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0. 2/20/2012 – Here/Queer Call for Submissions, by Riese
1. 3/02/2012 – Queer Girl City Guide: Montreal, Canada, by Sid
2. 3/05/2012 – Playlist: Here/Queer, by Riese
3. 3/05/2012 – Queer Girl City Guide: Portland, Oregon, by Lesbians in PDX
4. 3/07/2012 – Queer Girl City Guide: Brighton, United Kingdom, by Sarah Magdalena
5. 3/07/2012 – Oh But To Be A Queer in Sicily, by Jenn
6. 3/08/2012 – City Guide: Seattle, by Marley
I’ve lived in Seattle since 2004, when I moved to attend undergrad at the University of Washington. Since coming out, Seattle has proven to be an awesome place to live for a number of reasons: the people, the weather, the natural beauty, the nightlife, the outdoor life, and oh yeah- did I mention how queer-friendly this place is? I travel quite a bit for work and hands down, I think Seattle is the best place (besides New York) to be a queer lady.
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Lesbian Bars/Nights
If you do your Googlage, you’ll find out that officially there’s only one “lesbian” bar in Seattle, the Wildrose Bar. While this is technically true, there are a number of other bars that are either owned by lesbians or frequented by so many lesbians, they might as well be a dyke bar, including Jabu’s Pub, OutWest Bar, and Tommy Gun Seattle. This isn’t even counting the dedicated lesbian parties Seattle hosts on a monthly basis, such as Cherry, Lick, Girl 4 Girl, Hotflash/Inferno, and Chocolate Kisses.
Here’s a quick rundown of each of the major players in the scene:
The Wildrose (1011 E Pike St- Capitol Hill): This Capitol Hill lesbian staple has been around for over 20 years- serving up cold beer, good food and eye candy to the Seattle lesbian community. It’s not the nicest bar on the block and can feel quite divey, but the staff are friendly and most of the time it’s a pretty welcoming place to come.
The Rose (as it’s known) is the only dedicated lesbian bar in town, and as such, fills a variety of roles throughout the week. On Mondays you’ll find trivia at 8pm which draws a pretty diverse crowd, including lots of non-lesbians. They also feature microbrews for $3 — can’t beat a good beer and nerdy women. Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays, which tend to get crowded. Cheap Mexican beer and tacos abound, and there’s usually a DJ who’s keeping the crowd energetic. Wednesdays and Thursdays rotate between a number of events, which have included Open Mic, Seattle Spit (queer poetry/spoken word), Burlesque, and Karaoke. Fridays and Saturdays usually feature a DJ and are sometimes themed dance parties and are guaranteed to be an ass-shaking good time. Sundays the Rose has a great brunch, Happy Hour, and shows a few of the sports games, depending on the season.
The crowd at the Rose is as diverse as Seattle lesbians are, and that includes age. I’ve never felt unwelcome when visiting with groups of different people, including both my mom and my straight male best friend. As long as you’re respectful of the staff and patrons, they’ll respect you.
The Rose at Pride
Jabu’s Pub (174 Roy St- Lower Queen Anne) – Owned and operated by lesbians, Jabu’s isn’t an exclusively lesbian bar. However, before and after Seattle Storm games, it’s the place to be if you’re a lady who likes ladies. Jabu’s is located in lower Queen Anne, a quick two block walk from the Space Needle and Key Arena (home of the Seattle Storm WNBA team). Jabu’s is super friendly and has a great selection of local beers and tasty food.
OutWest Bar (5401 California Ave SW- West Seattle) – Located in West Seattle, OutWest Bar is a newcomer to the bar scene, catering to an older crowd that calls West Seattle home. It tends to have a good mix of genders and feels like a neighborhood bar. Wednesday is Lesbian night with karaoke, which draws a fun and friendly crowd.
Tommy Gun Seattle (1703 Olive Way- Capitol Hill) – Touting itself as “White Collar Drinks at Blue Collar Prices,” Tommy Gun Seattle is an awesome low-key bar with friendly staff, good drinks, and Truffle Popcorn that is to die for. Very casual environment with a good mixed clientele.
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Where To Get Your Girl On
While Seattle doesn’t have any dedicated lesbian clubs, there are a few dance clubs on Capitol Hill where a queer lady will find lots of other queer ladies and have an ass shaking good time.
R Place (619 E Pine St- Capitol Hill) – This three-story dance club is the place to be on Friday and Saturday nights if you’re looking for a drag show, dancing, and lots of eye candy. This place is the essential “gay bar”, with scantily clad Go-Go Boys in cages and a pole in the middle of the dance floor. Despite their obvious towards young, gay males, they do have a few lesbian bar tenders and I’ve never felt unwelcome here. A word to the wise though — this bar tends to attract bachelorette parties, so if you’re not willing to deal with annoying straight girls trying to kiss you to mark off a bullet on their scavenger hunt, avoid this place during wedding season. Also, their drinks are SUPER STRONG so beware!
