The Eagle (gay bars)

The Eagle is a shared unofficial naming convention adopted by multiple gay bars. It is not a franchise or chain of gay bars, but rather a common name inspired by The Eagle's Nest, an original leather bar in New York City. Bars that operate under the "Eagle" name 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 operated under the name "Eagle".^[1]

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 tavern for longshoremen 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 like a franchise or chain.^[1] Rather, Eagle bars typically share the 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] Many Eagle bars hold (or held) annual leather competitions, some of which serve as feeder competitions for larger regional or international competitions such as International Mr. Leather.^{[4] [5] [6]}

Not all Eagle bars conform to these characteristics; for example, Eagle London began as a leather bar before shifting towards a general LGBT clientele,^[7] while Eagle Tokyo bills itself as a "Brooklyn-style" bar targeted towards bears.^[8] Some Eagle locations historically enforced strict dress codes obligating patrons to wear leather garments, though 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".^[9] In 2017, there were 30 Eagle bars, in countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria, Japan, and New Zealand.^[1]

• Leather bars and clubs