LeatherWalk Launches LeatherWeek

An estimated 125 members of the Leather, kink and queer communities gathered at City Hall on Sunday morning for LeatherWalk 2023.

LeatherWalk 2023 gathering at Oasis, photo by Dave Fong.

We walked together to celebrate leather, kink, family and community — all while raising funds for the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.

This year’s top fundraiser was Reika Faust, and she will receive the coveted 2023 LeatherWalk Kinky Boot Award.

The walk began at SF City Hall, where we were welcomed by District Six Supervisor Matt Dorsey.  We proceeded down and across Market Street  and through SOMA, with refreshment, entertainment and shopping stops at Oasis, Hole in the Wall, Powerhouse, Azúcar Lounge, the Folsom Street Community Center, Leather Etc., Mr. S Leather, Lone Star Saloon, and SF Eagle.

We walked the length of the Ringold Leather History Walk, and paused for the Blessing of the Leathers by Faithful & Fabulous Minister John Brett at the Ringold Leather History Monument.

The Walk arrived at Eagle Plaza in time to join the Leather Pride Fest, to be welcomed by Mayor London Breed, and to participate in the celebratory raising of the Leather Pride Flag, heralding the beginning of 2023’s Leather Week.

Here are a few pictures from the Walk and the Festival.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Leather Fest (video by Norm Lynde)

Raising the Leather Flag (video by Huggybear)

A full gallery of pictures by Dave Fong can be found here.

An additional gallery of pictures, by Fire Dragon Photography, can be found here.

Leather Week 2023 Events

We are now in the heart of San Francisco’s 2023 Leather Week, which traditionally begins with LeatherWalk and climaxes with the Folsom Street Fair.

This year Leather Week is packed with parties, programs and other activities that celebrate our queer and kinky lives.  Here is an overview of some of these joyous events, with links to more information:

Items in red are produced by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.
Items in bold are free admission.  Donations or purchases welcome.

This list does not include many regular kinky weekly or monthly events (such as those listed here), nor some outside the San Francisco South of Market area.

Be sure to check out Andymatic’s Folsom Street Fair Party Guide for lots more information about the parties, and the spirit, of Leather Week.  Our thanks to Andy, and to Race Bannon for the info he shares on Race’s Bar.

Folsom Street Cleanup

The folks of TogetherSF have organized a weekly “West SOMA Cleanup”, on Saturday afternoons from 4 to 5 pm.

Volunteers meet at Driftwood (1225 Folsom St) to grab supplies and form a crew.

Stay afterwards for a free drink on the house!

Join the Civic Joy Fund, RefuseRefuseSF, Shine On, SF Public Works, and TogetherSF for this friendly neighborhood cleanup!

Kudos to Marc Morozumi of Mukunda Studios for all he’s done to make this happen.

Sign up now!.  Questions: info@refuserefusesf.org

Media Coverage for Cultural District

Here is a list of some of the references to the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural Districts – and San Francisco’s other Cultural Districts – in newspapers and other media.


9/4/2023:  Famed S.F. LGBTQ bar the Stud to reopen at new location SF Chronicle

8/21/2023:  “Leather Season Launches in San Francisco” in San Francisco Bay Times (page 34)  (image)

7/20/2023: “SF leather district board member resigns over tweets” in Bay Aera Reporter

7/5/2023: “SF leather district deals with vandalism” in Bay Area Reporter

April – June, 2023:  “San Francisco Cultural Districts” in SF Heritage News

11/30/2022: “Cultural districts offer entrepreneurial opportunities” in Bay Area Reporter

11/17/2022: “Erotic Storytelling Hour holds Trans Awareness Week edition” on KTVU Fox 2

10/3/2022:  “Additional sites eyed for SF leather history walk plaques” article in Bay Area Reporter

7/27/2022:  Bob Goldfarb’s Guest Editorial on “Up Your Alley” in the Bay Area Reporter.

4/14/2022:  Inclusion in SF Travel’s San Francisco Promotion

4/12/2022: Ravi Round the World features ED Bob Goldfarb and Honey Mahogany for SF Travel

3/31/2022:  SF Chronicle reports on community opposition to proposed Redistricting Map.

10/27/2021:  7×7 Magazine presents an overview of the hot spots of the entire South of Market area, with a nod to the Leather District.

10/21/2021:  San Francisco Bay Times features stories about the Cultural District on pages 3 (new Executive Director), page 27 (SOMA Second Saturdays), and page 34 (photos from SOMA Second Saturdays),.

10/11/2021: Bay Area Reporter covers the appointment of Bob Goldberg as LCD Executive Director

9/24/2021:  KQED Radio news covered LeatherWalk.  Listen here.

9/22/2021:  BAR reports on LeatherWalk and plans for MegaHood.

9/15/2021:  BAR looks back at LeatherWalk history.

7/19/2021:  BAR reports on the return of LeatherWalk, and other SOMA Leather news.  (Front Page image)

5/26/2021:  BAR reports on the election of Honey Mahogany as San Francisco Democratic Party Chair.

5/26/2021:  Bay Area Reporter reports on  the new Sylvester mural at Oasis.

5/17/2021:  SF Chronicle reports on the SF Eagle’s  imminent Historic Landmark Status.

4/19/2021: BAR reports about how Leather projects in San Francisco South of Market are advancing (also available  here).

4/8/2021:  The  BAR reports that the Board of Supervisors have approved the Leather District plaques resolution.

3/18/2021:  An article in Hear/Say about “How San Francisco’s Cultural Districts Work”

2/2/2021:  The Bay Area Reporter reports on the passage of the resolution by the Board of Supervisors.

2/1/2021:  CBS reports on the Board of Supervisor’s vote on the SF Eagle landmark designation.

1/27/21:  SF Weekly reports on the hearing on Landmark Status for the SF Eagle bar.

1/27/21:  The Bay Area Reporter reports on  actions to preserve and protect the SF Eagle bar.


12/16/2020:  The Bay Area Reporter covers controversy regarding the Big Belly Trash cans.


9/ 23/20:  The Bay Area Reporter has a new article about the planned Sidewalk Plaques, which you can read here.


8/3/2020:  The Bay Area Reporter reports on our hiring of Cal Callahan as our District Manager.


2/12/20:  A very nice write up appeared in the Bay Area Reporter about the Bar Crawl we held on February 6, 2020, during which LCD Board and supporters visited five landmark venues within the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District with District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney and other city officials.


9/22/19: The  Bay Area Reporter covers the raising of the Leather Flag in Eagle Plaza.


8/14/19:  The Bay Area Reporter did a full roundup of the three queer Cultural Districts.


3/3/2019:  The Los Angeles Times has printed a lengthy and excellent article about the district:  2019-03-03 – LA Times about District.

A companion video is viewable here.


6/3/18:  The Bay Area Reporter covered our historic ribbon-cutting event.


4/25/18:  The hearings at City Hall were covered by the Bay Area Reporter.



Please send additional items to Web@sflcd.org.  If you are a media representative and would like to contact us for any reason, please write to info@sflcd.org.  Thanks!