Blog

Our “Membership and Diversity Committee” has evolved, and has been spun into two full-size committees, each with a full monthly workload:

Our Diversity Committee will focus on diversity, inclusion and equity, in  our organization and our community.  The Committee will guide efforts to increase District membership with an emphasis on representing all members of our community.  including;

• 1. outreach to groups and gain attendance from all clubs and groups within our community
  2. ensuring our committees are functioning from a viewpoint of diversity in their structure and event planning.

• The Diversity Committee meets on first Thursdays, 6-7pm
• Contact diversity-chair@sflcd.org for more info, or to join the mailing list for this Committee.

Our Membership Committee will focus on benefits for individual and business memberships.  The Membership Committee guides efforts to increase District membership with an emphasis on representing all members of our community.

• The Membership Committee meets on second Mondays, 6-7pm.
• Contact membership-chair@sflcd.org for more info, or to join the mailing list for this Committee.

Members of the old “Membership and Diversity Committee” will, as a default, receive meeting announcements for both these new committees.  If you give us your email address here, we will send you an email with a customized link to let you adjust what mailings you receive from us.

We are very pleased to announce that the fifth cohort of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District  Entrepreneur Training Program has nine graduates, who are now (or will soon be) offering their goods and services to our community!

Here is a list of the folks who have completed this 9-week program, in Cohorts numbers 1 through 5.

Cohort 1:
Graduated September, 2022

• Joseph Valliere — Downtown Armor — Rubber gear, ultimately boots and a kink consignment shop. (facebook, etsy)
• James Strock — Recreating rubber gear from a new proprietary polymer
• Jordan Fickel / Patrick Stephenson — BEARPAD — Art brand celebrating big bodies. (art, store, instagram)
• Gloria Polo — Fire Dragon Photography — Leather/Kink photography (facebook, website)
• Anna Randall and Richard Sprott — TASHRA – The Alternative Sexualties Health Research Alliance — improving healthcare services to kinksters (website, facebook, instagram)

Cohort 2:
Graduated April, 2023

• Marcos victor de brito puglielli– House of Puglielli — Custom leather design, sculptural, wearble art (website, facebook, instagram)
• Dr. Zo Marcos Zotigh — Needle Play Acupuncture — Acupuncture Clinic (website, facebook, instagram)
• Sumiko Saulson — Mauskaveli — Hand painted wooden paddles, plus jewelry, books and clothing (website, books, facebook)
• Alejandra Bravo Ducey — Raptrix — Small batch bondage gear for every body (shop, instagram, facebook)
• Nate Boles — Wylde Honey Productions — Queer erotic artist promotion, production and reproduction
• Angela Wilson — Cognizant Healing — Intimacy coaching for therapists (website, facebook)
• Angeli [Daytona] Lata — Murder They Wore — Fetish fashion (website, facebook)
• Kangcheng Yin — Kuma Club SF — Gay Bathhouse/Sex Club (facebook)
• Byrd Bannick — ByrdBeaks — Fabric based queer gear and accessories (website, facebook)
• Chris Hughes — Skunkheart — Queer and kinky TTRPG content (facebook, links)

Cohort 3:
Graduated August, 2023
Jay Budd – Frisky Foxxx Productions (LLC) – ethical pornography and infotainment.
May Fendell – SINNAttire – latex and cosplay clothing
Jasmine Robinson and Shelby Baizar – B.Tourmaline – Events, merchandise and resources serving Black Queer and Trans populations (Instagram)
Lilith Spillz – Lilith Spillz – custom kink accessories from reclaimed materials (website)
Michael “Spike” Sandberg – Leather Legends – Leather consignment service and shop
Isabella Delan Kalfen (Izzy Delan she/her) – Babygirl Inc. – custom industrial gear and jewelry
Rochelle Benjamin – Pans Labrnth – Kink & leather clothes, gear, and wigs
David Khalili – Rouse Relational Wellness – sex and relationship wellness center (website)
Diablo & Amande – AfterDark Productions, LLC – Event venue for the kink and alternative-sexuality communities (website)
Adrianne zi – TBD – Writing drawing painting kinky art
Brad Schwab – JetPup – Colorful and playful clothing and accessories for the pup play community (website)