Neighbours (1509 Broadway- Capitol Hill) – Similar to R Place, but more house music, less gay women, and a little bit sketchier crowd. Can be a super fun place to go dancing with your friends; just don’t touch the walls, as there tends to be a lot of random male sex happening here. One cool thing about Neighbours is that it stays open until 4am for dancing, and after 2am (when the liquor goes away) it opens to the 18+ crowd.
Cherry (1114 Howell St- Downtown) – Held at ReBar once a month. Cherry is the place to be in Seattle if you’re young, lesbian or bisexual, and hip. Held once a month, this dance packs Re-Bar, a divey space in downtown to the brim with hot young (and young at heart) women. Cherry has rotating DJs who usually spin whatever is most popular at that time. This is definitely the most popular to meet other ladies to hook up with. Cherry hosts super popular parties on New Year’s and during Pride which are always a good time. Check Cherry’s Facebook page for details on the exact date for each months dance.
Lick: Held randomly throughout the year at Chop Suey. Lick is the more diverse, more trans-friendly, and much more hipster cousin to Cherry. Held at Chop Suey on Capitol Hill, Lick is a hugely popular dance party that is often a launching party for new queer things, including “Put This On the Map”, “Original Plumbing” and “Team Gina.” Get here early as it tends to sell out fast.
HotFlash/Inferno: Hosted once a month at Neighbours. Touting itself as “the party for women who like women but are too old for the 20-something bar scene,” HotFlash/Inferno (the dances go by different names, depending on the month but are for all essential purposes the same event) is the place to be if you’re an older lesbian in the Seattle area. The DJs play a variety of music from the recent (and not so recent past) which keeps the dance floor going strong. This dance strives to make everybody feel welcome, so you might see women your mom’s age out on the dance floor getting their groove on, but hey, who doesn’t like to have a good time?
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Eating and Drinking (Coffee)
Over the past few years, Seattle has experienced an explosion in awesome new restaurants, cafes, and dessert spots. I’ll highlight a few of my favorite, but in all honesty, your best bet is to check Yelp, see what looks good, and just be adventurous.
Capitol Hill is hands down the center of the new foodie experience in Seattle, located just a short walk from downtown and serviced by a million buses. All the vendors listed are almost guaranteed to be staffed by a member of the GLBTQ crowd, and more likely than not, your fellow diners will be family too. Other neighborhoods also feature great eats- Seattle is not known for its plethora of chain restaurants so whatever you find, it’ll most likely be good.
Breakfast Spots:
Glo’s Café: Best cheap breakfast spot on the hill. Open late nights, too, for your drunken breakfast food cravings.
Oddfellow’s Café: A little more upscale, but serves great local food and has some of the best espresso around. Cool interior design and great bloody marys.
611 Supreme: Best crepes around- both savory and sweet. Add delicious French press coffee and you’ve got a winner.
Meanderer’s Kitchen: This hidden little gem in West Seattle serves the best vegetarian biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had. They serve as much local products as possible, are a no-fuss type restaurant, and only take cash. This place is getting more and more popular, so come early (or late at night) to beat the crowds.
Chaco Canyon Café: With 2 locations, one in the University District and one in West Seattle, Chaco Canyon is a 100% vegan and organic café. They offer a number of raw foods and gluten free options, and are usually staffed by lesbians.
Lunch:
Marination Station: Born out of a Korean/Hawaiian food truck that took home the “Best Food Truck in America” award from Good Morning America in 2010, this is their brick-and-mortar stand. Kimchi fried rice, sexy tofu tacos, and Aloha sliders make this some of the best (and cheapest) lunch food in Seattle.
Rancho Bravo: Also a progeny of a food truck, this Mexican restaurant now lives in an old KFC location. Cheap and authentic, it’s a good bet for a quick lunch.
Dick’s Burgers: With locations all over Seattle, Dick’s is a fun lunch stop with a big group. Super cheap and greasy, it’s the best burger and fry you can get in Seattle for under $5.
Dinner:
Plum: A vegan restaurant, Plum constantly redefines what is good in animal-free cooking. Their Mac ‘n’ Yease is to die for. A great place to take a date.
Machiavelli’s: This little Italian restaurant feels like it’s just out of New York — small, intimate, and delicious food at great prices. At the bottom of the hill, it’s a great place to go before or after a show at the Paramount Theater, just down the street.
Late Night:
Hot Mama’s Pizza: Directly across the street from R Place, Hot Mama’s serves up fresh slices of pizza until 2am on weekends, perfect for after dancing and drinking.
