Tony DeBlase (1942 - 2000) also known as Anthony DeBlase, was part of the

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged ...

and

leather subculture Leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities that involve leather garments, such as leather jackets, vests, boots, chaps, harnesses, or other items. Wearing leather garments is one way that pa ...

s. He was the designer of the

leather pride flag The leather pride flag is a symbol used by the leather subculture since the 1990s. It was designed by Tony DeBlase, and was quickly embraced by the gay leather community. It has since become associated with leather in general and also with rela ...

Leather and BDSM activities

In 1979, he founded ''DungeonMaster'' magazine (about

sadomasochistic Sadomasochism ( ) is the giving and receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation. Practitioners of sadomasochism may seek sexual pleasure from their acts. While the terms sadist and masochist refer ...

technique), which ran from 1979 until 1994. He also wrote for that magazine. In 1982, under the pen name Fledermaus, he published a collection of fictional sadomasochism stories, titled ''The Fledermaus Anthology''. In 1986, the leather magazine ''

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 ...

'' was sold to DeBlase, who sold it in 1991 to Martijn Bakker, owner of RoB Amsterdam.''A Hell Of A Run: Leather Publishing And San Francisco''
from leatherpage.com, archived at archive.org On May 28, 1989, DeBlase first presented the

(which he had designed), at

International Mister Leather International Mr. Leather (IML) is an international, though largely American, conference and contest of leather subculture, leathermen held annually in May since 1979 in Chicago, Illinois. Every year, the event corresponds to the weekend of the ...

. Initial reaction to the flag was mixed. According to DeBlase's article ''A Leather Pride Flag'',

"Some, particularly on the east coast, reacted positively to the concept, but were quite concerned, some even offended, that I had not involved the community in helping to create the design."

On September 18, 1990, Clive Platman (Mr. Australia ''

'') presented DeBlase with an Australian version of the flag, incorporating the

southern cross Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for ...

, which is from the Australian national flag, with the original design of the leather pride flag. In 1991, the

Leather Archives & Museum The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) is a community archives, library, and museum located in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. Founded by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase in 1991, its mission is "making leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish a ...

(the LA&M) was founded by DeBlase and

Chuck Renslow Chuck Renslow (August 26, 1929 – June 29, 2017) was an openly gay American businessperson, known for pioneering homoerotic photography in the mid-20th-century US, and establishing many landmarks of late-20th-century gay male culture, especially ...

, “as a community archives, library, and museum of

Leather 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, ...

kink Kink or KINK may refer to: Common uses * Kink (sexuality), a colloquial term for non-normative sexual behavior * Kink, a curvature, bend, or twist Geography * Kink, Iran, a village in Iran * The Kink, a man-made geographic feature in remote ea ...

, fetish, and

history and culture.” DeBlase served as Vice President of the Board of Directors there from 1992 until 2000. He also began a Leather History Timeline, which was set up in the LA&M on the south wall of the main exhibit gallery. His papers (among other things) are held in the LA&M. At International Mr. Leather 1999 DeBlase presented one of three original leather pride flags which he assembled as a prototype to the Leather Archives & Museum.

Awards

In 1987 DeBlase received NLA’s Man of the Year award. In 1990 he received the Business Person of the Year Award as part of the

Pantheon of Leather Awards Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...

. He also received the Pantheon’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994, their Forebear Award in 1997, and their Community Choice (Man) Award in 2001. In 2010 he was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame. In 2017 he was honored along with other notables, named on bronze bootprints, as part of

San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley The San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley consists of four works of art along the Ringold Street alley, at 8th Street, in San Francisco's SOMA district honoring leather culture; it opened in 2017. Artworks Collectively titled ''Le ...

. He was also knighted as a Chevalier at the Leather Coronation in San Francisco, and received the

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...

Award from the

Chicago Hellfire Club (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, which he was a member of.

Career

DeBlase was a

mammologist In zoology, mammalogy is the study of mammals – a class of vertebrates with characteristics such as homeothermic metabolism, fur, four-chambered hearts, and complex nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part ...

who specialized in bat biology. He co-wrote ''A Manual of Mammalogy: With Keys to Families of the World'' (1974) with Robert Eugene Martin.

Personal life

DeBlase died of liver failure in 2000. He was survived by his partner Andrew Charles.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deblase, Tony 1942 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American zoologists American zoologists BDSM writers Leather subculture Flag designers