San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley
The San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley consists of four works of art that honor the history of gay and lesbian leather culture in South of Market, San Francisco. The art is embedded in Ringold Street, an alley between 8th and 9th Street. The installation opened in 2017. The alley is part of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District.
Part of the art installation, including a stone marker for Stormy Leather (women-owned leather store)
Bronze bootprint inlaid in the sidewalk as part of the San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley, honoring Sam Steward.
Leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities that involve leather garments, such as leather jackets, vests, boots, chaps, harnesses, or other items. Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures. Many participants associate leather culture with BDSM practices and its many subcultures. For some, black leather clothing is an erotic fashion that expresses heightened masculinity or the appropriation of sexual power; love of motorcycles, motorcycle clubs and independence; and/or engagement in sexual kink or leather fetishism.
One of three prototype leather pride flags, created by Tony DeBlase in 1989, on display at the Leather Archives & Museum.
Leathermen at Cologne Pride, 2014
Cockring, now closed, was a popular leather and sex club in Amsterdam's Warmoesstraat.