Why Become a Member?

Why should you become a member of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District?

 
  • To have input on decisions that impact our leather/kink community;
  • To amplify our community’s voice to city leaders, developers, & media;
  • To help us apply for corporate or government grants;
  • To receive news about issues affecting the Cultural District;
  • To support local businesses, artists, and nonprofit organizations;
  • To create connections with fellow leather/kink folks;
  • To discover ways to get more involved.

Learn more about what the District has been doing, and what it is planning

Become a Member! 

 

“Keep SOMA Kinky” at the Folsom Street Fair

On Sunday, September 27, the all-virtual Folsom Street Fair will be delivered to your lap, including the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District’s contribution:  an interactive, fun: 

Keep SOMA Kinky Arcadefeaturing our first-ever
Fetish Runway! 

Click here for Arcade Info

Click here for Quick Fetish Runway Info

Click here for Full Fetish Runway Rules

Click here for info about Volunteering

Click here to sign up to Volunteer

Click here for the Schedule of Events

Click here for the Folsom Street Fair Web site


Our celebrity Masters of Ceremonies will be:

AJ Huff 
AJ Huff is a kinky, diverse, rubber and leather fetishist. He’s the current elected Mr. Rubber San Francisco 2020 and also the incumbent Mr. Powerhouse Leather 2019.
11:00 am – 1:30 p.m.
Ashlé Blow
Member and lover of San Francisco’s Queer and kink communities.
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
mrPam
Award-winning gay adult filmmaker and GayPornMama
1:30 – 4:00 p.m.

The Arcade Experience

  • Enter the “Keep SOMA Kinky” Arcade from the Virtual Folsom Street Fair
  • Sunday September 27, 2020.  Open 11 am to 6 p.m.
  • Stay as long as you like
    • Unless we get close 100 people in the Arcade,
    • In which case you may get booted out. 
  • It’s all free, courtesy of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District

The “Keep SOMA Kinky” Arcade is a Zoom meeting, with a main room and multiple breakout rooms:

  • In the main room:
    • Meet our Master of Ceremonies
    • Get comfortable with the Zoom options:  turn your camera on and relax!
    • Show off what you are wearing!
    • Use Chat to cruise each other. 
    • Hear about what’s happening in the breakout rooms
    • Hear about what’s happening in the Cultural District 
    • Play SOMA Trivia:
      • Listen for a Popup Question about SOMA history, leather culture, BDSM practices and safety, etc.
      • Be the first to write in the answer in the chat window and earn 2 points
      • If you wish, earn extra points with Bonus Questions
      • Keep answering until you get one wrong.
      • Earn the highest score for the hour and win $20
      • Earn the highest score for the day and win $100
        • Privately chat your email address to the host to collect your prize
    • At 2:00 p.m., enjoy the Fetish Runway
      • Enter with a video in advance or live via zoom.
      • Winners in four categories
        • Most Creative
        • Most Outrageous
        • Most Erotic
        • Best in Show
      • Full rules and details at https://sfleatherdistrict.org/runway/.
      • Winners announced at 5:30 p.m.
  • In the Porn Riffing Room:
    • View favorite classic porn in a wide range of categories
    • Items selected by our kinky porn curators
    • Non-commercial, non-copyright, amateur, demo clips, etc.
    • Pretend you are on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and riff!
      • Add your own dialog
      • Comment on the room furnishings, camera work, etc.
      • Get snarky!
      • Or just watch and enjoy!
  • In the Consent Cubicles
    • Flirt and cruise in the main room
    • Pair up with a new friend or total stranger
    • Ask the Host to assign you to a private breakout room
      • Command!
      • Obey!
      • Do whatever the fuck you want!  
    • Keep it safe, sane and consensual!
    • Leave anytime and return to the main room

Act now! 
Prepare and submit your
kinky creation for our
Fetish Runway. 

