The Detroit Eagle

Last updated
Detroit Eagle / The Eagle of Detroit
Address928 W McNichols Rd, Detroit, MI 48203
LocationDetroit, Michigan, United States
TypeNightclub and entertainment complex
Opened(Original Menjos) 1970s

Detroit Eagle (also known as the Eagle) is a nightclub and entertainment complex in Detroit, Michigan. It is part of a larger network of The Eagle (bar), which have a common theme and cater primarily to the LGBTQ+ community, particularly the Leather subculture and BDSM subculture. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

The history of gay bars in Detroit is rich and diverse. After World War II, downtown Detroit became a hub for gay bars. Starting in the 1950s, the gay population began following the migration pattern of many Metro Detroiters, heading northward. By the 1970s, there was a community in the Palmer Park that thrived until the late 1980s. [5]

Specific details on the Detroit Eagle's origins are scarce. The Menjos Complex, where the Detroit Eagle is located, has a longer, more detailed history. Menjos, the original bar, was established in the 1970s and became a popular gathering spot for the LGBTQ+ community. [6]

The original location was at 1501 Holden St Detroit, Michigan, now known as the Marble Bar, a live music venue bar that opened in the Fall of 2015 in the space formerly occupied by the Detroit Eagle, which moved in 2010. The Detroit Eagle became a part of this larger Menjos Complex in 2010. [7] Over the years, the venue expanded and evolved, eventually becoming the Menjos Complex, which includes multiple bars, a dance club, and various entertainment spaces.

Connection to Madonna

In the 1970s, Madonna, the iconic pop sensation, made youthful forays into Menjo's in the Palmer Park area. [8] Her presence at this historic establishment has since become a legendary chapter in her early life, and this was likely the first gay bar where the pop icon ever danced. [9] [10] According to local legend, Madonna's patronage of the bar took place during the mid- to late 1970s. [11] However, her visits were not without controversy, as she was eventually barred from the establishment. [12] Tim McKee-Zazo, Menjo’s general manager said “Before she went to New York and got famous, this was her hangout. [13] Her period of coming here was the mid- to late ’70s, but then she was barred from coming,” he said, sharing a local legend. “She got kicked out of here for pulling her vagina out. She was a rowdy teenager at the time.” [14] The original disco ball Madonna danced under is still in the possession of Menjo's; "That's the original 1976 disco ball that Madonna used to dance under here at Menjo's. She was 16 years old." [15]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Baldas, Tresa. "Photographer sues iconic Detroit gay bar over steamy photo used to promote military night". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  2. ↑ Green, Randiah Camille. "Detroit's Menjos hosting benefit concert for Club Q following horrific shooting". Detroit Metro Times. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  3. ↑ Staff, Metro Times. "The hottest hookup bars in metro Detroit [PHOTOS]". Detroit Metro Times. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  4. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  5. ↑ Herberg, Melissa Mason, Laura (2016-07-11). "CuriosiD: Did Detroit Ever Have A 'Gayborhood'?". WDET 101.9 FM. Retrieved 2023-11-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  7. ↑ Staff, Metro Times. "The hottest hookup bars in metro Detroit [PHOTOS]". Detroit Metro Times. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
  8. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  9. ↑ DeVito, Lee. "Menjo's is making a museum of Detroit's gay history". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  10. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  11. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  12. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  13. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  14. ↑ "Why Madonna Was Banned from a Gay Bar in Detroit in the '70s, as Legend Has It". www.deadlinedetroit.com. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  15. ↑ DeVito, Lee. "Menjo's is making a museum of Detroit's gay history". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
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