Andrew Harwin, who died recently, was a member of Inferno, Delta, GMSMA and many other organizations. He was one of the organizers of the popular Folsom Street East block party here in NYC. There will be a memorial service for Andrew on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, from 3 to 5 p.m., at the LGBT Community Center in New York. It will be a wonderful opportunity to reminisce, to connect with those who knew and remember Andrew, and to help celebrate his life.
Civil rights activist and best selling author David Mixner speaks about gay rights, the state of our union, growing up country, developing his political chops and sex.
Wed, July 24, 2019
6:00 to 9:00 PM
554 West 28th Street
Free tickets available here
There’s a really hot exhibition of works by Robert Mapplethorpe through July 10, then returning July 24 until early January, at the Guggenheim museum in New York City. If you are in or are coming to New York, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Although many of these photographs are famous, I had never seen them exhibited in a gallery before. I’m impressed with the technical quality of Mapplethorpe’s work, and I am moved by his subject matter. Mapplethorpe depicted leather and s/m sex, and even rubber and other fetishes! This was incredibly groundbreaking for someone in the 1970s. You have to remember that he was working before the Internet, before Tumblr made subject matter like this abundant.
I thought a lot about one image — “Joe (Rubber Man)” — because I am wondering where he would have gotten that full rubber body suit back then. There’s also some even more shocking stuff (not pictured here) including a watersports picture and another, a self-portrait, in which the artist has a bullwhip up his butt.
My favorite picture of all (shown above and below) is “Brian Ridley and Lyle Heeter,” the picture in which a leather Sir has his boy chained up in their living room.
Below are some of the pictures I took of the pictures:
You can learn more about this exhibition at the Guggenheim by clicking here.
There are also several movies about Mapplethorpe, the best of which is (in my opinion) called “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” — trailer here:
If you are in New York City this weekend for World Pride, be sure to check out the New York Bondage Club! This Sunday — after the World Pride parade — you can celebrate your bondage pride!
The New York Bondage Club meets EVERY Sunday night!
Visit the club’s official website here.
The World Pride weekend continues on Saturday, June 29, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, with a Leather Barbecue!
81 Christopher Street, from 2 to 6 pm
Andrew Harwin died today.
Andrew was a wise and spiritual man who was generous with his time and attention. He had many friends.
He was one of the organizers of the popular Folsom Street East block party and fund-raiser here in NYC. He was a member of Inferno and of Delta.
I got to know Andrew many years back when we served together on the board of GMSMA (Gay Male S/M Activists). I knew him as hard-working, kind, friendly and thoughtful.
Andrew was a longtime survivor of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He bravely battled so many health crises over the years that I thought he would outlive us all.
He is going to be missed.
Anyone here going to the Black Party this weekend here in NYC? It sure looks like a wild time, judging by these promotional videos. Check them out:
Folsom Street East will celebrate 22 years of gear, kink, fetish and all around in-your-face deviance for this year’s New York City Fetish Weekend, including four days of events culminating in the annual Street Festival, on Sunday, June 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 27th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues.
This is going to be an extra special Folsom Street East because it is the weekend before World Pride!
The theme of this year’s Folsom Street East is S.L.U.T.S. Fantasies Fulfilled. (“SLUTS” stands for Sex, Love, Unity, Trust and Safety.)
The mission of Folsom Street East is to celebrate and inspire participation and pride in fetish, kink and LGBTQ communities through the creation of safe spaces for public expression of sexual identities. Folsom Street East promotes and provides grants to other nonprofit organizations serving these communities.
They need volunteers to help run the event. It’s a great opportunity to get involved!
Official website here
Advance tickets here
