| Formation | 2009 (2009) |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Honor contributors to leather and BDSM community |
| Location | |
| Website | leatherhalloffame |
The Leather Hall of Fame is an institution founded in 2009 to honor persons and entities who have made significant contributions to the leather and BDSM communities.[1]
About
The Leather Hall of Fame was developed by leather community activists Bob Miller, Jeff Willoughby, and Race Bannon in collaboration with anthropologist Gayle Rubin as a way to recognize key figures in leather history. The first induction ceremony was held during Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend in 2009.[2][3]
In addition to the founders,[4][5] past and current selection committee members have included leather activist V. M. Johnson,[6] researcher Robert Bienvenu,[7] and therapist Guy Baldwin.[8]
Inductees
Inductees of the Hall of Fame can be any individuals, organizations, or institutions that have made contributions to the leather community and the history of kinky subcultures since 1950, with contributions beginning at least 25 years ago.[2][9][10]
| Name | Inductee year | Area of achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Chuck Renslow | 2009 | Photographer and co-founder of the Leather Archives & Museum[11][12][13] and the International Mr. Leather competition |
| Tom of Finland | 2009 | Artist |
| John Willie | 2009 | Artist and photographer |
| Tony DeBlase | 2010 | Author and designer of the leather pride flag |
| Frank Olson & Don Morrison | 2010 | Founders of the first Eagle NYC bar[14] |
| Satyrs Motorcycle Club | 2010 | One of the oldest continuously operating gay organizations in the United States[15] |
| Bob Milne | 2011 | |
| The Eulenspiegel Society | 2011 | First BDSM organization founded in the United States[16] |
| Leonard Burtman | 2011 | Creator of Exotique magazine |
| Samuel Steward | 2012 | Tattoo artist and pornographer |
| Irving Klaw | 2012 | Pin-up photographer |
| Guy Baldwin | 2012 | Psychotherapist and author |
| Dom Orejudos | 2013 | Artist, dancer, and choreographer |
| Alan Selby | 2013 | Known as "the Mayor of Folsom Street"[17] |
| Monique Von Cleef | 2013 | Author |
| Cynthia Slater | 2014 | Sex educator and HIV advocate[18] |
| John Embry | 2014 | Co-founder of Drummer |
| Chicago Hellfire Club | 2014 | One of the oldest BDSM leather organizations in the United States[19] |
| Pat Bond & Terry Kolb | 2015 | Co-founders of The Eulenspiegel Society |
| Jeanne C. Barney | 2015 | Author, co-founder of Drummer |
| Felix Jones | 2015 | Founder of SNC London |
| James (Jim) Kane | 2016 | Early leatherman[20][21] |
| Jim Steward | 2016 | BDSM gear designer |
| Larry Townsend | 2016 | Author |
| MSC Hamburg e. V. | 2017 | Club |
| Peter Fiske | 2017 | Author |
| Durk Dehner | 2017 | Co-founder of the Tom of Finland Foundation |
| Black Leather ... In Color zine | 2018 | Leather magazine written by and for people of color[22] |
| Society of Janus | 2018 | Nonprofit educating about power exchange |
| International Mr. Leather | 2018 | Leather title competition |
| Leather Archives and Museum | 2019 | Community archives, library, and museum[23] |
| Fakir Musafar | 2019 | Performance artist |
| Samois | 2019 | First lesbian BDSM group in the United States |
| Pauline Réage | 2020 | Author of Story of O |
| Jim Ward | 2020 | Body piercer |
| MLC Munich | 2020 | Club |
| Jack McGeorge | 2021 | BDSM advocate and educator |
| Jack Jackson | 2021 | Founder and president of the Eulenspiegel Society |
| SM Gays | 2021 | One of London's first gay men's support groups with a focus on BDSM[24] |
| The 15 Association | 2022 | One of the oldest BDSM clubs, founded in 1980[25] |
| Gay Male S/M Activists (GMSMA) | 2022 | Organization for gay men focused on BDSM in New York[26] |
| REX | 2022 | Artist |
| SNC London | 2023 | First gay motorcycle/leather club in Europe[27] |
| John Sutcliffe | 2023 | Fashion designer |
| Robert Meijer | 2023 | Fashion designer |
| Dave Rhodes | 2024 | |
| Jill Carter | 2024 | The first Black International Ms. Leather |
| Constance Slater | 2024 | Author and owner of Dressing for Pleasure Exotic Boutique[28] |
| Geoff Mains | 2025 | Author |
| Charles Guyette | 2025 | Fetish fashion designer |
| Drummer Magazine | 2025 | Leather fetish magazine |
| Catherine Robbe-Grillet | 2026 | Writer and dominatrix[29] |
| Race Bannon | 2026 | Leather organizer and activist[30] |
| Master Taíno | 2026 | Leather organizer[31] |
See also
References
