. Also, they can always use volunteers, which is another way of making friends while also helping the community.
I really hope that will be helpful to you.
Take Care,
Liza
Liza Linder, MSW, LCSW, is a therapist with 30 years of experience serving the LGBTQ+ and PLWHIV communities. Liza is in person only, in our Philadelphia offices. For more information about Liza, please click on the therapist’s bios.