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In the space of one week, two of the best-known and longest-running gay venues in Washington DC have announced that they are to close: Ziegfelds-Secrets and DC Eagle.
Both venues closed temporarily in mid-March following coronavirus-related orders from local authorities. On Friday, Ziegfelds-Secrets posted a notice to its social media to say it wouldn’t be reopening.
“Ziegfelds/Secrets regrettably has been forced to close our doors. We all have been honored to bring you the best in entertainment for 40 years, regrettably the option to stay and even have a closing event has been taken from us during this crisis.
“To the many dancers, drag queen, bartenders, DJs, and support staff over the years thank you for making us one of DC’s best venues. Stay safe and healthy. Til next time….”
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Ziegfelds-Secrets claimed to be DC’s biggest LGBTQ venue, with 25,000 sq foot of space over two separate rooms: the drag show oriented Ziegfelds and the more club-focused Secrets with its male dancers. It launched in 1980 in premises at Half St. SE, but relocated 11 years ago to its current home at 1824 Half St. SW.
In 2016, it was revealed the venue was living on borrowed time. The Washington Blade reported the building was being sold to a property developer who would likely force the business out in “two or three years.”
That deadline kept getting extended. This week, part-owner and General Manager Steven Delurba told the Blade the new owners wanted the business out sooner than had been expected. They plan to demolish the site to build a new block of apartments.
It’s understood that Delurba and the principal owner, Alan Carroll, are looking into the possibility of moving to a new location, but at the moment, that’s far from certain.
Related: This US city is about to lose half its gay venues
The closure of Ziegfelds-Secrets was followed yesterday by the news that the DC Eagle bar would also not be reopening. Again, there had been recent speculation over the future of the business. Three months ago, the Washington Informer said there were plans to turn the building – a four-story former warehouse at 3701 Benning Road, NE – into a 300-bed prison halfway house.
Launched in 1971, the DC Eagle was the oldest gay bar in DC. Employees were informed of the decision not to reopen on Monday night during an online Zoom meeting.
Although it began life as a leather and denim cruise bar, in recent years, DC Eagle had become a more inclusive-space, easing its dress code and hosting regular drag shows and community fundraisers.
Eagle manager Miguel Ayala says he was informed during the meeting that the new owners of the building wanted the business out by September at the latest. He says DC attorney Glen Ackerman, representing part-owner Peter Lloyd, said that Lloyd and principal owner Ted Clements had decided to dissolve the business rather than seek new premises.
The news comes after the February closure of Washington DC’s last remaining bathhouse, Crew Club. Other gay bars to close in the district include Town Danceboutique in 2018 and Cobalt in 2019.
Related: Washington DC’s last remaining gay bathhouse to close this week
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Such a shame that the already sparse amount of Gay bars are going to be decimated by this noxious virus…
Today’s young Gays are mostly missing out on the wonderful sense of community Gay bars once cultivated and supported. Before the option to basically click for a dick one had to actually venture out and socialize with other Gays. I remember my first solo tepid entrance into a Gay bar turned into a positive life changing experience. I was lucky enough to begin tending bar at multiple bars. Made excellent money and had such a great time forget sometimes I was actually at work. I met lifelong friends, bars used to organize Gay bowling leauges, ski trips, camping weekend, picnics etc. There are still a handful of bars that foster that sense of community, but unfortunately they are now a dying breed….
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FIX THIS FINALLY
jayceecook
Well this is what the newer gays fought for I guess. The loss of queer spaces. An unfortunate but completely predictable (and it was time and time again) casualty of “equality”. When you want everyone to see you as “just like everybody else” that’s what you end up with. Everybody else’s spaces. Will we still be the LGBTQ community when our common spaces have become extinct? What will it be then? Solely an Identity-based Community? Considering people spend so much time fighting over identity politics already we might as well just give up now. Assimilate or be deleted.
Kangol2
This is very sad. I only went to Secrets once, and to the Eagle a few times, but like so many other DC spots–Town Danceboutique, the Brass Rail, Delta Elite, etc.–they provided a welcoming space for LGBTQ people in a way that mixed spaces never have or could. I think the writer Sarah Schulman noted this back in the early 2000s, but things accelerated after the 2007-9 W Bush economic crash, and this current Trump-Covidemic crisis, which is making the rampant social, economic and political inequality that runs throughout this society, is only going to supercharge the loss of small LGBTQ businesses, particularly bars, clubs, bookstores, etc., accomplishing something that both right-wing homophobes and assimilationists have long dreamt of, in varying degrees.
Brian
This country is going to lose a hell of a lot of history because of this shutdown. It’s going to be that much more anger inducing when it inevitably is revealed how much more about politics than public health the shutdown was
Polaro
You think this is about politics and not people dying? Wow.
Brian
Of course. Have you not peeked out of your cave since this all started? How naive do you have to be to think that it’s only about public health when there’s this much money and this many politicians involved?
jayceecook
Elaborate please. And yes, I’ve peeked out my “cave”. I’d love to hear your conspi…er explanation on this.
LumpyPillows
You’re one twisted sister if that is where you go with this. By the way, it hasn’t seemed to stop you from your non-stop posting on this site. Some things don’t change.
Brian
My non stop posting? I’d be surprised if I had a total of 20 posts since the beginning of the year. Nice try though.
It’s kind of mind-blowing that people are not willing to acknowledge what we’ve seen played out all over the news for the past 2 months. It’s not just a complete coincidence that the states trying hard to reopen are all Republican let and the ones fighting to keep closed longer are all Democrat led. Depending on where you stand it’s either Republicans caring more about money than lives, or Democrats trying to make people government dependent for votes. And there is definitely a lot of truth to both angles. Gavin Newsom outright said something to the effect of “this is our opportunity to make progressive changes”.
I’m sure there is a list somewhere of all of the pork that was attached to the stimulus bill, that had zero to do with public health. Politicians see a trillion dollars and they start salivating. Why would any rational prison think otherwise?
Polaro
Both bars were going to close due to leases anyway, this just sped up the decision. Z/S will be back, that all nude license will not die. My fear, however, is that this is the tip of the iceberg for other bars.
jigglyman2020
Man, I sure hope so. I could cry over this sad news! Think of all the hot nude guys we can’t see anymore!!!!! The salacious drag shows?!?! It’s too much to bear!!!!! Say it ain’t sooo!!!!
Gary Q VV
Never fear, my fellow Queers! We LGBTQ community members have always overcome adversity and hurdles. I’ve never been afraid of losing my identity or place in the world. Cheer up, don’t let this temporary setback crash our main objective of unity, inclusion, equality, and the ultimate goal of freedoms. Our bars, clubs, restaurants, bookstores (both kinds), and so forth, will reenergize as long as we all stay together with a common goal of visionary success.
jigglyman2020
OK, so Secrets needs to stop playing around, and come back! It’s ONE OF A KIND! Don’t leave us SECRETS, we need you!!!!!!
Trekbike
What a damn shame. My husband and I lived in DC for a few years and have been to every one of these bars on several occasions. Our favorite was Secrets with its naked male dancers. It’s sad to see so many gay bar and establishments going out of business. I’m so glad I grew up gay when it was cool to go gay bar hopping. We had the time of our lives.