Few cities the size of Portland have a more progressive and active GLBT community, and this is especially the case since the election in 2008 of Sam Adams as city mayor (making Portland the largest city in America with an openly gay mayor). Lesbians and gays in Portland tend to live and play all around the city, not in any particular concentrated neighborhood - it's a very socially and geographically integrated community. But come June, GLBT folks from all over the city and the surrounding region descend upon downtown Portland's scenic Tom McCall Waterfront Park to celebrate the Portland Pride Festival, also sometimes referred to as Pride Northwest (the name of the organization that organizes it). In 2009, the Portland Gay Pride festivities take place over the weekend of June 13 and June 14.
Shop for rooms and compare rates on hotels in Portland during Gay Pride
Events include a bustling festival with plenty of entertainment and performances, food and crafts vendors, and hobnobbing at grassy, tree-shaded Tom McCall Park, on the east edge of downtown, overlooking the beautiful Willamette River and the oft-photographed bridges that span it. There's also a Pride Parade, which departs from the North Park Blocks in the Pearl District, runs sout along Broadway through downtown, turns east down Taylor Street, and finishes with a final turn north along Naito Parkway, leading into Tom McCall Park. Here's a map of the parade route.
Of course, additionally, plenty of gay-popular restaurants, bars and clubs, hotels, and shops will be extra busy during this busy time, and catering heavily to LGBT visitors. Check local gay media, such as Just Out, for details, and also check out the excellent Website the Travel Portland tourism office, which produces a handy gay visitor brochure on Portland.
