The STUD

The Stud opened in 1966 when the SoMa LGBT scene was booming as gay men from around the country started coming out and coming to San Francisco. The Stud was one of dozens of bars in the neighborhood that would later come to be known as the Leather District. The original owners Geoge Mason and Alexis Muir quickly realized that the cowboy-themed, macho men bar they opened was just not their cup of tea and they began catering to the queer, hippie culture that was all over San Francisco.

Over the years the Stud became a melting pot for San Francisco counterculture: hippies in the 60s, disco in the 70s, punk in the 80s, club kids in the 90s, and hipsters in the 2000’s. The club became an inspiration to generations of musicians, artists, and designers, both queer and straight.