The year 2013. This the year that Seattle became the US metropolis with the most same-sex couples households – 2.6% of its population. But the history of how this has come about is a good place to begin looking at the best gay and lesbian in Seattle neighborhoods and their growth over the years.
History of the Queer Community in this Pacific Northwest City
Pre- Stonewall
Gay Seattle has a rich past of LGBTQ+ citizens, a history with its roots in the 1930s when some gay bars and clubs, such as the Casino, The Double Header, The Submarine Room, and the Garden of Allah were established. Several of these were in the basements of hotels in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. The Double Header was in operation from 1933 – 2015 and is thought to be the oldest gay bar in the country. These clubs served drinks, of course, but many allowed same-sex dancing. By the 70s, there were a bunch of gay bars along Occidental Ave. in the Pioneer neighborhood.
Another phenomenon of the Seattle gay scene was the steam baths that opened after World War II. These were just for gay men who found those spaces for both social and sexual reasons, and they were safer than the bars and clubs. Sadly, there was no equivalent for Seattle lesbians.
Police raids were common and a constant threat in the 50s, complicated by laws that prohibited the sale of alcohol on Sundays. The laws were often selectively used on queer bars by the police who began to demand payoffs for a bar to avoid raids.
Post-Stonewall
After Stonewall, queer folks all over the country were emboldened and activated, and Seattle was no exception. The lgbt community began to publicly campaign for equal rights. The first Gay Pride Week was organized by David Neth with a picnic in Occidental Park followed by a street dance. It wasn’t until 1977 that the then mayor, Wes Uhlman, gave recognition of Pride Week – over 2,000 participants showed up.
In 1971, the Gay Community Center opened to provide an open and safe space for the queer population that was not a bar or club. After relocating once, it ultimately closed in 1977, funds being the main issue.
The Lesbian Resource center was also opened in 1971, housed on the University of Washington campus YWCA, operating mostly as a peer counseling center, a lending library, and a site for hosting speakers on topics relevant to the lesbian community. When the YWCA was evicted from the campus, it became the Pacific Women’s Resources at another location.
In the 1970s, the Pioneer Square area experienced serious inflation, especially in rent. The LGBTQIA+ community moved to the north into the Capitol Hill neighborhood where it became the center of the Seattle gay scene and thrives still today. Many of the businesses that served that community in Pioneer Square went out of business too.
Today, the largest gayborhood is Capitol Hill, although in general, every neighborhood is an LGBTQIA+-friendly one.
Taking a Look at What Capitol Hill is All About
Capitol Hill is primarily a residential district, also known as Seattle’s gayborhood. Especially in the late 20th and 21st centuries, it has been home to large swaths of counterculture, including beatniks, hippies, and, most prominently the LGBTQ+ community. It is also the one of Seattle’s popular spots for its nightlife.
History
Capitol Hill was originally known as “Broadway Hill,” named for the main street of the neighborhood. In its early years, it was home to some of the wealthiest Seattle residents, and many of their mansions still stand today. While some of them are still occupied, the changing neighborhood resulted in typical “white flight,” because the neighborhood was just too weird for them. But the weirdness continued. And lower cost housing was also constructed to accommodate the growing counterculture population.
Today, the population of Capitol Hill is eclectic and the center of a brisk culture of art in all forms and a wide variety of musical genres. Yes, there are coffee shops, restaurants, and two theatres, one of which holds classes in filmmaking and film production and hosts the Seattle International Film Festival. The other hosts the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival every year.
The gentrification of Capitol Hill has resulted in an influx of high-cost housing and a resultant migration of the LGBTQ+ community into other Seattle neighborhoods where they were welcomed.
One interesting tidbit about the varied music venues. Seattle rapper sir Mix-a-Lot, who actually lives in the nearby Central District, recorded a hit single, “Posse on Broadway,” all about an evening on the town in Capitol Hill. Another tidbit about the Central District – for years, it was a conclave of the African-American population of Seattle and the seat of the civil rights movement of the 60’s. Today, gentrification has changed the landscape, and African Americans make up only about 9% of the population.
Certainly, one thing that stands out to any visitor to Capitol Hill – its rainbow-colored crosswalks.
Nightlife in Capitol Hill District in the City of Seattle
In a couple of words, it’s rocking, sometimes raucous, and has something for everyone. Here are some of the most popular clubs and bars in Capitol District, not to be confused with the Capitol West Seattle neighborhood.
The Cuff Complex
Here’s a spot with four bars and an outdoor patio to boot. Play pool, darts, or corn hole any day; Saturday into Sunday is the Pink Afters – a celebration that begins at 9 pm and goes into the next day at 3:00 am. then there’s end of the week tea dances with live DJs, karaoke, meetups, and more – something different every day. Pride happenings every year. For an update of what’s going on each day, just check their website.