Broadway Grill: Has a great late night happy hour and usually lots of eye candy.
Dessert:
Trophy Cupcake: Moistest cupcakes around. Don’t be fooled by the other places — go here for good cupcakes.
Blue Bird Ice Cream: Fresh, handmade ice cream and named as one of MSNBC’s top ice cream shops in the USA, Blue Bird is less well known than Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, but definitely better. Their Imperial Stout Ice Cream is delicious, and they serve a number of local beers on tap. Beer float anybody?
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Let’s Go Sporting!
Seattle is home to the 2004 and 2010 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm women’s basketball team. Key Arena is the summer hot spot and turns into the biggest lesbian bar in the city by default. There are tons of Pride discounts and a kid’s dance troupe, so it’s fun for the whole family.
Seattle is also home to the Seahawks (football), Mariners (baseball), and Sounders (soccer) which are all fun to go to.
Locally, there are a number of LGBT sports leagues, most housed under the Rain City umbrella. Available sports include soccer, basketball, softball and volleyball. There’s also both a men’s and women’s rugby team, running group, and swimming club that cater to our community.
One super queer-friendly sport that’s huge in Seattle is Roller Derby. Home to the Rat City Roller Girls, Tilted Thunder Roller Derby and a number of other smaller leagues, you’re sure to find a lady of your persuasion either on the track or in the stands.
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Oh, College Girls
By far the biggest school in the area is the University of Washington, with over 60,000 students and staff. UW is known for its medical school, engineering and computer science, but it also has a great women’s studies program, social work school, and law school. The UW funds a Q Center which provides support groups, resources, and a safe place for queer students on campus. UW also has a chapter of Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men and the ASUW Queer Student Commission hosts on an annual student Drag Show. The UW is basically its own city within Seattle, encompassing the University District which has lots of great food, coffee shops and bars.
Other schools in the area include Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, Pacific Lutheran University (in Tacoma), and a number of community colleges. Seattle Central Community College on Capitol Hill is a popular destination for many LGBT students and has a very diverse student body.
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Nei/Gay/ghborhoods
Fremont – Billing itself as the “Center of the Universe”, Fremont is a trendy hood located along the Shipping Canal. Lots of vintage stores and home to a huge Sunday Farmers Market/Flea Market, Fremont is up-and-coming for sure.
Wallingford – West of the University District across I5, Wallingford is where you’ll find lots of 20 and 30 somethings that are not hipster enough to be on Capitol Hill (or are too smart to pay ridiculous rent prices on the hill). Lots of shared housing and co-ops dot this area that also has lots of young families.
Ballard – Occasionally in Seattle, you’ll see bumper stickers reading “Free Ballard”, a stalwart of their bid a few years ago to become an independent city. The effort failed, and now Ballard is just a neighborhood of Seattle- albeit a cool, industrial, fishing village type neighborhood. Lots of cool pubs and bars, Ballard isn’t known as the gayest neighborhood ever, but you’ll definitely be safe and have fun here.
West Seattle – Where gay people go to die…or just where we go after getting coupled up and having kids. Like a city within Seattle, West Seattle has pretty much everything somebody would need, including a strong sense of community. Cool shopping, a gay bar, and lots and lots of Momma-Mommy families, West Seattle has lots of affordable housing as well.
Columbia City – Located along the new light rail line, Columbia City is also an up and coming neighborhood that’s currently full of lesbians and their subarus. Cheap and diverse, Columbia City is a good bet for funky restaurants and live music.
Beacon Hill – One of the most diverse neighborhoods in Seattle, Beacon Hill is a melting pot for all sorts of types of people. Cheap housing, lots of good cheap food, and great views make Beacon Hill a good choice.
Queen Anne – The fancy part of Seattle, Queen Anne has lots of rich people, expansive views of downtown and the sound, and boutiques. Great place to grab a bite to eat, and settle down if you’ve got half a million dollars for a house, Queen Anne is a destination within the city.
White Center – South of West Seattle, White Center is like a little sister to West Seattle. Lots of dive bars, a great roller skating rink (that hosts Pride Skate) and more Vietnamese restaurants than you can count, White Center is a gritty, unique hidden secret.
South Park – Right by the Boeing Plant, South Park is another hidden gem within Seattle that actually has affordable housing. Lots of queers make their home down here because of how affordable it is.
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Support for LGBT Families
In Washington state, it’s illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and most of the local municipalities have additional protections in place for the LGBT community. There are a number of openly gay/queer politicians on the City Council and in the state legislature, so overall, Washington, and specifically Seattle, is a pretty safe place to be. For family support specifically, there are a few groups that meet regularly including Feather Boa Fathers (for gay dads), Maybe Baby Seattle (support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people who are interested in becoming parents), Mature Friends (a group for those over 40), and Rainbow Families of Seattle. The city also has an LGBTQ Commission to address issues facing the LGBTQ community within Seattle and then bring those issues to the policy makers in Seattle.
