Leather and Kink Symbolism in the AIDS Memorial Quilt In-Person
Curious about leather and kink history? Do you want to learn more about the affect of the AIDS epidemic on the leather community? The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt honors over 110,000 people, and thousands of them were leatherfolk and kinksters. Come learn about them at the LA&M.
The quilt stands as a protest against government inaction and silence during the AIDS epidemic. In many cases, persons memorialized on the quilt openly self-identified as members of the leather and kink community. Others chose to use coded symbols and language. This presentation will look at several quilt panels for possible clues on how people and organizations wanted to be remembered, the symbols used for identification, and the history passed along via protest. There will be a special focus on BIPOC kinksters and leatherfolk.
Kamal Kam is a FF community historian and volunteer with Fist Fest.
- Date:
- Thursday, October 16, 2025
- Time:
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Time Zone:
- Central Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- LA&M Etienne Auditorium
- Categories:
- Education and Skills