The Queer Bar
The interior of this bar is structured around a lengthy catwalk. It has become the known as the premiere drag bar in Capitol Hill, hosting drag performers several times, but also karaoke, bingo, and burlesque. On weeknights, it is the favorite spot for queer friends and is pretty chill. All of that changes on the weekends. It’s celebrate hearty time. On the weekends, there’s a big cast of local drag queens who have been known to tour with RuPaul’s Drag Race. There is a highly visible mural of two queens Bosco and Irene DuBois who began their performance life at the Queer/Bar and are now part of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
It should also be mentioned that the food is amazing, especially the burgers.
For more details and a weekly calendar or to reserve a table or schedule a private celebration, go the Queer/Bar website.
Wildrose
It’s been a fixture in Capitol Hill Seattle since 1984, owned by queer women for queer women on pike st. It is on the bottom floor of a mixed-use apartment building that was once a sports bar and is home to lesbians and their friends and allies. It has been redesigned, sporting a new look – lights and programming changes. It bills itself as the oldest lesbian bar and dance clubs in the US.
There are big dance happenings on its dance floors on weekends, although Wildrose is open 7 days, with a variety of programs, strong drinks, and great bar food. Visitors can catch an occasional drag bunch. To find out what’s happening at Wildrose on a weekly basis, check out its website.
It should also be noted that this club participates in lots of advocacies for the larger lgbtq community.
Pony
If you’re looking for a bar that pushes the limits, you are looking for Pony. It’s a dive inside the shell of a gas station from the 30s. But its reputation is big.
Not known for subtlety, there are nude photos all over the walls and paper mâché male genitals hanging from the ceiling, old vhs tapes of soft porn playing on a screen. Topping all of this off is a hole in the bathroom for questionable use. While the service may be a bit rough and tough, it is a gay friendly place. The one kinda nice vibe? The fire pit out on the great patio.
DJs are pretty much what it’s all about at the Pony. And they play a huge variety of music every night. Except for Tuesday night – that’s karaoke. The grungier, the better.
There are special monthly happenings – you can check them out on the Pony website.
The Crescent Lounge
Here’s a bar with lots of history – 80 years of it to be exact. Obviously, during those eight decades, this dive bar has had many owners and has undergone an untold number of changes. It was obviously one of the earliest taverns in gay Seattle, opening during a time when local police raids were common, unless they were paid off.
Today, it is karaoke, 7 days, interrupted with special fun happenings – signaroake, and special drag shows with complimentary food as a part of the admission fee, especially during the summer. These are promoted on their Instagram account.
Unicorn and Narwhal
A carnival and fantasy world (complete with bright colors and glitter) can be a fun respite from the “normal” gay club scene in Seattle. Though locals usually refer to these two bars as just Unicorn, but the vibe is different in each one.
Unicorn is on the upper level and is a great place for all of the lgbt community to gather, co-mingle, and enjoy. The lower level has a pinball arcade, the same great food and drink, and a stage for something different every night – karaoke, drag queen, variety shows, trivia, and the famous Mimosa Cabaret during drag queen brunch on the “day of rest.”. Another standout is Friday, when a full cabaret of mini-musicals spoofs on Broadway shows.
On both levels, carnival food such as corn dogs, popcorn, and funnel cakes are a common fare. But there is a full menu as well which is available on Unicorn’s website, along with pricing.
Madison Pub
If the world of glitz, celebrating, and obvious accompanying noise, the Madison Pub is more laid-back place in Seattle’s Capitol Hill. More than anything else, the pub is a sports bar, where friends can gather for beer, play pool, darts and table games, or watch their favorite games. It has an old tavern feel but with the benefits of new technology – free wi-fi and online national interactive trivia games for example.
There is a full bar with $1 of all drinks during happy hour and advertised drink specials all the time. It’s a great little corner for the lgbt community to gather and just have a quieter good time together. For more detail about the pub, visit its website.
Changes
Changes is located in Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, about a 9-minute bus ride from Capitol Hill. It bills itself as the longest running gay bar in the city of Seattle, having been established in 1989 – 36 years and still going.
Amidst the draw of Changes are its meal specials (burger Tuesdays and steak Fridays) and its $1.25 beers on Tuesdays. Other features include DJs, karaoke on two days, and its celebrations of all holidays, including Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s day and more, all coming with food and drink specials. Of course, it also celebrates Seattle Pride in a big way, as does the entire city of Seattle. In short, it’s a fun place to be year-round.
There are few windows in Changes, but there is a huge fish tank and large flatscreen TVs to watch games of choice. To check out everything that goes on at Changes, visit its Facebook page.
