MOHAI Minute: Shelly's Leg

The Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) presents a series of quick videos that take you on a time-traveling journey to some of Seattle's most fascinating historic spots. This week, learn about one of Seattle's most influential gay bars, Shelly's Leg.
Please note that Shelly's partner was Pat Nesser, not Pete as is stated in the video.

[@palove2001]

Thank you for caring to pay homage to Gay history. The reason that they had the sign is because although it was a Gay bar, it became so popular that a disproportionate amount of the un-indoctrinated straight public wanted to get in. There had actually been incidents where Gay folks had been treated like an unwanted minority. The idea was that they maintain the Gay atmosphere being careful proportionately how many unaccompanied straight folks they let in. In the early 70's, there were plenty of Gay Heterofriendly places like the 107 Club, the Trojan Shield, and The Golden Horseshoe. Virtually all Gay bars were "underground" places that attracted also avant-garde, artistic, and bohemian straight people, unlike today.

[@pegeendurant5681]

How much fun! I went often as a 'guest' of many friends.. would be fun to hear others' memories of those days as well..

[@musicmongerdnsf]

Wow, Shelly's Leg!!! We danced '73 to '75 and here the cross-section of people came together on dance floor enjoying, similarly a cross section of music, soul, r&b, rock, in the ensuing years to become "disco". It was this mixed dance floor of all kinds of us, that set my expectation of dance clubs to come though sadly I was disappointed as the mixture did not exist outside of Seattle or those times. Thank you Mohai for documenting Shelly's significance to the then young LGBT community.

[@DanFirthoh]

Great video, however Shelley's partner was Pat Nesser, not Pete. a couple of years after Shelley's leg closed, Pat opened, with help from the owner of the Mocambo (another famous Pioneer Square Bar), a bar called S.U.C (Seattle Uniform Company also in Pioneer Square. It only lasted about a year. I have a copy of the original liquor license posting for Shelley's Leg should anyone be interested in preserving it as part of Seattle's gay history.

[@jodylancaster8706]

In 1976 or 1977 my boyfriend and I came here and danced one night. I think we were the only straight couple in the place. It was so fun and I've always remembered it. Here's to you, Phil.

[@bomtown]

Memories of a moment in time are so precise.

[@Alandix]

This video freaked me out since I went to Shelly's leg in 1976 quite often, and I always wondered what happened to it, wondering also if the story about her leg damage was actually true or just urban myth. Again, great to see it. Is that sign still on the building?

[@stevewells7326]

The sign is displayed at Seattle's Museum of History and Industry, (MOHAI).

[@terryjp3050]

Great place to dance and meet ladies.

[@vipermad358]

Yet another good reason to be rid of that awful viaduct.

[@actionbuddy6054]

Although your description of Shelley's Leg's sign is very "feel good" and politically correct, you missed the point of it being a warning to hostile straight people to stay away if they are homophobic.

[@devinkitcrosland1151]

That's how it reads to me, too. The intentional underline sounds like it's saying, "If you are not a member of the gay community, you are here as a guest. Act like it."