The Eagle (bar)

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Interior of the Black Eagle, an Eagle bar in Montreal, Canada

The Eagle is a name used by multiple gay bars. It is not a franchise or chain of gay bars, but rather a name adopted by bars inspired by The Eagle's Nest, a leather bar in New York City. Bars that use the name "Eagle" typically cater to a clientele of gay men in leather and other kink subcultures. As of 2017, over 30 gay bars in locations around the world operate under the name "Eagle".

History[]

The first gay bar to operate under the name "The Eagle" was The Eagle's Nest (now named Eagle NYC), located in New York City.[1] The bar originally operated as a longshoreman's tavern that opened in 1931 under the name Eagle Open Kitchen.[2] Prompted by the Stonewall riots in 1969 and subsequent growth of the city's gay culture, the tavern's owners converted the establishment into a gay bar in 1970.[1] The Eagle's Nest became a popular gathering point for the city's gay leather subculture, biker groups, and sports clubs, and subsequently inspired the creation of similarly named gay bars across the United States and internationally.[1]

Gay bars that use the name "Eagle" operate as independent businesses, and are not managed by a single corporate entity in the manner of a franchise or chain store.[1] Rather, Eagle bars typically share the common trait of catering to a clientele of masculine-presenting gay men, with specific emphasis on the kink and leather subcultures.[1] The diffuse nature of the ownership of the name "Eagle" resulted in a conflict in 2007 between two gay bar owners in Portland, Oregon who both sought to use the name for their respective bar.[3]

Not all Eagle bars conform to these characteristics; for example, Eagle London began as a leather bar before shifting towards a general LGBT clientele,[4] while Eagle Tokyo bills itself as a "Brooklyn-style" bar targeted towards bears.[5] Some Eagle locations historically enforced strict dress codes obligating patrons to wear leather garments, though NBC News reported in 2017 that these standards have largely been relaxed due to "both societal changes and business realities".[1]

At their peak of popularity, over 50 bars around the world operated under the name "Eagle". As of 2017, there are over 30 Eagle bars, in countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria, and Japan.[1]

List of Eagle bars[]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by with reliable sources.
Name Image City Country Year opened Year closed Ref(s)
Atlanta Eagle Kodak Building and Atlanta Eagle 2.jpg Atlanta United States 1987 2020 [6][7]
Baltimore Eagle 17a.WalkToSafeway.BaltimoreMD.1July2020.jpg Baltimore United States 1991 – [8]
Black Eagle Montreal Canada – – [9]
Black Eagle Toronto Canada 1994 – [10]
DC Eagle The DC Eagle Gay Leather Bar.jpg Washington, D.C. United States 1971 2020 [11]
The Eagle Pittsburgh United States 1994 2012 [12]
The Eagle Manchester United Kingdom 2008 – [13]
 [nl] Warmoesstraat-eagle.jpg Amsterdam Netherlands 1979 – [14]
Eagle Bolt Bar Minneapolis United States 1998 – [15]
Eagle Houston Houston United States 2014 – [16]
Eagle LA Los Angeles United States 2006 – [17]
Eagle London Eagle, Vauxhall, SE11 (2920142292).jpg London United Kingdom 2004 – [4]
Eagle NYC New York City United States 1970 – [1]
Eagle Portland Eagle Portland, June 2019.jpg Portland, Oregon United States – – [3]
Eagle Tokyo Tokyo 2019 40.jpg Tokyo Japan 2016 – [18]
Eagle Vienna Vienna Austria – – [19]
Eagle Wilton Manors Wilton Manors United States – – [20]
Milwaukee Eagle Milwaukee United States 1997 2001 [21]
The Phoenix/Eagle New Orleans United States 1983 – [22]
San Francisco Eagle San Francisco United States 1981 – [23]
Seattle Eagle Seattle United States 1980 – [24]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Street, Mikelle (October 24, 2017). "How 'The Eagle' Became One of the Most Recognized Gay Bar Names". NBC News. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  2. ^ Maigné, Juliette (June 21, 2018). "There's a Lot More to Being a Leatherman Than You'd Expect". Vice. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Beck, Byron (January 16, 2007). "Spread Eagle". Willamette Week. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Hudson, David (September 16, 2016). "'Sex clubs are dying… If we hadn't moved with the times, we'd be finished'". Gay Star News. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "Eagle Tokyo". GaijinPot Travel. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Towle, Andy (December 19, 2020). "Atlanta Eagle Gay Bar to Be Designated Historic Landmark, Saving it from Demolition". Towleroad. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  7. ^ Spivak, Caleb (October 11, 2020). "Longstanding Gay Bar Atlanta Eagle To Close In November, Plans To Reopen Elsewhere in 2021". What Now Atlanta. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  8. ^ Kaltenbach, Chris (October 1, 2019). "After closing three times, Baltimore Eagle reopens this month under its '90s-era founders". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  9. ^ Forster, Tim. "Montreal's Best LGBTQ Bars and Hangouts". Eater Montreal. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  10. ^ Costa, Daniela (April 3, 2013). "The changing face of Toronto's Village". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  11. ^ Chibbaro Jr., Lou (May 5, 2020). "DC Eagle to close for good". Washington Blade. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  12. ^ Nelson Jones, Diana (April 20, 2015). "Three years after closing, the Eagle on North Side remains empty". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  13. ^ {https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/fetish-nights-gay-village-green-17846136
  14. ^ Roggema, Paul (April 2, 2014). "Goed nieuws: Bear Pride groot succes". COC Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  15. ^ Tarbox, Chris (August 29, 2019). "Oh, He's A Jolly Good Eagle". Lavender Magazine. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "About the Houston Eagle". Eagle Houston. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  17. ^ Scott, Henry (March 7, 2018). "Behind the Bar: An Interview with Eagle LA's Charlie Matula". Wehoville. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  18. ^ "Eagle Tokyo". Time Out Tokyo. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  19. ^ "Eagle Vienna". Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  20. ^ "The Eagle Wilton Manors". Wilton Manors Eagle. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  21. ^ "Milwaukee Eagle / Shaft Club". History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  22. ^ Wilkinson, Missy (June 19, 2019). "10 LGBTQ Bars to Check Out in New Orleans, the Most 'Anything Goes' City in America". Thrillist. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  23. ^ Barmann, Jay (January 29, 2021). "SF Eagle Bar Passes First Hurdle Toward Landmark Status". SFist. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  24. ^ Henson, Randy (June 27, 2015). "Randy Henson's Brief History of The Seattle Eagle: Daring To Be Different For 35 Years". Seattle Gay Scene. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
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