The Capitol Hill neighborhood in particular is considered by many the 'center of gay life' in Seattle, with gay-friendly businesses and nightlife, and a resource center. Seattle's LGBT community is the second largest in the United States after San Francisco with 12.9% of the city identifying as LGBT. In 1967 University of Washington's Professor Nick Heer founded the Dorian Society, the first group in Seattle to support gay rights. In the 1960s, Seattle came to be seen as providing an accepting environment, and an increasing number of gay and lesbians were drawn to the city. On 19 November 1958, an injunction instructed the city police not to question customers of gay bars unless there was a 'good cause' in connection with an actual investigation. The Double Header, opened in 1934, may have been the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the United States until it closed in December 2015. In the 1920s and 1930s there were several establishments in Seattle which were open to homosexuals. Recorded history of the LGBT community in Seattle begins with the Washington Sodomy Law of 1893. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: 'History of the LGBT community in Seattle' – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.
