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Committee recommends initiating landmark designation for the San Francisco Eagle bar
Summary
The Land Use Committee unanimously recommended initiating landmark designation under the Planning Code for the San Francisco Eagle, citing its long history as a leather and LGBTQ community anchor. Dozens of callers, including the owner and preservation advocates, urged the committee to protect the bar amid neighborhood change.
The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Jan. 25 voted to recommend that the full Board of Supervisors initiate landmark designation for the San Francisco Eagle Bar under Article 10 of the Planning Code.
Honey Mahogany, presenting for Supervisor Matt Haney, said the SFEagle—operating at its current address since 1981—is "a cornerstone of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District" and urged the committee to preserve SoMa’s leather history as development and gentrification reshape the neighborhood. Architectural historian Shane Watson told the committee that San Francisco has surprisingly few landmarks explicitly tied to LGBTQ history and that the Eagle’s continued operation makes it an especially important candidate for recognition.
Public comment was extensive and overwhelmingly supportive. Dozens of callers included longtime patrons, representatives of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, staff and board members of the GLBT Historical Society, volunteers and the bar’s owner. Owner and operator Lex Monquil described his work to save the bar after its 2011 closure and reopen it in partnership with his late business partner in 2013, stressing the Eagle’s fundraising and community role. Patrons and nonprofit leaders described weekly fundraisers that support local nonprofits and the bar’s role as a safe space for older and younger queer people alike.
Supervisor Dean Preston moved to send the resolution forward with a positive recommendation; the clerk recorded the motion with co-sponsors and the committee voted unanimously to recommend initiating the landmark process. The committee’s recommendation advances the item to the Board for further consideration.
