April Update
What happened?
We formed an organization which only included one Black member. Internally, this created a structurally racist dynamic, all too common, which put them in an unfair, unsustainable, tokenized position. White organizers fought each other over conflicting approaches to this problem, at the expense of actually listening to their needs or ideas, worsening their experience and sapping the whole group’s energy.
What steps have we taken towards accountability and repair?
We’ve offered direct personal apologies where appropriate, and we offer an apology now to anyone reading who experiences this as a betrayal. We sent our Black former member all our remaining org funds, after our website domain expense for the rest of 2026, in order to support their other projects. At their wish, we agreed to retire the SLAP name and manifesto.
What further steps are we planning to take?
White organizers recommit themselves to listening to organizers of color. We would be very open to more POC joining, although we recognize it will take a long time to earn back trust. We are in the process of adapting other orgs’ conflict resolution procedures to mitigate harm in the future.
What else has changed?
About half our peak membership has quit, both directly in response to the conflict and downstream of the burnout created by it. Those remaining have scaled back our ambitions significantly from those expressed in the original manifesto. We cannot form solid support networks overnight, we can only create the conditions for them to form at the speed of trust.
What are we hoping to do next?
We’ve agreed on a new name, and we hope to announce it soon along with a return to monthly bar events. All bar events will include the BIPOC meetup which had such a great turnout at February SLAP.
We know that the pickup play cruising environment that arose organically at Mary’s was part of the magic, but we were already running into safety problems, and need to discourage public play at the bar until we build up capacity to monitor it better.
We plan to relaunch the newsletter with new art. SLRP (Sadomasochist and Leather Readers of Pittsburgh) continues to operate independently. Any further projects under the new name will prioritize throwing support behind leatherfolk of color, in terms of personnel, subject matter, finances, and interpersonal approaches to each other.
Why do we want to make a fresh start, why do this at all?
Because SLAP filled a very real niche for trans and dyke-centered, in-person leather community in Pittsburgh. If you were there with us, you know how it felt: emergent, wild, empowering, necessary. Because this has always been about service and devotion to that sense of aliveness, and we believe there is a way to create it sustainably, transparently and at no one’s expense.
We had enormous dreams. We had thrilling, fresh momentum. We had successes we never anticipated, along with dysfunction and harm we should have anticipated. We have a long road ahead if we are to reconvene in right relationship with the community we brought together.
Our Instagram comments, email and other inboxes are open for feedback. We do not have capacity to respond in real time, but will try to respond within one calendar week. We ask that you keep it considerate, and that white people in the comments please try to match the level of grace, patience, wisdom and self-discipline that all BIPOC involved in this situation have consistently demonstrated.
Finally, thank you all for taking the time to read, for giving us another chance if you’re willing, and for all the gifts you brought to us through your participation.
--FKA SLAP Team
