Gay clubs downtown portland

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 lgbtq+ bars opened in eras hostile to the homosexual 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 optimal 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 residence, 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 performative 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

Portland Gay Bars

Portland has a multitude of gay venues for you to examine, all offering something a little bit different. The capital has a prominent feminist and womxn loving womxn scene, which is focussed on the Hawthorne District with its trendy bars and coffee shops. Meanwhile the Burnside Triangle has always been a hangout spot for local queer people of all identities and is the dwelling of LGBTQ+ nightlife that caters to everyone. As you explore the metropolis you can hold a drag production, grab a craft cocktail, or simply dance the blackout away in one of the many clubs.

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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 reliable space. The exclude has a casual atmosphere and superb music, while both areas have access to patio seating, and a game room with pool tables, pinball, and all your other favourites. A entire bar serves wonderful drinks along with a delicious menu featuring an all-day breakfast and trendy brunch.

Darcelle XV

Drag

Darcelle is the oldest drag club in the country, whose namesake holds the world record

LGBTQ+ Nightlife

A bartender makes sparks at Local Lounge.

You'll find plenty of LGBTQ+-friendly places to call on 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 space 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 performative 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 rendezvous with friends, or meet 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

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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 blackout male strippers execute 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 homosexual bar, 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