Cuff Complex, also known as The Cuff, is a

gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...

and

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, in the United States.

Description and history

Cuff Complex is located at 1533 13th Avenue in Seattle's

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...

neighborhood. The business features four bars and a large deck. It attracts a diverse crowd, but is known for

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

. The bar was established by two men who wanted a "positive social outlet for people who were into leather, Levi's and uniforms". Cuff, Ltd. was created in December 1992 and building construction began in January 1993. Randy Fields purchased Cuff in 2004. The bar celebrated its twentieth anniversary in March 2013. Cuff Complex hosts meetings and social gatherings for Northwest Bears, POZ Seattle (a grassroots organization of

HIV+ The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...

gay men), Seattle Men in Leather, the

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI), also called Order of Perpetual Indulgence (OPI), is a charitable, protest, and street performance movement that uses drag and religious imagery to satirize issues of sex, gender, and morality (particular ...

, and the Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf. It also hosts an annual Sunday Pride Street Party.

Reception

In 1995 and 2001, Cuff Complex received the Business of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.🖉 In 2009, ''

Seattle Weekly The ''Seattle Weekly'' is an alternative biweekly distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as ''The Weekly.'' Its first issue was published on March 31, 1976, and it becam ...

'' said of the bar's clientele, "Whereas gay clubs like Neighbours and R-Place have been infiltrated by heteros in recent years, the Cuff still retains a predominantly gay male crowd. Maybe it's the sex shop full of cock rings and flogs. Or the portrait of a lion having sex with a dude on the wall. Or the fact that ladies are quarantined to a single unisex bathroom. Whatever the reason, vaginas are few and far between at the Cuff."

References

External links

* {{LGBTQ culture in Seattle 1993 establishments in Washington (state) Capitol Hill, Seattle Companies based in Seattle Entertainment companies established in 1993 Restaurants established in 1993 Leather bars and clubs LGBTQ drinking establishments in Washington (state) LGBTQ nightclubs in Seattle