Charles Leslie is an American art collector, gay rights activist and founder of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art.
Biography
Born in Deadwood, South Dakota, Leslie was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, during the Korean War. In Heidelberg, he first met with the works of sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld. After he was released from duty, Leslie toured Europe with the Lotte Goslar Pantomime Circus for a few years. Afterwards he enrolled in the Sorbonne. When Leslie returned to the United States, he joined the touring production of Tennessee Williams’s Suddenly Last Summer play.
Charles Leslie met Fritz Lohman (1922–2010) in 1962. Leslie was a performance artist at that time. They were introduced to each other at a brunch with friends. Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, held their first homoerotic art show in their SoHo loft in May 1969.Charles and Fritz invited some people to see their art collection in 1969 and while they expected around 50 guests, they finally got 200 visitor. This originated the idea for the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, which was the first LGBTQ+ art museum in the world. Leslie and Lohman opened the museum in 1987 on Wooster Street, not far from their home. Since then their loft is called "Phallus Palace".
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