Please enjoy this look at our Board of Directors and others who help make the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District possible.
Alicia (AB) Bee, President
Alicia (she/they) is a passionate advocate for fostering a vibrant Queer community. Originally from Flint, Michigan, Alicia found her community in Chicago, where she embarked on her journey as a radical body acceptance activist and fat activist. She founded a radical body acceptance group, organized sex-positive events, and created inclusive spaces for queer, kinky, and gender-nonconforming folx. Alicia has also actively participated in broader movements, including letter writing for Flying Over Walls, Slut March, Dyke March, Black Lives Matter, and the TPAN AIDS Ride.
Alicia is a Board Member and Co-Chair of the Communications Committee for the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District. Her work spans various committees, including Fundraising, where she helped organize events like the Golden Dildeaux Awards which raised thousands of dollars. She proudly earned the title of 3rd Fiercest Femme in San Francisco at the event, alongside friends Reika and Michelle. Alicia is also deeply involved in planning LeatherWalk, contributing her energy and expertise to ensure the event’s success.
Professionally, Alicia brings over 25 years of experience in Marketing, Branding, and Creative Direction across Technology, Sports, and Advertising, in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. With more than 15 years in management roles, she excels in team building, leadership, strategic planning, and budget management. Alicia’s corporate experience includes leading LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Groups and Gender Equity in Tech initiatives, showcasing her commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Alicia is a staunch advocate for diverse representation on the board, including trans, non-binary, non-gendered, women, BIPoC, and LatinX individuals. She believes that leadership should reflect its members rather than the establishment. Alicia is dedicated to the liberation and empowerment of all people, recognizing that diversity is a source of strength. She honors the intersections of identities, knowing that the freedom of each individual is connected to the freedom of all.
Deeply committed to fostering the vibrant leather and LGBTQ+ community, Alicia aims to leverage her extensive skills and experiences to support the Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District’s growth, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability.
Robert Costic, Secretary
Robert Costic is an attorney who has spent two decades advocating for LGBTQ community members while building a career in public safety. He previously served at Google for two years, reviewing law enforcement legal processes and managing a team of thirteen attorneys. Before that, he spent six years with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, as part of the Special Liaison Branch, responding to hate crimes, domestic violence incidents, and mental health crises affecting the LGBTQ community. Robert lives in SoMa with his husband and their cats.
Jonathan Ojinaga, Board Member
Jonathan (he/him) is a seasoned entrepreneur and community advocate with a longstanding presence in San Francisco. As the owner and operator of Azucar Lounge for 13 years and, more recently, the co-owner of Matterhorn Restaurant & Bakery (acquired in August 2023), Jonathan has demonstrated his commitment to building thriving businesses that contribute to the local community.
With a solid foundation in international retail, Jonathan brings a wealth of experience in operations, supply chain management, and strategic planning to his role as a business owner. His successful transition to the hospitality industry demonstrates his adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit.
Jonathan is a dedicated community member with a strong interest in supporting local initiatives. He is passionate about fostering a thriving community by advocating for small businesses, environmental sustainability, and LGBTQ+ rights. His professional skills and commitment to making a positive difference make him a valuable asset to any organization.
Johnny Rodriguez, Vice President
Johnny identifies as a Two-Spirit elder in training. A Social Worker and long time community organizer in San Francisco, Johnny has spent decades fighting for racial, gender and economic justice. Currently Johnny helps organize events and ceremonies for queer people of color around the Bay area.
Johnny was the Team Friendly SF Ambassador for 2025 and continues to support current and future title holders while ensuring that queer, trans and disabled people have equal access and opportunities in kink and leather spaces.
Johnny is committed to protecting and uplifting the communities that make the City a beautiful and magical place. That’s what lead him to joining the District’s board to help keep SoMa kinky!
