Best gay bars portland
LGBTQ+ Nightlife
i
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 ProudQueer.com, 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 cosmos 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 build 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 encounter with friends, or join new ones. During warmer months, grab a seat outside and watch the summer crowd cruise by.
There are two all-male strip clubs in Portland. Silverado, locat
11 Wine Bars for Every Kind of Vibe
Portland’s male lover bars are more than just hangouts. Most of the city’s dozen-plus homosexual bars opened in eras hostile to the lgbtq+ community. The city’s oldest surviving bars were havens in an openly homophobic era, while its newest venues join a chorus of voices against an increasingly transphobic national climate. The entire LGBTQ+ society should, in the finest bars, feel safe and free to let loose, have fun, and maybe nibble on something tasty, on menu or off.
Not all queer gatherings have a permanent place, so we’ve assembled a rundown of the city’s robust scene of recurring pop-up parties alongside our favorite brick-and-mortar establishments. From leather bars to flamboyant dens to lesbian parties to trans cabaret revues to Portland’s “gay Cheers,” there’s always somewhere where everyone’s glad you came.
Jump to: Upbeat Clubs / Low-Key Venues / Strip Clubs / Recurring Gay Parties
Upbeat Clubs
CC Slaughters
Est. 1981 | old town
Though technically on the outskirts of Old Town’s Entertainment District, CC’s is very much at the center of the queer downtown Portland scene. Part cocktail block and part dance club, it’s an approacha
[Find the Mercury's Queer Manual in print—available in more than 500 spots citywide!—eds.]
The Silverado is obviously and stridently a gay block. Rainbow tassels line the kitchen, attractive men in snug underwear sling drinks, and posters of shirtless guys adorn the walls. Also, after nine at night male strippers act 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 bar manager of nearly 25 years. He says that Flossie’s was “the same as what we are now, which is a very queer prevent, but much quieter. I don’t think they started having dancers until ’87.”
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 bar stools, records, and bottles of liquor. Everyone just carried everything, and that’s when they opened up down at Stark Stre
Portland Gay Bars
Portland has a multitude of gay venues for you to search, all offering something a little bit different. The city has a prominent feminist and lesbian scene, which is focussed on the Hawthorne District with its trendy bars and coffee shops. Meanwhile the Burnside Triangle has always been a hangout identify for local queer people of all identities and is the home of LGBTQ+ nightlife that caters to everyone. As you explore the city you can catch a performative show, grab a craft cocktail, or simply sway the night away in one of the many clubs.
Portland Hotel Deals
Gay Portland
Bare Bones Cafe & Bar
Food
Bare Bones a bar on one side and a cafe on the other. Both areas welcome families, students and crowds of local gays who knows this is a secure space. The bar has a casual atmosphere and good music, while both areas have access to patio seating, and a game room with pool tables, pinball, and all your other favourites. A full bar serves superb drinks along with a delicious menu featuring an all-day breakfast and famous brunch.
Read more
Darcelle XV
Drag
Darcelle is the oldest drag club in the country, whose namesake holds the society record
.