I am so stoked that I was able to co-auther that piece on Portland as a poly mecca- it even was mentioned in Poly in the News (woot woot!).
I shamelessly promoted the piece on my FB open group as well, and I was so glad to read a comment someone in the group made, which went along the lines of: Portland is lovely, but do we really have the numbers to constitute a mecca?
No, I don’t think so. I think it’s a strong word choice. I’m sure it’s easier to find partners as someone operating from a poly worldview in SF or NYC or Seattle. But, like I mentioned in my comment back to her, for someone (Louisa) who grew up in the UK and living in Sweden to view Portland as a “poly mecca” says something about the buzz Portland receives.
I do think Portland has a pretty amazing sex positive scene, but after the trip J and I took to Seattle, it’s more and more apparent to me that we have a much smaller community than other metro areas. Perhaps, though, we have more sex positive/open/poly/kinky people per vanilla capita than other metro areas. And maybe that’s what makes it so noticeable.
Any other thoughts? For those of you living in Portland: does it feel like a sex positive mecca to you? For those of you living elsewhere: does your community feel like a safe space to be yourself out in public, or not? Why?
Metro Seattle is twice the size of our beloved Portlandia. Also, in a city the size of Seattle, it’s easier to do most ANYTHING outside of cultural norms because it’s easier to be anonymous. The larger the metropolis, the more anything goes. In smaller cities, things are more visible and thus take more community acceptance. So I think that’s why the vibe feels stronger, because it’s not relegated to the dark shadows here.
Think about where Velvet Rope is. It’s a block away from other family housing. It’s not in some sleazy red light district. As a community, we might be slightly squeamish about some sexual matters, but just as the strip clubs are protected expression, so is adult entertainment in general.
I agree with you!! Higher community acceptance + higher visibility = stronger vibe.