If you’re new to Austin and want to meet LGBTQ+ people through work, start with the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Its happy hour is free, open to the public, and runs every month. Two smaller groups fill in by field: Out in Tech for tech workers and the Austin Bar’s LGBTQ+ Law Section for lawyers. We checked each group’s own calendar or page on October 15, 2026.
The Short List
| Group | What runs and when |
|---|---|
| Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce | Free monthly happy hour; monthly luncheon, $60 for non-members |
| Out in Tech Austin | Mixer every third Tuesday at Cheer Up Charlies |
| LGBTQ+ Law Section, Austin Bar | Monthly CLE for members; $35 a year |
The Groups
Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1997, the Chamber calls itself “Central Texas’ largest hub for LGBTQ+ and allied businesses and organizations.” Its two regular events are a happy hour and a luncheon, each about once a month.
The happy hours “are FREE to attend and open to the public,” and you pay your own tab. The venue changes: October’s is Thursday, October 22, 5:30 to 7 pm at Nickel City, and November’s is Thursday, November 19. The luncheons are on a Thursday at 11:30 am, with a speaker each time, and cost $30 for members and $60 for everyone else. The next one is Thursday, November 5. The year ends with the Business of Pride Gala on December 12 at the Hilton Austin.
You don’t have to join to attend. Individual membership is $200 a year if you want the member rate and the directory.
- Where: office at 535 E 5th St, Austin 78701; events at different venues
- Phone: 1-512-761-5428
- More: the Chamber’s event calendar, Facebook and Instagram
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Out in Tech Austin
Out in Tech is a nonprofit for the LGBTQ+ tech community, and its Austin chapter holds a mixer at Cheer Up Charlies “every 3rd Tuesday of each month.” The invitation is broad: “Whether you’re interested in tech, working in tech, or you’re tech-adjacent (hint: that’s everyone).” The June mixer ran 7 to 9 pm, per Out in Tech’s site. Someone checks you in and gives you a name tag, and you can tell them at check-in if you’d rather not be photographed.
Cheer Up Charlies is at Red River and 9th, and the group suggests street parking on Red River, 9th, 10th or Neches. RSVP on Eventbrite, where the dates are posted.
- Where: Cheer Up Charlies, 900 Red River Street, Austin 78701
- Contact: [email protected]
- More: the 2026 mixer series on Out in Tech’s site
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LGBTQ+ Law Section of the Austin Bar Association
For lawyers, the Austin Bar’s LGBTQ+ Law Section is “a common forum for individuals interested in the legal issues of LGBTQ+ people.” Joining costs $35 a year, which includes monthly CLE, and members get half off National LGBTQ+ Bar Association dues. With the Austin Bar Foundation, it gives scholarships to students in Texas law schools.
Its Drag and Justice fundraiser raised more than $25,000 for that scholarship fund, the section posted on Facebook in May 2026.
- Phone: Austin Bar Association, (512) 472-0279
- More: the section’s page
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Before You Go
- Check the date and place the week of. The Chamber’s happy hour venue changes, and the November luncheon venue wasn’t posted yet
- RSVP when they ask. The Chamber encourages it, and Out in Tech uses Eventbrite
- Bring a way to swap contacts. A card or a LinkedIn QR code saves time
- Ask about photos. Out in Tech says to tell them at check-in if you’d rather not be photographed. Ask the same at any event if being out at work is a question for you
- Ask about access. Happy hours are at bars and can be loud and crowded. Ask about seating, noise and alcohol-free drinks if those matter to you
If you’d rather give time than swap cards, our volunteer guide lists LGBTQ+ groups that need help.
What We Couldn’t Check
- The price of Out in Tech’s mixer. Eventbrite shows it when you RSVP
- Where the Chamber’s November luncheon will be. The page says “coming soon”
- What the LGBTQ+ Law Section has planned next. Its page didn’t list upcoming events when we read it
- Other professional groups with Austin chapters. One national real estate group’s Austin chapter hadn’t posted in more than a year, so we left it off
Last checked: October 2026. Each group’s calendar or page read on October 15, 2026. See how we choose what goes on a list.
Coming early 2027
Community Circles: six people, one weeknight, the same faces every week
Small, peer-led, free. A place where people remember what you said last week.