Come Out Seattle

Come Out Seattle | Shelly’s Leg Fire

At 1:00 AM on Thursday, December 4, 1975, the dance floor at Seattle’s wildly popular gay disco Shelly’s Leg was packed. The music was thumping, the crowd was alive, and the night felt unstoppable. Then tragedy struck. A tanker truck carrying 4,800 gallons of gasoline hit a guardrail on the Viaduct. The tank broke loose, ruptured, and sent a river of burning fuel cascading off the viaduct in a sheet of flame.

Directly across the street, Shelly’s Leg caught fire—but in a stunning miracle, everyone escaped safely out the back entrance. Nearly 50 years later, the story of Shelly’s Leg remains one of resilience, community, and the spaces that shaped Seattle’s LGBTQ+ history.

Come Out Seattle is committed to preserving these stories and the spaces that helped our community thrive.

Help us keep this history alive:
Donate to Come Out Seattle:
https://give.seattleparksfoundation.org/campaign/710790/donate

Purchase the Shelly’s Leg Limited Edition T-Shirt:
https://www.bonfire.com/shellys-leg-limited-edition-t-shirt/

100% of proceeds benefit Come Out Seattle.

Thank you for helping preserve our shared history.
www.comeoutseattle.org

World AIDS Day Remembrance

Today, we honor four LGBTQ+ bar owners whose leadership shaped Seattle’s nightlife—and whose lives were cut short during the AIDS crisis. They built places of safety, joy, and connection when bars were our refuge and our family. Their impact still echoes in every space that welcomes us today. Their legacies live on.

Patrick Harrison — Tugs Belltown (1951–1995)
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=SGN19950526.1.19
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8dff42589e124c89a5e83f95ab4dd6b3

Scott Rodriguez — The Cuff Complex (1965–2000)
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=SGN20001201.1.52

John David “Dave” Morgan — Sparks (?-1985)
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=SGN19850726.1.2
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8dff42589e124c89a5e83f95ab4dd6b3

Chester “Chet” Michael Herald Jr. — Madison Pub (1939–1997)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/
https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=SGN19860704.1.10

Thank you to Come Out Seattle for Preserving LGBTQ+ Bar & Tavern History
https://www.comeoutseattle.org/

Come Out Seattle Cyber Monday – Make it Count!

Come Out Seattle announces our limited-edition fundraiser tee honoring Shelly’s Leg — one of Seattle’s earliest and most celebrated gay discos (1973–1978). The bar burned on December 4, 1975. Miraculously, no one was injured. On the 50th anniversary of that fire, remember Shelly’s Leg with this t-shirt! All proceeds benefit Come Out Seattle’s LGBTQ+ history project!

Grab your tee here → https://www.bonfire.com/shellys-leg-limited-edition-t-shirt/

Learn more → https://www.comeoutseattle.org/

By purchasing this shirt, you directly support Come Out Seattle’s work to document and preserve LGBTQ+ history across Seattle — the bars, stories, memories, and images that shaped our community. Your support helps ensure this history is protected and shared.

Just in time for the holidays!

Come Out Seattle is releasing a Limited-Edition T-Shirt honoring Shelly’s Leg, Seattle’s very first gay disco (1973–1978). Shelly’s Leg burned on December 4, 1975—and miraculously, no one was injured. On the 50th anniversary, we’re commemorating this historic space and raising funds for our LGBTQ+ history project.

All proceeds support Come Out Seattle and our mission to preserve the stories of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ bars, taverns, and gathering places

Purchase your shirt here: https://www.bonfire.com/shellys-leg-limited-edition-t-shirt/

comeoutseattle.org