Tag Archives: History
The end of the San Francisco Eagle…or is it? Pics and rumors.
The San Francisco Eagle Tavern closed its doors this last weekend. Rumors that it would stay open another month proved unfounded. Is this the end of The Eagle? Self-styled San Francisco “Master of Real Estate” Seth Munter thinks it isn’t. He writes on Facebook: “The Eagle will rise again. John and Joe have no choice but to make sure the Eagle re-opens. They can and they will. Why? Because they cannot AFFORD to do anything else but see that the Eagle reopens. Otherwise, they will lose The Hole In The Wall…” Interesting political logic. For the entire post, click here. For pictures of condos that have been proposed for the site, click here. For a list of all the gay Leather bars called The Eagle, here.
Posted in History, Leather, San Francisco, SCANDAL: Politics, Crime, Revolution and More., Subcultures
Tagged Culture, Gay, History, Kink, Leather, San Francisco, SF Eagle, SOMA, Tavern
No Esquire Covers for sexy Seals who smoked Osama
photo: Kyle D. Gahlau/U.S. Navy.
Team 6 is the ultra elite division of the already elite Navy SEALs. These are the special ops who purportedly took out Osama bin Laden. There won’t be any parades for these guys, though. Heather Murphy, writing for Slate said: “When asked about Team Six, officially known as the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, one former Navy SEAL told Business Insider, simply, ‘There is no Team 6.’ This means that while these mysterious fellows may have taken out Osama Bin Laden, they won’t get to brag about it.” For the complete article, and a sexy slide show of these very fit guys, click here.
Great quote on Enemy Death from MLK is a Fake.
According an article in The Atlantic, the quote attributed to Martin Luther King in this space and others, is a fake. It is a fast-moving internet meme. Where did it come from? For the mysterious quote, click here. For the update, here.
“I want You to…” -new Cali Yaoi Bara NSFW Gay Uniform Manga from JoJo Mendoco
JoJo Mendo 2011
Based on the Alfred Leete British WWI Recruiting Poster of 1914, which in turn inspired the iconic Uncle Sam and Smokey Bear compositions.
More from JoJo Mendoco here, here, here and here.Posted in Comics, History, JoJo Mendoco, Signage
Tagged Alfred Leete, Art, Bara, Comics, Culture, Gai Comi, Gay, History, JoJo Mendoco, Kink, Lord Kitchener, Manga, Sexy, Signage, SmokeyBear, Uncle Sam, Yaoi
Nowhere over the Rainbow…
Pleasant Grove, Alabama
350+ dead in the American South. Tornadoes suck, slash, pull broken bits skyward to deposit them Elsewhere. Where the fuck is Dorothy? Alabama is the worst hit. What next? Don’t think You are getting out alive. None of Us are…not Me, not You, not My brother, not Your mother, none of Us. That’s the way it works. None of Us. God’s THE Top; He’s got a wicked sick sense of humor and guess what, beloved children? This is a snuff scene. Walk laughing and aware into the maw of death, an open-mouthed Orpheus. I had a dream once and woke up and thought: “Death in Los Angeles…drive into the light, drive into the light…” And then I woke up. Good night.
For a Munchkin, who is not only merely dead, but really most sincerely dead, click here.
Posted in Alabama, Obituary, Spirituality
Tagged Alabama, Death, Headlines, History, Leather, Philosophy, Spirituality, Tornado, Weather
Hot Maundy Thursday on Folsom
Maundy Thursday is the movable feast that commemorates the last supper of Jesus Christ. Folsom Street Events is well known for its controversial posters – among other things. They topped themselves in 2007 with their depiction of a Last Supper attended entirely by perverts. Leathermen, queens, doggie-boys and bootblacks. A scandal ensued, natch. The Catholic League in particular was perturbed. No link to them: don’t need those particular pingbacks! For surprisingly sexy Palm Sunday processionals, click here.
Posted in Drag, History, Leather, Photography, San Francisco, Sexy Holidays, Spirituality, Subcultures
Tagged Art, BDSM, Culture, Folsom, Gay, History, Last Supper, Leather, Maundy Thursday, Photography, Poster, San Francisco, Sexy
Gay Guerrilla Leather Bar at Straight Skylark in San Francisco #SaveTheSFEagle!
What else do we do in Leather bars other than wear leather, socialize and drink? We make out, grope, slap face and ass, suck cock, drink piss, eat cigar ashes, trade gut punches, whip and get whipped, talk trash, fuck in corners, lick boots, tap sacs, work on nips, use the slaves, and so forth. In short, we have Leathersex, or at the very least our rough version of foreplay.
