Queer Girl City Guide: Spokane, Washington


Feature image via travel.yahoo.com.

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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
7. 3/11/2012 – City Guide: Washington DC, by Keena
8. 3/13/2012 – Here/Queer: Sydney Mardi Gras Is On Your To-Do List, by Crystal
9. 3/14/2012 – Queer Girl City Guide: Spokane, Washington, by Ana

It’s been nearly a year since my official return to Spokane, the place I grew up before leaving for college and travel, and I’ve found a few things to be true. First, there is an LGBT presence in the city, but you’re going to have to look for it. Second, Spokane is trying to brand itself as a sports-prominent city, and it’s doing pretty well at that. Third, young and/or progressive people tend to clump together in a few hip neighborhoods, but if you don’t know them it looks like a conservative white man’s city. Spokane’s official motto is “Near Nature, Near Perfect.” While all of us would like for this to be true, it’s more like “Near Nature, But Still Up-and-Coming.”

As a whole, Spokane is thought of as the conservative and maybe a little “straighter” version of Seattle. This is probably true, but discrimination against LGBTs isn’t the norm here. It’s almost like most of Spokane either doesn’t realize that actual gay people exist, or they just don’t care.

All the Lesbian Bars/Nights

The bar scene as far as queer-leaning folks in Spokane is interesting. The best part about queer friendly bars in Spokane is most of them are clumped into a two-block strip on Sprague Avenue in downtown. Over the past year, the number of “gay” bars has fluctuated between three to five.

nYne Bar and Bistro (232 West Sprague Avenue, 99201) is the most lesbian-friendly bar in Spokane. If you are a girl who likes girls, it’s the best place to meet ladies, have a friendly free-throw contest, or have a burger/veggie-burger. Owned by two lesbians, nYne attracts every queer oriented woman in Spokane. If you arrive before 8:00pm, you will meet an O.W.L. or two. After that, it’s game on for twenty and thirty something lesbians. Nyne is not exclusively a lesbian bar, but everyone in town knows it’s the safest place to go for gay/bi women. On occasion, local college basketball players will show up to party. I’ll drink to that.

Party at nYne Bar

Spotlight Lounge (321 W. Sprague Avenue, downtown) serves the purposes of night club and grungy gay bar. People go to Spotlight when they want to dance with no reservations, take one too many shots, or to scope out who else is queer in town. It’s a fun place, but pretty much everyone I know has a “Spotlight” story. Mine includes excessive amounts of foam and lost jewelry. It’s like the youngest sister of the gay bars: it’s a little wild but gets away with it. Ladies night every Thursday.

Spotlight Nightclub

“Irvs” (415 W. Sprague Avenue, downtown) is the gayest in town, only because it brands itself as gay more than other spots. It’s the oldest gay bar in town since the legendary “Dempsy’s Brass Rail” closed. It’s more of a gay male thing, but they do have drag shows and a dance floor which attract the entire LGBT scene. Thursdays are a pretty good night to people watch.

Other queer-friendly bars:

Satellite Diner (Sprague Ave., next door to Irv’s): This bar/restaurant serves food 24/7. A friendly gay man bartends and it’s a good place to find queers at night.

Baby Bar (827 W. 1st Ave, downtown): The most hipster bar in town, it fits about 30 people max. A place you are likely to spot a lesbian or two at some point during the night.

Bon Bon (924 W. Garland Ave): It’s about 10 minutes north of downtown, but serves old-school, fancy drinks and has adorable bartenders. It’s attached to Spokane’s old dollar theater, the Garland.

Andy’s: On the western edge of downtown Spokane. Small and intimate with late night eats. Lesbian spottings are common, at best.

Things To Put In Your Stomach

The best place to take a lady-of-interest on a date is Mizuna (214 N. Howard). This is the closest thing to a vegetarian restaurant in Spokane. It’s an upscale spot downtown with a lengthy wine selection. The atmosphere is romantic without being too intimate. In the warmer months, try to get a patio seat!

The Flying Goat (Audubon neighborhood) is an excellent pizza place on the North side of town. You can get a beer flight, fill a growler of beer, or buy wine to go. The pizza selection is unique and delicious. Notable plus: a lot of queer women frequent it.

Italia Trattoria (144 S. Cannon Street, in Browne’s Addition) offers a fancier dining experience, featuring gourmet Italian dishes and a great wine selection. Its owners are a very sweet lesbian couple. Can’t go wrong here. Across the street are the Elk and El Que restaurants which offer great people/hipster watching, and great food.

