For many years in the mid-20th century, the only public place gay people could gather and feel relatively safe from discrimination and harrassment, were gay bars. Bars became a safe second home for them and others like them. This sign hung outside of the Six Eleven Tavern located at 611 2nd Ave in Pioneer Square, the center of gay life in Seattle until the 1970s. The original interior of the Six Eleven was designed to appeal to gay patrons, with mirrors on the walls to provide maximum visibility. Like most bars in Seattle in the 1960s, the Six Eleven was subject to "blue laws" which were nearly impossible to obey without going out of business. Police officers demanded payoffs from bar owners of about $50-$70 per week in return for overlooking violations of blue laws. Because of the "immoral" nature and their mostly closeted clientele, gay and lesbian bars were particularly vulnerable to this kind of extortion. MacIver Wells and other gay bar owners were instrumental in bringing the payoff system to an end in the late 1960s. The bar eventually closed in 1999.