The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District has created a new body, called the Safety Committee, to address critical issues affecting our safety as individuals and as a community.
The Safety Committee is being chaired by Robert Costic (bio below), with Darius Taylor (Daddius ONYX) acting as the point of contact for the ONYX leather club.
The committee will be meeting via zoom on the first Monday of each month, starting on June 2nd at 6 pm. Zoom link. To get on the mailing list for this committee, enter your email address here.
Robert Costic – Safety Committee Chair
Robert Costic is an attorney who has spent two decades advocating for LGBTQ community members while building a career in public safety. He served for two years at Google, reviewing law enforcement legal processes and overseeing a team of thirteen attorneys. Before that, he spent six years with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, as a police officer, investigator, and part of the Special Liaison Branch, responding to incidents involving hate crimes, domestic violence, and mental health crises within the LGBTQ community. Robert is currently president of PFLAG San Francisco, which provides support, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ people and the families who love them. He lives in SoMa with his husband and two cats.
You can contact him at safety-committee-chair@sflcd.org.
Darius Taylor – ONYX Representative
Darius Taylor (Daddius ONYX) is a proud member of ONYX, a national organization and brotherhood dedicated to the support, education, and celebration of leathermen of color. As a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and university professor, he brings a deep commitment to healing, connection, and community care. Grounded in both professional expertise and personal passion, he works to create spaces where all community members can feel safe, affirmed, and joyful.
