*SaveTransform1060

Hi, I'm Leigh Ann, one of the co-founders of Transform1060. I'm writing today to ask for your help in protecting the space, so that it doesn't become one of countless similar places that have disappeared from our queer landscape. 

Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing a play about the Stonewall Riots *in* the Stonewall Inn in New York. The play, Street Theatre, was written by gay playwright and activist Doric Wilson. It was being performed at the Stonewall Inn in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of The Other Side of Silence (TOSOS), New York's oldest LGBTQ+ theater company. 

As the night unfolded, I found myself marveling at how rare it is to be able to have that experience: revisiting queer history in the place it was made. I found myself thinking of all the dedicated kink spaces I've frequented over the past 35 years -- and how many of them are gone. 

While there are a few long-running leather bars like the Eagle SF and Eagle NYC, dedicated leather/kink/fetish spaces have short life spans. I found myself remembering Paddles, The Vault, Beyond the Edge, Edges, Castlebar, The Citadel, Manray, Masquerade, and others. Those are just spaces I went to -- if you're reading this, you probably know others. 

The reality is that queer spaces are resilient but also vulnerable -- just like the people who depend on them. We have a long history of making do and surviving in dark times, though such times often exact a terrible cost on us and our beloved community spaces.

Three years ago, I was here in New York when I put the final touches on a proposal to take the space at 1060 Folsom Street over and make it a non-profit, serving the kink/fetish/leather communities as a social and educational space. Three years ago, I spoke on behalf of that proposal to the organization we were petitioning. I've been with the Transform1060 team every step of the way, from our first proposal through each obstacle we've faced in staying open. 

Three years later, we are still here.

I'm very proud of that, but I have to be honest with you, community -- it's been a struggle. We operate on the thinnest of margins. Some days it feels like we are one bad weekend away from closing. We are still working to pay off the COVID rent debt we took on as a condition of remaining open. We operate as a small all-volunteer organization, with a tiny budget. 

And for three years, we have stayed open. We dealt with COVID surges, MPOX, power outages, plumbing issues -- and we're still open, with events hosted by community members almost every weekend. 

We're here, but I don't know how much longer we can be. This September brought a series of challenges to our core team that have driven home to me how precarious Transform1060 is and how hard it is for kink spaces to survive. 

So today I'm asking for your help on behalf of the Transform1060 team and all the folks who use the space. I want us to reach $50,000 in donations by December 15, 2024 -- that's two months away. I know, it's a lot to ask. 

Please, donate to this Spotfund campaign. We will take any amount you can give us. If you're able to donate $100 or more, we'll invite you to dedicate a brick in the space. (YES, we will get those plaques up! The team is committed to it!) Donate $500, and dedicate a locker. If you're able to do more than that, we'll see what we can come up with to honor your support: we have a limited number of Founding Capital Campaign dedication levels left from our initial fundraising campaign. 

All of your donations are tax deductible. We're a sponsored non-profit and we're awaiting the IRS approval of our 501(c)3 application. (Did you know the IRS backlog is over a year long?) 

I can't promise you that Transform1060 will exist in 50 years, or even 10. What I can do is ask your help in making sure that it continues to serve the community for as long as possible, in a sustainable way. Every day we're open is a victory for our local queer leather/kink/fetish communities. Every month we survive is a testament to the resilience of our whole community, and everyone in it. 

Our history.  Our culture. Our spaces.  They are all rare and precious and valuable. Help us maintain this one.

On behalf of the Transform1060 team and every person who benefits from the space, thank you for your support.