SouthEast LeatherFest (SELF) is an annual adult fetish event for the BDSM, leather, and kink communities, serving as an educational, social, and fundraising event. It is based in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Southeastern United States, with regional and smaller related events held throughout the year. It is held in June, which is pride month in the U.S., and attended by LGBTQ and allied adults.

History SouthEast LeatherFest (SELF) was started in 1995 by Jack Stice, International Master 1995. It was conceptualized as a BDSM, Master/slave event to welcome all sections of the SM communities, with particular emphasis on the leather subculture. 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, SELF has been one of the largest sex education and BDSM education events in the southeastern region of the United States, openly supporting underground kink, fetish, BDSM, sex-positive, Master/slave, and Dominance/submission communities.

This event was one of the first in Atlanta history that brought straight and LGBTQIA+ communities together. This type of collaboration had not previously happened at BDSM and Master/slave events in the area. While there had been some events in the region that were specifically for gay men, this was the first event to have all communities present. SELF is a charitable event that has donated an estimated $290,000 to charities and scholarships over the years. Some of these charities include the Leather Archives & Museum, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Carter/Johnson Library. Jack Stice was the founder of this event and the "Jack Stice Memorial Community Service Award" was given in his honor annually.

SouthEast LeatherFest holds classes given by nationally known educators from across the country, holds multiple spokesperson contests, and has various other activities that promote community and pride. 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 until 2001 it was the home of the International Master and slave contest and a number of titles.

Lady Catherine G. has worked in various capacities on the event since the 1990s and produced SELF since 2004. She has led the organization to expand its educational and social offerings. SELF, as of 2023, offers more than 200 educational and social opportunities over four days. SELF is attended by over 850 persons per year.

SELF ran a mini-grant program from 2007 to 2011 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.

SELF was nominated for "Pantheon of Leather Large Event of the Year" in 2005–2007 which means that this event 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 became the first leather contest in the country where a portion of each title contest was digital voting by the weekend participants. This practice continues today.

SELF was not held in person in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it returned to in-person events in 2022.

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.

Titleholders

2025 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Sir Andrew Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Amethyst "baby" glaze SouthEast BootBlack -- Dakota SouthEast Person of Leather - girlBettie SouthEast Leather Fest boy - Terrell SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Aaron and slave jennie 2024 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Sir Andrew Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Ms. Sabrina Hypnotica SouthEast BootBlack -- Keriis SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Aaron and slave jennie

2023 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- MaxInLeather Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Scarlett Rose SouthEast BootBlack -- Apollo SouthEast Person of Leather -- Mara SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Varii and slave neill

2022 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- MaxInLeather Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Ms. Mia Rose SouthEast BootBlack -- Apollo SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Varii and slave neill

2019-2021 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Choc Trei [stepped down on December 31, 2020] Southeast BootBlack -- Mycalyne SouthEast Person of Leather -- Idris Dior SouthEast Leather Fest boy -- Quazi SouthEast Master/slave -- Sir Luke and His victor

2018 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Sir Bradford Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Choc Trei SouthEast BootBlack -- Tidbit SouthEast Person of Leather -- SouthEast Leather boy -- Quazi SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Blue and slave Sheri

2017 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Tig SouthEast BootBlack -- Coco SouthEast Person of Leather -- ABizzy SouthEast Master/slave -- Master IceDog and slave Ravyn

2016 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Tig Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Timothy Lee Southeast BootBlack -- Ms Tori SouthEast Person of Leather -- ABizzy SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Bella and slave Rooks

2015 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Jennifer Deese Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Timothy Lee Southeast BootBlack -- Friday SouthEast Person of Leather -- Autumn East

2014 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- slave Pat Southeast Master/slave -- Kevin & slave

2013 Mr. SouthEast Leather Fest -- Optimus Ms. SouthEast Leather Fest -- Flossie SE BootBlack -- Madeline Sparkles SouthEast Leather Fest boy -- boy River

2012 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- OB SouthEast Leather Fest boy -- boy Andy

