Capitol hill gay

Seattle welcomes everyone in a city that is sound 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 celebration in everybody.

LGBTQ+ RESOURCES

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

BiNet Seattle
A bisexual non-profit, mixed gender, social and sustain 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 Rig

A Local’s Guide to the Perfect Night in Capitol Hill, Seattle

The rainbow-painted crosswalks are the first sign that you’ve arrived in Seattle’s gay neighborhood. The pride flags in the windows of nearly every business and the huge, visible LGBT population make it even more obvious. Welcome to Capitol Hill!

Capitol Hill might be the most accepted area of Seattle for dining and nightlife. The proof that it’s also a gay epicenter, with a dozen gay bars, makes the neighborhood that much better.

Beyond the gay nightlife, there are so many things to perform in Capitol Hill, including shopping for hidden treasures, attending shows at harmony and theater venues, and (of course) eating at some of the city’s best restaurants. The large neighborhood on a hill just east of downtown is easy to explore by foot, bus, streetcar, or light rail.

The Hill is one of the most entertaining gay neighborhoods in the country, and as a Seattle resident, I’m fortunate that I earn to spend moment here every week. If you hold one day to experience the optimal things to execute in Capitol Hill, from nature to dining to nightlife, read on for a suggested itinerary, including some of my favorite insider spots.

Morning

Coffee & o

Moving to LGBTQ Capitol Hill in Seattle offers a singular chance to immerse yourself in one of the most vibrant and welcoming LGBTQ+ communities in the country. This neighborhood, renowned as the city’s same-sex attracted epicenter, is a kaleidoscope of diversity, inclusivity, and lively energy.

For those considering a move to Seattle, moving to Gay Capitol Hill means becoming part of a neighborhood where rainbow-colored crosswalks symbolize the area’s commitment to celebrating and supporting its LGBTQ+ residents.

Capitol Hill’s heart beats strongest along the bustling Pike-Pine corridor, a stretch of highway that encapsulates the spirit of the neighborhood. Here, you’ll discover an engaging mix of LGBTQ-owned businesses, community organizations, and cultural hotspots.

Each of these contributes to the one-of-a-kind identity of Capitol Hill, making it an ideal destination for anyone looking to become part of a supportive and diverse people. Moving to LGBTQ Capitol Hill is not just about finding a recent home; it’s about immersing yourself in a community that values and celebrates diversity. […]



More recent LGBTQIA+ history is rooted in 1969’s Stonewall uprising which sparked a movement, but what’s known about Seattle’s queer history dates back to the slow 1800s when downtown Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood – known also as “TheTenderloin,” “Skid Row,” and “Fairyville” – was more welcoming to the burgeoning gay group than the surrounding area, and it saw establishments catering to them flourish.

Here is a historical timeline of some important LGBTQIA+ milestones in Seattle, as the march for equal rights continues.

NOTE: In several instances, the historical timeline includes verbiage from cause material reflecting the era and which may imply bias, rather than the more appropriate verbiage which used to today.

Jackie Starr, Hotcha Hinton, an unidentified dude, and Tonya Del Raye sitting at a table at the Garden of Allah circa 1950s.

Photo courtesy of University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, SOC7421.

Early 1900s:
“Fairyville” Flourishes in Pioneer Square

Gay bars flourish in Pioneer Square despite becoming victims to a police payoff system in which establishments owned by gay people and people of color are forced to pay mon