In the tradition of Queer Nation Kiss Ins and the club activist Guerrilla Gay Bar scene, the San Francisco-based ad hoc Save the Eagle gang is organizing a takeover of the straight Mission district hipster bar The Skylark. Its owner is purportedly involved with underhanded machinations to acquire the lease and license on the Eagle space – and turn it into a straight bar. See more here and here.
So tonight, the Skylark goes “Leather” for the night. Well, sort of. The idea is to wear Leather, use pink highlighters to encode paper money as “gay” and spend money at the bar. If everyone “respects the space that we are borrowing tonight” as the organizers suggest, then everyone may mix just fine. This begs the question: why even have our own spaces? WE know why. But – how do we show them why…while still respecting their space? That’s a hard one!
From organizers Kyle DeVries and Anna Glendon Conda Hyde: “Tonight at 8 dress in leather and head to the Skylark bar on 16th. Mark your money with a pink pen or marker so that it is seen as coming from our community. This is not about harming the Skylark but rather showing what would be lost if the Eagle went away and showing how queer space is not always the same as “just any bar”. We as a community should be vocal and visible while respecting the space that we are borrowing tonight.
So far the Skylark has not signed a lease due to public pressure. We are the first step closer to saving the Eagle. The Board of Supervisors issued a Commendation Certificate in recognition of the Eagles efforts in raising over 3 million dollars during its 30 year run for the queer community and are working to have the space land marked. They are also hoping to work with the concerned parties to negotiate a way to keep the Eagle as a space for our community.
Thanks for showing up and especially to the 15 people who stayed till 730 to make public comment at the Board of Supervisors meeting after 6 hours of waiting.
The people united can not be divided. Deep respect Anna and Kyle”
Posted in History, Leather, San Francisco, Subcultures
Tagged Activist, Bar, BDSM, Culture, Direct Action, Gay, History, Kink, Leather, LGBT, Mission district, San Francisco, Save the Eagle, SF Eagle, Skylark, SOMA
Goldfield Ghost Town’s Glory Hole and More
Glory Hole Antiques, that is. An odd little junk shop with an open door, an interesting inventory, no price tags and no one in sight or within earshot. We put a few dollars in a jar for an old bottle and a small cannonball. Goldfield boomed in the early part of the century, following a 1903 bonanza strike, and was busy until 1940, after which it fell into decline. Few businesses are open or residences occupied now, with vacancy running about 90%. On U.S. Highway 95 in Nevada.
Posted in Collecting, History, Nevada, Photography, Road Trips, Signage, Travel
Tagged Collecting, Culture, Ghost Town, Goldfield, History, Nevada, Road Trip, Signage, Western
Great Gay Leathersex Art: Who was Michael Palmer?
It measures about 5′ x5′ and used to hang in the Jackhammer, an old Leather bar in San Francisco. The Jackhammer has been closed since 1996 and this painting now hangs in a private home. It is signed “Palmer” in the lower right corner. A quick consultation trip to Brand X antiques in the Castro district secured a last name, a look at a couple of prints on sale for a couple of thousand dollars each, and an awful story. The proprietor told us that the artist’s first name was Michael. He had quite an extensive body of work, most of which he held in his studio. When he died in the middle of the plague years, his mother, horrified by her little boy’s adult proclivities, destroyed everything.
This sort of thing happens too often. Wonderful Willie Walker, friend of this site, and founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Historical Society, used to dumpster-dive the estates of deceased gay men whose “families” would throw away their collections in shame. Walker – a hero to gay historians and a legend among archivists of any stripe. We miss you, you little weirdo.
Western art is built on the bodies of naked ladies. They call it “The Nude.” The ancients understood the beauty of the male body. We understand it. But – and this is for artists and collectors especially – the folks might not. Make wills, make bequests, make sure your lover has power of attorney, give gifts to the young gays and make sure the good stuff gets into good hands. Generations coming up will need their history. We are making it now and it is our responsibility to make sure it survives.
Meantime, any information on Michael Palmer, gay artist living in San Francisco in the 1980’s would be much appreciated.
For a bit on Chicago-based artist Etienne, click here.
Posted in Art and Artists, Collecting, History, Leather, San Francisco
Tagged Art, BDSM, Boots, BrandX, Culture, Gay, Gay Artist, History, Homoerotic, Kink, Leather, Michael Palmer, Palmer, San Francisco, Sexy, SOMA, Whip, Willie Walker
The Gay Highwaymen 