Fernandes-Giles, Mya (2026) DIY Dykes: Crafting Subversive Sexualities in Lesbian Sadomasochism. Masters thesis, Concordia University.
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Abstract
American practitioners of lesbian sadomasochism (S/M) in the 1980s-90s, also known as “leatherdykes”, relied upon handcrafted objects to express their subversive sexual identities, evidencing a cultural connection to craft methods and ethics. This project investigates the relationship between lesbian S/M subcultures and craft by analyzing amateur making, skill transfer, and identity construction. It focuses on the contributions of American lesbian artisans to the production of erotic objects by examining the making and usage of handmade sex tools, toys, and fashions, such as gender-affirming gear and implements used to inflict pleasurable pain.
I ground my research in firsthand accounts, including those collected at the Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) in Chicago. Specifically, I draw from their periodical collections, ephemera from Leather conferences and social groups, and newsletters from similar organizations that detailed and disseminated craft production. To analyze these records, I refer to the writings of leading craft scholars, such as Rozsika Parker and Joseph McBrinn, as well as researchers specializing in S/M and queer theory, including Gayle Rubin and Tom Cubbin. By examining their works, I showcase the usage of crafted sexual accommodations among leatherdykes.
This thesis ultimately explores how lesbian S/M participants deploy crafted fashions and objects for subversive sexual identities. In producing research that opposes the existing moralized scholarship on S/M, I showcase the artistry of sex and subversion, and agitate the dichotomization of art and craft, as well as art and pornography, in the process.
| Divisions: | Concordia University > Faculty of Fine Arts > Art History |
|---|---|
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
| Authors: | Fernandes-Giles, Mya |
| Institution: | Concordia University |
| Degree Name: | M.A. |
| Program: | Art History |
| Date: | 1 April 2026 |
| Thesis Supervisor(s): | Potvin, John |
| Keywords: | Craft & DIY Culture, Craft History, Lesbian Sadomasochism, Social Construction of Identity, Queer Theory, Queer Ethics, Gender Performance, BDSM, Leather Subculture |
| ID Code: | 996806 |
| Deposited By: | Mya Fernandes-Giles |
| Deposited On: | 29 Jun 2026 13:44 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Jun 2026 13:44 |
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