Gay Portland · City Guide

As a city that, since the sixties, has been a holder of progressive values and counterculture; it comes as no surprise that Portland, Oregon is now a city known for its gay scene, coffee houses and microbreweries. 'The City of Roses' is situated in and surrounded by fertile lands, earning its nickname. As well as that, the fertile land gives the city quick access to fresh ingredients which is why Portland has also earned itself a reputation as a desirable culinary city.

With Portland's progressive nature and counterculture, pride and passion for the unique city have been cultivated amongst its locals. The initiative, 'Keep Portland weird', is now a life motto for the people of Portland; finding its way from bumpers of cars to shop windows to street signs. With naked bike rides, soapbox derby racing and voodoo doughnuts as normal as trees, cats and dogs, there's no wonder the people of Portland embrace the unexpected, the unique, and the strange.

Portland is divided into 6 sections; North Portland, Northeast Portland, Northwest Portland, South Portland, Southeast Portland, and Southwest Portland. Portland's gay enclave was once Southwest Stark Street's Pink Triangle, but since its collapse, Portland has been left without one central area for the LGBTQ+ population to call theirs. However this has been embraced by the people of Portland, most replies come 'all of Portland is gay' or 'everywhere in Portland is a safe space'; and this, we think, is what makes Portland a truly LGBTQ+ friendly city.

Gay Rights in Portland

Portland's law means that currently, LGBTQ+ people have the same responsibilities and rights as non-LBGTQ+ people. Same-sex sexual acts are legal in Oregon and, as of May 2014, same-sex marriage was made legal. The discrimination of an employee, tenant or customer based on their sexual orientation or gender identity is also illegal in the state of Oregon. 70% of Oregon's population also voted in favour of anti-discrimination laws in 2019, showing the state's willingness to make timely changes.

Oregon's law and population make it one of the safest and most supportive states for LGBTQ+ people to live and travel in. Hotels, bars and other venues are all held to discrimination acts and therefore cannot and do not enact prejudice or discrimination onto any of their customers. On top of this, Portland has a very accepting and openly LGBTQ+ population itself.

Gay Bars in Portland

As we've covered, the gay scene in Portland is located everywhere with no single gay district existing. This means gay bars in Portland are plentiful, and no matter where you're staying you'll never be too far from one. Despite this, there are some particularly concentrated spots that are great for bar hopping and late-night excursions.

Downtown Portland is obviously a more concentrated area for bars and restaurants generally, so naturally, there are a plethora of gay bars. Among them are Scandals, Silverado and Stag PDX, all of which are bars aimed at the LGBTQ+ community with music, shows, and queer decor. Long-running bar Scandals has a friendly environment with a large outdoor patio as well as live entertainment and shows. Silverado is less shy with themed nights for bears, cubs, etc as well as go-go dancers and sometimes topless bar staff. Stag PDX is for your more adventurous gay tourist, advertised as an LGBT gentleman's club, they provide a more specific experience.

Further afield in North/North East Portland, the gay bars are slightly more dispersed. Nonetheless, they are there and most are hidden gems; Local Lounge and Eagle Portland are amongst the best of these diamonds in the rough. Local Lounge is a community-run venue and provides an inclusive atmosphere, serving food, drinks and hosting a variety of exciting events regularly. Eagle Portland is more specialised, catering to bears, daddies and leather fans; hosting a series of events including uniform/underwear nights.

Gay Hotels in Portland

Being in one of the United States' most LGBTQ+ friendly states, Portland is also home to many gay and LGBTQ+-friendly hotels. Our top picks are the Dossier Hotel, Sentinel Hotel and Jupiter Hotel. All of these hotels are a short distance from downtown Portland and therefore give guests the opportunity to get involved and immersed in the atmosphere of the city.

The Dossier Hotel is a 4-star hotel based directly in downtown Portland. The Dossier features helpful staff, spacious bathrooms, and the ability to have ice cream delivered to your room!

The Sentinal Hotel is also a 4-star hotel and offers several onsite dining options, fitness/wellness packages and staff who have great city knowledge.

The Jupiter Hotel is a more affordable 3-star hotel option, offering clean, well-equipped rooms just a 5 minute walk from downtown Portland.

Voodoo Doughnuts

Portland is famous for its quirky shops, events, and attractions, but by far one of its most notorious is its unique doughnut shops, specifically Voodoo Doughnut.