2011 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Ejay Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Angel Propps SE BootBlack -- boy Dave SE Master/slave -- Master Dan and slave Melissa

2010 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Phantom Blue Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Amber SE BootBlack -- Margaret SE Master/slave -- Master Rick and slave Gypsie

2009 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Nefarious Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Miss Rae SE BootBlack -- Margaret SE Master/slave -- Master Tom and slave Linda

2008 Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Henry Loyd Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Miss Bettie SE BootBlack -- Girl Commando/boy Andy

2007 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Solitaire SouthEast BootBlack -- Q SouthEast Master/slave -- Sir Top and slave Bonnie

2006 International Master and slave -- Mistress Susan and slave Ziggy (Teagan) Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Solitaire Mr SouthEast Leather Fest -- Matthew Cary

2005 SouthEast Master/slave -- Master Tom and slave Linda SouthEast LeatherFest Boy -- Boy Tala

2004 Ms SouthEast Leather Fest -- Girl Kim SouthEast Leather Fest Boy -- Grant Lam

2003 SouthEast Leather Sir -- Richard Gray SouthEast Leatherboy -- Michael Waugh Ms Leather Pride -- JD

2002 International Master/slave -- Master Scott and Ms Leather Pride -- Chance SouthEast Leather Sir -- John Derrek SouthEast Leatherboy -- John Mark

2001 International Master/slave -- Master Jim and slave Marshal SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Daryl Fox SouthEast Drummer Boy -- Paul Ferreira Ms Leather Pride -- Chance

2000 International Master/slave -- Steve Sampson and Kirk SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Larry Cottrill SouthEast Drummer Boy -- Bruce Tidwell Ms Leather Pride -- Samantha Claar

1999 International Master/slave -- Khiki Cavannarro and Samantha Ms Leather Pride -- Paula Smith SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Shawn Couch SouthEast Drummer boy -- Boy Chris

1998 Ms Leather Pride -- Sybil King SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Tom Stice SouthEast Drummer boy -- Gregory Kornman

1997 SouthEast Mr Drummer-- Martin Ellis Ms Leather Pride -- Victoria Gayton (Ameritus Award) SouthEast Drummer boy -- Boy Von Sumrall Mr. Georgia Leather -- Joseph Blair Ms. Georgia Leather -- Miss Patt

1996 SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Bob Jacobs Harris SouthEast Drummer boy -- Rory Teasdale Mr. Georgia Leather -- Leonard Sewell Ms. Georgia Leather -- Khiki Cavannarro

1995 SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Ricardo A M Ware SouthEast Drummer boy -- Patrick Langone

1994 SouthEast Mr Drummer -- Kevin Drewery SouthEast Drummer boy -- Dale Calloway

1993 Mr. SouthEast Leather -- Darryl Flick Mr. SouthEast Drummer -- Barry Bishop SouthEast Drummer boy -- Owen Griswold

1992 Mr. SouthEast Leather -- Kevin Drewery Mr. SouthEast Drummer -- Bart Girton SouthEast Drummer boy -- Eric Hayes

1991 Mr. SouthEast Leather -- Wes Decker Ms. SouthEast Leather -- MP Breslin Mr. SouthEast Drummer -- Vance Reger

1990 Mr. SouthEast Leather -- Chuck Higgins Ms. SouthEast Leather -- Diane Suissa Mr. SouthEast Drummer -- Bernhard Zinkgraf SouthEast Drummer boy -- Michael Feinstein

See also

Atlanta Eagle Hardy Haberman

References

External links Official website (archived via the Wayback Machine) on YouTube Verboten Magazine Interview with Producer Catherine Gross SELF 2014 Leatherati.com reporting Catherine Gross on KinkyCast.com for SouthEast LeatherFest Special Edition Southeast conference of clubs origin of Southeast Leatherfest Article on the ground breaking changes at SELF 2014 2014 Judges Announced Post-Contest 2012 in Leatherati.com SouthEast LeatherFest 2012 Leather Archives and Museum Review Damron Calendar of events 2007 list of judges Leatherati Article 2012 event The GAVoice