The Stud is a legendary LGBTQ bar known for its epic drag shows, themed parties, and burlesque performances. The Stud was the first collectively owned queer bar in the country when it opened in 1966. The bar was originally located at 1535 Folsom Street before moving to the corner of Ninth and Harrison Street in 1987. Unfortunately, the bar was closed in 2020 due to the pandemic, as many businesses in SF struggled to stay afloat.
Now, several years later, the Stud is ready to party again after finding a new space, and the collective hopes to open in early 2024. The new bar is located at 1123 Folsom Street, in San Francisco’s Leather District. The space has a unique history of its own, once being the home of a collectively owned vegetarian restaurant that was actually a front for an armed cult in the 1970s. The space then became home to Julie’s Supper Club in the 1980s.
The bar is currently hosting a fundraiser to help cover the cost of the reopening, including renovations, sound equipment, and more.