Author: David Hyman

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is launching the fifth cohort of its Entrepreneur Training Program, a 9-week program to help leather community folk start and build their businesses.

The program is led by Eddie Tang of Above Consulting, a seasoned San Francisco business consultant, and features Zoom-based group sessions and one-on-one consultations.  At the end of the 9 weeks, participants will present their business plan to a panel of local business leaders, experts, and potential funders.  Those who complete the program will each receive a $500 grant to help with their startup costs.

Four cohorts of this program have now graduated, and the fifth will began on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

If you wish to apply for this program, please complete this application form.   Click here for full info!

The SF Recreation and Parks Commission will decide this week on a name for the new park to be built at Natoma and 11th Street, just a few feet north of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.

We have been advocating for the park to be named after Rachele Sullivan, one of the founders of our Cultural District and a prominent figure in SOMA’s Filipino community. 

The hearing is Thursday, July 18, at 10 am, at SF City Hall, Room 416. 

We are in the home stretch in the process! We invite you to make your voices heard one more time to seal the deal.

They can take public comment over the phone but it’s always more powerful in person.

Additional information is on the Rec & Park website.

We are saddened to inform you that a trusted member of our community was recently attacked after leaving a SOMA bar. In response, numerous Leather, Kink, and LGBTQ+ organizations have come together to organize a Safety Forum, as a Community Unity Event.

Safety Forum:
Date: Saturday, July 20, 2024
Time: 4:00 to 6:00 pm
Place: SF Eagle

This is a call for our community to unite and stand against violence. We need your support and voices to join the conversation. Let’s come together to show our strength and solidarity.

Co-sponsors of this event include the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Onyx Northwest, and the SF Eagle.  Visit the Safety Forum Facebook event for latest info.   Please join us in this crucial gathering.

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is once again offering free walking tours of our fascinating and historic neighborhood.

Attendees tour SOMA for 90 minutes, learning how SOMA (South of Market) began attracting leather bars in the ’60’s, about the raucous exploits of the ’70’s when motorcycles lined the streets outside popular bars, and about today’s bar and clubs.

The tour runs about 90 minutes, and there are no hills.

Visit the SOMA Tours page for additional dates and other details.