Maud's (bar) facts for kids

Maud's was a special place for lesbian women in San Francisco. It was a bar located at 937 Cole Street in the Haight-Ashbury area. Maud's opened in 1966 and closed in 1989. When it closed, many people believed it was the oldest lesbian bar in the United States. Its story, which lasted almost 25 years, is shown in the film Last Call at Maud's. It was an important place for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people.

History

How Maud's Started

Maud's opened in 1966. It was started by Rikki Streicher. She was an important person who worked for gay and lesbian rights in San Francisco. Rikki later opened another women's bar called Amelia's. She also helped start the Gay Games, which are like the Olympics for LGBT athletes.

The bar was first called "The Study." Later, its name changed to "Maud's Study." In California, women were not allowed to be bartenders until 1971. So, Rikki hired men to serve drinks, and she also worked as a bartender herself.

The 1960s: A Time of Change

In 1967, the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood became famous. It was the center of the hippie movement's Summer of Love. This brought new ideas and many young lesbian and bisexual women to the area. Some of these women became regular visitors at Maud's.

Famous singer Janis Joplin was one of the people who visited Maud's. She would go there with her friend Jae Whitaker. Other well-known visitors included Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, poet Judy Grahn, and activist Sally Gearhart. A historian named Nan Alamilla Boyd said Maud's was like a "clubhouse, community center, and bar." It helped connect San Francisco's lesbian community with the new hippie generation.

The 1970s: A Welcoming City

After the Stonewall riots in 1969, the gay liberation movement began. Many LGBTQ people moved to San Francisco. The city quickly became a "gay mecca," a place where young people could feel free to be themselves. Many gay men moved to the Castro district. Many women liked the lower rents in the Mission District. They started businesses and groups there.

By the mid-1970s, San Francisco was seen as a very open place for lesbians and gay men. This was especially true when compared to other parts of the country.

Maud's and its sister bar, Amelia's, started the first women's softball teams in the late 1970s. These teams joined the growing Gay Softball League. Other lesbian bars in the San Francisco Bay Area also created their own teams. The bars played against each other in public parks. Fans would come to cheer for their teams. The winning bar would then host a celebration with drinks for everyone.

Pool tournaments were another fun activity at the bar. Maud's also had variety shows, poetry readings, and even a bowling team.

The 1980s: New Lifestyles

In the 1980s, the AIDS crisis greatly affected the gay community in San Francisco. More gay and lesbian people started choosing healthier lifestyles. They looked for new ways to meet each other. However, Maud's still attracted its regular customers and new visitors.

Carole Migden, who later became a politician, started her political journey at Maud's. She decided to run for city supervisor during a conversation there.

Then, in 1989, after 23 years, Rikki Streicher announced that Maud's would close. Besides the trend toward healthier lifestyles, there were also more places and groups where women could meet. The people who used to visit Maud's had also changed. They had become more settled, moved to the suburbs, and bought houses. Because of these changes, the business was not doing as well.

Depictions in Culture and Media

On September 9, 1989, Maud's served its last drink. This event was shown in Paris Poirier's 1993 film Last Call at Maud's. The film included interviews with Rikki Streicher and the bar manager, Susan Fahey. It also featured some bartenders and customers like Del Martin, Phyllis Lyon, Judy Grahn, and Sallie Gearhart. The movie combines their memories of Maud's with old videos. It shows Maud's as part of the history of lesbian bars from the 1940s to the 1980s.

After Rikki Streicher sold the bar, some of Maud's old customers continued to meet regularly. They held reunions in the bar, which was then called Finnegan's Wake. In June 2016, they gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Maud's opening.