COVID has forced yet another iconic gay bar to shut its doors. Slaughters Portland, an institution for our community in the Pacific Northwest for almost four decades, will be officially closing its original location for good on Sunday, October 11.
“To our friends, our family, and our guests from near and far. It saddens us to inform the public that as of Sunday October 11th, 2020, we, CC Slaughters Portland, will be closing our doors,” a statement on their official Facebook page read over the weekend.
“We’d like to take the opportunity to thank you ALL for 39 amazing years of drinks, dancing, drama, and fun! Unfortunately 2020 has been very hard on small businesses everywhere and we are no exception to the hard times we all are experiencing. We hope we can open our doors again to you (our family) sometime in the future, but until then, please be safe, practice social distancing, and take care.”
The Oregonian reported last month that Slaughter’s owner Bruce Rice said that he was initially forced to shut down his establishment because of Coronavirus restrictions. It reopened in June after three months and at reduced capacity but business remained down by 80%.
Rice said that money he received from the Federal Paycheck Protection Program helped keep Slaughters open however it was short lived as the funding would only last another month.
“I really don’t know what the future is going to hold for us,” he told them. “I see businesses all around me closing right now. If the government doesn’t come up with something else, then I really think a lot more are going to close. I might be one of those.”
Slaughters was one of Portland’s oldest gay bars and a place that many of its patrons have fond memories at. The location kept things fresh and innovative as time went by with their array of parties they would host that would attract even the pickiest of attendees.
“Thanks for sharing this space that allowed so many people to make connections with each other, music, dance, and performance,” a fan of theirs wrote beneath their Facebook post. “Thanks for the amazing times you’ve shared with us! See you in the future hopefully!”