Gay Pride Portland

Portland, Oregon has been home to many popular in television shows such as Portlandia and musical artists such as Jessy J and K.D. Lang. Putting that aside, they have been huge advocates for Gay Rights since the 70s. Portland ranks as one of the best places for the LGBT community to thrive according to an article by MSNB. Alongside such states as Vermont and Washington, Oregon is recognized as a gay-friendly state and Portland is the heart of the state. Who can’t see how awesome this city is? Portland is beautiful from top to bottom and widely recognized as a top contender for the highest ranking gay positive cities in the United States.

Local Gay Pride Portland Celebrities

Gay Pride Portland is proud to have some local celebrities making waves in the social scene. Gus Van Sant, the director of popular films Good Will Hunting or Milk (The story about gay rights activist, Harvey Milk), is a proud gay man and last year signed on with ABC’s gay rights movement mini series "When We Rise". He is signed on to direct and executive produce the first two hour long episode. Famous author and Portland, Oregon native, Chuck Palahniuk, the writer of Fight Club and Snuff in 2008 came out as being an openly gay man and is a proud supporter of Portland and the many festivities it holds during Gay Pride Portland. He is also a proud supporter of other gay authors and posted on twitter saying "Ten Gay Men’s novels you should already have read if you consider yourself even semi-literate" . Portland is proud to have him as part of our Gay Pride Portland Team.

The Dream Of Gay Pride Is Alive In Portland

Gay Pride Portland did not just happen overnight. It took years to get as established as it is today. Let Manplay.com take a look back at how Portland, Oregon became one of the top cities in the United States for gay romances. Portland went from just being a sleepy seaside city to one of the hottest locations to celebrate your gay pride. We think it is about time that Portland became one of the hottest cities to be celebrating Gay Pride US in our beautiful country. However, to know where we are now, you have to know where we come from.

How It All Started

Portland began its journey to same-sex equality began in 1974 when the city council passed a resolution barring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. The first Gay Pride celebration took place the following year.

Where Gay Pride Portland Is At Today

Portland came along way in very little time. With the advocacy and determination of many groups and individuals, it only took a decade to secure the same rights that other states took way longer to enact. Now the community is brimming with positivity and it was even named one of the gay friendliest cities in the United States. This city has proven that it can support the strong roots it has embedded in its soil. It continues to grow and thrives as a community and never stops wanting to keep things positive. There are many groups and organizations that provide support to the gay community in Portland. Bradley Angel is the oldest domestic violence shelter on the West Coast and provides culturally- specific service for LGTBQ clients. Dykes on bikes supports a whole range of causes through its philanthropic endeavours. Cascade AIDS Project, as its name implies, is dedicated to the prevention, support and elimination of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. You may have seen In Other Words on Portlandia. It is the only non-profit US feminist bookstore and it hosts a wide range of events in Portland. These are only a few of the groups. Check out the full list at Travel Portland

What Is There To Do With Gay Pride Portland

So, you get to Gay Pride Portland, now what? Where do we even begin to tell you how beautiful the city is and how culturally stimulated it very well is. There is so much to see and do in this gorgeous city, it is hard to choose just two or three places but we have done our research to make sure you are getting every thing you could want out of your visit to the North West.

The Roxy, a Greasy Spoon Diner

Voted the best place to eat by several online blogs, the Roxy is a hot spot of the gay community. Huge menus include a variety of treats, a full breakfast menu and pancakes named after Pamela Anderson and Dolly Parton. With its tall booths and autographed celebrity prints and music that could rock any Friday night into Saturday morning, it is the novelty place to be to enjoy some hot eats and late night treats. It might be a greasy spoon, but it is THE greasy spoon to visit when you are in Portland.

C.C. Slaughter’s

C.C. Slaughter’s bills itself as a "great place to find the gyrating boy of your dreams". How could you not include this in your list of places to visit while in Portland? It has a huge dance floor and an attached lounge that features a fabulous martini menu. You have to make this a stop on your tour!

Eagle Portland

This rugged bar is for all you men who like to hang out where you can enjoy leather events and uniform parties. It features a cruise bar and pool tables for all those great men only activities. You will find it in North Portland, the home of the Oregon Bears.

Darcella XV

Priding itself as this nation’s oldest drag troupe, Darcella XV is the place to be if you are looking to enjoy some good classic Gay Pride Portland fun. Live shows, cheap drinks, burlesque drag queen performances, and the best male strippers you have ever seen appear on the weekends. For a bar and lounge that has been going strong for 37 years, it has become a prime gathering place in the Gay Pride Portland scene. It is a must stop on the trip through town. You will see live shows with Vegas-style cabaret revues with some of the best performers on the West Coast.