Sports Extravaganza

Gonzaga Women’s Basketball Team

If you care at all about sports, you will need to know about Gonzaga Basketball. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams do well year after year, and Spokane is pretty much obsessed with Gonzaga Bulldog Athletics. Lesbians are a common sighting at “Zags” game, and many go together. The women’s team has made the NCAA tournament four years in a row.

Eastern Washington University is about 30 minutes west on Interstate 90. Their football team won the Division 1-A Championship in 2010. Eastern games are fun to attend, especially when they’re playing basketball against a local team like Gonzaga or Washington State University, or football against University of Montana.

The Spokane Indians are a minor-league baseball team. The games are fun, though the team is not particularly stellar. A great place for a beer and sports date.

RAINBOW AT A SPOKANE INDIANS GAME

The city hosts a few women’s rugby teams, including an Eastern Washington University club team and the city team the “Marmots”. The latter is made up of quite a few lesbians, and pretty much all of them are ridiculously friendly and will encourage you to come to a game or practice.

What would a city be without Roller Derby? We’ve got the Lilac City Roller Girls for that.

Spokane hosts the biggest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world. In the world! Hoopfest happens for one weekend each summer. The downtown city streets are closed off and basketball hoops are rolled in. 7,000 teams compete, with players ranging from eight to retirement age, women, men, co-ed, family, you name it. Think about creating a team or at least watching the adult women’s games.

Life a la College

The college life in Spokane is diverse, with private, public, religious, and satellite campuses. There is no united front for college LGBT groups or communities, but most of them have at least one club/support group.

Gonzaga University remains the most prominent school in Spokane because of the caliber of education, the Law School, and athletics. It’s a Jesuit university just a few blocks away from downtown, but its Catholic roots don’t discourage diversity. The campus LGBT resource center is a good place to get involved or find allies on campus. Their women’s athletics attracts tons of lesbians to their games (and on occasion to their rosters).

Whitworth University: A Christian University. Don’t waste your time looking for a date.

Eastern Washington University: Eastern students have a conservative reputation, but the campus offers a variety of resources and allies for the LGBT community. In fact, a men’s fraternity hosted a drag show in Spokane as a fundraiser! For non-students, there is a women’s pick-up basketball league on Tuesday nights.

Riverpoint Campus: This “campus” is really a satellite branch for Washington State University and Eastern Washington University. Not much student life occurs on this campus, making a lesbian or gay scene sort of inconsequential. With that said, a lot of students are in medical school or something else really smart, so naturally there are some lesbians frequenting campus.

Hoods

Spokane has many neighborhood “pockets”. While no one neighborhood is gayer than the rest, some are catching on as hip places to be.

“Near Nature. Near Perfect.”

Browne’s Addition is the most talked about “up-and-coming” hood. It’s just off of downtown, and features a popular restaurant, a taco/tequila bar, pizza place, bike shop, and some of Spokane’s oldest and coolest homes. See Italia Trattoria in the restaurant section.

The Garland District (North Garland Avenue) has been known for years as a funky strip of shops and restaurants. The best known spot is the Garland Theater, with cheap films and midnight movies.

On the other side of town, the South Perry District (1000 block of South Perry Street) is growing like a weed. Young people flock to this neighborhood, as do trendy restaurants and clothing shops, and one of the cities best farmers markets (a popular lesbian hangout).

Support for LGBT Families

The most prominent organization for family support in Spokane is the Odyssey Youth Center.

Other options are the classic PFLAG and the Inland Northwest Pride Foundation. For women looking to adopt, good social workers in Spokane will connect you with other lesbian moms as a way to build community.

Pride After Dark

Gay Pride in Spokane picks up more speed and a larger crowd every year. The general idea of Pride here is to show the rest of Spokane that being gay is okay, and that LGBT women and men have families too. Spokane as a whole needs to know that gays are just like them — respectable people — so people avoid costumes and binge drinking until nighttime. A parade goes through downtown, followed by parties at every gay bar at night.

PRIDE

Women’s Health Services or The Lack Thereof

Not many services aside from Planned Parenthood are available for lady-specific health.

LGBT Centers

The local LGBT Center (1522 N. Washington, Ste 102) provides good information on what queer things exist in the city.