- Rhodes, Dave (December 11, 2017). "Leather Hall of Fame 2018 Inductee List". The Leather Journal. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Nomis, Anne O (January 28, 2023). "My first "Leather Hall of Fame" Selection Committee meeting". The History & Arts of the Dominatrix. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Miller, Bob (October 15, 2020). "The Leather Hall of Fame in 14 Dates". Permanent Marks. 1. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- "Meet The Board". Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District. SOMArts. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- ""Is Leather Dead? Does It Need to Die?"". San Francisco Leathermen's Discussion Group. July 27, 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Johnson, Ruby B. (February 10, 2022). "Viola Johnson: Interview with Ruby B. Johnson, LCSW". National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- "The Carter-Johnson Library & Collection". Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities (CARAS). July 1, 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- "Selection Committee". Leather Hall of Fame. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Rhodes, Dave (December 14, 2014). "Leather Hall of Fame announces inductees". The Leather Journal. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- "Inductees". Leather Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- Shapiro, Gregg. (2011). "Leatherman's man: an interview with Chuck Renslow's biographer Owen Keehmen". Outlook: Columbus. 16 (1). LGBT Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost: 48. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
- "About the LA&M - Leather Archives & Museum". Leatherarchives.org. Archived from the original on 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- Ridinger, Robert (2005). "Founding of the Leather Archives & Museum". LGBT History, 1988-1992 [serial online]. LGBT Life with Full Text, EBSCOhost: 33–36.
- "Interview with New York's original leather daddies: Frank Olson and Don Morrison". Fire Island Pines Historical Society. January 7, 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Sacher, Andy; De Simone, Tom; Wang, Teresa; Lopez, Melissa; Tran, Diem (2011). Lavender Los Angeles. Arcadia Publishing. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-7385-7490-5.
- Margot Weiss (20 December 2011). Techniques of Pleasure: BDSM and the Circuits of Sexuality. Duke University Press. pp. 8–. ISBN 978-0-8223-5159-7.
- Guthrie, Julian (2004-05-11). "Alan Selby -- beloved leader in leather community / 'Daddy Alan' is remembered for gregarious, generous spirit". SFGate. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- Happening Out Television Network (April 20, 2026). "Queer God Squad Remembers BDSM & HIV Advocate Cynthia Slater". Hot Spots Magazine. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Forman, Ross (July 14, 2010). "The Chicago Hellfire Club: A closer look". Windy City Times. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- "KANE, "DRUMMER," AND DEBLASE — Rick Storer, Leather Archives & Museum". San Francisco Leathermen's Discussion Group. October 22, 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- "Leathersex Underground & the Formation of a Subculture: The Michele Buchanan and Jim Kane Digitization Project". CLIR Hidden Collections registry. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- Street, Mikelle (February 12, 2021). "We Submit: 4 Queer People Diversifying the Leather Scene". Them. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Clingenpeel, Zachary (February 13, 2020). "Museum works to smash stigma against BDSM, kink culture". The Columbia Chronicle. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
- Jepson, Chris (September 22, 2011). "SM GAYS TURNS 30". QX Men. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- Bannon, Race (February 18, 2015). "The 15 Association". The Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- "Brian O'Dell Papers". LGBT Community Center National History Archive. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- Rhodes, Dave (December 14, 2014). "Leather Hall of Fame announces inductees". The Leather Journal. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- "Kaleidoscope: Sex, Healing and S&M". Between the Covers Rare Books Inc. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- Vanity Fair (January 10, 2014). "An Exclusive Interview with France's Most Famous Dominatrix, Catherine Robbe-Grillet". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- "Race Bannon, Producer". Center for Independent Documentary. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- Najafi, Yusef (July 25, 2007). "Slave Masters". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 3 July 2026.