Seattle's TopLGBTQIA+Hotspots & Resources

Seattle welcomes everyone in a city that is safe and friendly to all.

Just east of downtown, the Capitol Hill neighborhood has long been the city’s gay epicenter, with rainbow-painted crosswalks and many ways to dive into the LGBTQIA+ scene. Aside from Capitol Hill, there are gay-friendly and gay-owned establishments just about everywhere in town. Summer features two annual Pride festivals, while the Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus are the largest LGBTQIA-identified men’s and women’s choruses in the world. It’s pretty clear that in Seattle, we take pride in everybody.

Pride Poodle by Adam Cohn Photo: Adam Cohn

Capitol Hill

Just east of downtown, Capitol Hill has long been the Seattle’s gay epicenter and home to artists, hipsters, students and now-famous musicians, not to mention some of the best restaurants, bars, coffee shops, live music venues and public parks. Overall, if you’re looking to experience Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ scene, Capitol Hill, with it’s pride-painted crosswalks, is clearly the place to be.

Pride Parade 2014 Photo: David Newman

Seattle Gay Pride Festivities

Seattle’s LGBTQIA+ culture is so big that we’ve not just one Gay Pride Festival, but TWO (or more!), with Pride events throughout the month of June each year. Seattle Pridefest takes place at Capitol Hill on Saturday and Seattle Center on Sunday during Pride Weekend, while our AMAZING Pride Parade kicks off Sunday morning. Those are just two of the major events, but if you check out the annual Pride Guide in The Stranger (Seattle’s free weekly alt newspaper), you’ll find more pride events than you can shake a stick at.

A vibrant, crowded nightclub scene with people dancing under colorful lights. The atmosphere is lively and energetic, with various individuals visible, enjoying the music and mingling in the dimly lit environment.

LGBTQ Nightlife

Seattle has night time hotspots for every taste and gender identity. Check out these bars and nightclubs for an amazing LGBTQ night out:

Dance Clubs, Bars and Nightclubs

  • CC’s Seattle’s – Laid-back, local gay bar serving pub food & cocktails with open-mic night, patio & late hours.
  • Changes – An LGBTQ+ neighborhood pub located in the Wallingford area.
  • The Cuff – A great leather club, premiering local, national & international DJ talent.
  • The Seattle Eagle – A leather & kink-friendly bar known for its racy themed parties.
  • Madison Pub – Pridefully boasting “no DJs, no cover, no problem,” a gay bar for the sporting type.
  • Neighbours Seattle – For over three decades, a safe space for anyone wanting to leave all their worries on the dance floor nearly every night of the week.
  • Queer/Bar – A multi-faceted space, with cocktails, drag entertainment, community discussions, and LGBTQ+ chef series together under one roof.
  • Pony – A tribute to the great West Village and Castro bars of the 1970s, Pony occupies a 1930s-vintage gas station building that has been transformed into a beloved hangout.
  • Supernova Seattle – A other-wordly arts and entertainment venue that provides visitors with the freedom to be themselves in a safe and fun space.
  • The Wildrose Bar – Seattle’s oldest bar for all women; woman owned and operated.
Seattle Men's Chorus & Seattle Women's Chorus Courtesy Flying House Productions

Seattle Choruses

The Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus make up North America’s largest community chorus organization, and the largest LGBT-identified men’s and women’s choruses in the world.

LGBTQ+ RESOURCES

Seattle has one of the largest percentage of gay, lesbian or bisexual residents among large cities in the U.S. The LGBTQ+ community here is strong, cohesive and offers a wide range of resources for community members and visiting community members. Here’s a selection.

BiNet Seattle
A bisexual non-profit, mixed gender, social and support organization created to foster a visible community for bisexual, bi-curious people, and their partners in the Puget Sound area. We support the community through educational speakings, support groups and social events.

Equal Rights Washington
A political advocacy organization for the LGBT community of Washington State.

Gay City Health Project
Multicultural gay men’s health organization and the leading provider of HIV and STD testing in King County.

Greater Seattle Business Association
Seattle’s LGBT, allied business and professional chamber of commerce.

Human Rights Campaign Seattle
A local volunteer steering committee of the Human Rights Campaign.

Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle, Olympic & Rainier Empire
Non-profit social/charitable organization whose purpose is to provide funds and services to other non-profits within the gay and lesbian community of Seattle and King County Washington.

Lifelong
Lifelong fights the broken systems of health inequity to ensure no one faces illness and injustice alone. For nearly 40 years, Lifelong has transformed the lives of Washington’s most medically-vulnerable communities by helping to pave a clear path to better health.

NW Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project
Founded in 1994, NWLGHMP is an organization which researches, interprets and communicates the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the Pacific Northwest for the purposes of study, education and enjoyment.

PrideFest
Producers of Seattle PrideFest, the largest free Pride Festival in the country held annually in June at Seattle Center.

Rainbow Families of Puget Sound
To help LGBT families in the Puget Sound region to form strong community ties and spend time with other families like their own.

Seattle Gay News
The third oldest gay and lesbian newspaper publication in the U.S

Seattle Gay Scene
Daily/weekly review of Seattle LGBT events.

Seattle LGBT Commission
The role of the commission is to effectively address and present the concerns of LGBT citizens and recommend legislation, policy, programs, and budget items to the mayor, city council and all city departments.

Seattle Out & Proud
Coordinates and promotes LGBT pride events in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest that celebrate the present, envision the future and honor the past.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
The Abbey of St. Joan is a non-profit organization comprised of men and women dedicated to the support, education, and development of the LGBT community.

Three Dollar Bill Cinema
Provides access to films by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their families. Producers of The Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Travel Out Seattle
The most trusted source for regional LGBTQ travel created by the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA).

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