Voodoo Doughnut was started by friends Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon in 2000 after discovering downtown Portland lacked even a single doughnut shop. The shop went on to become synonymous with weddings and concerts happening in/near/associated with Voodoo Doughnut. All of this, and the simple business strategy of making delicious and unique doughnuts, soon saw Voodoo Doughnut rise to fame. The vendor has now appeared, most notably, on MTV, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, Wheel of Fortune, and in PlayBoy. In the scorched trail left by Voodoo Doughnut, many more doughnut shops were born and now Portland is home to enough doughnut vendors to fill any city.

This legacy story means that people traveling to Portland simply have to visit Voodoo Doughnut and their many competitors to have truly experienced Portland.

Getting to Portland

Portland International Airport is a well-equipped and clean airport, with lots of restaurants and eateries to choose from while waiting in the airport. From the airport there are shuttles, buses, taxis, town cars and rentals available to get you to your hotel or into the city centre. Extended information is available on the airports website HERE

Portland City Centre and the immediate surrounding area is accessible within 20-30 minutes of Portland International Airport by any of the travel options available, so none of those unbearably long and unimaginably expensive taxi rides.

Getting around Portland

Getting around Portland is not only easy, but also cost effective and pleasant. The city has a great transport infrastructure mainly comprised of MAX light rail, streetcars and bus services. There is also the options that most locals take; cycling, electric scooters and on foot. As a city that has character everywhere, electric scooter or on foot is a great way to travel while seeing the city, even for tourists.

Streetcar

Beginning in 2001 with just one line over 2.4 miles of track, Portland's streetcar has now been extended and built up over 20 years, running three separate lines over 16 miles of track. Tickets are $2 for 2.5 hours and $5 for all-day for adults, tickets valid across streetcar, light rail and TriMet bus services can also be purchased for $2.50 for 2.5 hours and $5 for all-day. All tickets can be paid for via the encouraged method of contactless or by exact change.

MAX Light Rail

The crowning jewel of Portlands public transport network in the MAX light rail. The light rail has more than 90 stations across 60 miles of track, connecting the city airport, centre and region. The MAX light rail is composed of 5 lines, Blue, Green, Red, Yellow and Orange, running from 4am till before midnight and arriving at stations in 15 minute intervals. The fares for the light rail mirror those of the streetcar with the same option to buy a ticket that is valid across the streetcar, light rail and bus services.

Bus

Portland's bus service covers the city and suburbs with frequent stops, low fares, wheelchair access on every bus and bike racks on most buses. The bus service is a service to locals as it aids people travelling regularly and also lends a hadn't to cyclists, given that cycling is possibly the most popular transport across the city. Bus services run during the day and again the option to buy a ticket across streetcar, light rail and bus services is available.

Electric Scooters

A much more local oriented mode of transport is the electric scooter. However, the electric scooter is a great way to explore the city bit by bit and on a more specific route, catching everything you want to see. The E-scooters do have their own set of road rules to maintain the pleasant transport experience in Portland, as well as the expected rules you can find a comprehensive list HERE

 Bike

The bike is, as mentioned, possibly the most popular transport in Portland, particularly for locals. The city has miles and miles of protected bicycle lanes, with many cycling activities and bike culture events throughout the year. Cycling has become a part of the city's identity, in particular being known for one of the world's longest naked bike rides and month-long bike festival.

Things to do in Portland

Portland is a quirky city with many entirely unique things to see and do, discover Portland for yourself and head straight to these hugely popular spots.

• Voodoo Doughnut
• Powell's City of Books
• Forest Park
• Portland Japanese Garden
• Oregon Zoo
• Portland Art Museum
• Mill Ends Park (World's Smallest Park)

FAQs

Visa

Those living outside the United States will require a temporary travel visa, and these can be applied for through the official US Embassy website or in your local US embassy.

When to visit

Portland's peak season is June to August, this is when the city of roses is in full bloom as well as the consistent warm weather attracting tourists and bringing to life Portland's summer culture. This means that you should book in plenty of months advance to secure reasonable room and travel rates. Alternatively, Portland being close to Mount Hood means that it is a great spot for winter sport enthusiasts, as well as winter being a much cheaper time to visit. No matter the time of year, Portland remains quirky and full of character.

Money

There is a good amount of ATMs in Portland, however tourists should be weary that across Oregon and the US generally, charges often apply at the majority of ATMs.

The generally accepted and expected rates of tipping in Portland, and most of the US, are 15-20% for good service.