Leather Community

The leather community is a subculture built around leather as an aesthetic, erotic, and identity-forming material, and around the kink and BDSM practices often linked to it. It took shape in US cities after World War II, growing out of motorcycle clubs like the Satyrs Motorcycle Club, founded in Los Angeles in 1954, and later out of leather bars, runs, and title contests such as International Mr. Leather. Members have long emphasized values like trust, mentorship, and consent. The community also played an outsized role in AIDS relief in the 1980s, creating early fundraisers and care networks. Once centered on gay men, it has become more gender-inclusive and intergenerational over time.