Last Call at Maud's

"People would say 'are you going to The Library tonight' that's how careful one had to be back then..."

Rikki Streicher  Maud’s owner since opening night 1966

"Lesbians are outlaws.  We've always been outlaws.  And lesbian bars are our secret hiding places" 

Mary Wings  Author of lesbian mystery novels including She Came Too Late, She Came in a Flash and Divine Victim

... we went to all of these lesbians bar.  We really did.  We just stopped going when the music got so loud you couldn't hear yourself think, and  I think that's true for a lot of old dykes"

Phyllis Lyon , Founding Member of The Daughters of Bilitis

Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon   Founders (in 1955) of Daughters of Bilitis, the first international organization of lesbians, and authors of the ground breaking work Lesbian/Woman.

"...when the police were asked what they did, did they see any any specific acts, they didn't know.  They just rounded everybody up and took 'em away."

Del Martin, Co-Founder of The Daughters of Bilitis

"...the gay male bars had 'the open-toed shoes' policy which was definitely discriminatory against women, all women..."

 Gwenn Craig,  San Francisco police commissioner

"The FBI was outside in cars.  We'd see them every night, we'd wave to the guys, bring them coffee.  But still, there was an air of uncertainty..." 

Jo Daly,  San Francisco’s first out-of-the-closet lesbian police commissioner

"It was still really secret...I came in here and wore really dark glasses!"

Pat Norman,  Prominent Bay Area political activist and organizer

"It's so warm and loving.  You don't get that everywhere. .."

Tudy Aubry,  Maud’s friendly bartender 

"Of course, Bobby threw out the ones that got into trouble..."

Liz Worley,  Maud’s enchanting opening night cocktail waitress
Bobby Pace,  Early Maud’s bartender (before a woman could legally tend bar, unless she was the owner, in California)

"..she took a toke off her cigarette, blew it off, and said 'We are growing in numbers every day..."

Sally Gearhart,  Political activist, scholar and writer (The Wandergound)    

Sally taught riflery at girl's summer camp.  She also fell in love.

"..and the drag queens were all there with pasties on their cheeks..."

Judy Grahn,   Poet, historian and novelist whose works include Another Mother Tongue; The Work of a Common Woman; Queen of Swords and Mundane’s World

"I remember when Janis Joplin was sitting at the end of the bar..." 

Hydie Downard, Community Organizer and Maud’s loyal customer since the late 1960s

"I can't say people were doing drugs..." 

Sharon Barrett,  A Maud’s regular since 1966

"I'd never been to a gay bar.  I'd never been to a bar.  Kansas is a dry state." 

Claudia McEvoy,  Faithful Maud’s customer who flew in from Germany to be present at Maud’s last call

The Ladder, the first official lesbian publication

"I was just really scared to death..."

Kay Wiley  Early member of the underground Daughters of Bilitis lesbian social club

The Ladder, a Lesbian Review, Daughter of Bilitis publication, October 1957

"It's time to be out there.  To own our sexuality!"

JoAnn Loulan  Provocative author whose work includes Lesbian Sex, Lesbian Passion and Lesbian Erotic Dance.  Newsweek calls her The Lesbian Dr. Ruth

"There were Pussies on Parade, Pussies in Pumps, Pussies A-Go-Go, Pussies on the Prairie..."

Jeanne Burns,  A Maud’s Pussy

"I was on the back of her motorcycle and she whipped a woolie around first base..." 

Sandra May & Louette Colombano  A twosome who came to Maud’s closing night auction to bid on their priceless 1972 portrait

This portrait hung just inside the door, on your right. 

Sandra May and Louette Colombano

"When I was single, sure, why not?  They were here... and cute."

Joann Shirley,  Astrologer, bartender, manager and softball player.  She was a slow pitch pitcher in a fast pitch league.

"You knew a lot of dirt..."

Susan Fahey,  Maud’s most popular bartender and manager

"There were two lusty, luscious ladies in the beer room, one of them with her pants down around her ankles..."

Jonna Harlan,   Maud's and Amelia's Bartender Extraordinaire

Paris Poirier, Rikki Streicher and Karen Kiss, at the December 1992 Sneak Preview, Olive Oyls, San Francisco

Paris Poirier and author, historian, filmmaker Jenni Olson opening night of Last Call at Maud's, February 5, 1993

The cast of Last Call at Maud's, at the Los Angeles Premiere, sponsored by the June L. Mazer Lesbian Collection.

Last Call at Maud's 20th Anniversary Screening, San Francisco, June 2013

Karen Kiss, Phyllis Lyon, Mandy Carter (Maud's Reunion Co-Chair), Kate Kendall (Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights), Lorelei (Maud's Reunion Committee)