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Seattle Gay Pride Yay!
Seattle Pride is held on the last weekend in June and has been a constantly evolving event. Hosted mainly by Seattle Out and Proud, Pride has gone through a little bit of an identity and financial crisis the past few years that included a move from Capitol Hill to the Seattle Center, a bankruptcy, and board change. Despite the internal politics, Seattle Pride is a super fun, community building event that is the highlight of the year for many people. Pride in Seattle (as in most cities) seems to be two-faceted: the public side of Pride, with its big parade and party; and the insider side, with its weekend full of binge drinking, hookups, and crazy dancing.
The Pride Parade held on Sunday is the biggest parade Seattle sees all year. It snakes through downtown Seattle, drawing over 200,000 spectators every year. The big businesses around town like to show their support, so you can always count on Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Google, Boeing, and Alaska Airlines to have huge employee contingents marching, which we honestly love, of course. The parade ends at the Seattle Center, where you’ll meet the biggest free Pride party ever, attracting over 500,000 people dancing and soaking up the sun (and running naked through the huge fountain when the weather allows). This event is great for people watching and relaxing after a long weekend of partying.
Wildrose/The Rose goes all-out for Pride, renting portable fences and taking over an entire street with their outdoor beer garden and stage. The party at the Rose runs from Friday through Sunday, with Friday featuring a wet t-shirt contest and DJs til the wee hours of the morning, Saturday looking at all-day bands and beer pong, and Sunday usually hosting a spectacular Butch contest with even more music. Check their Facebook page for exact details, but you’re sure to have a good time at the Rose during Pride.
In the past few years, Seattle Pride has made a definite effort to expand the Pride celebrations to include those in our community for whom drinking isn’t the main draw. To that end, they’ve created an all-day Saturday Broadway Street Fair. With the streets closed to traffic, you’ll find lots of restaurants, vendors and bars throwing open their doors to us, complete with street dances, beer gardens and other live performances.
Seattle Out and Proud also hosts a Pride Idol singing competition. Recently (and for the first time), a number of churches and synagogues came together to host an Interfaith Pride Service on Saturday, which was well attended.
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LGBT and Women’s Health Services
Unfortunately, Seattle doesn’t have a dedicated Lesbian Health Center, however, many of the doctors are very LGBT friendly. Seattle Counseling Services are specific for our community and have a number of resources for other service providers in our community, including addiction help and psychiatric care. Dunshee House provides emotional and other health resources to those affected by HIV/AIDS. The Capitol Hill Alano Club hosts a number of support meetings for those in recovery. Every year during Pride, there is also a Rainbow Women’s Health Fair hosted at Gilda’s Club.
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LGBT Center
There is no LGBT community center in Seattle, however there are some resources especially for youth who are LGBT. Check out both The Lambert House and Queer Youth Space for LGBT community information for youth.
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Welcome to the Gayborhood
Addressed earlier- Capitol Hill. But all of Seattle is pretty darn gay.
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Places to Avoid
Only a few places to avoid in Seattle, and they’re usually time-restricted. I’d advise avoiding Beltown and Pioneer Square after 10pm. Same with Greek Row by the University of Washington at all times. You probably won’t run into any problems, but these areas tend to be hot spots for violence and have known to be frequented by assholes.
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LGBT or Feminist Bookstores
As with many towns, lots of our local/independent booksellers are going belly up. A few strongholds where you’ll find a large selection of LGBT and feminist material are Elliot Bay Books (Capitol Hill), University Bookstore (U District) and Half Price Books (Capitol Hill.) There is a great Gay and Lesbian Book Club that meets weekly at the Dunshee house, and is open to all in the LGBT community.
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Dating Scene
The dating scene in Seattle is pretty good, depending on your age and what you’re looking for. As one of the most queer cities in the US, you’ll most likely find somebody who shares the same interest as you, whether that’s partying, sports, nature, or arts. OKCupid.com has a fairly large Seattle crowd, and The Stranger and Craigslist often feature W4W ads. Compared to other parts of the country, Seattleites often come across as unfriendly or cold — this is just because we don’t get enough Vitamin D on a regular basis. Offer us a cup of coffee and a friendly conversation and we’ll be nice, I promise.
Pillow Fight!
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LGBT Events
Aside from Pride and the associated events, there aren’t any huge LBT events in Seattle. Of note though, there is usually one or two Rainbow Wedding Expositions, and with Washington state super close to legalizing gay marriage, these are sure to increase.
