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 bars.[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

Name Image City Country Year opened Year closed Ref(s)
Albuquerque Eagle Albuquerque United States 2018 – [6]
Atlanta Eagle Atlanta United States 1987, 2022 2020 [7][8]
Baltimore Eagle Baltimore United States 1991 – [9]
Black Eagle Montreal Canada – – [10]
The Detroit Eagle Detroit United States 1973 – [11]
Black Eagle Toronto Canada 1994 – [12]
DC Eagle Washington, D.C. United States 1971 2020 [13]
The Eagle Pittsburgh United States 1994 2012 [14]
The Eagle Manchester United Kingdom 2008 – [15]
Denver Eagle Grey stucco exterior with a red door. Black eagle shaped sign reads "Denver Eagle" Denver, Colorado United States 2022 - [16]
Eagle Amsterdam Amsterdam Netherlands 1979 – [17]
EAGLE MPLS Minneapolis United States 1998 – [18]
Eagle Houston Houston United States 2014 – [19]
Eagle LA Los Angeles United States 2006 – [20]
Eagle London London United Kingdom 2004 – [4]
Eagle NYC New York City United States 1970 – [1]
Eagle Portland Portland, Oregon United States – – [3]
Eagle Stuttgart Stuttgart Germany 1989 –
Eagle Tokyo Tokyo Japan 2016 – [21]
Eagle Vienna Vienna Austria – – [22]
Eagle Wilton Manors Wilton Manors United States – – [23]
Milwaukee Eagle Milwaukee United States 1997 2001 [24]
The Phoenix/Eagle New Orleans United States 1983 – [25]
San Francisco Eagle San Francisco United States 1981 – [26]
Seattle Eagle Seattle United States 1980 – [27]
Eagle Atlanta Atlanta United States 1987 -
Dallas Eagle Dallas United States 2000 2021
Austin Eagle Austin United States 2023
Eagle Sao Paulo Sao Paulo Brazil - - [28]
Eagle Seoul Seoul South Korea - -

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Street, Mikelle (October 24, 2017). "How 'The Eagle' Became One of the Most Recognized Gay Bar Names". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ Maigné, Juliette (June 21, 2018). "There's a Lot More to Being a Leatherman Than You'd Expect". Vice. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Beck, Byron (January 16, 2007). "Spread Eagle". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Hudson, David (September 16, 2016). "'Sex clubs are dying… If we hadn't moved with the times, we'd be finished'". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Eagle Tokyo". GaijinPot Travel. 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ Skroch, Michael (August 7, 2018). "ABQ Eagle at Sidewinders Bar and Grill". Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Towle, Andy (December 19, 2020). "Atlanta Eagle Gay Bar to Be Designated Historic Landmark, Saving it from Demolition". Towleroad. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ Spivak, Caleb (October 11, 2020). "Longstanding Gay Bar Atlanta Eagle To Close In November, Plans To Reopen Elsewhere in 2021". What Now Atlanta. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  9. ↑ Kaltenbach, Chris (October 1, 2019). "After closing three times, Baltimore Eagle reopens this month under its '90s-era founders". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ Forster, Tim (27 January 2017). "Montreal's Best LGBTQ Bars and Hangouts". Eater Montreal. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  11. ↑ Baldas, Tresa. "Photographer sues iconic Detroit gay bar over steamy photo used to promote military night". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  12. ↑ Costa, Daniela (April 3, 2013). "The changing face of Toronto's Village". Xtra Magazine. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  13. ↑ Chibbaro Jr., Lou (May 5, 2020). "DC Eagle to close for good". Washington Blade. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  14. ↑ Nelson Jones, Diana (April 20, 2015). "Three years after closing, the Eagle on North Side remains empty". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Fetish nights in Gay Village get green light after row over sex in 'darkrooms'". 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Guggenheim, R (November 28, 2022). "Denver Eagle Facebook page". Denver Eagle Facebook. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  17. ↑ Roggema, Paul (April 2, 2014). "Goed nieuws: Bear Pride groot succes". COC Nederland (in Dutch). Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  18. ↑ Tarbox, Chris (August 29, 2019). "Oh, He's A Jolly Good Eagle". Lavender Magazine. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  19. ↑ "About the Houston Eagle". Eagle Houston. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ Scott, Henry (March 7, 2018). "Behind the Bar: An Interview with Eagle LA's Charlie Matula". Wehoville. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Eagle Tokyo". Time Out Tokyo. December 2017. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Eagle Vienna". Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  23. ↑ "The Eagle Wilton Manors". Wilton Manors Eagle. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Milwaukee Eagle / Shaft Club". History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  25. ↑ Wilkinson, Missy (June 19, 2019). "10 LGBTQ Bars to Check Out in New Orleans, the Most 'Anything Goes' City in America". Thrillist. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  26. ↑ Barmann, Jay (January 29, 2021). "SF Eagle Bar Passes First Hurdle Toward Landmark Status". SFist. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  27. ↑ Henson, Randy (June 27, 2015). "Randy Henson's Brief History of The Seattle Eagle: Daring To Be Different For 35 Years". Seattle Gay Scene. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2023-07-22. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
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