The Portland Tribune has done an interesting analysis of 2008 census data that shows the number of same-sex couples in Oregon has grown 20 percent since just 2000.

According to their number crunching, Portland now has an estimated 3,604 gay and lesbian couples living together; Oregon has 10,705 couples. It's frustrating that the census doesn't ask about sexual orientation, so single queers go uncounted. My question: how can there be at least 7,200 LGBT people in Portland and only two good gay dance nights?

Seriously now, the revelation that Oregon is getting gayer by the day makes me wonder whether the state will be queer-friendly enough by 2012 to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing gay marriage, as Basic Rights Oregon hopes. Though only 45 percent of Oregonians support same sex marriage right now, having more gay neighbors can push the needle in the right direction.