In this guide · 10 sections
The honest summary: Portland's gay bars are split between an old Old Town core and a scattered, newer east side. You can walk between five bars in Old Town on one night, but everything else takes a car, a bus or a ride-hail.
Old Town-Chinatown
CC Slaughters (219 NW Davis) is the main dance club. It nearly closed in 2025 and was sold to new owners. The bar's calendar lists drag bingo on Mondays, karaoke on Sundays, and Black Magic, a BIPOC drag night, on second Saturdays.
Darcelle XV Showplace (208 NW 3rd) is the historic drag cabaret, with Friday and Saturday night shows and a Sunday brunch. Book ahead.
Badlands Portland (110 NW Broadway) opened in 2024 in the former Embers space. OutxOut lists Musical Mondays, karaoke midweek and Latin night on Sundays.
Silverado (610 NW Couch) and Stag PDX (317 NW Broadway) are the male strip clubs. Bring small bills for tipping.
Downtown
Camp (1125 SW Harvey Milk) opened in July 2026 in the old Scandals room, with game night on Tuesdays and karaoke on Wednesdays.
East side
Peacock PDX (1400 SE Morrison) opened in 2025 and calls itself "super gay" on its website. It runs Tuesday to Sunday from 3pm, with karaoke, trivia and drag.
Scandals East (827 NE Alberta) is all-ages for dinner until 8pm and open Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm to midnight.
The Sports Bra (2512 NE Broadway) shows only women's sports and is queer-owned. The Nest Lounge (2715 SE Belmont) is a dive bar in a converted house; OutxOut lists free drag on Mondays and Wednesdays. Bare Bones Cafe & Bar (2908 SE Belmont) is a cafe and bar known locally as a safe space.
Bar Cala (2703 NE Alberta) and Swan Dive (727 SE Grand) are mainstream bars that host weekend drag brunches. Coffin Club (formerly Lovecraft Bar) (421 SE Grand) is a goth club that has hosted queer parties.
North and far Northeast
Eagle Portland (835 N Lombard) is the leather and bear bar. OutxOut's listings show Brief Encounters on Mondays and Undergear on fourth Saturdays. Advice Booth (5426 N Gay Ave) is a lesbian-owned local with a covered patio. Escape Bar & Grill (9004 NE Sandy) is a long way out, with karaoke and drag, and draws a large queer women's crowd.
Living Room Wines and Mosaic Taphouse are queer-owned neighbourhood places in St. Johns, on the Portland Mercury's 2025 list.
Closed or changed
Back2Earth is shown as permanently closed on Google. Crush closed in January 2025 and Doc Marie's in October 2025, Misfits in May 2025 and Sissy Bar in October 2024. Sloan's Tavern and Local Lounge are gone too. Older guides still list them.
Tips
- Bring ID. The drinking age is 21.
- Old Town can feel rough late at night, so plan a ride-hail home.
- Many hours and weekly nights here come from each bar's own site or OutxOut; check them before going.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the main gay bar area in Portland?
Old Town-Chinatown, around NW 3rd and NW Broadway, has CC Slaughters, Darcelle XV, Badlands, Silverado and Stag within a few blocks.
Is there still a gay bar on SW Harvey Milk Street?
Yes. Camp opened in July 2026 in the room Scandals left in 2025.
Where did Scandals go?
It reopened as Scandals East on NE Alberta Street in March 2026.
Last verified: November 2026.