The Inland Northwest Business Alliance (INBA) is a pro-active organization working to unite all LGBTQ businesses in Spokane. They provide an excellent book of resources. INBA is moving the LGBT community forward more than anyone else in the area.

Out Spokane also hosts a variety of events and provides resources for the community.

Gayborhood?

Spokane does not have a gayborhood, but the most gay-filled places to live are: Browne’s Addition, Garland District, South Perry District, and the Audubon Park area on Spokane’s North side.

Places to Avoid

Certain bars tend to be scary for LGBT people, but for the most part, queers are okay everywhere. It’s not that Spokane is always accepting, it’s just that people don’t often address queer issues. The Spokane Valley (a city attached to Spokane) is a place to skip as a whole.

Reading Rainbow

Auntie’s bookstore in downtown Spokane provides the best options of lesbian and feminist reading. It’s a locally owned store with nice staff, and is a staple to the city. Finding a good lesbian read can sometimes be hard in Spokane, but Aunties will help a sister out. Pretty much the only place to find a Curve magazine.

Better Than Ira Glass

The most notable “performing” arts presence in Spokane is really a radio show. Spokane’s KYRS-Thin Air Community Radio station hosts a show called Queer Sounds. It’s pretty much awesome and features music for the queer ear, hosted by some great queer ladies.

The Chart

You know that stereotype where lesbians stay at home and play with their cats while they listen to Brandi Carlile? I think this happens a lot in Spokane. It can be hard to find other queer ladies in the city outside of the bar scene. Craigslist and OKCupid are okay, but taking time to get to know the community is your best bet. If you make a friend with someone you meet at a bar/club/playing sports, make your way into their circle of friends. The dating scene is tight-knit, and after a while, you’ll pretty much know about every lesbian circle in the city.

LGBT Soirees

A few LGBT events exist in Spokane, with Pride being most prominent. After that, the Spokane AIDS network hosts four annual events including an Oscar night gala, and Out Spokane hosts a “Pride Cruise” on a nearby lake. Spokane also is home to a gay film festival.

Some events that aren’t LGBT-focused but are great to attend are the Dirty Dash and the Sasquatch Music Festival. Sasquatch is the northwest’s version of Coachella, Lollapalooza, etc., and it’s a truly amazing experience. Lesbians come out of the woodwork here.

SASQUATCH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Get Your Hair Did

For the best haircut in town, go to Koi Salon. You will know you’re there when you spot a badass, tattoo covered guy or gal with a pair of shears in hand. Coco is the best, but everyone is great here. They understand what kind of cut you need for your lifestyle. You may leave with a crush on your stylist.

Zen Hair Studio: If you’re looking for a less expensive ‘do, Zen is your place. Ask for Danielle.

The Law Loves You

Just so everyone knows, Washington legalized same-sex marriage in the 2012 legislative session. It will likely be up for a state-wide vote in November, meaning it’s up to us queers to make this thing last!

Part of an ongoing series of Queer Girl City Guides.

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Paige

Paige has written 2 articles for us.

40 Comments

  1. I just put both Zags games on my calendar to make sure I don’t miss them.

    As to sports, you can’t forget the Spokane Chiefs the WHL hockey team. Tickets are cheap and hockey is always fun to watch in person (and you may get random kids asking if you’re going to beat them up, yes this really happened).

    I know the law school has a LGBT student group but I don’t remember what the name is.

  2. I just graduated from GU Law and the VERY active LGBT group there is called the GSA Outlaws. They put on one heck of a party/drag show called Objection! every year (in addition to a smattering of other events). The show is prepped for months and raises money for the Spokane AIDS Network and Odyssey Youth Center–so, a hilarious show that raises money for much needed programs in the Spoke.

    In addition to being a member of the Outlaws during law school, I also volunteered with Odyssey Youth Center which is an awesomely inclusive community center. If you’re a youth (under 21) in need of a supportive environment or an adult looking for a rewarding volunteer opportunity, I couldn’t recommend this organization any more–it is just that excellent.

    I totally agree with the author of this article that Spokane can be a tough city to break into in terms of meeting other gay ladies, so if you’re new to the city (or maybe just new to the LGBT scene), I’d be happy to help you get in touch with GU Law’s Outlaws or Odyssey–just send me a message!

  3. What’s an O.W.L., I just kept thinking of Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Is there a satellite branch of Hogwarts in Spokane?

    • Holdonholdonholdon.

      Can we then refer to younger-lesbians-who-prefer-OWLs as Wizards. Please.