The Fetish Runway

  • A highlight of the “Keep SOMA Kinky Arcade”
  • A chance to show off your gear and/or your kink! 
  • Display your creation, and maybe what you like to do while wearing it. 
  • Your creation can be:
    • a full outfit,
    • a single garment,
    • some kind of gear,
    • a BDSM toy or fetish object
  • Either: submit a short video in advance
  • Or: show up and display your creation live for the crowd. 
    • You can show off at any time, but
    • Arrive at 1:45 p.m. if you want to be judged
  • Winners in four categories
    • Most Creative
    • Most Outrageous
    • Most Erotic
    • Best in Show
  • Full rules and details at https://sfleatherdistrict.org/runway/.
  • Winners announced at 5:30 p.m.
     

Volunteer Info

As you know, the Folsom Street Fair is going virtual this year, with an interactive multimedia online festival on Sunday, September 27, 2020, from 11 am to 6 pm.  There will be stages with music and gogo dancers, a cruising area, a vendor space, and so on.

And among the “Community Scenes” you will find the “Keep SOMA KinkyArcade, created by the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District, staffed by volunteers like you!

If you are interested in volunteering, please:

      • Read the options below,
      • Sign up here, then
      • Plan to attend one of our rehearsals:  Wednesday 9/23 at 6:00 p.m., and Saturday 9/26 at 5:00 p.m.  Zoom in here.  
What Kind of Volunteers Are needed?

We need volunteers to act as RoomMaster (“host”).  The RoomMaster acts as Zoom Meeting Host.  They will assign people to Breakout Rooms, and encourage Trivia players to enter their email address into chat.  They can mute or eject unruly guests.  RoomMasters should be experienced with Zoom Breakout Rooms, private chat, and other Zoom features.
Shifts available:
11 am to 12:00 noon
12 noon to 1:00 pm
1 pm to 2 pm
2 pm to 4 pm (Fetish Runway)
4 pm to 6 pm

We need volunteers to act as Stage Manager.  The Stage Manager hangs out in the main room, assists in responding to questions from guests in chat, pops into breakout rooms and reports back on how things are going, etc.  They may briefly cover for the Host while they take a quick break.  The Stage Manager is a co-host, and can mute or eject noisy or disruptive guests.    They should have a good computer and fast, reliable Internet.  Some experience with Zoom hosting desirable.   
S
hifts available:
11 am to 12:00 noon
12 noon to 1:00 pm
1 pm to 2 pm
2 pm to 4 pm (Fetish Runway) 
4 pm to 6 pm

We need a volunteer to act as Runway Participant Manager.  The Runway Participant Manager (who works a two-hour 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. shift) is assigned to the Green Breakout Room.  They greet guests who wish to appear in the Fetish Runway, and brief them on procedures.  They confirm that they have their cameras set properly, know how to unmute themselves, etc.  They coordinate with the Stage Manager, the Master of Ceremonies, and the RoomMaster (all in the Main Room), to cue the live participants.  Some experience dealing with fashion shows and models desirable.  
One shift available:
2 pm to 4 pm (Fetish Runway — Green Room)

We need Discussion Leaders for the Discussion Room.  Each leader should sign up for a specific one-hour time slot and a specific topic, so we can announce schedules online.  (We will help you select your topic.)  Volunteers will be given co-host status before entering the room, so that they can mute unruly guests, etc.  Volunteers should be good listeners; if they are opinionated and/or well-known and respected in the community, even better.
Shifts available:
12 noon to 1:00 pm
1 pm to 2 pm
4 pm to 5 pm
5 pm to 6 pm

We need volunteers to act as Porn Riffing hosts.  Volunteers should have a fair amount of suitable porn on their computer, and be comfortable using Zoom to screen-share it.  Porn used should NOT be recent, modern, commercial porn where our showing it might violate copyright:  Older, even vintage kinky porn would be ideal.  A slideshow-style display of still images would also work.  Ideally the volunteer should be capable of riffing on the porn, at least sufficiently to get guests doing it.
Shifts available:
1 pm to 2 pm
3 pm to 4 pm (actually starts whenever Runway ends)
4 pm to 5 pm
5 pm to 6 pm

We need Fetish Runway Judges. Although this show is “all in fun”, we would like our judges to comment (amusingly but not too cruelly, please) on the submitted presentations (both pre-submitted on video and presented live during the runway show).  After all have presented, judges will retire to the Green Breakout Room to select winners in four categories.
All positions now filled.

