Hi. I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that this Saturday, July 10, will be the last day that the Detroit Eagle will be open to welcome you.

It has been a difficult decision for me to close the bar. Dan and I acquired the Eagle nearly 19 years ago, and I have been fortunate to be able to serve Detroit’s leather community as its proprietor ever since.

I am exceedingly proud of what we have accomplished during those 19 years. In conjunction with leather clubs and other groups, we raised over $150,000 in support of local organizations. We additionally worked with the staff and volunteers from Triangle Foundation to raise over $50,000 for their efforts to secure equal rights for the LGBT community. From the last report that I received, that made the Detroit Eagle community the largest corporate contributor to Triangle.

In 1993, we established the Detroit Eagle Gay Community Scholarship Fund at the University of Michigan. That scholarship still exists, funded by its own interest and providing $1000 per year to recognize the efforts of any U of M student, regardless of sexual orientation, on behalf of the LGBT community. At the time it was begun, it was believed to be the only scholarship in the country established by a bar. As word of it spread, we received numerous calls from around the country, and as a result at least a dozen organizations sprouted locally and nationally to provide scholarship money to our community’s students.

In this work the Detroit Eagle was only a conduit – it was the contributions from you, our patrons and supporters, who made all of it possible. That stands as a testament to the Southeast Michigan gay leather community and all the men who gathered at the Eagle.

In 19 years, 71 men worked at the Detroit Eagle. As bartenders and barbacks, disc jockeys and doormen, chefs and cleaning persons, they expanded the nuclear family of Eagle employees. In a business where the typical turnover for bartenders is less than three years, we had bartenders who were with us for 17 years, and on-call bartenders who were there just as long. At one point the newest bartender we had was there for 6 years!

While each member of that family was important to me, I need to recognize three men who unquestioningly gave the Eagle their all. Randy French, my head bartender for years, truly epitomizes the profession of Bartender, and has probably trained more people how to be bartenders instead of drink servers than anyone else in the city. Jason Wood, my current bar manager, has exhibited creativity, stalwart determination, and hard work beyond anything that I could have possibly asked from him. And Dan Majewski, my partner and a dedicated Leatherman, was my inspiration throughout his life and remains so even today.

Most importantly, I need to thank all of you for your support and kindness to me through the years. I have been able to make so many friends through this venture – that alone has made it worthwhile.

Frank Blondale

(resposted from Leatherati)