The 15 Association [Edit]

The 15 Association is a club founded in February of 1980 in San Francisco by six leather men, for gay men into BDSM. It is the longest-standing BDSM club for men on the West Coast.

The name of The 15 Association comes from the club’s bylaws, which state that up to 15 men can be voting members (called Fraternal members), while the other members are called Associate members.

Peter Fiske was one of the first fifteen members of The 15 Association, having become a member in May 1980, and served as their Chairman for some time.

The club holds play parties regularly for men to do BDSM. Its first party, known as Scene One, was held in June of 1980, and its first play space opened in January of 1981.

Felix Jones was an honorary member of The 15 Association from 1985 until he died in 2003.

The club has held a run to the country called “Boot Camp” every year since 1988.

Related Honors

In 1996, The 15 Association received the Large Club of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.

In 2002, Boot Camp XII by The 15 Association received the Small Event of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.

During The 15 Association’s twentieth anniversary, the club was recognized by the Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown, with a reception at his office, thus making it the first leather club to ever be received officially by the mayor of a large American city.

In 2017, the art installation known as the San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley was installed; in it Alexis Sorel, one of the six men who cofounded The 15 Association, is one of 28 people honored with a bronze bootprint displaying their name and a short statement about them.

In 2022, The 15 Association was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame.

The 15 Association received a community service award from the Aids Emergency Fund for its aid to that charity.