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SouthEast LeatherFest (SELF) is an annual adult fetish event for the BDSM, leather, and kink communities based in the United States' Southeast and centered in Georgia with regional and smaller related events held throughout the year.
SouthEast LeatherFest (SELF) was started in 1995 by Jack Stice, International Master 1995. It was concepted as a BDSM, Master/slave event to welcome all sections of the SM communities, highlighting on the Leather. Modeled after International Mister Leather and Drummer SELF added classes to this model. It began as a 2.5 day event with a bar crawl Friday evening and classes hosted on Saturday. Since 1995 has been one of the largest sex education and BDSM education events in the southeast region of the United States openly supporting underground kink, fetish, BDSM, sex-positive, Master/slave, and Dominant/submission communities.
This event for the first time in Atlanta history brought together the straight and LGBTQIA+ communities. They worked together which had not previously happened at BDSM and Master/slave events in the area. While there had been events in the region for gay men, this was the first event to have all communities present. SELF is a charitable event that has donated approximately $290,000+ to charities and scholarships over the years. Some of these charities are the Leather Archives & Museum, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Carter/Johnson Library, and many more. Jack Stice was the founder of this event and the "Jack Stice Memorial Community Service Award" was given in his honor annually.
SouthEast LeatherFest (SELF) holds classes given by nationally known educators from across the country, holds a multiple spokesperson contests, and has various other activities for that promote community and pride. SELF is held in June in Atlanta. SELF spokesperson titles are referred to as Mr. SouthEast LeatherFest, Ms. SouthEast LeatherFest, SouthEast LeatherFest boy, Southeast Bootblack, Southeast Person of Leather, and SouthEast Master/slave, and in the past it was the home of the International Master and slave contest until 2001 and a number of titles. For all titles produced at SELF historically, please see: https://secure.seleatherfest.com/contests/titleholder-history
Lady Catherine G. has worked in various capacities on the event since the 90's and produced SELF since 2004. She has led the organization to expand its educational and social offerings. SELF, as of 2023, offers 200+ educational and social opportunities over four days. SELF is attended by 850+ persons a year and growing.
SELF started mini-grant program in 2007 which is a new program to invest regional money into local groups by funding speakers and educators to be brought to local communities that might not be able to afford it otherwise. This program was closed in 2011.
SELF has been nominated for "Pantheon of Leather Large Event of the Year" in (2005 - 2007) which means that this event has stood out from the other 100 events though independent peer review to be noted as one of five events that has been providing outstanding community service.
In 2014, SELF was the first leather contest in the country where a portion of each title contest was digital voting by the weekend participants. This continues to this day.
SELF has been reviewed and has supported the Leather Archives and Museum, a library/museum/archives pertaining to Leather sub culture, fetishism, Sadomasochism, and alternative sexual practices. The geographic collection scope is worldwide and includes all sexual orientations and genders. SouthEast LeatherFest is owned and produced by Catherine Gross. It is administered by a board of volunteers annually.
BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in by people who do not consider themselves to be practising BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community or subculture often is said to depend on self-identification and shared experience.
In gay culture, a bear is a man who is fat, hairy, or both.
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.
The Eulenspiegel Society, also known as TES, is the first BDSM organization founded in the United States. It was founded in 1971 and based in New York City.
BDSM is a variety of erotic practices involving dominance and submission, roleplaying, restraint, and other interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in by people who do not consider themselves as practicing BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community or subculture is usually dependent on self-identification and shared experience. Interest in BDSM can range from one-time experimentation to a lifestyle.
The leather pride flag is a symbol of leather subculture as well as kink and fetish subcultures more broadly, including BDSM. The flag was designed by Tony DeBlase in 1989.
Folsom Street Fair (FSF) is an annual BDSM and leather subculture street fair, held in September that concludes San Francisco's "Leather Pride Week". The Folsom Street Fair, sometimes referred to simply as "Folsom", takes place on the last Sunday in September, on Folsom Street between 8th and 13th Streets, in San Francisco's South of Market district.
This glossary of BDSM terms defines terms commonly used in the BDSM community.
Harvey John "Jack" McGeorge II was a Marine, a Secret Service Specialist, and a munitions analyst for the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), as well as being a frequently recognized regional leader for BDSM advocacy and education.
The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991, its mission is "making leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish accessible through research, preservation, education and community engagement." Renslow and DeBlase founded the museum in response to the AIDS crisis, during which the leather and fetish communities' history and belongings were frequently lost or intentionally suppressed and discarded.
Cecilia Tan is an American writer, editor, sexuality activist, and founder and manager of Circlet Press, which specializes in science fiction erotica, a once uncommon genre; its publications often feature BDSM themes. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1] She also writes about baseball, but is not to be confused with a writer of the same name who specializes in Asian cookbooks.
International Mr. Leather(IML) is a multi-day conference and competition celebrating the leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM communities. Established in 1979, IML is held annually in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, drawing thousands of contestants and spectators from around the world. As of 2024, 27 countries spanning six continents have competed.
V. M. Johnson, also known as Viola Johnson, born in 1950, is a leatherwoman, leather activist and author.
National Leather Association International (NLA-I) is a BDSM organization, based in the United States with chapters in various cities in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1986 as the "National Leather Association" (NLA), as a national integrated organization including gay leathermen, kinky heterosexuals and bisexuals, SM lesbians and transgender sadomasochists, and representing their interests in the face of prosecutions. Adding "International" to its name in 1991, the organization staged "Living in Leather" gatherings until 2002. After a period of decline around the turn of the millennium, NLA-I has become more active again and runs a series of awards for fiction and non-fiction writing. NLA-I's records can be found at the Leather Archives and Museum.
Guy Baldwin is an American psychotherapist, author, activist, and educator specializing in issues of particular relevance to the BDSM and leather communities. Based in Los Angeles, he maintains that inclusion of non-injurious elements of sadomasochism in a consenting sexuality does not itself indicate or confirm mental illness or psycho-sexual dysfunction.
Trevor H. Jacques was a Canadian author, activist, sex researcher, and IT consultant based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His research and writing were in the area of consensual BDSM, sexual fetishism and sexual health. He was also a BDSM switch.
The Oregon State Leather Contest is the largest leather title contest in Oregon. Starting in 1997 the contest has celebrated members of the BDSM and Leather community and beginning in 2015 the Pup community. In 2019 a Mx title was added and the Puppy title was changed to Oregon State Pet. The 501c3 "Oregon State Leather Contest has run the event which draws contestants from all over Oregon and SW Washington. Judges for the contest include local community leaders, former title holders, and international title holders. In 2021 the organization's board of directors voted to change the name of the organization from Blackout Leather Productions to Oregon State Leather Contest.
Robert J. Rubel also known as "Dr. Bob", is an American author and educational sociologist. He specializes in the area of alternative sexuality. He is the author of many books on the subject.
Tony DeBlase (1942–2000), also known as Anthony DeBlase, was part of the BDSM and leather subcultures. He was the designer of the leather pride flag.
Bootblacks take care of the boots, and garments such as leather jackets, vests, chaps, harnesses, as well as other gear of Leatherpeople and the BDSM community. With the establishment of local, regional and international bootblack contests in the 1990s and early 2000s, bootblacks have gained visibility as a subculture in their own right. Nowadays, bootblack stands as well as classes on bootblacking are common fixtures at events, contests, conferences and parties. Bootblacks are not only preserving the physical items but are also collecting the stories of their wearers. Therefore, bootblacks play a central role in the oral history of the leather scene. While outsiders often link bootblacking to service-oriented submission, Bootblacks might take on any role in a BDSM dynamic.
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