City guide
Portland
Drag at Darcelle's since 1967, bars on both sides of the river, and Pride on the waterfront in July.
Portland doesn't have one gayborhood anymore. Old Town, just north of Burnside by the river, has the closest thing to a strip: CC Slaughters, Darcelle XV, Badlands and Silverado are a few blocks apart. The rest are spread across town, from Peacock and The Nest in inner Southeast to Scandals East on Alberta and the Eagle on North Lombard. Downtown's old Burnside Triangle was the queer center from the 1940s into the '80s, and a new bar is about to open there in the old Scandals space.
Neighborhoods
Old Town/Chinatown
$$The densest cluster of gay bars, between Burnside and NW Glisan near the river. A community-led "Pink Light District" project is taking shape on Ankeny Alley.
Downtown (the Burnside Triangle)
$$–$$$The old queer hub between W Burnside and SW Harvey Milk St. Scandals left for Alberta in 2025, and a new bar called Camp is taking its old space.
Buckman and inner Southeast
$$Belmont, Morrison and Stark east of the river: Peacock, The Nest Lounge and Prism Health's Belmont clinic. Walkable, with lots of older apartments.
North Portland
$$Q Center is on N Mississippi Ave, and the Eagle is up on N Lombard in Piedmont.
NE Alberta
$$Restaurants and galleries along Alberta St, now with Scandals East in a yellow bungalow.
Rent feel is a rough guide from $ (cheaper) to $$$$ (brace yourself).
Bars & clubs
Also open: Silverado (Old Town, 610 NW Couch St; amateur night and karaoke on Mondays), Stag PDX (NW Broadway, Pearl District) and The Nest Lounge (2715 SE Belmont St). Coming: a bar called Camp is taking the old Scandals space at 1125 SW Harvey Milk St; no opening date yet.
Health & PrEP
- Pivot (CAP Northwest) 2236 SE Belmont St and 15 N Morris St
Free, confidential HIV and STI testing by appointment: 971-279-7033. Belmont: Mon 10–2, Tue 5–8:30pm, Sat 2–6. Morris: Wed 10–2, Thu 2–6. Cascade AIDS Project changed its name to CAP Northwest in July 2026. - Prism Health 2236 SE Belmont St and 15 N Morris St
CAP Northwest's LGBTQ+ clinic: primary care, PrEP, HIV care and a pharmacy. Mon–Wed and Fri 8:30–5, Thu 9–5. 503-445-7699. - Multnomah County STI Clinic 619 NW 6th Ave, 2nd floor
STI testing and treatment, PrEP and doxy-PEP. By appointment Mon–Thu, testing only on Fri; no walk-ins. $50 if you'd rather not bill insurance, and no one is turned away. 503-988-3700.
New to PrEP, DoxyPEP or testing? Read Sexual health, the practical version. Looking for a regular doctor or a therapist, or sorting out what PrEP costs? See Finding a doctor who gets it.
This week in Portland
Tomorrow Thu, Oct 22
- 7pm
Trivia Night at Badlands Game night
Thursdays 7–9pm · Badlands, 110 NW Broadway (Old Town)
Monday Oct 26
- 7pm
Drag Queen Bingo at CC Slaughters Drag
Mondays 7pm · CC Slaughters, 219 NW Davis St (Old Town)
The whole week, day by day, including the quiet days.
Dates are in Portland time. Times are as each group lists them, monthly groups show only on the day they meet, and seasonal leagues play only in season, so check the group's site before you go. Nobody pays to be listed.
Pride & big events
Portland Pride is in mid-July (2027 dates TBA). In 2026 the Waterfront Festival filled Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 18–19, and the parade ran Sunday morning from the North Park Blocks to Naito Parkway. There's a $10 suggested donation at the festival gate.
First time going? Your first Pride covers going solo, what to bring, heat and crowds.
Portland Pride Waterfront Festival
Portland, OR · Dates TBA TBA, mid-July (2026 was Jul 18–19)
Pride Northwest's two-day festival in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, with the parade on the Sunday morning.
Moving tips
- From the airport, the MAX Red Line leaves from baggage claim and gets downtown in about 40 minutes. A fare is $2.80 for two and a half hours; tap a contactless card or phone, and it stops charging at $5.60 for the day.
- The Old Town bars are a short walk apart. Peacock, Scandals East and the Eagle are on the east side, so plan a bus, MAX or rideshare between them.
- Bring a rain jacket from fall to spring: November averages about 5.5 inches of rain at the airport, against 1.5 in September.
- Since 2023 Oregon lets you pump your own gas at up to half of a station's pumps; the rest still have attendants.
Recently closed
Older guides still list these.
- Back 2 Earth (NE MLK Blvd, 2026)
- Scandals' downtown bar (Sep 2025; it moved to Alberta as Scandals East)
- Doc Marie's (Oct 2025)
- Misfits (May 2025)
- Crush (Dec 2024; Peacock took its space)
- Sissy Bar (Oct 2024)
Venues checked against 2025–26 sources in October 2026. Something changed? Post in Everywhere Else, or Report a change to the Portland guide.
Community & leagues
Leagues & clubs
All 2 groups in Portland, by interest and day of the week, with times and links.