LGBTQIA+ Greenville
Y'all Means All
"Find Yourself in Good Company" is Greenville's slogan, which couldn't be more accurate. No matter who you are, who you love, or what you believe, there is a place for you in Pitt County. Key partners in Greenville and Pitt County have worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone in the Emerald City feels welcomed in our community.
Inclusive Events Year-Round
There are countless, year-round LGBTQ+ events in Greenville and Pitt County. You can find monthly Queer Women meetups, Sunday Drag Brunches at the Scullery, Pop-Up Paddock Club nights at The State Theatre, events for LGBTQ+ students at the ECU Dr. Jesse Peel LGBTQ Center, Amateur Drag Nights with Underground Presents, The Greater Greenville Queer Chorus which performs on Sunday night at St. Pauls Episcopal Church, and much much more!
For a full calendar view, scroll to the bottom of the page for a list of inclusive events in Pitt County.
Greenville-Pitt County Pride
For the past few years, Greenville-Pitt County Pride has been hosted by NAMI Pitt County. This is an event dedicated to distributing resources and support to our local and regional LGBTQ+ members. Greenville-Pitt County Pride is an all-day event hosted at the Greenville Town Common and Toyota Amphitheatre and is a celebration of LGBTQ+ communities across Eastern North Carolina and beyond.
Dickinson Avenue After Dark
Twice a year Dickinson Avenue is closed down to celebrate the best craft beverages eastern North Carolina has to offer. This festival exclusively features breweries, wineries, distilleries, and food from east of I-95. Proceeds of this event are donated to charities including PiCASO.
PiCASO Drag Brunch
On the second Sunday of each month, PiCASO hosts a drag brunch at The Scullery in Downtown Greenville. The proceeds of this event support those living with HIV in Pitt and Craven counties, so this is a great way to have fun while supporting a good cause!
Pop-Up Paddock Club
Do you remember the Paddock Club? Did you know that it has made a special return to Greenville? Quarterly, the Paddock Club takes over The State Theater for a night-long party hosted by Emerge Gallery & Arts Center. The Paddock Pop-Up is a night dedicated to catching up with old friends, dancing all night to iconic tunes, and enjoying performances by our favorite drag artists
Greenville's LGBTQ+ History Honored
Did you know that Greenville, NC once held the oldest operating gay club in the state of North Carolina? The Paddock Club started as a country-western night club and in 1973 it was turned into a gay bar. For more than 30 years, the Paddock Club was the longest-operating establishment of it’s kind in the state, and the only safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community to socialize east of Raleigh. In the summer of 2024, the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge unveiled “The Paddock Public Art Sculpture” on Dickinson Avenue by the Tenth Street Connector Overpass. The Paddock Public Art Sculpture is the original steel spiral staircase from the (since demolished) club that was saved by the owners, and creatively and beautifully given new life by North Carolina artist, Jessica Bradsher, to feature powder-coated steel ribbons representing the colors of the rainbow.
Local Resources
There are several resources for LGBTQ+ visitors and residents in Greenville-Pitt County. These resources are safe spaces and organizations that are dedicated to advocacy and assistance with LGBTQ+ related concerns and issues.
ECU Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ+ Center
The ECU Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ+ Center is located on the third floor of the ECU Student Center and acts as a safe and inclusive space for queer students to build community. The ECU Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ+ Center hosts frequent events for queer students, and adults, in our community, and is one of the strongest LGBTQ+ supporters in our community.
OUT Greenville has compiled a phenomenal list of regional resources organized by category. The categories include resources for general support, youth, sports, religious societies, political/advocacy, medical/health, and university/education.
PiCASO (Pitt County AIDS Service Organization)
The mission of the PiCASO is to prevent the transmission of HIV through educational outreach and testing to Pitt County and the surrounding counties of Eastern North Carolina and to provide assistance to those living with, and affected by HIV/AIDS in our community. PiCASO hosts monthly drag brunches in Downtown Greenville to raise awareness and fundraise for impacted communities.
Affirmative Faith Organizations
Throughout Pitt County, there are several affirmative faith organizations. Including multiple faiths, organizations such as Cedarbridge Baptist Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, First Presbyterian Church, Congregation Bayt Shalom, Jarvis United Methodist Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Greenville NC are all wonderful places to start when looking for affirmative faith organizations in our community.