SouthEast LeatherFest, usually shortened to SELF, is an annual adult fetish weekend in the U.S. Southeast for BDSM, leather, and kink. It is centered in Georgia. The main event is in Atlanta every June, with smaller regional gatherings through the rest of the year. In leather history it is the Southeast’s first large multi-gender, multi-orientation weekend that put straight and LGBTQIA+ kinksters in the same room. Before that, local scenes mostly stayed apart.
Jack Stice founded SELF in 1995. He was International Master that year. He wanted a BDSM and Master/slave event open to the different parts of the SM communities, with leather as a main feature. The shape borrowed from International Mr. Leather and from Drummer title culture, then added a heavy class schedule on top of the old contest-and-bar model. The first version ran about two and a half days: a Friday bar crawl and Saturday classes. It later grew to four days. From the start it aimed to be one of the largest sex and BDSM education events in the Southeast, and it publicly backed underground kink, fetish, sex-positive culture, and D/s.
Classes, producer, and how the weekend is run
Lady Catherine G., Catherine Gross, has worked the event in more than one role since the 1990s and has produced it since 2004. Under her, the classes and social schedule got much bigger. As of 2023, SELF offered more than 200 educational and social slots over the weekend, with about 850 adults attending, and the number was still growing. Catherine Gross owns and produces it. A volunteer board runs the year-to-year work. From 2007 through 2011 a mini-grant program paid speakers for local groups that could not afford them.
In 2014 SELF became the first leather contest in the country to include a portion of digital voting by weekend participants in each title. That hybrid judging stayed in use. The event has long supported the Leather Archives & Museum and its collecting of leather, fetish, and SM material across orientations and genders. It also gives the Jack Stice Memorial Community Service Award every year, named for the founder.
Charity and nominations
Charity is part of the weekend. Over the years SELF has given more than $290,000 to charities and scholarship funds. Recipients include the Leather Archives & Museum, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Carter/Johnson Library, among others. From 2005 through 2007 it was nominated three years running for the Pantheon of Leather Large Event of the Year.
Titles and who held them
Title names tied to the weekend include Mr. SouthEast LeatherFest, Ms. SouthEast LeatherFest, SouthEast LeatherFest boy, Southeast Bootblack, Southeast Person of Leather, and SouthEast Master/slave. The weekend hosted the International Master and slave contest until 2001, and before that it also carried Drummer and regional leather titles.
Recent holders, as the event’s own record lists them: 2024, Mr SELF Sir Andrew, Ms SELF Sabrina Hypnotica, SouthEast BootBlack Keriis, SouthEast Master/slave Master Aaron and slave jennie. 2023, Mr MaxInLeather, Ms Scarlett Rose, BootBlack Apollo, Person of Leather Mara, Master/slave Master Varii and slave neill. 2022, Mr MaxInLeather again, Ms Ms. Mia Rose, BootBlack Apollo, Master/slave Master Varii and slave neill again.
Earlier years: across 2019–2021, Ms SELF was Choc Trei, who stepped down on 31 December 2020; Southeast BootBlack Mycalyne; SouthEast Person of Color Idris Dior; boy Quazi; Master/slave Sir Luke and His victor. 2018, Mr Sir Bradford, Ms Choc Trei, BootBlack Tidbit, Person of Leather Iamar Kinhawk, boy Quazi, Master/slave Master Blue and slave Sheri. 2017, Ms Tig, BootBlack Coco, Person of Leather ABizzy, Master/slave Master IceDog and slave Ravyn. 2016, Ms Tig, Mr Timothy Lee, BootBlack Ms Tori, Person of Leather ABizzy, Master/slave Master Bella and slave Rooks. 2015, Ms Jennifer Deese, Mr Timothy Lee, BootBlack Friday, Person of Leather Autumn East. 2014, Ms slave Pat, Master/slave Kevin and slave Feyrie. 2013, Mr Optimus, Ms Flossie, BootBlack Madeline Sparkles, boy boy River. 2012, Mr OB, boy boy Andy. 2011, Mr Ejay, Ms Angel Propps, BootBlack boy Dave, Master/slave Master Dan and slave Melissa. 2010, Mr Phantom Blue, Ms Amber, BootBlack Margaret, Master/slave Master Rick and slave Gypsie. 2009, Mr Nefarious, Ms Miss Rae, BootBlack Margaret, Master/slave Master Tom and slave Linda. 2008, Mr Henry Loyd, Ms Miss Bettie, BootBlack Girl Commando/boy Andy. 2007, Ms Solitaire, BootBlack Q, Master/slave Sir Top and slave Bonnie. 2006, International Master/slave Mistress Suzan and slave Ziggy, Ms Solitaire, Mr Matthew Cary. 2005, Master/slave Master Tom and slave Linda, Boy Boy Tala. 2004, Ms Girl Kim, Boy Grant Lam. 2003, SouthEast Leather Sir Richard Gray, SouthEast Leatherboy Michael Waugh, Ms Leather Pride JD. 2002, International Master/slave Master Scott and Slavette, Ms Leather Pride Chance, Leather Sir John Derrek, 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, Mr Drummer Larry Cottrill, Drummer Boy Bruce Tidwell, Ms Leather Pride Samantha Claar. 1999, International Master/slave Khiki Cavannarro and Samantha, Ms Leather Pride Paula Smith, Mr Drummer Shawn Couch, Drummer boy Boy Chris. 1998, Ms Leather Pride Sybil King, Mr Drummer Tom Stice, Drummer boy Gregory Kornman. 1997, Mr Drummer Martin Ellis, Ms Leather Pride Victoria Gayton (Ameritus Award), Drummer boy Boy Von Sumrall, Mr. Georgia Leather Joseph Blair, Ms. Georgia Leather Miss Patt. 1996, Mr Drummer Bob Jacobs Harris, Drummer boy Rory Teasdale, Mr. Georgia Leather Leonard Sewell, Ms. Georgia Leather Khiki Cavannarro. 1995, Mr Drummer Ricardo A M Ware, Drummer boy Patrick Langone.
Names from the early 1990s Southeast leather and Drummer scene also get cited, including Kevin Drewery, Dale Calloway, and Darryl Flick, among others. SELF did not appear out of nowhere. It sat on a contest culture that was already there, then rebuilt the regional weekend.
