Blog – Page 67 – LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

January 4, 2021August 20, 2025

Covid-19 Links

In compliance with a request from the Mayor’s Office, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District is actively involved in sharing up-to-date information about how the State of California, the City of San Francisco, local public and private institutions, and our own leather and kink community are responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

Local Kink Community Response

First, here are two documents regarding the Bay Area leather and kink community’s response to COVID-19.

The San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ Leather, Kink and Sexuality Communities Resources Guide is a good basic guide to Relief Efforts, Online Events and relevant Information.
San Francisco Bay Area Kink Community COVID-19 Response is a deeper dive, and also a record of community leaders’ online discussions, as well as a larger list of resources.

Local Kink Community Fund-Raising

These are some of the many local folks raising money for those affected by COVID-19:

SF Queer Nightlife Fund – A collective of nightlife organizers, producers, entertainers, venue owners, and nonprofit community leaders providing direct gifts of aid to workers from LGBTQ nightlife groups in the SF Bay Area.
SF Catalyst – This community space needs our support, and our community will need this space even more after the COVID-19 crisis ends.
SF Citadel – Currently offering online classes and safety information on their Web site. Watch for info on how to support the venue directly.
The Edge – All donations will go directly to the staff of the bar and assure they can afford the forced seven weeks of unemployment.
SF Oasis – Donate (and receive a perk!) to keep OASIS afloat amidst COVID-19 closures.
SF Eagle Staff Fund – Fund to help the employees at the SF Eagle.
The Stud – “The Stud Collective wants to prioritize support for our staff — our bartenders, coat check, security team and amazing janitor — all donations will go directly to them.”
Raven’s List “Fundraising for Community” – A list of GoFundMe and Patreon type efforts which support fetish/kink businesses local to San Francisco.
Daddy’s Barbershop Barber Fund
Bay Area Reporter – Fundraising to preserve this vital journalistic resource for our community.

General COVID-19 Information

Governmental Orders

Resources for Small Businesses and Employers

Resources for Workers

OEWD: Paid Sick Leave- Workers and Families First Program – Funding to provide an additional five days of paid sick leave to workers beyond their existing policies. Employers apply here.
SF Office of Economic and Workforce Development: Rapid Response Services for impacted employees
CA Employment Development Department: COVID-19 FAQs about health care, disability insurance, unemployment insurance, etc.
CA Employment Development Department: Partial Claims – For employers that want to keep employees when there is a lack of work.
CA Employment Development Department: Work Share Program Unemployment insurance for employers to help minimize the need for layoffs when there is lack of work.
SF OEWD: Job Opportunities — A number of companies are hiring for full and part-time work.
One Fair Wage Emergency Fund – Cash assistance to restaurant workers, drivers, personal service workers, etc.

Resources for Utilities

Resources for Nonprofits

Resources for Families & Students

Grants for Artists

SF Mayor’s Office: Arts Relief Fund – $2.5M available in grants & loans for artists & art organizations
San Francisco Arts and Artists Relief Fund – Grands and loans to artists and arts & cultural organizations
UNTITLED, ART Emergency Fund – Financial assistance for freelance, hourly, and wage working artists
Performing Arts Worker Relief Fund – For performing arts workers facing loss of income due to the crisis
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts – Links to COVID-19 Resources for Artists and Nonprofits
SF Arts Commission– Other Resources for Arts Organizations & Artists During COVID-19 Emergency
Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative – Grants

Resources for Adults

Give2SF Fund for Housing Stabilization: financial assistance to households who cannot afford their housing costs due to COVID-19.
Homelessness and Supportive Housing
Support for People Who Use Drugs
Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners is offering food to whoever needs it because they are out of work. Please call Michael J Gagne at (415) 584-3252 (no texting) or email him at TenderloinTessie@yahoo.com.

Resources for Seniors and People with Disabilities

Volunteer Services

SF.GOV: Be an emergency volunteer: Healthy adults are needed in several important programs
SF Food Friends: Matching volunteers with folks who need help buying groceries and other items
TurnOut: Multiple volunteer opportunities, including their own COVID-19 Rapid Response Team
TogetherSF: Neighbors helping neighbors
Lavender Seniors: Making Face Masks at Home
SF Chronicle: Ways to Help

Services for LGBTQ Folks

Resources for the Sexually Active

Resources for Tenants

Miscellaneous Info

Informational Videos and Articles

December 31, 2020February 15, 2021

Gayle Rubin to be Honored

As reported in the Leather Journal, Gayle Rubin is one of four individuals due to be honored at the 33rd annual Creating Change Conference, to be held virtually in late January of 2021.

Gayle Rubin is an anthropologist, theorist, writer, historian, and a proud member of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Board of Directors.

She will be honored with the Leather Leadership Award for her work and studies within the Leather community, as part of the four-day Conference, run by the National LGBTQ Task Force as a space for learning, connecting, and growing among LGBTQ activists, leaders, allies, and changemakers from across the nation.

The presentation to Gayle is scheduled to occur between 1:45 and 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sunday, January 31, 2021.

You can read more about Gayle in the Leather Journal article. For more information about the Conference, or to register to attend virtually, visit https://www.thetaskforce.org/creatingchange.html.

December 31, 2020March 11, 2021

Nightlife Fund Proposed

As reported on SFGATE and NBC Bay Area, Supervisor Matt Haney has proposed creating a recovery fund to save ‘the heart and soul of S.F.’ — its nightlife.

According to Haney, the San Francisco Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund is desperately needed as many of the businesses are facing permanent closure as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

“What this pandemic has done to our economy and our way of life has been nothing short of a nightmare, and for our city’s venues, there has been no reprieve. They were the first to close and will likely be the among the last to reopen,” Haney said in statement.

“When we talk about the heart and soul of San Francisco, many of us think of our city’s venues,” Haney said. “The many shows we’ve seen and the bands and artists and music that have all come out of San Francisco, they inspire us and bring us together. These spaces are a reflection of who we are and what we love, and they are in danger of disappearing.”

A recent report from the city controller’s office revealed nightlife businesses generate $7.2 billion for the local economy and create more than 63,000 jobs, which in turn generates some $80 million annually in payroll and sales taxes for the city.

Haney’s legislation is set to be heard at a Board of Supervisors committee in January, 2021.

December 22, 2020March 11, 2021

Historical Society Celebrates Queer Culture

The GLBT Historical Society has announced a new program series for 2021: the “Queer Culture Club,” a monthly series on the second Thursday of each month that focuses on LGBTQ people who are defining the queer culture of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

These programs feature GLBT Historical Society executive director Terry Beswick as he interviews queer culture-makers, including authors, playwrights, historians, activists, artists and archivists, to learn about their work, process, inspirations, hopes and dreams.

In this first installment, legendary San Francisco gay “radical sex” photographer Mark I. Chester will discuss his forthcoming new book of contemporary photography, “Street Sex Photos”(2021).

The event will take place online, on Thursday, January 14, 2021 from 7:00 to 7:30 pm. It is free, with a suggested donation of $5.00. After you register, you will receive a confirmation email with a link and instructions on how to join the Zoom webinar as an attendee. The event will also be livestreamed on Facebook and then archived on YouTube.

For full information on the event, visit the event page on Facebook or on the GLBT Historical Society website.

Registration and tickets are here.