Portland gay bars
11 Wine Bars for Every Kind of Vibe
Portland’s same-sex attracted bars are more than just hangouts. Most of the city’s dozen-plus lgbtq+ bars opened in eras hostile to the gay 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+ people 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 house, 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 Gender non-conforming Parties
Upbeat Clubs
CC Slaughters
Est. | old town
Though technically on the outskirts of Elderly Town’s Entertainment District, CC’s is very much at the center
ABOUT US
Here at Eagle Portland, We are learning a lot. How to be a better safe vacuum for all LGBTQIA+ people, how important it is we all unite, how to advocate for and support other queer groups than gay men which we previously and currently mostly consist of. We welcome everyone. We are unapologetically owned by a gay man and mostly operated by as such. We do not desire to be a part of any continued divisions in the LGBTQIA+ collective that can tear us apart. We want to work to make a safe, sexy, fun cosmos for all people.
BOTTLES & CANS
Alcohol
Tecate
Rainer
Cascadia Dry Cider
White Claw - Lime, Mango, Black Cherry, Raspberry, & Watermelon
Bud Light
Miller Light
Coors Light
Corona
Budweiser
Non-Alcoholic
Athletic Brewing Co. Run Wild - IPA
O'Doul's Amber
Zentopia Boost CBD: Raspberry Tea
Zentopia Chill CBD: Huckleberry Lemonade, Mango, & Watermelon
Henry Weinhard's Root Beer
Red Bull: Regular, Sugar-free, Tropical, Watermelon, Blueberry, Winter F
LGBTQ+ Nightlife
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A bartender makes sparks at Local Lounge.
You'll discover plenty of LGBTQ+-friendly places to attend when the star goes down in Portland.
3 min read
Note: This section was produced in collaboration with , formerly recognizable as PQ Monthly.
Portland has no shortage of LGBTQ-owned and queer-friendly bars and clubs. Whether you’re looking for a sound space to relish a relaxing late hours with friends, a high-energy dance party or a queenly 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 abode base for the Oregon Bears. Guests who wear a leather harness, vest, chaps, or packed 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 fantastic place to meeting with friends, or meet new ones. During warmer months, grab a seat outside and monitor the summ
[Find the Mercury's Queer Guide in print—available in more than spots citywide!—eds.]
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 night 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 prevent manager of nearly 25 years. He says that Flossie’s was “the same 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 bar stools, records, and bottles o