Before Folsom Street became the global epicenter of leather, kink, and queer nightlife, there was Fe-Be’s — the first true gay leather bar on Folsom Street. Opening its doors on July 26, 1966, Fe-Be’s wasn’t just a bar — it was a home for bikers, leathermen, rebels, outlaws, and anyone who wanted a space unapologetically their own.
Under the stewardship of Don Geist and John Kissinger, Fe-Be’s helped light the spark for what would become Folsom’s Miracle Mile of bars, shops, and bathhouses — shaping a culture that blended queer identity with leather aesthetics, motorcycle spirit, and a DIY attitude long before it was celebrated. The bar even hosted the first location of A Taste of Leather, a pioneering fetish shop upstairs.
Fe-Be’s wasn’t without controversy — it briefly closed in 1970 amid legal battles over its raucous vibe — but it roared back soon after and stayed central to SoMa leather life for decades. Though it ultimately closed in 1986, its legacy lives on in queer art, culture, and memory — from the iconic Leather David statue first created for the bar to the spirit of freedom and defiance that still defines Folsom Street today.
