This petition asks the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission to recognize the San Francisco Eagle as an ‘historically designated’ cultural site.

Since 1981, The San Francisco Eagle has been a gathering point for the San Francisco gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community, the local leather and kink communities and has been declared a cultural landmark, along with the creation of a new park, the adjacent Eagle Plaza.

The SF Eagle was founded at the onset of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco, and lost twenty-two (22) employees to the epidemic, between 1981 and 1998. Since this great tragedy, the SF Eagle has been extraordinarily active in the support of community programs and organizations dedicated to reducing the spread of disease and supporting those living with HIV/AIDS.

The SF Eagle has been an important venue for performing arts and live bands with its Thursday Night Live performances, and has sponsored winning contestants in the annual International Men’s Leather competition. The SF Eagle proudly encourages educational and promotional events supporting the Kink/BDSM community, supports local LGBT charities with fund-raising efforts including the sponsorship of events like the famous Sunday afternoon “Beer Bust.”

Many local organizations, including Momma’s Family, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Fog Rugby Football Club use the SF Eagle as a venue for members to interact after formal gatherings, to share stories and build relationships in a casual and safe setting. In addition, the SF Eagle offers meeting space to local community organizations, like ‘Dykes on Bikes - San Francisco.’

With the uncertainty surrounding the re-opening of bars and nightclubs due to the CV-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we recognize the role that venues like the SF Eagle play in fostering the expression of new ideas, creative performance, cultural enrichment and the promotion of diversity in the local communities in which they are embedded.

The West SoMa community relies on the San Francisco Eagle to be an accommodating and friendly space for cultural exchange and free expression in a way that transcends a traditional bar.

The undersigned strongly support and advocate formal recognition of the historical significance of the San Francisco Eagle to West SoMa and the San Francisco LGBT community with the support and endorsement of the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission.

To learn more about the San Francisco Eagle select The SF Eagle
For more information about our community, select The SF Eagle’s Community Involvement