As we enter 2026, qMeet is not the same community it was a year ago. We've transformed — not just in name or platform, but in how we think about what a queer community can be.
Where We Started
qMeet began in February 2015 as "Gay & LesBian Social The Netherlands" — a Meetup group where queer people could find events and meet others. Over eleven years, we hosted more than 900 events: movie nights, museum visits, picnics, parties, board game evenings, and countless drinks together. The community grew, and so did our understanding of what we wanted to be.
The "LGBT+ alphabet soup" expanded over the years. While the fight for equal rights continues, we wanted our name to send a clear message: every queer person is welcome. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and everyone else exploring their identity. That's why we became qMeet.
Why We Changed
But the bigger change wasn't the name. It was how we operate.
On Meetup, the dynamic was top-down. Events were been organized, people clicked a button to RSVP - on an anonymous website. It was efficient, but also... cold. There was little sense of belonging.
We wanted something different. Not an event service, but a community. Not clicking buttons, but making plans with a group of friends.
That's why we built the WhatsApp community — now 850 members across 11 groups. Here, anyone can be an initiator. "Hey, who wants to check out this exhibition?" "I'm going to that party on Saturday — anyone joining?" The energy comes from the community itself, not from organizers pushing events at you.
And that's why we built the website qMeet.nl — a place to discover what's happening and where to go. An agenda of queer events across the Netherlands. A guide to hundreds of LGBTQ+ friendly places. News that matters to our community. All designed to make it easier to find things to do together.
Our Mission
In a world where people live more and more online, qMeet exists to help queer people meet offline.
Our core purpose is simple: remove the friction between having an idea and actually meeting up.
The WhatsApp groups are spaces to find companions for real-world adventures. The website highlights events, places, and possibilities. Everything we do serves one goal: making it easier to get out there and connect in person.
Our Principles
Events are free. They have been since 2015. They will stay free.
Community, not service. We're a group of friends, not a platform selling you experiences.
Offline first. The online tools exist to make offline meetings happen.
Open to all. Every queer person is welcome — no matter where you are on your journey.
Happy New Year
2026 is here, and qMeet enters it as something new: a community that belongs to everyone.
Ideas for meetups, feedback on how things work, suggestions for making things better — all of it is welcome. This is a shared space now, shaped by everyone who's part of it.
Here's to more adventures, more connections, and more moments together in the real world. Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones.
Happy New Year — see you out there!
