Somewhere in the mid-1970s, a group of gay and lesbian dancers in the United States decided they wanted to square dance — with whoever they pleased, in whatever they happened to be wearing, without being told which part to dance based on their gender. That simple idea became a movement. Fifty years later, it spans three continents and shows no sign of slowing down.
A Community That Built Itself
Where It Began — and How It Grew
The first LGBTQ+ square dance clubs formed in the mid-to-late 1970s in the United States. In those years, many mainstream square dance clubs expected members to come in opposite-sex pairs, with fixed gender roles and strict dress codes. For gay and lesbian dancers who simply wanted to dance — with whoever they pleased, in whatever they happened to be wearing — a different kind of club was needed. So they built one.
By 1983, clubs had taken root in San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Albuquerque, and South Florida. That year, at a fly-in weekend hosted by the South Florida Mustangs in Hollywood, Florida, delegates from four clubs gathered and founded what would become the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs — the IAGSDC. The first convention followed in Seattle in 1984, under the name All Join Hands. It has been held every year since, growing into one of the most joyful recurring events on the LGBTQ+ calendar.
What started as a practical solution — a place to dance without conditions — became something much richer: a global community defined by generosity, humour, and an open door. Forty-plus years on, that spirit remains entirely intact.
You step into a square with whoever's there. You dance every part. You laugh when it goes wrong and cheer when it goes right. It's the most fun I've had in a room full of strangers — every single week.
— Square dancer, Times Squares, New York CityWhat Makes It Different
Gay Square Dancing — The Same Dance, A Different World
Walk into an IAGSDC club night and you'll notice a few things immediately. There's no dress code — jeans, T-shirts, and comfortable shoes are the norm, not the exception. The tempo is a little faster than you might expect. And perhaps most visibly: nobody cares who's dancing with whom, or in what role.
In traditional square dancing, calls are gendered — "ladies" do one thing, "gents" do another. IAGSDC clubs dance APD — All Positions Dancing, also known as Dance by Definition. Every dancer learns every part. You step into a square, and you dance whatever role the call requires, regardless of gender. It makes the dancing more demanding, more interesting, and far more inclusive.
Crucially, IAGSDC clubs have always been open to everyone. Straight dancers, allies, and friends have danced alongside LGBTQ+ members from the very beginning. As the organisation puts it: dancers of any sexual orientation are welcome at any IAGSDC member club. What defines an IAGSDC club is not who its members are — it's what the club stands for. Inclusion. Welcome. All join hands.
The People Behind the Movement
The Organisations That Keep It Going
LGBTQ+ square dancing has a small but dedicated infrastructure of organisations working to preserve, promote, and grow the activity worldwide.
Around the World
Clubs That Are Worth Finding
There are around 60 IAGSDC-affiliated clubs currently active, the vast majority in North America, with one in Japan. Each has its own personality, history, and community. Here are some of the clubs that define what LGBTQ+ square dancing looks like today — and one that is about to make history.
Australia has had IAGSDC-affiliated clubs before — three of them, in fact — but all have long since folded, leaving the continent without a presence in the international association for many years. The Tropic Twirlers of Cairns are set to change that, becoming the club that brings Australia back into the IAGSDC fold. Based in tropical Far North Queensland, they are reconnecting this country to a global community of LGBTQ+ inclusive dancers — and opening the door for other Australian clubs to follow.
One of the original LGBTQ+ square dance clubs, the Rosetown Ramblers were founded in 1983 — the same year the IAGSDC itself was born. Over four decades they have been a cornerstone of Portland's queer community and a founding part of the international movement.
One of the largest square dance clubs in Colorado, the Rainbeaus have danced together for more than 40 years. They march proudly in the Denver Pride parade each year and have been a constant presence at IAGSDC conventions since the beginning.
New York's LGBTQ+-friendly square dance club, bringing the joy of modern western square dance to the city that never sleeps. Open to all, and one of the most active clubs on the East Coast.
