Article in NW Fountain, October 1980, page 11 EASTSIDE BAR CLOSED

One of Portland’s first gay bars on the east side of the river, Aaron’s, closed last month. For a while it opened (in April ‘79), it was one of Portland’s busiest bars, certainly the busiest Southeast which was the city’s first eastside gay bar. 

Several other bars on the east side went gay  during that summer: the Sunnyside (35th and Belmont), Close Encounters (9th and Morrison), JR’s Saloon (45th/Hawthorne) and The Other Side of Midnight (Hawthorne and Grand Avenue). Several of them closed after finding that a gay bar needs a gay consciousness to make it successful - straights who see busy gay bars making money are too often tempted to jump to money are too often tempted to jump into the pile and try for the “faggot money.” The Fountain takes exception to this type of scene and the paper won’t support a straight-owned gay establishment until it has a proven record of working for and with the gay population - gay employees, sponsoring gay charity events, active supporter of the gay community, 100 percent gay management. [article continues] The Sunnyside Tavern and Close Encounters closed soon after they opened; Varsity is now opened; “sometimes,” and the daytime business, though the owners sat it is still gay, appears to be more retired/neighborhood type. And now Aaron’s joins the list of closed eastside bars. For a good time on the eastside, join some of the winners. JR’s is one of Portlands friendliest and busiest – and it’s a successful, pleasant mixture of men and women. The newly-opened Black Hawk, at 14th and Broadway, near the Irvington Theatre and Lloyd Center, is a winner. Also, Other Side of Midnight (open after 6 p.m. weekdays, earlier weekends) is the city’s busiest women’s bar. All of these are popular with gays; they’re a11 gay-owned and gay-managed, and they support our community with frequent charity events.  [part of the article is listed here] 

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