From 1991 to 2021, International Deaf Leather (IDL) served to unify and uplift Deaf members of the leather subculture. Its annual contests honored members of the community and promoted visibility and inclusion for Deaf and, in turn, disabled people within queer and leather spaces in ways that were historically unprecedented.
When the organization dissolved in 2021, much of its history was lost. Because IDL served a relatively small population, very little documentation has been preserved, and the organization has been largely forgotten. This paper aims to compile what evidence remains and provide a comprehensive historical and ethnographic account of International Deaf Leather, as well as the social and cultural contexts that shaped its formation and legacy.
