Bellingham + North Puget Sound
Bellingham
Section titled “Bellingham”Queer Centers and Resources:
Section titled “Queer Centers and Resources:”- Queer Youth Services: Advocacy, education, and support center for LGBT youth
- Bellingham Queer Collective: Local LGBT community center (BQC Center, located at 310 W Champion) that hosts numerous events. Check out their event calendar for a full list of affinity groups, or their schedule for other programming.
- LGBTQ+ Western Washington University
- - Local Resource Page
- Gender Affirming Care for WWU Students
- Email Joe Hahn, Director of LGBTQ+ Western at lgbtq@wwu.edu for consultation or support regarding services for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, and staff. Prospective and/or admitted students, families, and staff/faculty are encouraged to reach out!
*Affinity Groups, and Support Groups:
Section titled “*Affinity Groups, and Support Groups:”(*These are just a few, there are more on the BQC events page.)
- PFLAG Monthly Support Group - 2nd Tuesdays - 5-7pm. - at the BQC Center
- The Rainbow Refugee Affinity Group - 3rd Thursdays from 6-8pm. - at the BQC Center
- Crafty Queer Friends - 2nd Thursdays - 6-8pm - at the BQC Center
- Transmasc & Nonbinary Meetup- 2nd Fridays - 5-7pm. - at the BQC Center
- Tabletop RPG Group- 2nd Wednesdays - 5:30-8:30pm. - at the BQC Center
- Knit & Craft - 3rd Wednesdays- 5:30-7:30pm. - at Northwest Yarns
- Generations of Pride - last Wednesday of the month- 5-7pm. - at Bellingham Senior Center
Queer-Friendly Locations:
Section titled “Queer-Friendly Locations:”(More locations below with map/welcome tour)
- Art & Happiness: Local art and craft supply store. They also sell locally handmade jewelry, cards, stickers, paper, and other items.
- Rumors Cabaret: Drag shows, dancing, and an event space below
- El Suenito Brewery: Drag shows, Mexican food, and local beer.
- Third Planet local art, jewelry, clothing, and gifts
- WinkWink 2SLGBTQIA+ friendly sex shop that also has pride flags, binders, packers, and many educational materials and classes on all sorts of other issues.
- Big Bad Bookstore: pop up bookstore with books for BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQIA+, communities.
- Are You My Human: rescue dog lounge.
Healthcare:
Section titled “Healthcare:”- Unity Care Northwest (+1 (360) 676-6177): Nonprofit Healthcare Network with Dental (for children & adults), Medical, Behavioral, and Pharmacies in both Bellingham and Ferndale (Ferndale location is faster to get into)
- Spectrum Reproductive Health and Gender Affirming Care - healthcare, reproductive health, accent counseling, behavioral counseling/therapy
- Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood: STI testing, gender affirming care for adults, reproductive healthcare, free condoms
- PeaceHealth Same Day urgent care clinic (have several transgender/nonbinary employees)
- PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s Hospital is the only hospital in Bellingham. We strongly recommend having a loved one, or medical advocate, with you, at least the first time you go. Some people have good experiences, but several have had transphobic experiences with certain employees. (It is a Catholic hospital.)
- Contact Counseling: 2SLGBTQIA+ sober living house
Food Assistance:
Section titled “Food Assistance:”- Bellingham Food Bank. Tons of food variety (fresh fruits & veggies, protein, milk, cheese, eggs, bread, and some canned goods), plus options for people without kitchens. Also have diapers & wipes (for homes with infants/toddlers only), tampons, and pads. The income limit starts at $60k+/year for a one person household. ID, proof of address, and proof of income are NOT required, and sign up takes under five minutes. Can either go “shopping” on Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or Fridays (up to 3X a week), OR do pick up once a week on Tuesdays. (There is a waitlist for their delivery service on Thursdays.) Gluten free, Vegan, and Latin boxes are also available for pickup/delivery.
- Department of Human Services (SNAP & Medicaid): they can print an EBT card on the spot, and funds can be available as early as 24 hours for qualified applicants. Clients who check in before 2pm will be served that day.
Job Hunting:
Section titled “Job Hunting:”(**minimum wage in Bellingham is $18.66/hr, minimum wage for Washington State is $16.66/hr - there is NO TIP CREDIT in Washington State- minimum wage will go up on January 1, 2026; WA will go up to $17.13/hr, and Bellingham will go up to $19.13/hr)
*Am told these jobs hire the fastest
- *Express Employment Professionals: A temp agency that will connect you with temporary positions (both part-time and full-time) that can get you started on making connections within the area and obtaining experience.
