The Paddock Club was the first place in eastern NC where LGBT people could be themselves. Whether it was hosting a small gathering of friends, or a Broadway-sized drag pageant; for 30 years it was home to a lot of people, and they always thought it would be there. Opened in 1973, it survived the brutal homophobia of the south, the AIDS crisis, the gay-coming-of-age that was the 90s, and when it finally closed in December of 2003, it was one of the longest-running, continually-operating LGBT businesses in America. The patrons and staff of The Paddock wove the tapestry that made up the story of The Paddock. This is their story. The Paddock wasn't just a bar, it was home. It was family.