    • An O.W.L in Spokane, is an “Old Wise Lesbian.”

      We’re a group of ladies, generally over 50 who get together once a month for “Game Night”, or we have breakfast at a local restaurant.

      We also get together to watch the Super Bowl or go watch our Lady Zags rock at basketball.

      Gray doesn’t mean gone, so, if you’re an OWL, catch up with me and I’ll introduce you to the group!

      Joy

      [email protected]

  4. I’m so glad to hear that the gay community is becoming more accepted in Spokane. As an undergrad Gonzaga athlete (class of 2002), the incredibly small queer support group was completely underground, reminiscent of a secret society, but comprised of some real weirdos, and not at all cool. This was in the wake of the Matthew Shephard tragedy during which one of the group’s leaders, being one of less than a handful of out queers on campus, received several death threats at his doorstep. Being openly queer was not worth the “weirdness” branding for most, especially on a VERY intolerant campus (at the time)during which the queer group’s overseeing administrator was the closeted queer yet homophobic Jesuit VP. I appreciate this article, and am happy to hear queer life in ‘Ol Spokey is on the up and up!

    • I’m a gay male Gonzaga grad from the class of 2005.

      I’m responding, because I joined that group later on. While I was there we successfully rebuffed the administration on trying to turn the LGBT alliance into a councilling group, and held a Day of Silence where we had over 200 people participate. Sure things were still kind of shitty, but since I left Gonzaga selected a non-Jesuit president, and the crazies aren’t so in control.

      Most mind-bogglingly, it’s now considered the most gay friendly campus in town both in general and according to the Campus Equality Index (Granted it’s only 3.5/5 stars, but still!)

    • Sammy, I think you’re probably right. I was bummed to hear that Holly Rock (a gay/drag bar) recently closed in Spokane Valley. I hadn’t even made it out there yet!

  6. Spokandyland! I almost thought this wasn’t real! (ps- totally agree, it seems all the gayladies are at home most nights, but there are some fun parties when we all come out to play!) Nyne is the best.

    Some of my favorites that weren’t included:
    Sante- it’s in the same building as Auntie’s bookstore, has amazing food and a separate vegetarian/vegan menu. awesome date place, and right by the INB center for catching a show!
    Manito Park- it’s on the South Hill and has so many cool things to see, perfect for exploring on a spring or summer day with a pretty lady and a picnic.

  7. So glad you have something about Spokane. I am a student at Eastern Washington University and have been trying to find things to do in the Spokane area!

    • Basketball games at the Kennel (Gonzaga), and the Chiefs (if you like hockey) are fun things to go do. There are quite a few arts things that happen in the various parks around during the summer which are usually full of LGBT peeps.

  8. So excited to see a Spokane Here/Queer article!

    A couple other lesbionic ammenities:
    -Enough dog parks, hiking trails and farmers markets to sustain a lifetime of lez weekend dates
    -A food coop and a (brand new)Trader Joe’s
    -Pasties and Paddles, a punk rock, fat and queer friendly burlesque troupe
    -One billion drive-thru espresso stands
    -Reasonable housing costs

    Also, I’ll echo Sammy and say don’t fear the Valley!

  9. you know what, i’m going to start a list called ‘cities i never meant to visit but wouldn’t mind finding myself in,’ and spokane is now going to be number one.

  10. Its so wonderful to see all these other Spobians! This article made me very happy, thank you! Now who wants to go to Flying Goat?

  11. I was surprised to see this forwarded to me by my Salt Lake City peeps…AND even more surprised to see a photo of me in the article. Ha! HOWEVER, one of the all time, number one, best resources and fantastic things about Spokane is that it is the home of QUEER SOUNDS on the local community radio station, KYRS. Everyone, everywhere, may listen online to the show playing music by and for the Queer Community. Check it out every Thursday from 6 to 8 pm (PST, Spokane time) at http://www.kyrs.org. You may also send in requests or join the conversations during the show through facebook/qsounds.

      • Ana, a fan directed me to your blog entry after i inquired about playing an all ages queer show in Spokane which i’m having the hardest time to find. She thought you might be a great lead! You seem to know your way around and your people there. Email me : [email protected] – Thank you!

  13. Every time I’ve been to Spokane has been for synchronized swimming meets at EWU, so… I can tell you that in 1998, the Holiday Inn Express had cookies in the lobby 24/7 and totally let bored teenaged girls play on the internet in the “business center” so long as no one else wanted to use it.

