AN S/M RESOURCE LIST FOR BAY AREA WOMEN
Bookstores
- A Different Light, 489 Castro (between Market and 18th St.), 431-0891. They have a
good selection of S/M magazines and books, and will order things that are not in
stock. Big photo books are behind the counter to prevent theft. The staff will be
happy to show you these books if you tell them what you're looking for.
- Good Vibrations (listed under leather shops) also has a very good bookstore and
video collection.
- QSM is a great place to mail-order a wide variety of S/M
publications and books. Free catalog. You can shop in person by appointment only.
Gender Resources
- Tom Waddell Clinic, (415) 554-2940 or 554-2950. Tuesday, 5-8 p.m., drop-in gender
clinic. This is a low-income medical service for transgendered people.
- FTM, 5337 College Ave., No. 142, Oakland, CA 94618, (510) 287-2647 or email them
here. A newsletter and support group for female-to-male transsexuals
and crossdressers. You can also contact a support group for partners through FTM.
The newsletter is free, but please send a donation if you can. $5 suggested.
- ETVC, P. O. Box 426486, San Francisco, CA 94142-6486. (510) 549-2665.
Nonsexual educational, social and support group for transvestites, transsexuals,
transgenderists, families and friends, and others with an interest. Mostly
male-to-female.
- Kathy Bobula, PF3TM Newsletter, 4623 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland, OR
97217-3138, or via email. Kathy publishes a newsletter for the
partners, family and friends of FTMs. You can get a copy by writing to her. Send a $5
donation if you can afford it.
- ISNA, P. O. Box 31791, San Francisco, CA 94131. They publish a newsletter called
"Hermaphrodites with Attitude" that is for intersexed people (possessing some
physical, hormonal, or genetic traits of both men and women). A year's subscription is
$12. They do a lot of good work supporting people who were surgically altered as
children to conform to doctors' gender stereotypes, and they have a very cool T-shirt
for sale.
- Ingersoll Gender Center, 1812 E. Madison St., Suite 106, Seattle, WA 98122, (206)
329-6651. This is a nonprofit agency for the transsexual, transvestite, and
transgender community. Mentioned here because there is no equivalent in SF. They
will do some phone counseling, and they also sell a lot of very helpful publications
relating to gender issues. A catalog is $1 plus a long SASE.
Leather Bars
The establishments listed below cater to a gay male clientele. There was a time
when women would not be admitted to a leather bar. Times have changed-but not
that much! You'll be a lot more comfortable if you go to these bars in gear. You
don't have to take any shit from these guys, but don't be too quick to give them
attitude-it is their space. If you hang out at any particular bar often enough to get to
know the patrons and bartenders, it's possible to make yourself welcome.
- The Eagle, 398 Twelfth St., 626-0880.
- Cocktails, 201 Ninth St., 863-2548.
- Headquarters, 469 Castro St., 626-5876.
- Lone Star Saloon, 1354 Harrison, 863-9999.
- Daddy's, 440 Castro, 621-8732.
Leather Shops
- Good Vibrations, 1210 Valencia St. (at 23rd St.), San Francisco, CA 94110. (415)
974-8980. Vibrators, dildos, lubricants, books, and other sensual items for women.
Some restraints, dildo harnesses. They also have a very good bookstore and video
library. East Bay location at 2504 San Pablo (corner of Dwight), (510) 841-8987.
- Image Leather, 2199 Market St., 621-7551, San Francisco (corner of Noe). Leather
clothing, some toys. They need to improve their attitude toward women.
- Mister S Products, 310 Seventh St. (between Harrison and Folsom), (415) 863-7764.
Leather clothing (including custom work). Rubberwear. A wide variety of toys
including electrical devices, vacuum pumps and accessories.
- Stormy Leather, 1158 Howard St. (between 7th and 8th), San Francisco, CA 94103.
(415) 626-1672. Kathy Andrews is a wonderful tailor of fetish clothes for women.
Best shop for whips in San Francisco. She also carries latex and toys. Catalog is $2.
- Jaguar Bookstore, 4058 - 18th St. (between Castro and Noe), 863-4777. Toys for
penetration, jock straps, lube, gay male magazines.
- MMO (Mercury Mail Order), right across the street from the Jaguar, but a little closer
to Castro, also has toys, lube, etc.
