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LGBTQ+ History in Portland
The Rose City has a long history of gay rights activism and LGBTQ+ inclusiveness.
PQ Monthly
Note: This section was produced in collaboration with ProudQueer.com, formerly known as PQ Monthly.
Portland’s LGBTQ+ history likely goes back to the first human inhabitants of the area. According to the First Nations Two-Spirit Collective, native people have celebrated gender and sexual minorities for millennia. Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark noted a number of encounters with such individuals in Oregon. While some tribes have struggled to keep these traditions alive in the face of colonial influences, the Portland Two-Spirit Society is evidence of the resurgence of Two-Spirit pride.
Portland’s gay communities first found widespread visibility, and later organization, through the local media. In 1970, not long after the riots at Stonewall, John Wilkinson and Holly Hart wrote about Portland’s queer community in the Willamette Bridge. They called for gays and lesbians to organize, and the Portland Gay Liberation Front (PGLF) was born.
After the formation of the PGLF, advances in gay rights began to mount. Two years later, in 1972, Oregon became the fourth state to repeal its sodomy laws (enacted in 1853). By 1973, Rep. Vera Katz (who later became Portland’s mayor) had introduced the state’s first gay rights bill, which failed to pass by just two votes. There were even enough gay rights groups to hold an Oregon Gay Political Caucus. The following year, the Portland City Council adopted a resolution barring employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Portland’s first gay pride celebration took the form of indoor events such as dances, sponsored by The Second Foundation. The first outdoor public pride festival was held in 1975.
Portland saw its first AIDS-related death in 1982, and by 1983, Cascade AIDS Project and PALS (Personal Active Listeners) were formed. The 1980s also saw the beginnings of still-vibrant community institutions such as Esther’s Pantry, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, Portland Lesbian Choir and Equity Foundation.
In 1988, the Oregon LGBTQ+ community met a foe that would provide the impetus for the next decade of activism. The Oregon Citizens Alliance (OCA), a conservative Christian group, sponsored Measure 8, which ultimately succeeded in repealing Gov. Goldschmidt’s executive order prohibiting the executive branch from discriminating based on sexual orientation in employment. The measure was overruled by the Oregon Supreme Court in 1992.
The OCA continued to fight against gay rights with 1992’s Measure 9, which sought to prevent “special rights” for gay, lesbian and bisexual people. This became a galvanizing battle for the community and led to the creation of the state’s primary LGBTQ+ rights organization, Basic Rights Oregon in 1996.
In 2006, Q Center — Portland’s first new LGBTQ+ community center since 1978 — opened its doors. The following year, the Oregon legislature passed bills banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, public accommodations and employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Portland voters took that sentiment to heart in 2008 when they elected Sam Adams, the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city.
Adams led the Portland City Council in 2011 to unanimously make the health insurance policy for city employees transgender-inclusive. The state continues to be a leader in healthcare for transgender people.
In 2014, a U.S. District Court judge made marriage legal for all couples in the state after overturning Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriages. The Oregon district attorney declined to defend the law when it was challenged in a federal lawsuit, and the decision went into effect immediately. This was ten years after Multnomah County attempted to issue some of the first gay marriage licenses in the country in 2004.
In February 2015, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown made history as the nation’s first openly bisexual governor when she was appointed to the position following then-Governor John Kitzhaber’s resignation. Brown, the 37th governor of Oregon, has long been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and organizations throughout the state.
For more on Portland’s rich LGBTQ+ history, visit the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN). Trace the footsteps of Portland’s queer community with their self-guided walking tour.
Learn More About Portland’s Queer Community – Past and Present
When was gay marriage legalized in Portland?
Legislation passed in 2007 gave same-sex couples access to domestic partnerships, but not marriage. Gay marriage became legal in Portland (and the rest of Oregon) on May 20, 2014.
Where can I learn more about the history of gay rights activism in Portland?
How can I support LGBTQ+ businesses in Portland?
Oregon Pride in Business (ORPIB) serves as the LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce for businesses in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The organization hosts networking events at LGBTQ+-owned businesses in the greater Portland area.
