Underground LA: Best underground LGBT parties in Los Angeles

Over the past several years the Boulet Brothers have carved out a reputation as the hosts of dark and kinky pan-sexual bacchanals with a performative edge. Their Black Unicorn party immerses club-goers in a high concept environment where gothic S&M looks are re-imagined though a 90's club kid’s lens, all to a dark disco beat. Whether you're hoping to get pulled up on stage and spanked by a corseted femme in a unicorn mask or just prefer to watch, the Brothers Boulet have all your bases covered.

When: Varies
Cover: Varies
Dress code: Latex, Leather, Moulin Rouge effects, red & black, naughty nurses, vintage straight jackets, Sid Vicious goes to Versailles
Cruise factor: 7/10. With all these fetishes it can be a little tricky figuring out who’s into what.

On the third Tuesday of every month, storied Silver Lake dive the Short Stop is reinvented as a gay bar by a collective of Eastside boys dedicated to bringing sweaty, scruffy, dance-filled good times back to the neighborhood. The bar offers inexpensive drink specials, the dance floor fills with nu-disco beats and an alley-like smoking gallery in back transforms into a hunky tableaux of modern gay bohemia. Consistently packed with an attractive and friendly crowd of local movers and shakers, Cafeteria offers a welcome respite for anyone in search of sexy, unpretentious and affordable good times.

When: Every 3rd Tuesday of the month
Cover: Free
Dress code: Facial scruff, vintage tank tops, body hair, 80 percent butch with unexpected feminine touches like a cocktail ring, American Spirits, Visine
Cruise factor: 8/10. In any other city everyone would need to get to bed early, but none of these creative types work a 9-5 so it’s worth a shot.

Scruffy, scrappy Lincoln Heights bar the Airliner is an inspired choice for a female-focused affair. Every third Friday of the month, Mugshot turns the joint inside out, pulling in big crowds for a raucous dance party. Outside, a foxy collection of bohemian femmes congregate on the two-story patio, while inside, resident DJ Automaton whips the ladies into a twerking frenzy with a rapid fire blend of bass heavy hip-hop and indie dance. With a revolving cast of performers and guest DJs to keep the night fresh, Mugshot has unexpectedly turned Lincoln Heights into a can't-miss third Friday night destination. For updates on parties, join their e-mail list.

When: Every 3rd Friday of the month
Cover: $7
Dress code: Every shade of Bohemian, big gold chains and leotards, Olive Oyl top knots, really big eyeglasses (no prescription necessary), twerkwear
Cruise factor: 9/10. It's Friday night and EVERYBODY’s open to making a new friend.

Since its inception in 2008, Mustache Mondays at La Cita has been become an institution amongst cutting edge queer creatives, who consistently bring their sartorial "A" game to the weekly extravaganza, which has recently played host to drop-bys from such heavy hitters as Azealia Banks, Diplo and Mykki Blanco. Attendees whirl, twirl and duck walk to the progressive house and hip-hop sounds of DJs Josh Peace and Total Freedom, while the outdoor seating area provides an ideal location for gossip, flirting and a never ending series of glamorous entrances.

When: Every Monday
Cover: Varies (Free-$10)
Dress code: Extreme gender fluidity: Everybody is in leggings, textiles from equatorial countries, flat hat brims, tall skinny boys in boxy shirts, GIF chic, "ghetto gothic," anything you can safely vogue in
Cruise factor: 5/10. These costumes are complicated.