Happily leather after at The Eagle in Silver Lake

In 1967, Silver Lake was ground zero for one of the first U.S. protests over police harassment of the gay community. This was two years before the Stonewall riots.

In the 1970s, the neighborhood became home to a thriving community of gay men aka “leather daddies.” Butch guys in boots, leather vests, and S&M gear like collars and restraints. Charlie Matula and his husband, Hunter Fox, are elder statesmen to this scene.

Matula, who is a co-owner of the bar, spoke to Greater LA about The Eagle and the community it creates. “It's been a niche of a bar for many, many, many years. So, you walk in, the walls are all black, it's very dark, very dimly lit, kinda seedy. We've been noted as one of the top five dive bars in all of Los Angeles, so we're very proud of that actually,” he said.