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Salons
The most popular and cheapest place for an alternative lifestyle haircut is definitely Rudy’s Barbershop. The ultimate in hipster, Rudy’s has 5 locations and is a walk-in only shop. They usually do a decent job and are pretty cheap. Lots of people have their favorite stylist at different locations — check Yelp for details.
Other popular salons for ALHs include Vain (downtown), ACME Barber Shop (Capitol Hill), and Zero Zero. Check Yelp for other ideas- or just ask that cute girl next to you on the bus where she got her hair done!
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Tattoos
Just like hair salons, there are about a million tattoo and piercing shops in Seattle, all of which people swear by. My friends have gone to Deep Roots Piercing and Tattoo (U District), Laughing Buddha, Hidden Hand, Apocalypse Tattoo, and Lucky Devil Tattoo. Seriously though, do your research, find an artist you like, and enjoy!
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Safety
Seattle is generally a pretty safe city to live in, especially as an LGBT person. As is to be expected anywhere, there are acts of violence, however, these do not tend to be targeted and instead are usually drug related. The police department has an LGBT liaison who works with us to address concerns as they come up.
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Cost of living
Besides San Francisco and New York, Seattle might just be the next most expensive city in the nation. High rents, high cost of food — this place is expensive. Wages tend to reflect that reality, however, it can be hard to make ends meet for many people.
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Diversity
Seattle isn’t actually a super diverse city, as far as large cities go, but it’s getting more and more diverse every day. Approximately 20% of residents are immigrants from another country, many from Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, the city is still fairly segregated, with the south ends of the city being more diverse in both racial and economic terms. In the last census, it was estimated that 10% of Seattle identifies as LGBT, with some neighborhoods self-identifying as up to 43% LGBT (Capitol Hill). There is a fairly large transgendered population as well.
Part of an ongoing series of Queer Girl City Guides.
Unrelated: Is anyone doing a guide on Columbus? Because I have lots of interest in living there at some point maybe.
Ok, continue on!
This was great!
As in Columbus, Ohio?
Yes! I’ve been there a handful of times for work-related reasons, and it seems like a pleasant place to be!
Maria how can I add you as a friend ?
Yes! I am writing about Columbus! It should be posted soon! I just wish I had enough safe to include all the gay things in cbus!
My friends and I wrote about Columbus too! I wonder if they’ll combine ours. I can’t wait to read yours!
Really? That’s weird… And cool! I just edited mine, well added stuff, and sent in the final copy. I’m pretty sure they are not combining them. Plus, they probably would have told us. I guess Columbus is just too awesome for only one post! Did they say when yours will be posted? My wait to read it!
Nice. I think ours will be posted soon. I love that we’ll have two. Columbus is just that cool of a town.
HOW did ya miss 90’s Hip Hop Night @ Havanna (Tuesdays)?! Pretty much everyone I know doesn’t even refer to it by the official name, and just calls it “Lesbian Night.” I doubt this is anywhere on Google which is maybe why it is not in this piece. This is such a glaring omission….if you are TRULY trying to help Seattle transplants or newly-out ladies find their way in this city, you’re going to need to edit this piece and add that in.
Why don’t you tell us about it? Inquiring minds!
My sister lives in Seattle and she took me to Lick when I visited a couple summers ago. I walked in and it was 20 degrees hotter than outside and smelled like sweaty hipster. Also, there was a cute girl wearing only a bandana for a top. And then she took it off.
Basically, Seattle is lesbian heaven is what I’m saying.
ALSO, the Center for Sex Positive Culture there is a thing–if you haven’t read this Effing Dykes post, you probably should. (warning, it’s dirty).
http://effingdykes.blogspot.com/2010/06/week-of-debauchery-date-4-feelin.html
I second the Center for Sex Positive Culture. Some of my best Seattle memories are of spending nights dancing and snuggling there!
Awhh, I just moved from Seattle and this is making me homesick! It truly is a wonderful place to be gay though :)
ps: I am in my 20s and loved it in West Seattle, so its really not as much of a place “to go to die” as this portrays!
brb crying because I just turned down a summer internship here and now realize I could’ve gone to Pride.
WHY WORLD WHY
So right now I am trying to decide if I want to move to Seattle or Madison, Wisconsin when I am done with school. I hope someone does a queer guide for Madison so I can compare!
I’ve got to give a shout out to Mae’s Cafe. The owner has been a huge supporter of LGBT rights and the Cuban pork sandwich is AMAZING.
Also, the Ingersoll Gender Center (located at the equally awesome Seattle Counseling Services, an LGBT-specific therapy building) has a fantastic group meet-up for trans* folk and their allies.
Oh props to Ingersoll. When we had Gender Odyssey here what? last year? They were really nice and welcoming to me.
