LGBTQ culture in Salem, Oregon

The American city of Salem, Oregon is considered generally LGBTQ-friendly. In 2017, Salem ranked highest among cities in Oregon for having "the most LGBTQ-friendly policies and inclusiveness", scoring 90 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index. According to the Statesman Journal, "Salem scored perfectly on its non-discrimination laws, law enforcement and municipal services. The city lost points for not having transgender-inclusive health benefits and city leadership's lack of pro-equality legislative and policy efforts."[1] The score has since improved to 100 out of 100 as of 2025.[2] The city of Salem has a LGBTQIA+ Rights Committee that was established in 2017.[3]

In 2022, the Salem-Keizer School District established policies aimed at improving the "safety, wellbeing, education and success" of transgender and non-binary students.[4][5] In 2021, amid a national wave of book challenges and bans, a committee decided not to remove the book Gender Queer: A Memoir from school libraries.[6] In 2024, the Salem Reporter said, "In the past year, books about LGBTQ+ people and people of color were hidden on far away shelves and thrown in the trash at multiple Salem libraries."[7]

Southside Speakeasy is a gay bar in Salem.[8] The bar has hosted queer line dancing.[9]

History

The first Pride event in Salem was held in 1978, with nine people in attendance.[10][11] Attendance remained low for the early years due to fear of backlash;[10] at this time, it was legal to fire employees for being gay in the state of Oregon, and community backlash to LGBTQ visibility was on the rise from the 1970s to 1990s.[11] The first full Pride parade was held in 1995, and another was held the following year with 200 people in attendance.[11] Attendance grew over the years, and in 2023, an estimated 8,000 people attended the city's pride celebration.[12]

Rainbow Youth was established in 2001 to support Salem's LGBTQ youth.[13]

In 2024, Salem's St. Paul's Episcopal Church held its first Pride Mass.[14]

Events

Salem hosts an annual Pride event called Pride in the Park, which is organized by Salem Capital Pride.[10][12][10] Pro-LGBTQ demonstrations have been held at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.[15]

Salem Capital Pride organizes and supports a variety of regular LGBTQ community events, including a silent book club, community sports, video game and board game nights, bouldering, and yoga.[16]

Organizations

Salem has a chapter of the LGBTQ organization PFLAG. Youth Era's Salem Drop is a community space for people ages 14 to 25, including many LGBTQ people. Rainbow Youth offers a resources for LGBTQ youth, including a support group for LGBTQ and allied youth.[3][17]

Chemeketa Community College, located in the Hayesville area in northeast Salem, has a LGBTQ2SIA+ club, and Willamette University has a gender resource and advocacy center that is available to students of any gender. Northwest Human Services has offices at their clinic in West Salem focused on "creating a healthy community with respect, compassion, and acceptance for all", according to the Statesman Journal.[17] The clinic offers services related to hormone replacement therapy and transgender health care.[3][17]

References

  1. ^ Woodworth, Whitney. "Salem ranks highest among Oregon cities for LGBTQ equality". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  2. ^ 2025 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard - Salem, Oregon (PDF) (Report). Human Rights Campaign. 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  3. ^ a b c "Salem Human Rights Commission LGBTQIA+ Committee". City of Salem. Archived from the original on 2025-11-04. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  4. ^ Binford-Ross, Eddy. "Salem-Keizer school district has new transgender student policies. Here's what they do". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  5. ^ "Support for transgender students in Oregon schools goes beyond Salem-Keizer". opb. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  6. ^ Pate, Natalie. "Salem-Keizer rejects second book ban request, keeps 'Gender Queer' in local high schools". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  7. ^ McDonald, Abbey (2024-09-19). "Salem librarians report patrons trashing, hiding LGBTQ+ books in past year". Salem Reporter. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  8. ^ "PHOTOS: Line dancing comes to Salem's gay bar". Salem Reporter. 2024-05-16. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  9. ^ McDonald, Abbey (2024-05-13). "Queer line dancing lessons to expand vibrant Salem dance scene". Salem Reporter. Archived from the original on 2025-05-23. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  10. ^ a b c d Reporter, By Salem (2021-09-01). "SALEM HISTORY: How Salem went from a nine person Pride march to an annual celebration". Salem Reporter. Archived from the original on 2025-02-17. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  11. ^ a b c "Salem Pride". Willamette Heritage Center. 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  12. ^ a b Moore, Madeleine (2024-09-16). "Pride in the Park expects thousands of visitors in biggest year yet at Riverfront Park". Salem Reporter. Archived from the original on 2024-10-13. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  13. ^ Crates, Ampersand, ed. (2015-12-31). "LGBTQ Youth Timeline". Oregon Queer History Collective. Retrieved 2026-03-02.
  14. ^ Neri, Kevin. "St. Paul's Episcopal Church celebrates its first Pride Mass". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  15. ^ Lugo, Dianne. "Speakers at rally to protect trans youth urge community to speak out against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  16. ^ Lugo, Dianne (2024-06-09). "Meet our Mid-Valley: Zachery Cardoso building a community with Salem Capital Pride". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  17. ^ a b c Wyatt, Sydney. "10 LGBTQ resources in Oregon you should know about". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
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