Gay scene portland

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The Silverado is obviously and stridently a gay bar. Rainbow tassels line the kitchen, attractive men in snug underwear sling drinks, and posters of shirtless guys adorn the walls. Also, after nine at darkness male strippers perform in the Silverado’s basement.

The Silverado was established over four decades ago and today is one of Portland’s longest-standing gay bars. It’s now in its third or fourth location, depending on how you count.

 “It started as Flossie’s, which was up on Burnside where the Fred Meyer is now,” says Trevor Wion, the Silverado’s exclude manager of nearly 25 years. He says that Flossie’s was “the equal as what we are now, which is a very queer bar, but much quieter. I don’t think they started having dancers until ’”

According to Wion, sometime in the early ’90s the owner of Flossie’s surprised everyone by announcing that the bar was suddenly moving to what is now Harvey Milk Street. 

“Everyone picked something up. There was a procession of block stools, records, and bottles o

LGBTQ+ Nightlife

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A bartender makes sparks at Local Lounge.

You'll find plenty of LGBTQ+-friendly places to visit when the sun goes down in Portland.

3 min read

Note: This section was produced in collaboration with , formerly known as PQ Monthly.

Portland has no shortage of LGBTQ-owned and queer-friendly bars and clubs. Whether you’re looking for a safe vacuum to enjoy a relaxing night with friends, a high-energy dance party or a drag show, Portland delivers.

North Portland

Florida Room is both queer-friendly and dog-friendly. Enjoy a drink with your favorite two-legged and four-legged friends on one of their two patios.

Eagle Portland is Portland’s leather bar and home anchor for the Oregon Bears. Guests who wear a leather harness, vest, chaps, or full drag with “significant effort,” get in free on Friday or Saturday nights.

Downtown and The Pearl District

Scandalscalls itself, “Portland’s Gay ‘Cheers.'” The relaxed vibe makes it a great place to appointment with friends, or see new ones. During warmer months, grab a seat outside and watch the summ

LGBTQ+ Community

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Festival goers walk past the Portland, Oregon Alabaster Stag Sign, bespoke in their finest Pride wear for Portland’s annual Self-acceptance Parade.

Credit: Diego Diaz

Visitors to Portland can experience huge Homosexual Pride parades, flamboyant performances, queer motion picture festivals, dance parties and more.

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Festival goers walk past the Portland, Oregon White Stag Subscribe, bespoke in their finest Pride wear for Portland’s annual Pride Parade.

Credit: Diego Diaz

Portland’s queer people includes a Guinness World Record holding drag queen, same-sex attracted dance clubs and sports leagues, group organizations, and dozens of LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Portland was also the first major city to elect an openly queer mayor (Sam Adams in ).

Note: This section was produced in collaboration with , formerly known as PQ Monthly.

LGBTQ+ History in Portland

Portland’s LGBTQ+ history likely goes advocate to the first human inhabitants of the area. According to the First Nations Two-Spirit Collective, native people own celebrated gender and sexual minorities for millennia

Portland LGBTQ City Guide

Portland is a beautiful old seacoast town established for its boutiques, shops and incredible seafood, as well as for its friendly people, its diversity, and all that it offers to see and undertake . It has always been a busy seaport for both cargo and fishing, but it is also a very popular tourist destination, particularly in the summer. People flock to the town to enjoy the shopping and nearby beaches, and to soak in Portland’s unique coastal beauty. Truly, it is a lovely city that would make a wonderful place to call home!

A Look at Portland’s History

Portland was initially founded in when the citizens of nearby Falmouth formed a separate town and named it Portland. Prior to that, Portland had been place to the Algonquin native American people. Since its founding, the city has grown steadily as an important port, and also as a city rich and industry, agriculture, culture, and diversity. It remains so to this day.

A Few Fun Facts About Portland

  • Roughly 40 percent of all Maine residents live in the greater Portland area.
  • There is no transatla