Cynthia Slater (1945–1989) was a transformative figure in queer history, pioneering the integration of women and safer sex education into the BDSM and leather communities. In 1974, she co-founded the Society of Janus in San Francisco, one of the earliest BDSM education and support organizations in the United States. Slater was instrumental in breaking down gender barriers, famously persuading the gay men’s leather club, The Catacombs, to open its doors to lesbians and bisexual women.
A professional dominatrix and sex educator, Slater is credited with coining the term “SM 101” to describe her foundational safety demonstrations. Following her HIV diagnosis in the 1980s, she became a fierce advocate for women living with AIDS, founding the first Women’s HIV/AIDS Information Switchboard. Her legacy as a “bridge builder” is honored in the Leather Hall of Fame and through a permanent bronze boot print in San Francisco’s Leather History Alley.