  15. I took that photo of Nyne Bar! it’s definitely my favourite place to go! great drinks, friendly bartenders, and the owners are ridiculously down ass.

  16. As a born-and-bred Spokane-area denizen, I quite literally, loudly cheered when I read this article. I love Spokane for a lot of reasons, but for a long time I had a hard time embracing my queer personality here. I’m glad it’s finally turning around. It’s gotten SO much better in the past 5 years — I can’t wait to see what it’s like in a few more!

    I’d also include the twin awesomenesses that are Boo Radley’s (for fun, funny, random and awesome gifts) and Atticus, for the classier version of beautiful and unique gifts and housewares. The owners support of the WA marriage bill and I support that!

  17. Oh wow, Spokane of all places. Quite the pleasant surprise!! . Never in a million years did I think this city would make it on autostraddle’s ‘city guide’. I reside in good ol’ tri-cites- and boyyyy are they conservative around here. Can’t wait to frequent these places now. Thanks for the 411! Bloomsday anyone???

  18. I am a student at GU and the current president of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Gonzaga (I wish it was LGBT, don’t fret I work really hard to ensure it is all welcoming!). This guide was sent to me by a good friend and I am just sooo jazzed by it! I know about half of these places and organizations, but it really has helped me explore more of this city. Also, I work at GU’s LGBT Resource Center and I am so thrilled you linked the right website to Autostraddle! Our humble resource center can now reach more humans, and that makes me so happy! Thanks for all your great work here on Autostraddle. You really do help lady loving ladies like myself :)

  19. For sports, don’t forget the Bomber Betties Women’s Longboarding club (an offshoot of Board of Spokane, the skateboarding group). There are ladies of all sexualities represented and welcome.

  21. Moving back to my hometown Spokane. Thank you for the breakdown of what’s/what’snot happening.

    I’m moving from Denver. Largest PRIDE in the nation I’ve been told. I joined a meetup called Girl OUT It is for single lesbians over 40. There are over 300 women signed up and since January when I joined I have gone to 7 meetups and made some good friends. If anyone who reads this is an OWL or fits the above description and wants to know more go to http://www.meetup.com/girlsout/ Maybe we could organize something like that in Spokane. It’s really been fun!

    Also, hundreds belong to Lesbian Connections. Mostly younger than 40 although all ages may go to the meetups depending on their interests. They are doing just about everything you can imagine. Many Many events for various interests.

    I’m not an organizer, but I’d like to get some organizers together who may be interested in creating this. And it gets people out of the house. It’s just so so so fun!

    Denver also has a 1st Friday dance. Organized by Dede Frain years ago – it is beyond beyond fun. All ages dancing country from 6:30 to 9:30. Another dance floor opens at 9 for whatever other daning it is. Mostly we OWLs or out of there by 10. Denver Rocks!!!!! And I will miss it.

    Anyone game for looking into new meetups and events?

  22. i grew up in eastern washington! this is totally surprising and exciting to read. once a lesbian friend asked me of my hometown, “so where’s the closest gay bar?” and i told them four hours away in seattle. i am very glad to hear that i was wrong.

  24. Thank you for the info! I just moved to the Valley from Phoenix, AZ and was nervous as to the glbt “scene”, especially since I am shy and a homebody by nature. I will have to check out the nyne and aunties, most definitely.

    Can’t wait for the summer!

  25. So, I know this is a little late, but I’m about to move to Spokane in August… Any updates?? I’m pretty nervous about finding a queer community there and a lot of the links here seem to be expired :-/ Help! Thank you!!

    • Hi Sarah, I think pretty much everything is still the same. Nyne and Irv’s are the gay bars, and there is a new-ish vegan bakery that also has fantastic cocktails called “Boots”. Depending on your interests, there are many club sports teams (incl. softball), two independent movie theaters, and lots of live music where you will find queer folks. Welcome!

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  27. Hey, so I know this Article has a few years on it now, but I wanted to let anyone reading the comments know that Whitworth University is not actually a dead zone for LGBT. The Christian rhetoric on homosexuality is changing, and Whitworth has a GSA and activists working to make the college even more accepting than it already is.

    As a religious lesbian, I’m so excited to be at this college and have been met with nothing but love and acceptance here.

    I would just hate for any LGBT people to read this if they were thinking about attending Whitworth and feeling so slapped in the face by the authors “don’t bother” comment.

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