YOU GUYS ARE MAKING ME HOMESICK.
(At least my wife and I will be roadtripping up after A-Camp! Hooray!)
Oh and I have to shout out for the Seattle Women’s Chorus, who my mom sings for (now that’s she’s moved back from Chicago and no longer sings with the Gay Men’s Chorus there). They are mostly middle-aged lesbians and the straight women who love them (aka my mother).
Howdy. Native Seattleite here. A couple omissions I’d like to fill in:
DANCE:
-Butchqueen is a promising addition to the monthly queer lady dance calendar generating tons of buzz, and word on the street is no Top 40!
BE LAZY:
-Denny Blaine (aka Dykiki) and Howell Beach, Seattle’s homo nude beaches. If it’s a perfect sunny day and Capitol Hill feels like a ghost town, this is why.
-Beneath our lesbian bar lies Hothouse Spa, a cozy, affordable women’s bathhouse. It makes a perfect diversion from Seattle’s horrible cold and rainy winters.
GET CULTURE:
-Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival every October, which feels kind of like a mini-Pride. They also host queer cinema events throughout the year.
-Another queer film event is Sistah Sinema, representing films with a Black lesbian perspective.
-The Capitol Hill Library has a sweet curated Gay and Lesbian section.
GET ORIENTED:
-Georgetown is a neighborhood south of the stadiums. Attracting artists who have been priced out of Capitol Hill. Tattoo studios, good beer, a farmers market, Fantagraphics (graphic novel) bookshop
-If you visit Seattle, and you only hang out in the Northern half of town (above Union Street, I’d say), you might conclude that it’s crushingly Caucasian. That’s actually bc of racist housing covenants which literally barred people of color from living there in the formative years of those neighborhoods (Wallingford, Fremont, Queen Anne, Ballard are examples).
Capitol Hill may be our gayborhood, but you’d have to be a total masochist to pay rent there. Young queers are heading East and rapidly gentrifying the Central District, Seattle’s historically Black neighborhood (a lot of migrant East Africans call it home, too). It’s been disappointing to me that otherwise walk-the-talk white dykes are often evasive about their influential role in taking up real estate in the CD. So, there’s that.
Now come visit!
Lisa, thanks for the Sistah Sinema mention! Sistah Sinema is a monthly event. Find us on Facebook to get the latest information.
Other online resources
• Eastside Lesbians Meetup.com group
• Seattle LGBT meetup.com
• Seattle Lesbian Book Club meetup.com
• The Seattle Lesbian (ezine)
Other Queer Womyn of Color Events (active on Facebook)
• TrikoneNW
• Chocolate Kisses
• Fire Nights
Leading LGBT Non-profits
• Greater Seattle Business Association – one of the country’s largest LGBT chamber of commerce
• Bent – Queer oriented writing and spoken word events
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. My mum just moved here from london via five years in the oklahoma prairies and I’ve moved back to London, but my partner and I will be here in December and are looking for exactly this sort of thing. Shame the queer film fest isn’t then!
Oh, also an excellent answer to our one-lesbian-bar-issue: Carpet Samplez/Carpet Samples. It’s a roaming lesbie happy hour takeover. You can find them on Facebook. It draws a cool and changing group of girls to good bars. I really like it because it’s a relaxed way to make queer friends…
Comprehensive guide! Totally makes me want to visit Seattle :)
Love this! But, just a quick correction, the Seattle Storm were the 2010 WNBA champions, not 2011 champions (that was the Minnesota Lynx). Sorry, my encyclopedic knowledge of women’s sports shouted told me to speak up :)
thanks! i got this
I think that after 10pm Beltown and Pioneer Square are more frequented by drug addicts rather than “assholes,” not necessarily the same thing. But cool guide, I liked the breakdown of the different neighborhoods.
Perhaps, but still you can’t throw a stone in Belltown after 10pm without hitting a fratboy/Jersey-Shore-looking musclehead getting into a shouting match/fistfight outside an overly priced cocktail bar.
Ha! Yes, agreed! And that is much more asshole than drug addict!
strangely I have never seen them, I must be walking around the wrong parts of the wrong parts of town
this is a great series! i hope you guys start doing cities in europe too! (except sicily, ok, i saw that yeah)
My city is the fucking best, straight up.
As far as diversity it really depends on the neighborhood. The thing here is that all the neighborhoods are really little universes unto themselves (like the author touched on with the neighborhood breakdown) and things can feel very different from one to the next. I am in West Seattle purgatory right now but where I lived before this (Columbia City, and I plan on moving back) is quite a bit more diverse than well, I’d say anywhere else I’ve been in the State. It’s got a great community vibe too, where it feels like everyone takes care of each other a little bit. (Today’s exchange when the power went out in CC: Me: “This is like the zombie apocalypse.” Friend: “At least we’re together!” That pretty much sums things up.)
