1. I’m an 81-year-old heterosexual woman whose husband died last May. I have found that my 56-year-old gardener of fifteen years can make me sexually happy. But now after four months he says he’s not respecting his wife by having sex with me. He relates this to going to a Catholic priest for confession. He […]
c3Fundable — No
SAVAGE LOVE: The Roomies
About a year ago I moved in with childhood best friend and his husband. We’re all in our mid-thirties. It’s been going great, and I consider the three of us to be fairly close. About a month ago, the husband and I stopped at the local pharmacy on the way home, which is how our […]
Good Morning, News: Info on ICE in Oregon, Bovino Backlash (and Other Chaos), and TikTok is Even Worse Now
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland. The rain returns this week. Maybe not today, though. […]
SAVAGE LOVE: Parent Trap
I’m a gay man in my fifties, comfortable in my skin, but I suffered severe bullying throughout school, which was often abetted by teachers. A recent class reunion prompted me to write a tell-all letter to the current school director regarding that trauma. His gracious response was incredibly healing. My family has accepted me since I came […]
Happening NOW: It’s the Portland Mercury’s Wiener Week!
The Portland Mercury proudly welcomes back its newest, most mouthwatering member of the Food Week Family: Wiener Week! Happening RIGHT NOW and until February 1, the city’s boldest chefs will craft their most creative, flavor-packed wieners for just $8 a pop. Whether you like ‘em spicy, saucy, or piled high with unexpected toppings, we promise […]
SAVAGE LOVE: Cissies
I am a 45-year-old femme-presenting genderqueer AFAB person. When I have romantic relationships with cis het men, I’ve noticed two general types: They either enjoy sex and prioritize pleasure and making things fun for their partners and themselves, but make no special big deal about it, and we usually have frequent enough sex and that’s […]
SAVAGE LOVE: Quickies!
1. What if I’m turned on by my own trauma? What do I do with this? You do therapy with it. And then after you’ve worked through your trauma with the help of your therapist (which includes unpacking your feelings about being turned on by your trauma), you can — taking the tiniest of baby […]
A Moment in a Coffee Shop
This time last year I was sitting in a quiet cafe trying to decide if Portland was any different from anywhere else. This was one of those eclectic, slightly hippie-ish coffee shops that used to be more common: colorful walls, mismatched armchairs, a big chalkboard advertising a local chess night and a knitting club. It […]
Mercury 2025 Recap: The Top 10 Most Read Stories of the Year!
It’s been a huge, busy 2025 for Portland, with a brand new 12-person City Council settling (and occasionally stumbling) into their new roles, important elections, Trump’s failed efforts to embed the National Guard in the city, and—as usual—Portland making headlines across the nation. And perhaps there’s no better way to remember 2025 than to check […]
SAVAGE LOVE: Christmas Wrapping
I’m a 28-year-old gay man who isn’t going home for Christmas for the first time in my life. I’ve been out since I was fourteen and my family has been amazingly supportive, and they love my boyfriend of four years. (They hated my first and third boyfriends, so it’s not like they love anybody I […]
SAVAGE LOVE: Good Working Order
My partner is still in love with her ex. For ten years she believed him to be the love of her life. It’s been two years since they split and there’s no possibility of them getting back together because he betrayed her in the most despicable possible way. It was the kind of betrayal that […]
