It’s Pride season, babies! And the Portland Mercury is once again celebrating and boosting all things LGBTQIA+ with our 2026 Queer Issue, which you can find right now (in print!) at more than 500 spots all around the city. (Want to make sure you never miss one of our monthly print issues? Subscribe here and get the Mercury delivered to your queer door!)
But it gets even better, because for this issue we teamed up with our Noisy Creek sister publications (Seattle’s The Stranger and the Chicago Reader) to produce a gorgeous and fun triptych of covers showcasing the delicious glory of queer culture in each of our cities. This cover was illustrated by Joss Vosseteig and art directed by Noisy Creek’s own creative director, Corianton Hale, so check it out! (And take a peep at the Stranger‘s and the Reader‘s queer issues as well.)
As usual, this edition of the Mercury‘s queer issue was a team effort: the feature package was edited by Nolan Parker, with the rest of the issue edited by Wm. Steven Humphrey and Katherine Chew Hamilton, and assists from our crackerjack design team (Corianton Hale, Anthony Keo, and Char Harris). And oh, boy! What a great lineup of articles! Snap up a physical copy or check out all the stories online via the links below. As always, the Mercury adores each and every one of you—no matter how you identify or what flavors of love you prefer. Never forget that, in this Pride season and beyond, you always have been and always will be worthy and loved. ❤️
The Mercury‘s QUEER ISSUE!
An Appeal to the Queers on Behalf of Pro Wrestling by Riley McCarthy
Hot take: pro wrestling is drag. (Fight me!)
At Pride Northwest, Pride Is Year Round by Andrew Jankowski
The nonprofit organization plans one of Oregon’s largest festivals—and cultivates the season’s spirit all year long.
Dance and Be Gay by Katherine Chew Hamilton
Stomptown, Landline, and Queer Baile are upturning the outdated heteronormative culture of social dancing.
Sparks Fly During the Portland Fire’s Opening Season by Cameron Crowell
Our guide to Portland’s first WNBA season since 2002.
The Many Queer Saints of Stumptown by Holly Hazelwood
Shining a spotlight on a few of Portland’s legendary gay greats.
Marisa Anderson on How to Listen in America by Lindsay Costello
On The Anthology of UnAmerican Folk Music, Marisa Anderson reinterprets recordings from United States conflict zones.
iLoveMakonnen Plays His First Portland Pride by Andrew Jankowski
The Portland-based rapper reflects on what makes Pride special, and how the city has fueled his creative work.
A True Story of Actual 1800s Vermont Lesbians by Suzette Smith
Comics genius Tillie Walden traces an archived account of Charity and Sylvia and hope.
Wine with Pride by Katherine Chew Hamilton
A growing community of queer winemakers is changing the industry.
Do This, Do That (The Queer Edition!) Compiled by Lindsay Costello
The best (and queerest) calendar of events for June 2026.
The Faults in Our Stars by Anthony Hudson
The only horoscopes column in the universe (for the month of June).
