Chuck Renslow

Charles "Chuck" Renslow (August 26, 1929 – June 29, 2017) was an American businessman, known for pioneering homoerotic male photography in the mid-20th-century US, and establishing many landmarks of late-20th-century gay culture and leather culture, especially in the Chicago area. His accomplishments included the cofounding with Tony DeBlase of the Leather Archives & Museum, the co-founding with Dom Orejudos of the Gold Coast bar, Man's Country bathhouse, and the International Mr. Leather competition, and the founding by himself alone of Chicago's August White Party, and the magazines Triumph, Rawhide, and Mars. He was a romantic partner of Dom Orejudos as well as Chuck Arnett, Samuel Steward, David Grooms, and Ron Ehemann.

Renslow was a photographer, and in 1952 met Dom Orejudos on Chicago's Oak Street Beach, asking him to model for him. The two began a lifelong personal and professional relationship; in the 1970s, they lived together in the Francis J Dewes mansion.

Renslow and Orejudos founded Kris Studios, a physique photography studio that took photos for gay magazines they published. The studio was named in part to honor transgender pioneer Christine Jorgensen. In 1958, they bought a gym which they renamed Triumph Gymnasium and Health Studio. That same year Renslow and Orejudos bought Gold Coast Show Lounge, and transformed it into the country's first gay leather bar, called the Gold Coast bar, with a uniform/western/leather dress code, a backroom, and homoerotic art (by Orejudos) on the walls. In 1965, Renslow helped found the Second City Motorcycle Club.

Man’s Country/Chicago, founded by Renslow and Orejudos, opened at 5015–5017 North Clark Street in Chicago on September 19, 1973, and held the title of Chicago's longest-running gay bathhouse when it closed in 2017. It was the third bathhouse co-founded by Renslow, whose previous two clubs were forced to shut down due to homophobia-fueled pressure from the police. Before opening Man's Country/Chicago, Renslow co-owned locations of the Club Baths chain in Chicago, Kansas City, and Phoenix with Chuck Fleck.

Renslow founded Chicago's August White Party on August 8, 1974, when he hosted a party to celebrate his birthday and thank his patrons. It was then held for the next 36 years until 2010. The largest party was held in 1979 at Navy Pier, with 5,000 participants.

The forerunner of the International Mr. Leather competition was the 1970s "Mr. Gold Coast" contest held at Chicago's Gold Coast leather bar, owned by Renslow and Dom Orejudos. The "Mr. Gold Coast" contest became one of the bar's most popular promotions causing the need to locate the competition to a larger venue in 1979, upon which the title was changed to International Mr. Leather.

In 1991 Renslow and Tony DeBlase founded the Leather Archives & Museum "as a community archives, library, and museum of leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM history and culture." Its mission is making “leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish accessible through research, preservation, education and community engagement." Renslow and DeBlase founded the museum in response to the AIDS crisis, during which the leather and fetish communities' history and belongings were frequently lost or intentionally suppressed and discarded.

Renslow is listed as the Chairman In Memoriam of the Leather Archives & Museum. The museum also gives out the Chuck Renslow President's Award to honor individuals and organizations for their contributions to it.