Best gay night

It's clear by now: Avalon sweeps all sorts of scenes. And Sunday night is no exception, as it reigns supreme as the granddaddy and king of gay nights. A perennial Phoenix reader pick, Avalon's gay night is the largest and longest running in Boston. World-class circuit DJs join resident Darrin Friedman. And throngs of pretty boys thrust themselves into this megaclub and get their go-go on well into Monday morning.

If Avalon's gay night is king, then ManRay's "Campus" on Thursday nights certainly ranks as the queen of camp and kink. With DJ Chris Ewen spinning "alternative boy-pop" (a combination of underground dance, Brit pop, and '80s new wave) in the backroom, and Brad Gwynn spinning high-energy house in the front, ManRay hosts a simmering scene. You'll find a colorful cross section of people and preferences that span the sexuality spectrum.

Avalon, 15 Lansdowne Street, Boston, (617) 262-2424; ManRay, 21 Brookline Street, Cambridge, (617) 864-0400.