RIP Chuck Renslow

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The staff and board of the Leather Archives & Museum are saddened to hear of Chuck Renslow’s passing. As LA&M’s co-founder, Chuck gave deeply and worked with great passion for over 26 years to save the names and faces of Leather, kink, BDSM and fetish people, communities, and history, and he fought to ensure that Leatherfolk were the ones who would “tell” their own stories so that they might better understand and bring enhanced visibility to “Leather history.” As co-founder, longtime President and, most recently, Chairman of the Board, Chuck has left his mark throughout our institution and touched each of us very deeply. He will be missed.

During this time of grieving and celebrating of Chuck’s life and contributions, LA&M will continue to hold its open museum hours. Beginning Saturday July 1st we will establish a temporary display of rare and remarkable items from Chuck’s private collection for visitors to view In the Etienne Auditorium.

For the next month, we will also have a letter writing station available during museum hours where folks can write letters to Chuck that we will then bundle and give to the Renslow Family. Those who cannot visit LA&M are welcome to write a letter or send a postcard to Chuck and mail it to us via the postal service at 6418 N. Greenview Ave., Chicago, IL 60626 USA. Letters via post only, please.

For those who wish to hold memorial or celebration services, we have created a page containing high resolution images of Chuck and a brief biography that is courtesy of IML, Inc. and with special thanks to Owen Keehnen. You can locate these resources here http://www.leatherarchives.org/renslow.html

In Leather,
LA&M’s Staff and Board of Directors

Original article

Rick Storer’s Farewell Speech at IML 2017

The Leather Archives & Museum announced today that Executive Director Rick Storer will resign to pursue new opportunities. The resignation will take effect June 11th, 2017.

Jon Krongaard, President of the LA&M said, “When Rick called to share the news with me, I was very surprised. And while I am saddened by his leaving for a new role in the Chicago LGBTQ Community, I am also grateful for his 15 years of amazing service to the LA&M. Under his leadership, we have grown in ways very few thought possible. We are well positioned for what I know to be an exciting and vibrant future. The Board of Directors will be announcing the formation of a search committee for a new Executive Director in very short order along with the naming of an interim Executive Director.”

Rick Storer joined the Board of the Leather Archives & Museum in 2001 and joined the staff as Executive Director in 2002. During his tenure the organization saw growth in the size of the collection and its accessibility. Rick worked with the Board of Directors to successfully complete a capital campaign in 2004. His guidance and leadership over the past 15 years leave the LA&M poised to collect and provide access to Leather / kink / BDSM / fetish history and culture for years to come. “I am grateful for the privilege to have worked so closely with the amazing history at the LA&M. I am excited for the bright future of of the Leather Archives,” Rick added.

CHICAGO: Leatherman Psychology: Conceptualizing Identity and Mental Health

Leather Archives & Museum

 

at 3:00pm – 5:00pm

FREE. Open to the public 18+

Much psychological research has examined identity and mental health factors of sexual minority men from a minority stress perspective. However, little to no research has focused on what makes leathermen a unique population in regard to these constructs. Alex Tatum is a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Loyola University Chicago, and he has devoted his time as a researcher to studying numerous sociodemographics, identity dimensions, and mental health traits that define this tightly-knit community. We invite you to join Alex as he discusses similarities and differences between leathermen and mainstream sexual minority men from a psychological perspective. Q&A will follow, during which attendees are invited to critically analyze presented data to generate possible directions for future inquiry.

EVENT PAGE

 

CHICAGO: Flix in Gear @ LA&M

Join the Leather Archives & Museum for a pre-bar screening of three films “Age of Consent”, “DOG EAT DOG” and “pissies not sissies”

Come in GEAR, change into GEAR here, or come as you are.

FREE for Members of the LA&M
$5 Students / Seniors / Anyone in Gear (leather, fetish, uniform)
$10 General Admission
FREE popcorn for all

pissies not sissies
2004 – 13 minutes

DOG EAT DOG
2006 – 12 minutes

Age of Consent : The story of the HOIST, London’s first and only Gay Fetish Bar
2014 – 88 minutes

Free bag check will be available.

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

Upcoming BLUF Chicago Events

Bluf Chicago

Join us for these upcoming

BLUF Chicago events:

Sat. Sept. 27 – SOFO Gear Night

Get into gear, you could be a winner!

Join us as we host our first gear night at The SOFO Tap. The fun begins at 9 pm.

• Upon arrival be sure to get your special BLUF Chicago wristband and when you buy a Miller Lite Draft or Absolut Vodka drink SOFO will donate $1.00 to BLUFChicago.
• Enjoy a cigar or pipe on the SOFO patio
• Enter our raffle to win some valuable prizes.
• Music by DJ Aaron prime
• Dress Code: Wear what you like but we encourage leather uniforms, motorcycle leather, fabric uniforms, Levi/leather, rubber, western or sports gear.

 

 

Sat & Sun Oct. 4 -5 Cinekink: The kinky film festival

… comes to Chicago at the LA&M

BLUF Chicago is sponsoring the concessions table featuring classic movie snacks along with, kinky, gourmet, sweet & savory fest favorites such as Pizza Popcorn, Spicy & Savory “Hot Chocolate” on a stick, Ginger(leather)men cookies, and more. The items are made by BLUF Chicago members for this “bake sale” event. Fund raised will help support BLUF Chicago. So be sure to stop by and pick up a snack and see a movie or get a snack to go.

Find out show times at Cinekink

… or the Leather Archives & Museum