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. The bar originally operated as a longshoreman's tavern that opened in 1931 under the name Eagle Open Kitchen. 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. As of 2017, over 30 gay bars in locations around the world operate under the name 'Eagle'. Bars that use the name 'Eagle' typically cater to a clientele of gay men in leather and other kink subcultures. 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. The Eagle is a name used by multiple gay bars.
Interior of the Black Eagle, an Eagle bar in Montreal, Canada
