LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

For info about the 2024 Golden Dildeaux Awards, click here.

Golden Dildeaux Awards – $18k Raised for PRC

The 2023 Golden Dildeaux Awards ceremony filled the crowd with laughs at the banter between the MC’s, Dolan Wolf and Dixie De La Tour.  Entertainment was provided by Sadyst Payne.  Nominees and their friends and supporters filled the SF Eagle’s patio to see the awards presented, and snap pictures of the winners holding their “Woody” statuettes on the red carpet.

The races this year were hot and heavy and many categories were won by just a handful of votes.  We saw many top spots flip back and forth several times a day in the last week.  The LEATHER District would like to thank everyone who voted!  Results at the bottom of this post.

The April 22nd crowd at the SF Eagle brimmed with excitement and anticipation as 26 Woody statuettes were presented to those who got the most votes, including one for the highest fundraiser in a single category.

It was a record year, and a ceremonial check for $18,000 was presented to the PRC Emergency Financial Assistance fund, though a last minute update brought the total to $18,341.33.

Special awards were given to Jack Folchi and Lou Grosso, who were the tireless webmasters since 2007 and were extremely helpful in the transition to the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District’s acquisition of this beloved tradition.  We can’t thank them enough for their years of work and all their support this year!

Special recognition was offered to the Golden Gate Guards, who were the proud stewards of the awards from 1994 through 2022 and facilitated the transition of the awards to the District.

A shout out goes to Cody Elkins and Star D. Love: thank you for your years of service MC’ing the Awards through 2022.

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District would like to thank Bob Brown, Cal Callahan, Dixie De La Tour, Fire Dragon Photography, Jack Folchi, David Hyman, Lou Grosso, Jeff Johnson, Niko Kowell, Randy Maupin, Lex Montiel, Sean Moriarty, Bear Pad, Photo by Dot, Sadyst Payne, Eric See, and Dolan Wolf for all your efforts and contributions to making the Golden Dildeaux Awards a success!

Founded in 1974, by Mr. Marcus, these humorous, cheeky awards, poke fun and raise funds for charity.  The full history of the awards is available here.

Join us for our next event, our Audacious 5th Anniversary, May 6, 6-10pm @ Folsom Street Foundry, demos, entertainment, all free!

We have two photo galleries:  The pictures by Dot are below.

Pictures by Fire Dragon Photo are below:

2023 Award winners are listed below.  See past winners.

Mark your calendar!  May 6, 2023 is going to be a great day to spend in SOMA, enjoying these fun events:

Bare Chest Calendar Finals at DNA Lounge (375 Eleventh Street) 3 to 6 pm

Hosts Mark Paladini and Prince Wolf introduce you to the 20 Finalists as they compete to be on the 2024 Bare Chest Calendar, the 40th Edition! See them in their fantasy gear, get to know them better during the question and answer, and watch them strip their shirts off and bare their chests!

Ms. SF Eagle Leather Contest at the SF Eagle (398 12th St) 3 to 5 pm

Bratty Ms. San Francisco Eagle 2020 Tammy Lg Hatter invites you to be there to welcome the new MS SF Eagle Leather 2023!  In fact, it is not too late to join the competition!

The LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District 5th Anniversary Party at Folsom Street Foundry (1425 Folsom Street) 6 to 10 pm

This is a party you won’t want to miss, with tasty treats, kinky demos, classy performances, and the second annual Brazen Runway.  Details are here, and admission is free!

Filth, at the SF Eagle (398 12th St) 9 pm to LATE

After the Anniversary Party, head back to the SF Eagle for Filth. This monthly party highlights your filthiest desires, and this month’s hankie color is orange!  Host Randy Maupin urges you to celebrate your unrelenting and unrepentant fantasies, to dark, dirty, sleazy Disco, Hi-NRG, 80’s, and Bath House music.

All these events are within two blocks, so plan now to attend them all, and spend a kinky and queer afternoon, evening, and night in the LEATHER District!

At the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District Board meeting on March 15, 2023, it was unanimously agreed to add our signature and endoresment to the following statement, as drafted by Bay Area Workers Support and St. James Infirmary Health Clinic:

Public Statement: Bay Area Sex Workers and Advocates Call for Decriminalization, Not Legalization, in Response to SF Supervisor’s Statement on Sex Work

Bay Area sex workers and advocates appreciate San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen for acknowledging the challenges that those in the sex trade face and initiating policy about these issues. We strongly urge San Francisco and Oakland cities to partner with local sex workers, survivors, and community advocates, who have been engaged in this work for decades, when creating policies and programs for Bay Area residents in the sex trade.