- Taste of Leather, 317A - 10th St. (between Folsom and Harrison), 252-9166. Tit
clamps, dildos, other toys.
- The Bear Store, 367 - 9th St., between Harrison and Folsom. 552-1506. Toys and
some gay male magazines. Videos. Women are very welcome.
- Rob Gallery, 22 Shotwell (14th St.), 252-1198. A branch of the internationally-famous
Rob of Amsterdam. Hoods, leather, latex, toys, custom clothing. They are currently
trying to expand the number of items specifically for women. Electrical toys and
scalpels.
Mail Order Toys
- Adam Selene, c/o Utopian Network, P. O. Box 1146, New York, NY 10156. Catalog
of unique and sensual whips, $2.00.
- Constance Enterprises, P. O. Box 43079, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043, (201)
746-0072. English school canes and S/M magazines imported from England and
Europe.
- B. R. Creations, P. O. Box 4201, Montain View, CA 94040. Catalog $5.
Custom-made corsets.
- Another good way to acquire toys is by attending the S/M Community Exchange,
formerly known as the Bizarre Flea Market. They are held at the Women's Building,
3543 - 18th St. (near Valencia), from 2 to 5 p.m. Admission is cheap. Vendors bring
new and used items. Always held on the second Sunday in April, August, and
December.
- Dark Gardens, shop at 1484 Fulton St. (Baker and Broderick), San Francisco, CA
94115, (415) 567-6265. Mail-order catalog $10 from 2215R Market St., No. 242, San
Francisco, CA 94114. Custom-made corsets and corset dresses. Exquisite work.
Expensive.
Medical
- Charles Moser, Ph.D., M.D., 45 Castro St., Suite 125, San Francisco, CA 94114,
(415) 621-4369. A straight man who is S/M- and sex-positive. Internal and sexual
medicine.
- Lyon-Martin Women's Health Services, (415) 565-7667. This women's clinic has
made a genuine effort to become a safe place for S/M dykes, sex workers,
transgendered, and all other women. A low-cost place to get a Pap smear.
UCSF medical center, Screening and Acute Care drop-in clinic, 505 Parnassus Ave.,
(415) 476-4602. Low-cost medical care.
- Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, (415) 487-5632
- San Francisco Free Clinic, 1-4:30 p.m., Clement and Third Street, (415) 750-9894
National Directory
The Black Book, P. O. Box 31155, San Francisco, CA 94131-0155, (415) 824-8377.
Editor Bill Brent and his editorial assistant Steve Omlid have put together the first
attempt at a comprehensive, natiional guidebook for the leather, S/M, and fetish
community. Layout is a little confusing and repetitive, but this directory has a wealth
of information. $9.95.
Piercing
- Raelyn Gallina, P. O. Box 20034, Oakland, CA 94620. Send $2 for brochure of her
jewelry. Call (415) 452-2855 for an appointment.
- Gauntlet, 2377 Market St. at Castro, San Francisco, CA 94114, (415) 431-3133.
Manufacturers of piercing jewelry, publishers of PFI Quarterly, and piercing on
premises. $3 and over-21 statement for catalog to 1201 Old Country Road, Unit #3,
Belmont, CA 94002.
- Body Manipulations, 254 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA 94117, (415) 621-0408. They
also do scarification and branding and sell magazines about body art.
- Black & Blue Tattoo, 483 - 14th St. at Guerrero, (415) 626-0770. Piercing by Raelyn
Gallina. Owned/ operated by Natalie Chandler, Idexa, Beth Callaghan, Diane
DeMassa. Open noon till 7, closed Tuesdays.
Professional Services
- Robert J. Dern, CPA, (415) 522-1566. Accounting services for individuals and small-
to medium-size businesses. Audits, reviews, compilation of financial statements,
taxes, computer software assistance, bookkeeping, etc. S/M friendly.
- Market St. Mailhouse, Inc., 226 Sanchez St. (between Market and 16th). Mailing
address is 2215-R Market St., (415) 626-6245. Mailbox rental service. Also handles
UPS. Gay-owned, S/M-friendly. A safe place to receive mail for your classified ads
or business. We call it "the pervert post office."
- For a list of many other S/M-friendly professionals in several cities (Kink Aware
Professionals), send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with two 32-cent stamps to
KAP, c/o Race Bannon, 584 Castro St., No. 518, San Francisco, CA 94114. Or see his
web site.
