Uncategorized – LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

June 13, 2025June 13, 2025

Leather Alley at Root of Pride

We are thrilled to announce that we are hosting this year’s Leather Alley within “Root of Pride” at SF Pride on Sunday!

Join us in the sun as we celebrate sexual diversity, freedom, and the breadth of leather and kink! Let us take it to the street, where we will be unabashedly authentic in who we are, surrounded by our community and proudly stating that “We are HERE!”

This year’s Leather Alley features:

– Community: Visit booths from local kink and leather organizations
– Sampler: Try a new experience
– Open Air Play: Make use of our kink furniture
– Vibes: Live DJs! We proudly welcome DJ Sucia and DJ Beat Rider!

Whether you’re curious, connected, or just kink-positive, this is the place to explore, learn and play.

Volunteer with Leather Alley!

We’re looking for awesome folks to help out—collecting donations, handing out snacks + water, keeping things tidy, signing waivers, and spreading good vibes. Be a Leather Alley ambassador and show your pride!

volunteersignup.org/EJER3

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District:

We exist to ensure there is a lively and vibrant home for our community of events, businesses, bars and organizations in SOMA.

Our communities need and deserve safe spaces to gather, shop and play, now more than ever, we intend to keep that alive in San Francisco!

What we do:

Keeping SOMA Kinky and Queer by lobbying city hall to allow bathhouses, installing public art like murals, leather pride flags on light poles, activating community artists and performers, continuing economic development through our Entrepreneur Program, and producing events and walking tours.

June 1, 2025June 1, 2025

Town Hall Taking Place on June 21

LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Town Hall
Saturday, June 21, 1 to 3 pm
at the
Folsom Street Community Center
1286 Folsom Street
Everyone welcome!
Free!

We exist to ensure there is a lively and vibrant home for our community of events, businesses, bars and organizations in SOMA.

Twice a year, we hold “Town Halls”, to share information with our community and get feedback.

- Learn what the Cultural District has been doing!
- Hear our plans for the year to come!
- Share your experiences and aspirations for the Cultural District!
- Give us feedback. Your opinions matter to us!
- Enjoy refreshments!
- Become a member, and receive our new Cultural District Pin!
- Everyone welcome!
- Free!

Our communities need and deserve safe spaces to gather, shop and play, now more than ever, we intend to keep that alive in San Francisco!

May 29, 2025May 31, 2025

Safety Committee Formed

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.

May 29, 2025June 1, 2025

Advocacy, Action, Safety

On Thursday, May 29, the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District sponsored a multi-part discussion on the actions folks can take now for their personal safety, advocating for our community and overdose prevention.

Roughly 30 community members attended. They viewed a brand new video produced by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence entitled ” Safety First, Sexy Second”, about ways to add a layer of personal safety to night life and encounters with new people.

Race Bannon offered important suggestions for advocacy for our community, including meaningful actions we can take to move our community’s interest forward in this perilous time. A copy of his Advocacy Tips page can be found here.

Brent Heinze discussed the Safety Blows campaign, and distributed safety whistles to all,

Unfortunately, Ms. SF Leather Madam Folly was unable to attend, but free Narcan and Fentenyl test strips were offered, and a video slide show about how to use them was shown.

The event also introduced Robert Costic and Darius Taylor, who are heading up the Cultural District’s new Safety Committee, Attendees were invited to join this committee, which will be meeting on the first Monday of each month, starting on June 2nd at 6pm.

There was time for Q&A, and a number of timely announcements.

Overall, the event addressed issues that have recently become critical to our communities in these uncertain times — a time when we need to band together to protect ourselves and each other.