The Do Jump! Theatre

If you are just looking to spend a night enjoying the arts scene in Portland, then look no further. The Do Jump! Theatre (Extremely Physical Theatre) has exactly what you might be looking for. Their motto is "turning the world upside down…one person at a time!" Acrobatics, visual art, live shows, live music, or whatever tickles your fancy; they got it. It is a free for all within Gay Pride Portland. They even offer classes in acrobatics and trapeze in case you ever want to run away and join the circus. Do not miss out on these fantastic events that happen here all the time. Nothing says a good time like you and your partner or just a couple of friends taking in a lovely show or trying your hand at swinging from bar to bar just like a cirque de soleil performer. Really, you cannot go wrong with anything you plan on doing in this city. Whether you want a more exiting nightlife or a quiet place to eat and connect with a lovely man you will be able to do that here.

Gay Pride Portland Festival

Pride Northwest Inc is a non-profit organization based in Portland that is community-run and community-led. This group has been supporting Gay Pride events in Portland since 1994. The Portland Pride Festivalis the most visible means that the group has to raise support and funds to help them to continue to make a difference for the local LGBTQ business community and raise awareness of LGBTQ concerns in Portland.

This annual celebration happens at the Portland Waterfront and supports local organizations such as Q Center, Incarcerated LGBT youth, Black Pride, API Pride, World AIDS Day, and Latino Pride alike. They make a difference in people’s everyday lives and build a strong gay friendly community. Last year over 25,000 people attended the Gay Portland Pride Parade, and the year before that it was 10,000. We have strong hopes that this year it will excel all of our expectations as we grow and evolve as a strong gay community. Their goal is to provide a celebration of the different cultures within the gay community and contribute to as many organizations as possible. A community that grows together, flows together. This festival is the single largest festival between San Francisco and Seattle, and has the largest avenue for the region’s LGBTQ community. With their proximity to the community, they are able to build strong relationships with organizations and businesses while increasing the amount of volunteers and patrons of the parade. Every year more and more people flock to this parade coming from all over the United States and even Canada. It brings the city together as a whole. We are proud of what we have made here in our little city, watching it grow.

Pride weekend will kick off with the Glow Run (or Glow Walk if you’d rather) along the waterfront LED glowing three mile route. Another way to get active and raise awareness is the Portland Trans Pride March. We cannot forget the challenges that the trans community experiences every day. Then, why not visit the Gaylabration at the Crystal Ballroom? It is our way to celebrate love and community and dance the night away! What could be more fun than that? Nothing, exactly.

Gay Pride Portland Parade

Founded in 1994 the Gay Pride Portland Parade is a yearly success in supporting and raising awareness for the LGBTQ community. Last year, the Gay Pride Portland Parade brought in 25,000 people and they have no doubt they will pull in even more this year. Their mission was to encourage and celebrate everything positive that went along with celebrating Gay Pride Portland. Each year thousands line the streets of Portland to watch more than 150 groups parade from Burnside to the waterfront. For more information on all of the Gay Pride Portland (Pride Northwest) events including the parade, visit Pride Events

Equity Foundation

Every city is unique with their own charities and foundations. Portland is no different. To support your community is to support yourself. This foundation supports nonprofit organizations throughout the state and helps to further build and engage with communities that support all the different people of Oregon. Originated by Oregon’s lesbian and gay community they work towards promoting social justice, education and the wellbeing of the beautiful people of Oregon. Together we can make a difference in the lives of the gay pride Portland community. Isn’t that what it’s all about? We hope that when you think about Gay Pride US you think about Gay Pride Portland because they are thriving and becoming quickly one of the biggest and happiest events in the North West. Next time you are planning a vacation somewhere with your favorite man, why not go to the unexpected and check out Portland, Oregon. We can promise you will not regret it. Manplay is happy to be associating themselves with this fabulous parade and festival and supporting everything that is Gay Pride Portland. We are the largest online men’s dating website and we are looking out for you. Never attendant another Pride Parade alone again, find that special someone and have the best time of your life at Gay Pride Portland.

How You Can Help

If you are interested in contributing some time to Gay Pride Portland, you can volunteer to help with some of the many activities taking place this spring during Pride Week, including assisting with the parade. There are also opportunities for people to help on the various teams such as the festival team, the events team, the marketing team and the fundraising team. All are important to making sure this year’s festivities are a success both for our own community and for our many visitors from across the country. Whether donating time or money, every little bit helps the Gay Pride Portland community.

Pride Northwest also exists because of the dedication of the many volunteers that make it possible to provide events throughout the year. Bring your talents and interests to Portland and join the team. We can always use another pair of hands. It’s not just work; it’s also a lot of fun with like-minded people working together and enjoying themselves. Check out Pride Volunteer for more information on how you can be part of team! Gay Pride Portland is looking forward to meeting you. Before we close we want to leave you with this quote from U.S. President Barack Obama "When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love are all more free." With the President backing Gay Pride, there is no stopping us from having a beautiful and bright future for everyone.