Leather Pride

Tony DeBlase designed the Leather Pride flag in 1989, and it debuted that year at Chicago’s International Mister Leather event. While it’s widely associated with the queer leather scene, it’s not an exclusively gay symbol and has been embraced by the larger leather and BDSM community. DeBlase said he wanted to leave interpretation of the flag—alternating black and blue stripes, with a white central stripe and a large red heart—up to the viewer. The original flag is on display at the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago.