Tom of Finland Cofounder Stripped Of Leather Title After Wearing Nazi Regalia

Tom of Finland Cofounder Stripped Of Leather Title After Wearing Nazi Regalia
Image: Image: tomoffinlandfoundation/Instagram

A cofounder of the Tom of Finland Foundation has been removed from the 2025 judging panel of International Mr Leather, the world’s oldest leather conference and competition.

Photos of Durk Dehner began circling online, showing the cofounder wearing Nazi regalia on multiple different occasions, including a swastika pin and the parteiadler- the Nazi Eagle- on a leather hat.

Pup Diego Onyx, who holds the title of Mr Bullet Leather 2024, posted a compilation of Deher clearly wearing Nazi symbols as accessories.

“I love that one of the judges this year for International Mr. Leather, Inc. enjoys wearing N*zi regalia. A huge part of the LA leather community has been keeping this under wraps for far too long and so have many others. Why would anyone feel safe running for a contest if he’s a judge?” Onyx captioned.

“Please share if you find this problematic as well. Considering the amount of trans/poc/jewish/ essentially anything but white in our community who deserve respect, this is beyond f*cked up,” Onyx added.

This year’s IML is set to begin in Chicago this May, and sees over 2000 contestants from 27 countries compete annually through pageant-like categories.

David Ronneberg, International Mr Leather’s executive director, condemned Deher in a Facebook post, and announced his expulsion from the judging panel.

“I’ve been trying to write a post that isn’t angry — but I am angry, very angry. New information that came to me this morning regarding one of the IML judges clearly indicates he is not fit to be part of our organization. Hate has no place at IML. Period, full stop,” wrote Ronneberg.

“Anyone who wears hate-based imagery or symbols, whether Nazi regalia or a fucking MAGA hat — has NO place at the table, NO voice in the conversation, and can fuck right off,” he continued. “There is no gray area here. A most sincere thank you to everyone who brought this information to our attention. Thank you for holding us accountable and pushing us to do better. We must do better.”

By Tuesday, Deher had been removed from the list of judges on the IML website.

Tom of Finland Foundation condemns Deher

Deher cofounded the Tom of Finland Foundation in 1984 alongside Touko Laaksonen (better known by his artist name, Tom of Finland) and works to preserve the legacy and art of the illustrator, who died in 1991.

His drawings, which he began during the first of Nazi Germany, famously depict hyper-masculine white men, and has become a staple of gay bars and art galleries.

J.L. Carter, Mr. Sister Leather 2024, also posted about their experiences with Deher, and alleged that he “made racist remarks” toward Black and Latino members of the leather community at an event in February 2024.

“This man categorically should not be a judge at IML,” said Carter. “It’s complicated and troubling that so much of our ‘aesthetic’ in the leather community comes from ToF drawings which glorify the Nazi uniforms.”

CEO of the Foundation, Edward Cella, addressed the incident in a statement to Instagram on Tuesday.

“Tom of Finland Foundation unequivocally condemns all racism and hatred, and all symbols that are used to convey such views.

“As a Foundation, we hold ourselves to the highest standard of inclusivity, equity, and respect for all individuals, and we reject any content or behaviour that runs counter to these principles.”

“We hear you and understand that addressing the harm cause by recent actions requires more than words- it requires sustained effort and accountability. Looking forward, we are committed to listening, learning, and taking actionable steps to rebuild trust to ensure that our work supports and uplifts all members of our community.”

In a statement to Out, Onyx said that the photos of Deher in Nazi regalia were all public, and was frustrated that it took “international attention” before action was made.

“Why is it always the job of younger trans POC people in the leather community to bring it to the attention of everyone when it was wildly known as the best not kept secret?”

Onxy also alleged that Deher had posted an apology to Facebook, but that only his friends could see it.

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