Do you like cars? So do we! Lambda Car Club International (LCCI) was formed specifically to cater to the LGBT community. The organizers felt that there was a need for the club because historically, mainstream car clubs were either not welcoming to our community, or it was not comfortable for our families and friends to participate.

Founded in 1981, the LCCI has grown to include 32 regional chapters, with a membership of approximately 2,200, throughout the United States and Canada. All regions of LCCI are very inclusive and support members from different races, religions, genders and socioeconomic levels. Straight men and women are certainly welcome to join the club as well.

The LCCI’s Cumberland Region, the Middle/East Tennessee and Kentucky chapter, turns 10 years old this year. Our region is 55 members strong and is actively recruiting, especially among women and young men who may fear that they or their automotive interest do not have much in common with our current members. That is not the case with us! We love to have folks visit and join us, especially if you love automobiles. Members drive everything from vintage domestic to sporty imports. Some members don’t own vintage or specialty vehicles at all, but the one thing that we have in common is our appreciation for them.

We kick off the year with our annual holiday party in early January. Throughout the remainder of the year, our members enjoy club events, including car shows, swap meets, movie nights, scenic driving tours, museum displays, and cook-outs. In addition, we have a cruise night on the fourth Sunday of each month. The location of our monthly cruise from Spring through Fall is the Sonic in the Melrose area of Franklin Road beginning at 5:00 pm.

You will also find us participating in the Pride events in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Knoxville. Please check out the cars at our booths!

Every year, one of the LCCI regions hosts the annual national meet, which is called the “Grand Invitational,” where club members from across the nation travel to the host city for the event. In 2018, from May 23-27, 2018, the Cumberland Region will be hosting the Grand Invitational, affectionately renamed the Grand ‘Ole’ Invitational, where we will show what Music City and the area have to offer, such as Country Music Hall of Fame, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, and National Corvette Museum.

The event will culminate with the car show and awards banquet on Sunday, May 27th at the host hotel Franklin Marriott Cool Springs. We encourage everyone to come view the cars, trucks and specialty vehicles on display!

We have decided to donate a portion of the proceeds of the event to charity and have chosen Nashville CARES, a charity that is near and dear to our community, as the beneficiary for the event.

Explore the local chapter website to find out more about the club and our calendar of events at lcccumberland.com and to join our Facebook group. Our email is lccicumberland@gmail.com. To join Lambda Car Club International, please visit lccimembers.

We hope to see you OUT on the road!