Show Your Pride

Here are five fabulous ways to experience Seattle’s dynamic LGBTQIA+ community any time of year.

1. Dance the evening away at Capitol Hill’s energetic clubs. Definitely stop by Pony, a beloved dive bar and ode to the gay bars of the 1970s in NYC’s West Village and San Francisco’s Castro—it’s housed in a former 1930s gas station with an outdoor patio and photobooth to boot. Just down the street is one of the country’s few lesbian bars, the Wildrose, which is always bumping until the early morning. You can catch a drag show at Queer/Bar, vibe on the dance floors of Neighbours or Union Seattle, and leather bar The Cuff Complex, or sing karaoke any night of the week at the Crescent Lounge.

2. Purchase a ticket to an LGBTQIA+ film screening. The long-running Three Dollar Bill Cinema amplifies the spectrum of queer stories, helping to create a more just and equitable world alongside other queer film events.

3. Browse for cool fashion and gifts at queer-owned boutiques like Doll Parts Collective and Indian Summer. Bootyland Kids specializes in eco-friendly apparel and gear for children. You’ll find enticing art and crafts at Saltstone Ceramics, which also offers pottery classes, and at Aide-Memoire Jewelry.

4. Have a bite to eat at an LGBTQIA+-owned restaurant or cafe. Frelard Tamales serves authentic Mexican dishes; note that it will move from Green Lake to a bigger new space in Fremont in summer 2024. Dine on superb farm-to-table cuisine at Terra Plata, flavorful Asian plates at Biang Biang Noodles, and delicious Hawaiian fare at Marination, which has several other Seattle locations around town. Save room to savor a sweet treat at the Flora Bakehouse and Tres Lechería.

5. Seattle’s queer community goes well beyond Capitol Hill, however—there are thriving pockets of LGBTQ+ culture and queer-run businesses throughout the city. In the Central District, you can order a latte and a mullet at Squirrel Chops, a woman-owned coffee shop/salon. And just south in Mount Baker, you can slurp down a bowl of bucatini carbonara at gay-run That’s Amore before watching the sunset from Mount Baker Ridge Viewpoint next door for peak Seattle romance. Dance the night away to world-class techno at Kremwerk in Denny Triangle before snagging a biscuit at queer-owned Honest Biscuits in Pike Place Market in the morning. And in a stylish storefront in Pioneer Square, Cone & Steiner offers a modern, stylish take on classic general stores, offering gourmet foods, fresh flowers and produce, and craft beer and Washington wine.