Leather, Latex and BDSM Pride Flag

History

Tony DeBlase designed the Leather Pride Flag in 1989, first presenting it at the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. DeBlase deliberately left the design open to interpretation, stating he would explain what it meant but not mandate the meaning. The leather and BDSM communities had been organising since the post-World War II era in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, with bars, clubs, and magazines forming the backbone of community life. The flag was formally adopted by the leather community at the International Mr. Leather contest in 1991 and became a standard at Pride events and leather events globally.

Colors

black, blue, white with red heart

Black and blue represent leather and BDSM communities respectively; white represents purity and integrity of consensual relationships; the red heart represents the passion within the community.

Symbols

diagonal blue stripe, red heart

The heart at the top of the hoist signals that leather and BDSM practice is grounded in care and consent, not only power dynamics.