As the AIDS crisis hit many in the community it was the one place where friends could meet up to offer support, provide encouragement and build lasting friendships. Yet it quickly became the place to be and functioned as a cornerstone of the LGBT community. This cozy neighborhood hangout offered little more than overstuffed sofas and chairs, a pool table and a small wine and beer bar. The Menagerie opened on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1983. But that didn’t deter Madeline, who next leased a small retail space on University Avenue. Located in a building across the street from the Mission Inn, Stage Door had only a brief run before it was shut down by Riverside PD Vice due to missing permits. She had many gay and lesbian neighbors, friends who frequently gathered for parties where they dreamed of one day having a local gay bar to call their own.Īfter some initial research and talking to various club owners, Madeline decided to take the plunge and she opened a gay bar, Stage Door, in 1982. In the early 1980s, Madeline Lee made her home at the Mission Inn in Riverside.
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