Exploring Gay Leather and Levi’s: A Look at Leatherfolk through Gateway M.C. of St. Louis, 1952-2014

The following exhibit is an exit project created by Levi Cullifer for the Master's in Museum Studies, Heritage, and Public History program at the University of Missouri - St. Louis.

This project is the culmination of months of in-depth research into an under-researched side of St. Louis. This exhibit explores the gay leather/Levi community that formed in St. Louis in the mid-1970s. Its emergence and subsequent growth during the following decades marks a significant change that led to a more public gay leather club identity. The St. Louis LGBTQ+ community is a prime example of this growth, built with groups that fall into public (gay liberation movement) and private (leather/Levi) spheres. The emergence of these groups (leather, fetish, S/M, etc) onto the social stage showed a different side of the Gay is Good movement.

While researching, a prominent leather/Levi club surfaced. Founded in St. Louis, they revealed a dynamic history for not only St. Louis and its community, but for leather culture and history on a national scale. I decided that the focus of this exhibit, besides general leather/Levi history, would be on the first gay leather/Levi club in St. Louis, Gateway Motorcycle Club (M.C.).

LGBTQ+ individuals hold a collective identity composed of characteristics, shared memories, and traits that are recognizable to others in the community. After the Stonewall Riots and the Gay Liberation, the community boomed, with more people “coming out” of the closets. As the years went on, more people found they faced similar issues and the shared community that came along with it.

A review of the literature reveals that so far scholars and public history practitioners have paid little attention to the history of the leather/Levi community. This project seeks to contribute  to both the academic and public history interpretations.

While going through this exhibit, you can click on the image of an artifact to read more about its history.