Cohort 4:
Graduated October, 2023

Aaron Joseph – Cumply – Experimental kink and fetish items (website) 
Michael Devin – Doppelbanger Toys – Custom made sex toys modeled after real people (website)
Daniel Brusilovsky – TBD – High-end kink furniture and accessories
Jocelyn Garibay – The Communal Toy – Handmade, high quality, safe kink furniture (website)
Alexandra Cardinale-Weinberg (Sasha) – Rocket Ready Apparel – custom themed collars and harnesses, and resin accessories (website, etsy)
Conrad Park – BOBA Munch – kink community (website)
JessJess – Beyond the Rainbow Events – a welcoming and enjoyable environment for themed immersive events (links)
Amy Dacker – Kink Konnectress (?) – Matchmaking, dating coaching, and background and reference checking for Kink, BDSM, Queer, and Poly communities
Neri Cafri – TBD – Second hand leather and kink gear 
Jesse West – Big Mood Network, LLC – Creative urban infill for community arts & entrepreneurial outlets
jacqueline cosgrove – QBL (QuadrupleBottomLine) – A space for workshops, parties and exploration of kink, sex positive and restorative play

Cohort 5:
Graduated November, 2024

• Lior Ray Ayalon  – The Spooky Haus – A transgender artist collective, working in a variety of mediums, including leather, acrylic, resin, chain, and printmaking.
• Sura Hertzberg – Eros and Psyche / Sex & Psychedelics – A magazine on the intersection of sex and psychedelics (e.g. kink, BDSM, and playing with shadow), bringing the community together for educational, playful, and interactive events around these topics.
• Francisco Grajales – Stingy Thuddy – Hand crafted kinky gear for horny people.
• Eve Minax – Eve Minax Consulting/MX Productions – Demystifying BDSM by showing personal growth seekers how to be more confident, compassionate, kid-ass kinksters.
• Dylan Peet – VENEER – A leather consignment and queer fashion boutique.
• Hallie Mayo – Stained Glass Mommy – Queer kinky stained glass art (butt plugs, poppers bottles, and other kink related sun catchers).
• Victoria Victrola – Blue Victrola – Event hosting specializing in music, tea, picnics, charcuterie, and whimsy.
• Bronica DeCarlo – Bronica Blue Art – Kink themed jewelry, like butt earrings, big rings that have kink-related statements on them, and similar items, many hand sculpted and molded.
• Anna Sthesia – Hidden Function – Queening chairs and other BDSM/kink objects, hidden in plain sight and discreetly disguised as “normal,” high-end home furniture.

The District is proud to be able to help leather community folk start and build their businesses.

Learn more about the program, or sign up for the next Cohort.

The June meeting of the Diversity Committee has been canceled. The next meeting will be on Thursday, July 3, from 6 to 7 pm.  Diversity Committee Facebook event.  Diversity Committee Zoom link.  Contact the Committee chair to get on the mailing list for this Committee, or for more info!

The next meeting of the Communications Committee will be Thursday, June 12, from 6 to 7 pm.  Communications Committee Zoom link.  Facebook page. Contact the committee chair to get on the mailing list for this Committee, or for more info!

The next meeting of the Land Use Committee will be on Monday, June 16, at 6;00 pm. Land Use Committee Meeting Zoom Link. Facebook page.  Contact the committee chair for more info, or to join this Committee.

The next meeting of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Board of Directors will be Wednesday, June 18, 2025, from 6 to 8 p.m. As always, all are welcome to attend, and time is reserved for public comment.  ASL interpretation provided if requested ten days in advance. To participate, use the Board of Directors Meeting Zoom link, or call 1-408-638-0968 and use Meeting ID: 847 8906 0820 and Passcode: 972086.  Board Meeting Facebook page.  Draft agenda.  Minutes of past Board meetings. Please contact manager@sflcd.org if you have questions.

The Arts and Culture Committee is now meeting on the third Thursday of the month to allow committee members to participate in SOMA Nights. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 19, from 6 to 7 pm.  Arts and Culture Committee Facebook page.. Zoom link.   Please contact the Committee chair to get on the mailing list for this Committee, or for more info!

The District’s second Town Hall of 2025 is set for Saturday, June 21, 1 – 3 pm, at the Folsom Street Community Center.  For details, please visit Town Hall.

The next free walking tour of SOMA is Sunday, June 22, starting at 1 pm.  it’s called ‘SOMA Origins: Bars, Bathhouses and Beyond’, it starts at the corner of Ringold Alley and 9th Street, and lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. We walk just under a mile, and there are no hills. It is free, but registration is required. Learn more and register here.

The next SOMA NIGHT will be Thursday, June 26, starting at 5 pm, organized by the SOMA West CBD, with over 20 business participating, plus a special fashion show, music, and vendors,  Enjoy special offerings and discounts at the bars, stores, and restaurants between 6th and 8th streets on Folsom from 5 to 9 pm, then party in the Cultural District until 2 am.  Visit soma-nights.com/ for more details.

On Sunday, June 29, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District will be hosting  Leather Alley at Pride!  We will have kinky demos, DJ music, sampling house top stations, open air play area, and club tables to foster community building. Sign up to volunteer here.