Our Three Asks:

• • Decriminalize sex work instead of legalizing it, as punitive approaches have proven ineffective and violent.

• • Increase support of peer-led resources and services for Bay Area sex workers.

• • Collaborate with local sex workers, survivors, and community advocates to develop policies and programs prioritizing the safety and well-being of the sex worker community.

We welcome Ronen’s collaboration across the Bay with Oakland City Council member Nikki Fortunado Bass to establish more “comprehensive resources and services to sex workers.” We invite Supervisor Ronen, Councilmember Bass, and other policymakers to work with us and listen to the voices of sex workers and advocates such as Bay Area Workers Support, St. James Infirmary, and other public health, social justice, and harm reduction organizations that have signed onto this letter. The SF Bay Area has a strong legacy of sex worker rights and activism. Together, we can develop policies and programs that prioritize the safety and well-being of sex workers and the Bay Area neighborhoods we work.

It is important to recognize that reducing harm in the sex trade requires an intersectional approach that addresses the Bay Area’s housing crisis, economic opportunities, racial inequality, transgender discrimination, police violence, interpersonal partner violence, queer youth support, the foster care system, and other disparities. Additionally, reversing laws like FOSTA/SESTA, which have increased violence, exploitation, and economic instability for sex workers, is necessary. Reducing street prostitution can not happen by solely creating a policy. Until people can meet their material needs in other ways, outdoor prostitution will always exist.

San Francisco and Oakland’s latest response to deterring outdoor prostitution is to barricade the streets. This may temporarily relieve a neighborhood from seeing some sex work, but this is not a solution. This approach only pushes sex work to other blocks or underground, creating more opportunities for abuse and even more dangerous working conditions. In addition, the whole neighborhood faces impeded access to fire and emergency services and is a constant reminder of a hostile environment.

Legalization and decriminalization of sex work are two distinct concepts with different implications. Legalization involves government control and regulation of the industry, which still creates an underground “illegal” sect of the sex trade, increasing opportunities for exploitation and abuse of sex workers. Legalization may create obstacles for those who do not meet the legal requirements to work, such as undocumented people, those escaping violence, transgender individuals, and folks living in poverty, making them more susceptible to exploitation and abuse. Those who cannot comply with the regulations will be forced to work underground and still be criminalized and punished. To be clear, legalization disproportionately harms BIPOC, transgender, gender non-conforming, those living with violence, unhoused, and poor people in the sex trade. 

Decriminalizing sex work removes the punishment and stigma associated with it, allowing sex workers to access legal protections, health and social services, community support, and other resources that would improve working conditions, safety, and overall well-being. Decriminalization is supported and advocated for by World Health Organization (WHO), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, National Organization for Women (NOW), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Harm Reduction Coalition, DecrimCA, and the National Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP). It is important to note that decriminalization does not change laws against trafficking, coercion, sex with minors, and other forms of abuse.

We urge San Francisco and Oakland policymakers and neighborhood representatives to work with us and listen to the voices of sex workers and sex worker-led organizations to develop policies that prioritize the safety and well-being of all Bay Area residents. Decriminalization and providing resources would be a more equitable approach that respects the dignity and autonomy of sex workers while addressing the complex social, economic, and health issues associated with the sex trade.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Bay Area Workers Support
St. James Infirmary Health Clinic

With the support of:
National Harm Reduction Coalition
El/La Para TransLatinas
Rad Mission Neighbors
Democratic Socialists of America San Francisco
The SF Transgender Cultural District
LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

A fun beer bust at the SF Eagle on March 12, 2023 launched the campaigns of dozens of candidates for coveted, cheeky, Golden Dildeaux Awards.

Here are some pictures from the event, courtesy of Fire Dragon Photos: (Click on image for slideshow.)

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You can vote for your favorite candidates here.  Vote as often as you like, at $1 per vote (proceeds to PRC Emergency Assistance Fund).  Voting closes at 5 pm on April 21, and the Woody Award Show happens on April 22.  Full info is here.