Sydney Leather Men Incorporated (SLM) was born out of a desire to revive the once vibrant and robust gay leather scene in Sydney. As a community organisation, our mission has been to create affinity spaces for gay male and male identifying Leather Men. Sydney Leather Men had previously existed within the scene many years ago but was no longer active, so a new iteration of SLM was created.
The 2010s witnessed a significant downturn in the Sydney leather and fetish scene, resulting in the quieting of the Sydney Leather Pride Association (SLPA) and the closure of our traditional gathering venues. The decline was notable, with Sydney’s once-proud standing as a stronghold for the country’s leather scene seeming to have faltered.
Taking advantage of the quiet solitude brought on by COVID-19 lockdowns, the founding SLM committee consisting of Mick Watson, Igor Rudar, Peter Rayner and Raymond VZ spent two years consulting with community members, identifying what was missing and what could be improved. This community consultation led to the birth of SLM in 2022, as lockdowns lifted. SLM was designed to be more than a club – it was a safe haven for like-minded leather men to gather, socialise, bond, and to reinvigorate a sense of leather brotherhood.Inspired by global Leather Men groups, SLM was committed to revitalizing the Australian, particularly Sydney’s leather culture, which had noticeably declined over the years.
We recognised our city’s fall from the pinnacle of Australian Leather scene to recently being considered the third or fourth destination for leather enthusiasts. We were resolved to rectify this through regular social events often in public spaces designed to provide a visibility factor of the leather and fetish community. SLM founding committee members were envious of the specific nature of the Cigar and Leather and Denim culture so popular overseas and lacking in Australia.
In early 2022, SLM was approached to take part in resurrecting the Sydney Leather Title, positioning the group as the ‘Club House’ for the titleholder. This initiative aligned perfectly with our vision, and in March 2023, a new Sydney Mr Leather was independently chosen after a seven-year hiatus.
August 2023, SLM proudly assisted in funding Sydney Leather Weekend, a milestone in our commitment to restore Sydney into a premier destination for the global leather community. By 2024, with the support of community partners, we again supported SLW24 which has now been extended into Sydney Leather WEEK! Together, we are reigniting the spark of the leather culture in Sydney, fostering inclusivity, community, and pride.
In November 2023 we become a registered and incorporated non profit community organisation in NSW becoming Sydney Leather Men Incorporated. Our Inaugural committee was made up of the four founders and other supportive members. Mick Watson (President), Pete Rayner (VP/Secretary), Ian Wall (Treasurer), Raymond Van Der Zalm (Public Officer), Stephen Green (Committee) and Igor Rudar (Community Liaison).
Our logo was designed in late 2021 when we engaged Marken Hosting to provide backend website support and some initial design. The brief was to keep it simple and embrace colours of the leather pride flag but in a way that you couldn’t miss who we were and what we are about. Our text logo was one of several options presented and we agreed that it best represented the first phases of our development and growth and embraced some of the key aspects we had wanted, yes it may appear to be boring or lacking creativity to some but it makes it clear who we are and why. The round variations of the logo were created for social media channels and are often used in some marketing referencing SLM.
SLM welcomes new, aspiring or curious men to the Leather scene and aim to provide a friendly, welcoming and safe environment for them to become involved and confidently make a decision on if the gay leather men’s scene is right for them. SLM Inc is primarily a Leather, Denim, Uniform and Boots Club.
All financial members, social media group members, event attendee’s and guests are expected to adhere to a set of rules. These rules include our Inclusion Policy, Conflict Resolution Policy, Consent policy and a Code of Conduct or Group Rules. It is a condition of being part of our events and social media channels that you adhere to all rules and requirements as set out on this website.