Queer Community Events
Darcelle XV’s Weekend Drag Show
Darcelle XV and Company have been entertaining audiences from all walks of life for over 50 years with Las Vegas-style cabaret revues of Glitz, Glamour and Comedy. Stop by when you are in Portland and you will be glad that you did! We have traveled the United States presenting a show that you have to…
Kaliente Drag Brunch
Kharisma brings the heat with Kaliente, the newest Drag Brunch at your Stag PDX. Start your month with a bit of spice every 1st Sunday, with a show that has that extra kick that only Kharisma and her special guest performers can bring. Enjoy all-you-can-eat brunch options served from the buffet with mimosas available -…
Swan Dive Diva Drag Brunch
Join Portland’s all-star drag queens and burlesque dancers every Saturday and Sunday for a heart-pumping performance complete with acrobatics, live singing, intricate custom-made outfits and sweat-defying artful makeup. Come prepared to tip generously and have a rowdy good time. The ticket price does not include food or alcohol. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the…
Gay Skate
Roll out with your friends and loved ones to the monthly Gay Skate Session, held the 1st and 3rd Monday night of the month. Everyone is welcome at this all-ages event at this all-ages event. Admission tickets allow the Oaks Park Roller Rink access for the selected Gay Skate Session date/time. Includes standard skate rental.
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus
It’s the day of the show, y’all, and the Portland Gay Men's Chorus has set out to put on “the gayest holiday concert of all time”. Inspired by classic variety and sketch shows — with a modern twist — enjoy as PGMC presents a joyous and humorous extravaganza filled with holiday cheer. One of Portland’s…
Kinkfest
KinkFest is an annual, 3-day event celebrating sexual diversity and the BDSM, fetish and leather communities. KinkFest offers 50+ educational classes, afternoon and evening play parties, and a huge vendor mall filled with products and services from local and national leather, fetish and kink businesses. KinkFest welcomes ALL facets of the diverse leather, BDSM, fetish…
TAG! Queer Shorts Festival
TAG! Queer Shorts Festival is your Portland, Oregon-based international festival of short film, featuring work made exclusively by queer and trans directors. We are a sponsored program of the Historic Hollywood Theatre in Portland. TAG! Is moving into its second decade with an all-new 2024 selection. Featuring live program and special streaming blocks, the next…
Portland Pride
Every summer, the Portland Pride Festival & Parade makes a name for itself — and LGBTQ+ community members — all over town.
Liberace & Liza Holiday at the Mansion (A Tribute)
Don’t miss this exhilarating parade of musical and comical fireworks. Local favorites David Saffert and Jillian Snow have dazzled audiences from New York to Portland. Get ready for nonstop glamor and glitz as they take the stage as Liberace and Liza Minnelli. Featuring rousing musical numbers, enchanting costumes, and unforgettable laughs, this cheeky and delightful…
A Very Drag Dangerzone Reunion Holiday Show
Drag Dangerzone Productions presents A Very Drag Dangerzone Holiday Reunion. Enjoy a very special reunion of Drag Dangerzone … A one-of-a-kind drag open mic that ran from 2017-2022. If you ever went to one of their shows, get ready for another dose of top-notch performances by their performers of years past. If you’ve never attended…
Drag Bingo
Get your ass to The Houston Blacklight for DRAG BINGO hosted by the one + only Peachy Springs every first Wednesday of the month. Play your favorite geriatric game-gone-glamorous with the queen of bingo for a chance to win prizes. Get there early cause they've got drink specials, and your girl’s got a following.
Great White Gives It Up
Great White Gets Off follows on a single night between Snakecharmer and Great White, two men who meet on a hook-up app. Looking for some fun, they embrace their dom/sub tendencies and start into roleplay, but what starts as tantalizing fun leads them into rocky ground as real life racial inequities seep into each scene…
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like ALASKA
You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm telling you why…International starlet of stage and screen Alaska Thunderfuck is coming to town- and she’s not only checked her list twice- she’s checked it thrice. Gather round the open fire and join Alaska and her longtime musical collaborator Jeremy in a…
THE BELLE SUPPER CLUB: A Burlesque Dinner Cabaret
Remember… what goes on AFTER HOURS at the VICTORIAN MANSION stays at the VICTORIAN MANSION. Escape the everyday and delve into cabaret dreams at THE BELLE SUPPER CLUB (located inside the enclosed and heated garden space) while enjoying dinner, cocktails, and delightfully dishy entertainment within the historic art nouveau surroundings of The Victorian Belle Mansion….
