Lesbian Sex Mafia [Edit]

The Lesbian Sex Mafia (LSM) is an information and support group for bisexual women and lesbians interested in sexual activities involving BDSM, leather, costumes, etc. Founded in 1981 by Jo Arnone and Dorothy Allison, it is located in New York City, with a membership primarily in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Its name was chosen in a spirit of humor. At one point, only members of the club were allowed to know that LSM stood for Lesbian Sex Mafia.

Membership

Membership in LSM is open to women 18 years and older (including transgender women), and transgender men who were assigned female. To become a member, one must fill out the application and then become an LSM Pledge. Next, the pledge must attend an LSM Orientation/Safety Procedure Meeting.

Notable History

The LSM organized a “Speakout on Politically Incorrect Sex” rally at the 1982 Barnard Conference on Sexuality.

The LSM was a subject of a 1983 documentary by the German filmmaker Monika Treut, called Bondage, which was the first of four films in the Female Misbehaviour series.

Related Awards

In 1993, Pride Night by LSM, The Eulenspiegel Society, Excelsior MC, GMS/MA, and NLA: Metro New York received the Large Event of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.

In 1996 LSM cofounder Jo Arnone received the National Leather Association – International’s Jan Lyon Award for Regional or Local Work, in 2005 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards, and in 2010 she received the Mr. Marcus Hernandez Lifetime Achievement Award (Woman) as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.