Cynthia Slater (1945–1989) was the cofounder of the second BDSM organization founded in the United States (after The Eulenspiegel Society), a San Francisco, California based BDSM education and support group known as the Society of Janus, which she founded with Larry Olsen in August 1974.Ortmann, David M., and Richard A. Sprott. 2013. Sexual outsiders: understanding BDSM sexualities and communities. p.156 According to the

Leather Hall of Fame Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

biography of Slater, she said of the Society of Janus, :"There were three basic reasons why we chose

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...

. First of all, Janus has two faces, which we interpreted as the duality of SM (one’s dominant and submissive sides). Second, he’s the Roman god of portals, and more importantly, of beginnings and endings. To us, it represents the beginning of one’s acceptance of self, the beginning of freedom from guilt, and the eventual ending of self-loathing and fear over one’s SM desires. And third, Janus is the Roman god of war—the war we fight against stereotypes commonly held against us." Slater's activism for women to be accepted within the gay leather scene in San Francisco during the late 1970s brought her to more mainstream attention.Call, Lewis. 2013. BDSM in American science fiction and fantasy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p.5 Slater persuaded the management of San Francisco's S/M leather club the

Catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...

, the most famous

fisting Fisting, handballing, fist-fucking, brachiovaginal, or brachioproctic insertion is a sexual activity that involves inserting a hand into the vagina or rectum. Once insertion is complete, the fingers are either clenched into a fist or kept straig ...

club in the world, to open up to lesbians; it was originally a gay men's club.

Gayle Rubin Gayle S. Rubin (born January 1, 1949 in South Carolina) is an American cultural anthropologist best known as an activist and theorist of sex and gender politics. She has written on a range of subjects including feminism, sadomasochism, prostitut ...

, "The Catacombs: A Triumph of the Butthole", in ''Leatherfolk: Radical Sex, People, Politics, and Practice'', Alyson Press, 1992, , pp. 119-141; reprinted in ''Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader'', Duke University Press, 2011, , , retrieved September 30, 2014. It operated from 1975 to 1981, and reopened at another location from 1982 to 1984. Slater was also an early proponent of S/M safety, and one of the major

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

activists and educators during the 1980s. Slater hosted Society of Janus safety demonstrations during the late 1970s, cultivating a space for women within the 'plurality of gay men' already present within the leather/ kink/ fetish Venn-diagramatic culture."THE JANUS SOCIETY: KISS AND DON’T TELL Cynthia Slater and the Catholic Priest",

Jack Fritscher John Joseph "Jack" Fritscher (born June 20, 1939) is an American author, university professor, historian, and social activist known internationally for his fiction, erotica and non-fiction analyses of popular culture and gay male culture. A pre-S ...

. ''

Drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

'' 27, February 1979. According to first-hand accounts, she coined the term "SM 101", referring to the safety demonstrations and classes she presented."Chicago Hellfire Club, Cynthia Slater, and John Embry to be inducted to Leather Hall of Fame at CLAW in late April".The Leather Journal. Online Periodical. 26 January 201

/ref> As well, in 1981 Slater and

David Lourea David Nachman Lourea (August 26, 1945–November 10, 1992) was an American writer, AIDS activist, and bisexual rights activist. Early life and education David Lourea was born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 26, 1945. He was raised Orthodox ...

"presented safer-sex education workshops in bathhouses and BDSM clubs in San Francisco.""The Bisexual History of HIV/AIDS, in Photos". Faith Cheltenham. LGBT HealthLin

/ref> In 1985, Slater, who was HIV-positive, organized the first Women's HIV/AIDS Information Switchboard. She also contributed to "developing and disseminating kink friendly safer sex technologies". She was photographed by

Robert Mapplethorpe Robert Michael Mapplethorpe (; November 4, 1946 – March 9, 1989) was an American photographer, best known for his black-and-white photographs. His work featured an array of subjects, including celebrity portraits, male and female nudes, self-p ...

. She was a professional dominatrix. She was openly bisexual. In 1989, she died of AIDS complications. She is among those commemorated in the

AIDS Memorial Quilt The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, often abbreviated to AIDS Memorial Quilt or AIDS Quilt, is an enormous memorial to celebrate the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes. Weighing an estimated 54 tons, it is the largest piece o ...

. In 1989, she received the National Leather Association International’s Jan Lyon Award for Regional or Local Work. In 2003, she received the Forebear Award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards. In 2007, the National Leather Association International inaugurated awards for excellence in SM/fetish/leather writing. The categories include the Cynthia Slater award for non-fiction article. In 2014, Slater was inducted into the

. In 2017, the art installation known as the San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley was installed; in it Slater is honored with a metal bootprint displaying her name and a short statement about her. She is an inductee of the Society of Janus Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Cynthia 1945 births 1989 deaths BDSM activists Bisexual women AIDS-related deaths in California HIV/AIDS activists Leather subculture American dominatrices Sex-positive feminists