BodyMagick Burlesque Winter Showcase
The last show of 2023 is filled with gorgeous Babes ready to delight and tease you. Featuring debuts from the Fall Burlesque 101 course, new acts from the Burlesque 201+ students, The Teasettes and a special group act from the High Priestesses. Enjoy creating a world where all bodies and identities are honored for their…
Holiday Extravaganza
Celebrate the holiday season with Clarklewis. In the heart of the Central Eastside, Clarklwes is proud to ramp up the vintage nostalgia of the holiday season with a Holiday Extravaganza. Enjoy breakfast with Santa and a lively holiday drag show featuring your host, Donatella Nobody and DJ Aurora. Immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit surrounded…
Entre Primaveras: Memories of a Migratory Bird by Natalia Cardona Puerta
Entre Primaveras is a mixed media and bilingual solo show by local artist @natsandme. Her new body of work speaks about their recent trip back home to Pereira, Colombia. It touches on the themes of migration, identity, and the meaning of Home as a patchwork of people, food, culture, and nature. Just as migratory birds…
S P A C E: SATURN – the drag show
A series that travels from the Sun, all the way to Pluto. Each show embodies and celebrates the magic, science, and myths of each planet. And now they're visiting… Saturn. Come early and dive into Saturn in your chart / in the sky with local astrologers, & peruse the wares of local queer artists and…
Drag Brunch at The Pharmacy
Join hostess Devlin Lynn Phoenixx and her cast of talented queens for a Sunday brunch experience you won’t soon forget. Your ticket includes admission to the show, your meal, AND your first mimosa. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. So grab your friends and get down to The Pharmacy for a spectacularly fun time.
A Burly Carol
Warm yourself from winter's chill with the most sexy of holiday ghost tales that ever was told as Lacy Productions and The Alberta Rose Theater presents… A Burly Carol: A Burlesque Tale Inspired by "A Christmas Carol". Advance discounted tickets are now AVAILABLE. Purchase today. Lacy Productions SELL OUT early. Don't be a humbug… get…
Queer Eye for the Magi
Experience some of Portland’s best queer entertainers as they take to the stage to celebrate and commiserate the holidays together. Dru Rutledge and Jimmy Wilcox reunited with their undeniable chemistry, impeccable voices, and holiday hijinks. They are thrilled to share the stage with the sensational drag pianist Saint Syndrome, the lowest bass with the smallest…
Bearracuda Portland New Year's Eve
Join the FIRST EVER Bearracuda New Year's Eve in Portland. Countdown to 2024 and DANCE TILL 3 a.m. at Bearracuda. With a midnight countdown with 650 friends on Sunday, December 31st. Very special guest DJ from Sydney, Australia: Paul Goodyear (Portland debut) provides the soundtrack to the final hours of the year. Hot GoGos, Visuals…
DAPPERLESQUE: A Gender Bending Burlesque Cabaret
Dare to be different. Dare to be desirous. Dare to be DAPPER. And a DAPPER NEW YEAR. Experience a stylishly seductive, decidedly debonair gender-bending medley of burlesque and drag as Lacy Productions and The Alberta Rose Theatre present DAPPERLESQUE: A Gender Bending Burlesque Cabaret. Bringing you the most smartly-dressed, dashingly sultry, and dare we say,…
Booklover's Burlesque – Erotica Edition
Booklover’s Burlesque is the world’s sexiest literary salon, which matches titillating, inspiring, and empowering book readings with burlesque, boylesque, and draglesque performances all in one show. A Booklover's Burlesque special edition at The Alberta Rose Theatre just in time for the sexiest season of the year. Professional readers, actors, and/or local authors and writers read…
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