- AB Crepes on Railroad often is hiring part time. The applications are a short worksheet that you fill out in person.
- Costco: starting pay is $30/hr
- Cruisin Coffee: most locations are near a bus stop
- *WorkSource, WA (a temp agency that is trans friendly)
- *Silver Reef Casino (in Ferndale, but many people commute, often has many job openings for bartending, food service, and card dealing)
- Teamsters Union - Bellingham Chapter 231 - they might know of job openings in certain industries, and can also help navigate worker’s rights
- Trader Joe’s new Meridian location is still hiring
For WWU students:
Section titled “For WWU students:”- If you qualify for work study, the Work Study Center will have job postings for you.
- If you don’t qualify for work study, you will have to create a Handshake account here. After your account is activated, search “WWU-Student Employment,” under the Employers section of the app.
Miscellaneous Tips:
Section titled “Miscellaneous Tips:”- Clothing:
- We Care Whatcom - $5 for a small grocery bag full of clothing (cash only)
- Worn Again Thrift Store: has a free bin for clothes in the front
Fun Activities:
Section titled “Fun Activities:”- Wild Whatcom: Outdoor activities for all ages and abilities. There is even an affinity group called Out and About that is specifically for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. As well as many other affinity groups.
- Community Boating Center: which hosts Pride Paddle Out every Friday from May-September.
- Whatcom Youth Pride (in Bellingham): last week of May
- Bellingham Pride: first or second weekend in July
- Makers Space: Nonprofit located inside the Bellis Fair Mall that has free art supplies, 3D printers, and tons of space for all your art needs. Open only on weekends.
General Resources and benefits:
Section titled “General Resources and benefits:”- Opportunity Council: Assistance with rent, and energy bills
- Bellingham Housing Authority
- The Way Station: Services for unhoused individuals
- Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center specializes in disputes with landlords, but does all kinds of mediation (including family mediation)
Queer friendly locations by street (BQC Welcome Tour):
Section titled “Queer friendly locations by street (BQC Welcome Tour):”- Commercial
- Central Library (1)
- Mount Baker Theater (2)
- Chocolate Necessities (3)
- Admiralty Lounge (4)
- Brandywine Kitchen
- Hub Bicycle Shop
- MW Soapworks
- Wink Wink
- Fixco
- Love From London
- Flora/Prospect
- Lightcatcher Museum (5)
- Make Shift Arts (6)
- Cafe Velo (7)
- New Prospect Theater (8)
- Banter (9)
- Grand
- Henderson Books (10)
- Spincycle Yarns (11)
- Bison Book Binding (12)
- Pickford Film Center (13)
- Welcome Road Coffee (14)
- W. Champion
- Bellingham Queer Collective (15)
- Voxel Gallery (16)
- Bay St.
- Pickford Film Center (17)
- Spark Museum (18)
- Holly St.
- Cheba Hut (19)
- Chamber Coffee (20)
- Wild Buffalo (21)
- Third Planet (22)
- Locus Coffee (23)
- Worn Again Thrift (24)
- Black Sheep/Goat Mountain (25)
- Cornwall
- Hotel Leo (26)
- Akroteri (27)
- Cofy (28)
- Headquarters Barber (29)
- El Capitán’s (30)
- Neko Cafe (31)
- Miraculous Braids (43)
- Railroad Ave.
- Rumors/Backdoor (32)
- Hut (33)
- Cresswell Boggs (34)
- AB Crepes/Bagelry (35) (½ price on 4/20)
- Fiamma Burger/Pizza (36)
- Mallard’s Ice Cream (37)
- Avellino Coffee (38)
- Sweet As Waffles (39)
- Magnolia
- Ritual Records (40)
- Daisy Cafe (41)
- NW Yarns (42)
- Halleck
- Bellingham Senior Center
Map for Queer Friendly Locations by Street (BQC Welcome Tour)
Section titled “Map for Queer Friendly Locations by Street (BQC Welcome Tour)”
islands
Other North Puget Sound
Section titled “Other North Puget Sound”Whatcom County (includes Bellingham)
Section titled “Whatcom County (includes Bellingham)”- Whatcom For All: Directory of resources and mutual aid groups
- PFLAG Whatcom: Advocacy/support group for LGBT people + their families/friends. Have the Transgender Assistance Fund where Whatcom & Skagit residents can apply for an annual $300 grant to be used for gender affirming care/resources.