Union
Union Bar has not been around in Capitol Hill Seattle for that long, but the owners are not newbies to lgbt bars, having owned Thumpers, a piano bar also in the Capitol Hill Seattle area.
Union Bar has the same general vibe as Thumpers – a chill place with food, a full bar, a fireside lounge, a year-round patio, annual block parties and other parties to celebrate holidays and especially Pride weekend every year. Other happenings include a funday, Team Tuesdays, and more 7 days.
In addition to a full menu, there are specials like $5 wing Wednesday. Check out the Union website for the full menu and a rundown of events.
The other key piece about Union Seattle? No cover – ever.
Neighbours
Definitely not a chill vibe, Neighbours in Seattle’s Capitol Hill gayborhood – a place for partiers and drag queens. It’s been open since 1983 on Broadway right in the middle of all the frenzy to which it contributes a lot.
It’s a two-story bar with a huge dance floor and balcony that hosts drag shows. There’s something every night, like Thirsty Thursdays with top 40 hits and a DJ or Fridays Drag shows and after-hours DJ until 4 am. And don’t miss the weekly Kandela celebration where Latinos and everyone else celebrate and party into the night.
For a full detailed account of all the entertainment at Neighbours, just go to their Facebook page.
Now Let’s Talk Seattle Pride
Seattle is a city that has always been queer friendly, and no matter where, north, south, east or west in the city, the LGBTQ+ population will always feel welcome, comfortable, and safe.
Gay Pride originally took place in the city of Seattle every June, but it moved out of Seattle proper in 1982 and to the Capitol Hill community. In 2015, the crosswalks were painted rainbow for the Pride events that year.
HIV/AIDS hit the gay and bisexual community hard in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in the 90s. One openly gay legislator, Cal Anderson, was a victim. In his honor, the Lincoln Reservoir Park was renamed after him. During this decade, Pride events took place in other parts of Seattle.
Today, Capitol Hill holds Pride celebrations throughout the month, mainly in the form of block celebrations. In the rest of Seattle, there are also Pride events throughout the month. To name just a few:
- Early in the month: Family-Friendly community event in the PhinneyWood business district. Free to everyone. Activities for all ages, including anti-bullying educational events and a dance.
- Mid-month Seattle Children’s Prideful Playdate at the Seattle Children’s Museum, focused on art, science, education, and self-expression.
- First Sunday in June: Annual drag brunch at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel = brunch buffet, live DJ, drag show and raffle for a stay at the hotel. All proceeds go to the Seattle Pride Association.
- Mid-June: Fremont Queer Nature Walk at Fremont Canal Park – nature walk and bird viewing. Following the walk, the group goes to Charlie’s Queer Books for Drag Story Time and Queer Book Fair.
- 3rd Week in June: Georgetown Pride – A relatively new event with street fair and parade.
- 3rd Saturday in June: Bainbridge Pride – take the ferry to the island for a full day of celebration – great food, vendors, drag performances, and more. Noon – 8 pm.
- Last Friday in June: Trans Pride Seattle sat Volunteer Park – all welcome
- Last Weekend in June: Seattle Pride Parade: two-day celebration with food, vendors, parade, and more. Live performances, beer gardens, food vendors, and much more at the Seattle Center.
- Last Sunday in June: Official Seattle Pride Legacy Drag Brunch Fundraiser for the Seattle Impact Fund. Drag performances and transgender celebration.
- August every year: Gay Black Pride Weekend. See PNW BLACK PRIDE EVENTS — Pacific Northwest Black Pride for details.
These are just a few of the multiple things going on in June – Seattle Mariners sporting events, for example. A little research will let you find all of them and choose which ones are a fit for you.
Seattle – a Gay-Friendly City Like No Other
Seattle has had many firsts in the struggles for LGBTQIA+ rights. It is quite possibly the most gay-friendly city in the entire US, even surpassing San Francisco. The point is this: If you are gay and living in Seattle, you are in city that fully embraces you and your gender identity and you sexual orientation whatever that may be.
If you should be traveling to Seattle or considering settling there, you may want to know more about the city and its gayborhoods. You can find all that you want or need to know by joining Taimi, the largest exclusively queer online dating app in the world. You can join groups that know all about Seattle and even connect with residents of that city who can give you all you need to know or be your personal guide.
Explore Seattle via Taimi
Taimi is the largest exclusively LGBTQIA+ online dating service in the world. But it is far more than just that. It also operates as a social media site, where members can join and follow groups. And there are groups based on locations, including Seattle. Access the site, download the app and join the groups for Seattle. You’ll get all sorts of info on queer-friendly destinations – hotels and clubs, for example. And you may even find a friend or two to hook up with when you go.
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