Also would like to add Caffe Vita and Victrola for queer friendly rocking coffee and Molly Moon Ice Cream for well, ice cream. I could go on and on about good food spots but I’ll spare you guys the rambling beyond that, but get thee to an espresso shop.
ALSO ALSO health and mental health if you are LGBTQ: Capitol Hill medical is LGBTQ friendly though I get the vibe that it’s more gay dudes than anything, but hey, they won’t turn you away if you happen to be some other rainbow flavor. Seattle Counseling Services is on the Hill too, and offers counseling and psychiatric services on a sliding scale. THIS COULD NOT BE MORE AWESOME. Be forewarned that almost everyone here is an intern, however, and if you’re trans dear god ask for a counselor who gets it. I’ve had some unpleasant experiences lately on that front, but I suspect it’s more this particular person and less the place itself. They’re wonderful about helping you change interns, too, if someone’s style just isn’t working with yours. They also have support groups like the Queer People of Color group and the Gender Workshop. Also smoking cessation, AIDS prevention and so on. One more place is called the Carolyn Downs clinic, also sliding scale and has cool things like a naturopath.
The Wet Spot! Now the Center for Sex Positive Culture. I volunteer here and it’s a good place to get your freak on: http://www.sexpositiveculture.org/ and/or learn a thing or two.
ANYWAY I won’t keep this up but basically SEATTLE FOR LIFE.
Its highly unlikely this will happen, but is there any chance you guys could do one of these things about Dublin, Ireland? Because I live here and I’m starting to think there are roughly 100 lesbians in this whole city and I’m losing the will to live :/ The only lesbian specific night I know of is strictly over 21s and I’m 18 and bad at lying. :(
Dublin has a fair amount of LGBT stuff going on from what I understand. Check this: http://www.glen.ie/ and this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_culture_in_Ireland The Wiki seems like it mostly talks about gay men but there might be some stuff worth exploring that is relevant to your interests. There’s a big trans group too if that is at all something you need.
ETA: OMG look what I found!!! http://www.theladylist.ie/
(also I discovered that Sligo, of all places, has a really popular gay pride parade and is probably the smallest city in the freaking world with such a big parade)
I hope you find something that helps!
The description of Belltown fits for parts of 1st ave. and sometimes 2nd, but my partner and I lived in a condo down off Elliot for 4 years, by the sculpture park, and it was great. In just our building, I can think of at least 6 gay couples (2 women, 4 men) with pretty great/supportive neighbors. I did plenty of walking around at night and didn’t feel threatened at all.
Seattle sounds like a pretty awesome place to be. Now I just need an excuse to visit…
Also, was anyone else excited to see a rower in the thumbnail photo for this article? ARE THERE ANY QUEER ROWERS OUT THERE?
the answer is yes. :)
In the salon category, I heartily recommend Rachel at Tart in Ballard to all my fellow ALH girls in Seattle. Some say she does the best short cuts in the whole city, and I have to agree. http://www.tartstudios.com/
I am planning on moving to Seattle in May and am looking for a room to rent..would like to live as close to downtown as possible. If anyone knows of someone looking for a roommate, please email me. I’m a 24 year old queer guy college grad coming from Phoenix with my mini poodle and only the stuff that will fit in my car. I don’t need much space/frills beyond a comfortable, welcoming environment. Let me know if you can help out. Thanks!!!
Might help if I included my email – braedyn.ezra@gmail.com
So happy to be featured! I’m a Q Center staff member at UW with a picky correction: the Q Center doesn’t host the Drag Show, the ASUW Queer Student Commission does. But the Q Center does do a lot of other amazing things!
http://uwqcenter.wordpress.com/
Duly noted! We’ll make the change! : )
Also how could you forget Babeland?!
Also, After Ellen’s style vlogger works at Vain downtown. They have an entire of army of stylists trained in the fine art of Alternative Lifestyle fashions.
Don’t forget the newly established Sounders Women soccer team! http://www.sounderswomen.com/ Season starts in April. Can. Not. Wait.
love this, i’m hoping that this will be of great use to mine and my partner’s upcoming move to seattle! but i am left with one burning question: anyone know of any queer friendly strip clubs/burlesque hot spots?
Hi! In case you haven’t already found us…I produce Debauchery, which is the Third Thursday of every month at Neighbours.
Debauchery is: queers stripping for queers in hot, anti-oppressive space, raising money for organizations that serve the queer community.
The show features stripteases, tons of audience interaction and even birthday lap dances onstage! Be sure to bring plenty of dollar bills — a portion of the proceeds goes to non-profits providing health and social services within the queer community.