We need local personalities to act as Masters of Ceremonies: The MCs should be glib and friendly, and at least a little familiar with SOMA history and leather culture.   They will be greeting folks as they enter, talking about the breakout rooms and the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District. and hosting the SOMA Trivia game.  (Scripts or script notes will be provided.)  During the Fetish Runway, they also introduce the videotaped and live participants, and invite and wrangle judges’ comments. 
All positions now filled.


All volunteers need to be comfortable knowing that screen-capture or recording by guests of their participation is possible.  Volunteers are urged to dress interestingly, and to provide suitable real or virtual backgrounds for themselves.   This will be an adult (18+) space, so self-censorship is not required.  

Volunteers who sign up using the link below will receive emails with details of how to log on and enter the Arcade.   Additional materials for volunteers are available here:

      • Tips for Volunteers
      • Scripts for Masters of Ceremonies, Stage Managers, and RoomMasters 

If you would like to volunteer, please click here:

Sign Up to Volunteer!

If you have problems with the Volunteer Form…
Or if you have questions or concerns…
Or want to discuss details of your participation…

…Please contact David Hyman directly via
email (arts-chair@sflcd.org),
phone or text (1-415-652-6790), or
Facebook (facebook.com/davidhyman415).  


“Keep SOMA Kinky” Arcade sCHEDULE:

11:00:  Arcade Opens.  Welcomes and SOMA Trivia in Lobby. 

11:00 – 1:30:   Master of Ceremonies:  AJ Huff 

1:00:  Porn Riffing Room opens. Consent Cubicles open.  SOMA Trivia continues.

1:30 – 4:00:  Master of Ceremonies:  mrPam

2:00:  Fetish Runway Begins.  Porn Riffing Room and Consent Cubicles close.  “Live on Zoom” participants sent to Green Breakout Room to prepare.  MC introduces video and live presenters, more or less alternately, until all have been seen, or 4:00 p.m. arrives.

When Fetish Runway Ends (or 4:00 p.m.): Porn Riffing Room and Consent Cubicles open.  SOMA Trivia resumes in main lobby.  Judges Deliberate in Green Breakout Room.

4:00 – 6:00:  Master of Ceremonies:  Ashlé Blow

5:00 Porn Riffing, and Consent Cubicles and SOMA Trivia continue.

5:30:  Winners Announced.

6:00:  All rooms close.  

Town Hall Meeting

Thanks for attending our Town Hall!

If you missed it, OR if you did not get a chance to give input on all the topics you care about, please use our
Community Input form !

Attend Town Hall!

This meeting was a key step in the creation of our District’s Cultural History, Housing and Economic Sustainability Strategies (CHHESS) report, which will guide our organization’s efforts — and help shape San Francisco city policy and priorities — for the next 3 to 5 years.

The Town Hall included this presentation about our CHHESS report by Julia Sabory, from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD):

 

The meeting also included breakouts session, with focus groups on the following topics:

Historic Preservation
Preserve and develop cultural and historic buildings, businesses, organizations, traditions, arts, events, & district aesthetics.

Tenant Protections
Protect tenants from displacement and promote affordable housing & homeownership.

Arts & Culture
Attract and support artists and cultural enterprises.

Economic & Workforce Development
Promote jobs, tourism and economic opportunities that stabilize the district’s economy.

Land Use
Create City regulations, tools and programs that support businesses & industries that advance the cultural district.

Cultural Competency
Promote culturally and appropriate City Services, policies, and narratives.