Pride in Places: New York bar’s yearly “Mr. Eagle Contest” created a lineage of queer activism

Derek Danton was a regular at Eagle NYC before he saved it from permanent closure. He moved to New York in 1980 and found a place where he felt comfortable and accepted, especially considering it wouldn’t be until 2003 that the US officially decriminalized homosexuality nationwide. 

But in a city that prides itself on never sleeping, equality has never been put on snooze, at least in comparison. Danton discovered once you experience a sense of community, you’ll fight for it. 

Danton tells GayCities he met his future husband Robert Berk in 1994 at another gay bar. Berk shared his deep appreciation for the Eagle brand’s core values, an unyielding sanctuary that sheltered all aspects of queerness, no matter the external threat. 

The previous owner Jack Modica was forced to relocate in 2001 due to the building being sold, so he decided to close down after 30 years rather than relocate. The couple heard about their friend’s dilemma and purchased the brand, reopening at its current location in Chelsea without much marketing because they had run out of money. 

Fortunately, they weren’t the only ones who developed an attachment to the venue, and on opening day, they encountered a line to get inside stretched around the block. 

“It wasn’t just a business; it was a place for [the LGBTQ+ community] to be safe,” says Danton. “The Eagle was like an anchor for my sexuality in New York City, so it was important that what I felt about it was preserved for other people.”

Along with the Eagle’s history came tradition, most famously, the yearly Mr. Eagle Contest. The pageant-like competition epitomized the bar’s spirit since its inception and fostered camaraderie in local leather culture. 

The first year is never easy for newfound owners in hospitality, but Danton took the reins in the wake of the worst terrorist act in American history. “Somehow, through all of the chaos of opening a brand new bar and on the heels of 911, we threw a contest for Mr. Eagle,” says Danton. 

There were contest variations in the past, so Danton wanted to create cohesiveness and make Mr. Eagles accountable for serving as a leader for LGBTQ+ causes. It takes place the first week of every October, and any queer person willing to take on the responsibility is encouraged to sign up. Using an Olympic scoring system, Danton brings in five prominent individuals to serve as judges. 

There are four rounds: A 12-minute closed-door interview session offers the most points. Then, that night the public contest begins at 10 pm with the barware category, where contestants strut what they would typically wear on a night out in the town. 

This is followed by the jockstrap category, the most popular for viewers. It’s not unlike the swimwear portion of beauty pageants. The emcee will ask each butt-baring contestant a fun question to show their personality. 

Lastly, it’s formalwear accompanied by a speech, which also carries much weight in points. But this is the Eagle NYC, darling, so you better believe formal means leather from head to toe. Danton says last year’s winner, Christopher Kelley, made his speech about creating accessibility to leather culture. 

“Not everybody who wants to be involved in the kink/fetish/leather scene can afford the look,” says Danton, “[Kelley] talked about how we need to create a level playing field for everybody, including for marginalized communities so that they can get involved and live their full best life.”

In a former interview with Kelley, he told us (author) what winning meant to him. 

“The Eagle has become a home base for me over a short amount of time. Walking through those doors feels like I’m taking a huge exhale,” Kelley said, “[Mr. Eagles] carry on a legacy tying the old guard to that of the new. I frequently say ‘we’ because no singular space belongs to one group. In the various queer, kink, and fetish communities, we cannot thrive unless we all feel safe and free from harm. The buck stops here.”

The Mr. Eagles are encouraged to choose whatever form of activism calls them, so Kelley went on to create and host a weekly Thursday night event called “INTO?” He made a dialogue welcoming the community to voice concerns or obstacles regarding participating in leather culture, and curious minds were invited to check out the scene – it’s a party, after all. An inclusive and strictly welcoming one for all backgrounds, which ushered in folks who might’ve been intimidated by their regular parties, attended by patrons who consider leather or kink a lifestyle. 

A fun fact about Kelley is that he was a set designer for American Horror Story: NYC, which featured leather culture in the 90s and had scenes filmed at the actual Eagle NYC. Kelley said it was nonnegotiable for him to ensure the series paid respect to the community and presented it authentically without gimmicks.

On-site at the contest, 11 former Mr. Eagles were present to show their support. Danton knows how rare it is for a bar contest to have this much dedication from former title holders. The contest is replicated at other Eagle franchises nationwide and in leather bars across the globe. Each year, every Eagle NYC winner competes at International Mr. Leather in Chicago, the concept’s originators.

However, words only do the essence of Mr. Eagle or the bar itself justice once you experience it. Perhaps that’s because the English language doesn’t encapsulate the groundbreaking nature of queerness and the individuals who bravely take on their identities like a sword and shield.

When asked if we can ever expect Dalton on stage strutting a sash and jockstrap, he says absolutely not. But he’ll always open his doors for any queer person desiring to join.