Do you recall those golden years when the gay community was all one big happy family, united in pride and support for one another?

Neither do I. But in earlier times, and in smaller communities even now, the gay community was and is much less fragmented, or at least its various subgroups mixed with one another more. Case in point: I recall visiting a bar in downtown Baltimore in the early 1980s that featured men and women of many backgrounds all having fun in the same space. If that ever took place here, it happened before my time, and my time here has been pretty long.

It seems that once a city’s gay community passes a certain size, people tend to break off into subgroups: Bears over here, twinks over there, blacks at this place, whites at that one, women off on their own, men ditto. And while gay-straight mixing is growing among the younger generation, there are still plenty of gay men and lesbians who don’t do much of that either.

I find the upcoming networking and social event on Sept. 14 highly appealing because it is based on a great unifier, something that I enjoy and that everyone else who’s ever tried it quickly finds fun: Bowling.

“Monday Night Madness at Lucky Strike,” a networking mixer that night for the LGBT community and friends, will have that and so much more. Bowling is an activity that is easy to learn, promotes sociability, and is open to anyone regardless of skill, as President Obama demonstrated on the campaign trail last year. Billiards and dining, both also on the menu, promote togetherness and family spirit too.

But that’s not all that’s on the agenda. There will be food and drink, live performances and other surprises, including drawings for thousands of dollars in prizes from local businesses, including Bellezza DermaCenter , Café Mocha, PHAG, SkinCeuticals, and more.

It also marks a coming-out party of sorts for the trendy bowling alley on the fringe of the Gayborhood, which, while gay-friendly, has not hosted many events aimed specifically at gays and lesbians.

The event’s organizer, Charles Ameno, comes from Pittsburgh, whose gay community was more like what I found in Baltimore all those years ago. He noticed the difference soon after arriving here: “Coming here, I’ve noticed that each club has its own ‘set’ of people who go there, and each is different from what you find at the other clubs, and few people seem to integrate,” he said. “And if you remain separate, you can’t get anything accomplished.”

The man has a point. We’ve achieved our greatest accomplishments when we stood together as one, and when we stick exclusively to our own little corners of the world, we often miss opportunities to discover new things that can benefit us both as individuals and collectively. Maybe one party can’t change the world, but it’s a start.

“Monday Night Madness at Lucky Strike” takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at Lucky Strike Lanes, 1336 Chestnut Street . Tickets ($12 in advance, $20 at the door) include shoe rental and bowling all night. Find out more about this event here. On Oct. 15, Ameno’s company, Blast Entertainment, follows up this effort with a benefit fundraiser for breast cancer awareness, treatment and research, “Lap of Luxury,” at Privé in Old City.