One of the founding clubs of the IAGSDC, the Western Star Dancers have been at the heart of LGBTQ+ square dancing since the movement's earliest days in the Castro. A living piece of queer history.
Dancing in the heart of Hollywood, Tinseltown Squares brings the inclusive spirit of LGBTQ+ square dancing to Southern California with characteristic LA energy.
The first Canadian club to join the IAGSDC, Squares Across the Border made the organisation truly international from its earliest years and remains one of the most active clubs in the Pacific Northwest.
Japan's sole IAGSDC-affiliated club, the Edo8s are a testament to the global reach of this community — and a regular presence at international conventions, representing the movement's reach into Asia.
Mark the Calendar
The Convention Circuit — Where the World Gathers
The IAGSDC annual convention is one of the great LGBTQ+ community events on the calendar — and one of the least-known outside the square dance world. Held every year since 1984, it brings together dancers from across North America and beyond for four days of dancing to internationally renowned callers, alongside a roster of traditions that have become as beloved as the dancing itself.
The Honky Tonk Queen Contest — a gleefully irreverent country drag show — is a convention institution. The Fun Badge Tour sends participants square dancing in the most unexpected public locations across the host city. The convention banquet, the trail-in dances open to the local community, the annual general membership meeting — each piece is part of a rhythm that has repeated, with joy and grief and everything between, for more than forty years.
The 43rd convention brings the world's LGBTQ+ square dancers to one of North America's most vibrant and welcoming cities over the Canada Day long weekend. Callers include Barry Clasper, Vic Ceder, Betsy Gotta, Patty Greene, Michael Kellogg, Ted Lizotte, Ett McAtee, Justin Russell, and more. New dancers are especially encouraged to attend — All Join Hands Foundation offers subsidised registration for first-time convention attendees.
Beyond the annual convention, the IAGSDC calendar is full of fly-in weekends — events hosted by individual clubs that bring dancers from near and far together for a long weekend of dancing. The fly-in tradition dates back to the movement's earliest days, when clubs were too geographically scattered for regular visits. Today they remain some of the warmest, most community-minded events in square dancing anywhere in the world.
Australia Rejoins the World —
After a Long Absence
Australia is not new to the IAGSDC — three Australian clubs have held membership over the years. But all have since folded, and for some time Australia has had no presence within the international association, leaving local LGBTQ+ inclusive dancers disconnected from the global community.
The Tropic Twirlers of Cairns, Far North Queensland, are set to change that. As the club prepares to rejoin the IAGSDC on Australia's behalf, they are rebuilding a connection that once existed and deserves to thrive again — bringing Far North Queensland into a global network of LGBTQ+ inclusive dancers that spans North America, Japan, and beyond.
For any LGBTQ+ person in Australia — or any ally — who has ever wanted to dance in a space where nobody checks who you came with or what role you're supposed to play, this is the beginning of something. A renewed presence, a rebuilt connection, and an open door. Australia is back. Others can follow.
Come As You Are
What to Expect When You Walk In
LGBTQ+ square dancing is, by design, one of the most welcoming environments in social dance. There is no dress code. There are no fixed gender roles. You don't need a partner, a costume, or any prior experience. You need comfortable shoes and a willingness to laugh at yourself when you go the wrong way — which you will, and so will everyone else, and nobody will mind.
The dancing itself is modern western square dancing — the same standardised form danced in clubs around the world — but typically at a slightly faster tempo, with a more casual atmosphere and a culture that prioritises fun and connection over formality. New dancers are welcomed, helped, and cheered. Getting a call wrong is part of the evening. Getting it right, finally, after four attempts — that's the whole point.
Straight dancers, allies, and anyone curious are welcome at every IAGSDC-affiliated club. These have never been exclusive spaces — quite the opposite. The philosophy from the beginning has been that square dancing is better when everyone is in the square. Come as you are. The set needs eight.
Find Your Square
Whether you're in Cairns or Calgary, Portland or Tokyo — there's a club, a convention, or a fly-in weekend waiting for you. All join hands. No exceptions.