Gayle Rubin, Historian
Gayle was involved in the establishment of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, and has been actively engaged ever since. She has a deep knowledge of the history of Leather and Queer SOMA, based on decades of research and archival preservation of primary source materials, as well as living in the District. Rubin helped found Samois and the Outcasts, and is a member of the Society of Janus and the Exiles. She serves on the Board of the Leather Archives & Museum and the Selection Committee of the Leather Hall of Fame. She was among the principals who generated the leather history installation on Ringold Alley. Rubin has presented programs for Samois, The Society of Janus, the Outcasts, the Exiles, and the Leathermen’s Discussion Group. She has received the Leather Leadership Award of the National LGBTQ Task Force, the Race Bannon Advocacy Award of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance Philip M. Turner Lifetime Achievement Award, the Key to the Folsom Street Fair, and a Lifetime Community Achievement Award from the Exiles. Rubin has published in Drummer, DungeonMaster, Leatherfolk, and Coming to Power, and has contributed to several key official documents, including “Recognizing, Protecting and Memorializing South of Market LGBTQ Social Heritage Neighborhood Resources,” the Resolution establishing the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District, and the CHHESS report for the district. She has worked tirelessly to preserve the leather, kink, and queer presence South of Market.
Staff
Bob Goldfarb, Executive Director
Bob (he/him) has been managing non-profit organizations since 1991. Since moving to San Francisco his roles have included President of Folsom Street Events, where he initiated the Security committee and served as Vice-President before being elected President. Subsequently, he served as the Program Director for the Leathermen’s Discussion Group (LDG). He was also Mr. February on SF’s 1998 Bare Chest Calendar.
His involvement with the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District began in 2017, when he began attending the grassroots meetings that lead to the formation of the District. While the group was still an informal organization, he was elected the first Chairperson in January of 2018 and the first Chairperson of the Land-Use Committee at the same time.
He helped shepherd the legislation founding the District through City Hall, meeting with all 11 Supervisors or their aides. He worked on the District’s initial by-laws from their formation through the final draft that was approved In the summer of 2019. He was elected the District’s first President in August 2019.
He worked with our fiscal sponsor SOMArts to establish their first model C fiscal sponsor agreement. He worked establishing our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and worked on establishing our software and financial systems.
He has worked closely with city agencies including, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, SF Public Works, the Office of Economic and Workplace Development, and the Planning Department.
He has been responsible for place making initiatives in the District including the white street sign with the District’s name, the Leather Pride Flag pole wraps on 106 light poles in SOMA, as well as the Leather Pride themed crosswalks and the sidewalk plaques commemorating iconic SOMA places that are both coming on Folsom Street alleys over the next two years.
He has been responsible for numerous pieces of legislation including those: making it easier for our community businesses to establish themselves in SOMA, legislation enabling our place making initiatives, legislation codifying fair treatment of city fees paid by Cultural Districts. He has spoken at numerous hearings supporting legislation to benefit our communities and those of other Cultural Districts.
He has negotiated with developers to ensure fair treatment of events (like the Folsom Street Fair) during their construction phases as well as ensuring new residents are advised they will be living in a Cultural District with events like the Folsom Street Fair.
He has worked on our fundraisers including the Golden Dildeaux Awards, developing custom software, managing the annual contest and website as well as the marketing efforts.
He managed the research and production of our City required CHHESS report, a planning document that took 4 years to complete and was only the third one in the city that’s been finished.
He manages: the District’s day-to-day operations, employees,expenses, insurance, financial reporting to our grant funders and the City, contracts with our consultants and contractors. He developed and now manages the finance systems connected with our fiscal sponsor as well as monthly expense reports and payroll.
In his spare time, he judges international chocolate contests.
Cal Callahan, District Manager
Originally from New Jersey, Cal Callahan (he, him) has lived in the Bay Area for forty years, after an eight-year detour to Boston. He holds a BFA in Art Education from Rutgers University and did graduate work in the field at Boston University. After years in the hospitality and retail fields, he has spent the last twenty-five years in nonprofit organizations, primarily in the HIV/AIDS field, with experience in health education, community outreach, volunteer management, and fundraising. As a fundraiser, he specialized in peer-to-peer fundraising with AIDS Walk, AIDS LifeCycle, Muir’s March and Ride, and Bare Chest Calendar. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Calendar.
Cal joined the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District in 2020 during the COVID shutdown, combining his passion for community organizing and grassroots projects. His interest in kink and leather began in the early days of the AIDS crisis, when the leather and lesbian communities mobilized early to raise money and give care. He was Sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at PRC’s Christmas Eve Dinner for People with AIDS for his work in the community. Cal lives with husband Richard in North Oakland. He is a foodie and wannabe author.