Publications
- Cuir Underground, 3288 - 21st St., No. 19, San Francisco, CA 94110, (415)
487-7622. Bimonthly free paper for the pansexual kink community of the Bay Area.
Good events listing. Lively commentary. Subscriptions are $18, $3/copy. Include a
statement that you are over 18.
Two free gay papers, the Bay Area Reporter and Bay Times, are also good places to
check for events of interest. These free papers can be picked up in several locations
in the Castro and along Valencia Street. If you live out of town and would like to order
issues of these papers, contact info is below.
- BAR, 395 Ninth St., San Francisco, CA 94103-3831, (415) 861-5019.
- Bay Times, 592 Castro St., San Francisco, CA 94114, (415) 626-8121.
Other places to check are the SF Weekly and the Bay Guardian and the heterosexual
adult newspaper, The Spectator, P. O. Box 1974, Berkeley, CA 94701, (510)
849-1615.
Recovery
Sobriety and Miracles, Fridays at 8 p.m. at 150 Eureka (Metropolitan Community
Church). Leather and S/M AA meeting. Chips.
You can get a list of 12-step meetings which welcome gay men and lesbians by
going to 18th Street Services/Operation Concern, 217 Church Street (at Market),
second floor. The list is free. You can call them at 861-4898.
Safe Sex Supplies
The Walgreen's drugstore on 18th and Castro carries a good selection of
water-based lubricants and boxes of latex gloves in several sizes and condoms. You
can obtain dental dams from Stormy Leather, the Bear Shop, or Good Vibrations. All
Walgreen's drugstores will give you a free sharps container and exchange a full one
for a new, empty one. I have found, however, that the Walgreen's on Castro and 18th
St. is almost always out of the containers, and have better luck at the Walgreen's on
Castro and 24th Street, which also has a parking lot.
Castro Village Pharmacy, around the corner on 18th, also carries safe-sex supplies.
Some prices lower than Walgreen's.
Sex Education Resources
- San Francisco Sex Information, 621-7300. Open Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m. and
Monday through Friday, 3 to 9 p.m. This is a public information and referral
switchboard staffed by volunteers. You can call with questions of your own or inquire
about taking the training. The volunteer training gives you an excellent background in
human sexuality and is a good preparation for a career in counseling or education.
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, 1523 Franklin, San Francisco,
CA 94109, 928-1133. An accredited graduate level school that offers excellent
classes on sexuality and communication skills. Some of these are open to the
general public.
- QSM, P. O. Box 882242, San Francisco, CA 94188. To get on their mailing list, call
(415) 550-7776. QSM provides excellent S/M classes, workshops, and demos. A
great way to learn technique and meet other pervs. There's also a good selection of
books and magazines available at events or by mail-order.
S/M Support Groups
- National Leather Association have a web site. They
sponsor an annual conference, Living in Leather.
- Society of Janus, P. O. Box 6794, San Francisco, CA 94101. An educational and
support group for people with any interest in all forms of S/M. Programs on specific
topics and parties. Open to men and women of all sexual orientations. Also
publishes Growing Pains. Their information line is at (415) 985-7118, and the
member information line is (415) 985-7117.
- The Exiles, P. O. Box 31266, San Francisco, CA 94131-6266. Educational and
support group for women only, including transsexual women. Monthly programs on
various aspects of S/M technique and lifestyle.
- SMC, P. O. Box 1335, El Cerrito, CA 94530, or on the
web. The Essemian Society, a matriarchal
church that holds female dominant/male submissive rituals. Monthly newsletter.
Women's Leather Network, P. O. Box 691593, West Hollywood, CA 90069, (213)
993-7235. Regular educational meetings and parties.
- Threshold, 2554 Lincoln Blvd., No. 381, Marina del Rey, CA 90291. S/M support
group open to men and women of all sexual orientations.
- Sacramento Women, P. O. Box 5953, Sacramento, CA 95817. They are forming a
woman-to-woman S/M support group.
Therapy
A list of S/M-positive therapists can be found at Race Bannon's Kink-Aware Professionals web page.
Note:
Enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope any time you request information from a
support group. These organizations are volunteer-run, and need your financial
support. When mail-ordering toys or requesting catalogs, enclose a statement that
you are over 21, not offended by sexually explicit material, and not a member of any
law-enforcement agency.
Back to table of contents