A mentorship for guys in the San Francisco kink community.

We're here because sex, kink, and pleasure are worth doing well. That's what makes this hot, joyful, and safe enough to really explore. Growing into a healthier, more confident sexual person isn't a side effect of the program. It's the point.

The LDG Mentoring Program pairs experienced guys in the kink community with people earlier in their journey. It's nine months of structured, one-to-one mentorship, and exists to cultivate growth, accountability, and leadership, in a community that is safe, inclusive, and committed to racial equity.

Who it's for

This program is for and by men, inclusive of trans men. It welcomes nonbinary, intersex, and gender-expansive people who identify with and actively participate in spaces historically labeled masculine within this community. It welcomes people across all races and ethnicities.

It is for two kinds of people. Some have walked the path and want to guide someone else along it. Others are looking to grow in skills, community, and confidence, with the support of someone more experienced.

Related: Mentors & Mentees · Equity and Belonging

Why we're doing this

Mentorship is how a community carries its knowledge forward. This program creates deliberate, supported relationships so that experience is shared and newer folks do not have to find their footing alone. The goal is a stronger, safer, more equitable community, and people who are guided into leadership rather than left to figure it out on their own.

Related: How It Works

Why LDG is trustworthy for this

The San Francisco Leathermen's Discussion Group has served this community since 1996. Our mentoring program has run since 2012, and over that time it has connected hundreds of newer folks with experienced mentors.

In 2026 we paused the program and took a year to reflect on it and make it stronger. The version relaunching in January 2027 keeps what has always worked and adds clearer structure:

• Leadership is shared across a committee with defined roles, so no single person carries the program alone.
• Independent, confidential channels exist for mental-health support and for raising concerns, kept separate from each other and from program leadership. See Safety and Support.
• Mentors, mentees, and the Operating Committee all complete a background check.
• Racial equity is built into every part of the program. See Equity and Belonging.
• The values that every participant and leader agrees to are public. You can read them on Our Values.

Related: Who We Are · Safety and Support

Key dates for the 2027 cohort

• Mentor applications: open September 1, 2026
• Mentee applications: open November 1, 2026
• Matching: after mentee applications close (timeline pending)
• Program runs: January to early October 2027

Related: Full schedule

Explore the program

• Mentors & Mentees. What each role is, who it is for, and what it involves.
• How It Works. The structure, cadence, classes, and cost.
• Schedule. Every date for the 2027 cohort, from applications to close.
• Our Values. The agreements every participant and leader reads and agrees to.
• Committee Values. What everyone who leads the program is additionally held to.
• Who We Are. The Operating Committee, and how the program is organized.