Gay Guide to Tacoma
Washington approved same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2012, one of the first states to do so at the ballot box. Tacoma, the working port city on Puget Sound just south of Seattle, has a small, tight-knit queer scene concentrated in its revitalized downtown.
The gay bars cluster along St. Helens Avenue in the heart of downtown, where the longest-running club and a lively karaoke-and-drag bar anchor the nightlife. The Rainbow Center, a community hub since 1997, provides a lounge, library, and gathering space, and its family-friendly Out in the Park is the centerpiece of the local calendar.
Tacoma pairs its glass-art heritage, mountain views, and gritty-turned-creative downtown with an easygoing, community-first queer culture, an affordable counterpoint to Seattle up the sound.
Tacoma Pride takes over each July with a parade and the Rainbow Center's all-day festival, the community's main celebration of the year.