A panel discussion with Race Bannon, Joe Gallagher, Eric Paul Leue, and Graylin Thornton
Is a Leather title necessary to take a leadership role? What compels contestants to run? What do we expect of titleholders and how has that changed over time? Are titleholders meeting the BDSM/Leather/Fetish community’s expectations? Are there too many title contests? Join us and our panel of title holders and community leaders for a conversation on these questions and more. There will be time for questions from the audience.
How do you feel about Leather titles? What do title holders do today? What should titleholders do? Share your thoughts with us!
Are Leather Titles Necessary? is the topic for the Leathermen's Discussion Group to start at 7:30 PM, Wednesday, January 28 in the Mr. S Studio, 358 A Eighth Street, San Francisco, California.
RSVP on Facebook. View more on http://www.SFLDG.org
Panelists
Race Bannon
Kinky sex has been one of Race Bannon’s passions as a practitioner, organizer, writer, educator, commentator, activist and leader since his first explorations of the Leather world starting in 1973. Race’s accomplishments include co-founder of the Kink Aware Professionals referral service; leader of The DSM Project that began to change how psychotherapy professionals view kink; author of Learning The Ropes: A Basic Guide to Safe and Fun BDSM Lovemaking; founder of Daedalus Publishing Company, the first company dedicated to publishing nonfiction Leather/SM/Fetish books; prolific writer; former sex advice columnist; former producer and host of the first kink internet talk show Bound To Talk; past board member of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, NLA: International and Avatar Club Los Angeles; co-founder of NLA: Los Angeles; and member of Chicago Hellfire Club, The 15 Association, and Society of Janus.
Eric Paul Leue
Eric Paul Leue was born an East Berliner in 1986. He has been in the Leather community since he was 18, first in Berlin, then London and now in his hometown, Los Angeles. He went on to be awarded Mr. LA Leather after placing first in the Eagle LA Mr. Leather title. He visited more than 40 communities in the US and Europe in the course of his title year and judged more than 20 contests.
Joe Gallagher
Joe Gallagher, a native of Philadelphia and a proud gay Leatherman, had the honor in 1996 to represent New York as Mr. Leather New York, winning the title of International Mr. Leather that same year. He is an outspoken proponent of sexual freedom, using his year as IML to speak to BDSM and Leather communities across the US and Canada about the importance of being out about who we are and what turns us on. The first IML to come out as HIV-positive, Joe was on the board of Gay Male S/M Activists from 1996 to 1998, the year he moved to San Francisco. He was founder and publisher of the legendary Leatherpage (.com) from 1997 to 2009, which served during those years as the website of record for the Leather and BDSM communities. In 2004, he opened Joe’s Barbershop in the Castro, now celebrating its 10th anniversary. Joe and his husband Mike married in Brooklyn in 2011.
Graylin K. Thornton
Graylin K. Thornton, International Mr. Drummer 1993 (the only African-American to hold that title), is currently a board member of Leathermen's Discussion Group and produces their annual Fetish Fair Weekend. In 2009 Graylin received both the National Gay Lesbian Task Force Leather Leadership Award and a Pantheon of Leather Award. Graylin was honored to be chosen the Official Community Grand Marshall for the 2011 San Francisco Pride Parade.
Upcoming LDG Events
February 25 - Puppy Play with Brue
March 21 - Home Dungeon Tour of San Francisco (Tentative)
April 22 - Richtrove.com 10th Anniversary
The Leathermen's Discussion Group is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to presenting quality educational programs for the men's Leather/Fetish/Gear community and our allies; even our venue and our presenters' time are donated.
LDG programs start promptly at 7:30 PM. Leather, rubber, gear, fetish wear, even nudity always encouraged, never required. No admission charge and open to all adults.
Most LDG programs are video-recorded. Ample seating is provided out of camera range. If you are hard of hearing or have low vision, please send a message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will attempt to seat you closer to our presenter.
The Leather Journal was founded in May, 1987. The Leather community was hungry for news magazine that covered clubs, organizations and events. TLJ has successfully met that need for 34 years. We have adapted to change more than once and when the Internet came about we were there by adding www.TheLeatherJournal.com