You can find us at http://www.lilydivine.com or http://www.facebook.com/lilydivineproductions.
<3
BUTCH QUEEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! queer heaven and incredibly aesthetically pleasing
How is there not an LGBT community center in as large a city as Seattle? My town has one (it does much of the organizing for our Pride weekend) and our population is just over 86,000. That’s really disappointing, wow.
So…I’m heading to Seattle for a week at the end of October…anything going on the weekend of Oct 26/27/28? Clubs, bars etc? Any recommendations?
Cheers!
You can update your post, gay marriage is legal in Washington now! :)
Funny, I think I always took my hometown for granted until I moved away from Seattle. I didn’t come out until recently (I’m 35) but having grown up literally in the shadow of the Space Needle (my mother lives in the Queen Anne neighborhood. Seattle, and by and large most of Puget Sound, for the most part accepts everyone. At least, with my family and circle of friends, we never even thought about it, everyone was treated equally. Its just how we were and frankly still are. Now, living in Phoenix after living in Michigan for about 8 years, I long to move home. It would have been SO much easier to deal with this part of my life in Seattle than in Phoenix. As for the question as to why there isn’t a dedicated community center, yet anyway, I would guess it is because Seattle doesn’t exclude anyone. Diversity is embraced, not shunned, and everyone, regardless of their sexuality, gender, ethnicity, etc. is pretty much part of the entire community, which is what makes Seattle great.
Thanks for the posting. Eventhough I live in Seattle, I never been to most of these place.
I would really much like to check out some of these places. Does anyone like to go to some bars or parks with me?
There used to be an LGBT center on Pine on Capital Hill, in the spot where Cupcake Royale is presently. (The building was demolished and then replaced with the current condo.) It was here when I moved to Seattle in 2004, friends were involved before then, and it closed maybe 5 years ago? Though I don’t know why exactly, I think funding and internal conflicts were a part of it.
Hey,
Thanks for the details above! I’m heading to your neck of the woods for a Solo trip this April 19-27th… Any tips on a good place to stay near the Queer action? Any parties happening during this time? I love a lady filled sweaty dance floor….
btw, broadway grill is Over! shame. also, the wonderful broadway video is Over. awesome bookstore, Leftbank books, pioneer square. go there! lots of new eats on pike/pine. super queer, naturally, including oaxaca.
Also, don’t forget about the NW Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse. A by and for organization serving our diverse LGBTQ community in Seattle for over 25 years! The NW Network offers advocacy support to survivors of abuse, peer support groups, legal advocacy, youth programs, Relationship Skills Classes, Queer Parent Networking Dinners, and more. Check em out at http://www.nwnetwork.org
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Seattle is home to one of the best burlesque scenes in the world and is one of the few cities that one can make a living doing burlesque. There is a heavy queer presence and variety of gender presentations onstage. The crowds know how to behave at the show since burlesque thrives in a dearth of strip clubs within city limits (RIP Lusty Lady). There are generally multiple shows a week with ticket prices to fit any budget. Queer identified Miss Indigo Blue (Burlesque Hall of Fame Queen of Burlesque winner in 2011) is at the helm of the community and runs the local school and highly successful educational burlesque conference BurlyCon (http://academyofburlesque.com/). Drop in for a class and learn to twirl pasties or strip for your lover while on vacation!
Seattle burlesque calendar: http://www.emeraldcityburlesque.com/
Show venue notes:
The Pink Door is a weekly show that is very well curated. Get to the venue early as this is frequented most by tourists and “bros” being in the heart of the famous Pike Place Market. http://thepinkdoor.net/cabaret.html
The Triple Door is a high end music venue and when a burlesque show graces their stage, be sure to go! Pan-Asian cuisine and/or cocktails are paired with the show. In April 2016, The Swedish Housewife present 70’s rock inspired House of Thee UnHoly that can’t be missed. Coming in December? Be sure to check out Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann’s (http://www.verlaineandmccann.com/) sexy holiday tradition Land of the Sweets. https://tickets.thetripledoor.net/
Columbia City Theater hosts burlesque shows occasionally and is a great mid-priced venue. Stripped Screw Burlesque often produces shows here (http://www.strippedscrewburlesque.com/index/)
Other venues to keep an eye on: Rendez-Vous is a small dive theater with very accessible ticket prices. Theater off Jackson has some epic shows for a great price.
Also, for those into alternative sexuality the city is *almost* better than San Francisco for resources: Center for Sex positive culture http://thecspc.org/ and annual high end erotic art show http://www.seattleerotic.org/
Can someone update this post? I wanna kno more
Dear autostraddle,
I’d love to see an updated version of this. So many of the bars listed are closed with the exception of Wildrose. The city has changed and as someone who has been here for a year, I have no idea where to go.