Education, Mentorship, and Community for the Curious Kinkster

Kink (noun): Unconventional sexual taste or behavior.

Kink is fun, erotic, and exciting, but identifying trustworthy resources can be difficult. That's what we're here for.

The LDG Mentorship Program is unique. Run by Leathermen's Discussion Group of San Francisco (LDG), this nine-month program connects interested and curious kinksters with seasoned local educators to broaden their horizons and teach safer and healthier practices.

We believe kink is worth doing, and the knowledge and talent that it takes to do it well should be shared with the community.

Mission

The LDG Mentoring Program exists to cultivate growth, accountability, and leadership among kinksters who identify with or participate in masculine expression and spaces. Through structured mentorship and pairing of more tenured members of the community with those interested in deepening their experience, the program advances a culture of safety, inclusion, and racial equity within the community it serves.

What is the program?

The program is built around one-on-one mentorship first. Each mentee is paired with a mentor for hands-on, personal guidance through their kink education. Alongside that, mentees meet as a full group to build relationships, see presentations, and attend community events together, like play parties, bar nights, and other gatherings across the San Francisco scene. We also offer smaller-format classes on specific kink topics, meeting a few times over the course of the program.

Who is this for?

This program is for and by men, inclusive of trans men, and welcomes nonbinary, intersex, and gender-expansive people who identify with and actively participate in spaces historically labeled masculine within this community. It welcomes people across all races and ethnicities. If you feel you belong within this space, you are welcome. Whether you are someone who is exploring kink for the first time or an experienced kinkster looking to explore different skills, this is the program for you!

Why do we have this program?

Schools, governments, and other institutions have never educated the kink and queer community. When institutions don't show up, communities teach themselves. That history is fragile. It gets erased in moments of political upheaval, like the rise of Nazism in World War II, or when our communities are treated as acceptable losses, like the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Preserving our history and culture is on us.

You can see the same pattern across every intersection of the kink and queer world. Mentorship is how our community grows. When family rejects us over our sexuality, we build families of choice. When we move cross-country seeking people like ourselves, we find them in bars and queer spaces that see us as kin. Those with knowledge step forward and pass it on. That's how our community has always grown.

This program is simply the next formal step in what our community has already done for decades: raising the next generation of kinky queer folk, whether they become educators, mentors, community leaders, or simply people who found their home.

Key dates for the 2027 cohort

• Mentor applications open September 1, 2026
• Mentee applications open November 1, 2026
• Matching in Mid January
• Program runs January through September 2027

Who are we?

Our program runs as a committee within the Leathermen's Discussion Group of San Francisco (LDG), which has educated and hosted conversations for our community since 1996. See our "Who We Are" page to learn more about LDG.

The LDG Mentorship Program started in 2012, a grassroots effort to formalize how our community educates and mentors its own. Since that first volunteer-taught cohort, it has connected hundreds of newer folks with experienced mentors drawn from LDG, other local organizations, and independent kinksters. Many mentees return as teachers and mentors themselves. The program is recognized by kink organizations worldwide.

In 2027, the program relaunches from those same community-grown roots, with real improvements to its operations, policy, and structure.

• Leadership is held by a diverse committee that collectively carries the responsibility of the program's operations.
• Background checks for everyone (program leaders, mentors, and mentees) have been established to improve safety and wellbeing for all involved.
• Inclusion and Belonging have been built into every part of the program and is regularly reviewed for improvements.
• Independent and confidential channels exist for support or to report concerns about our program.

Explore the program

• Mentors & Mentees. What each role is, who it is for, and what it involves.
• How It Works. The structure, cadence, classes, cost, and every key date for the 2027 cohort.
• Our Values. The agreements every participant reads and agrees to. Everyone who leads the program are held to additional values.
• Who We Are. The Operating Committee, and how the program is organized.
• Equity and Belonging. How racial and identity equity is built into every part of the program.
• Resources. Reading, community links, and where to find more.
• 2026 Program Updates can be found here. A handful of updates from the program committee to keep the community up to date with our progress