Shelly's Leg

Shelly's Leg sign in the Museum of History and Industry.

Shelly's Leg was the first openly-operated gay bar in Seattle. It operated from 1973 to sometime between 1977-79.[1]

Founding

Shelly Bauman

Shelly Bauman was born in Chicago on 23 July 1947.[2] She studied dance there until she was 16, at which time she became a runaway due to family tension.[3] She performed striptease in Chicago, Hawaii, and Florida, moving to Rainier Valley, Seattle in 1968 to continue her profession there.[3] She quit dancing after the Bastille Day accident.[3] As a consequence of the accident she founded Shelly's Leg.

Bauman had an eventful life beyond that, surviving two fires and living in Florida and Hawaii as well as Chicago and Seattle.[2] She died in her home in Bremerton, Washington on 18 November 2010.[2]

Loss of leg

On 14 July at the Seattle Bastille Day parade in Pioneer Square, Seattle, Bauman was in attendance enjoying the parade. At 10pm a parade consisting of a Dixieland band, two cars, and an old fire engine exited the Sinking Ship to begin a performance.[1] The water cannon on the fire engine was set up to fire confetti.[1] The cannon was fired, and somehow it did not shoot confetti, but rather a ball of wet paper which hit Bauman.[1] Bauman's lower abdomen was separated from her body and she lost her leg.[1]

When Bauman recovered, she pursued a lawsuit against the cannon operator, the parade organizers, and the city of Seattle.[1] Her case settled with her receiving US$330,000.[1] She used this money to found a nightclub which she named "Shelly's Leg".[1]

Nightclub

Bauman purchased a hotel in Pioneer Square, Seattle and in 1973 converted it into a gay bar and nightclub.[1] Bauman would attend parties there in her wheelchair.[4] Sometime between 1977-79 the club was closed, perhaps temporarily at first then definitely by 1979, for problems including failure to meet tax reporting standards.[1]

The sign from the nightclub is now an exhibit at Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI).[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Zwickel, Jonathan (26 September 2014). "Get Down Tonight". cityartsonline.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 SGN staff writer (3 December 2010). "Shelly Bauman, founder of legendary Shelly's Leg, dies". Seattle Gay News. 38 (49). Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Burton, Lynsi (21 December 2010). "Shelly's left leg - Founder of Seattle's first openly gay bar spent the last eight years of her wild, tragic life in Bremerton.". bremertonpatriot.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Lacitis, Erik (9 July 2000). "Beloved Seattle". community.seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  5. ↑ McNerthney, Casey (6 December 2010). "Woman behind gay bar, Seattle's first disco dies". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 10 January 2015.

External links

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