Durk Dehner

His parents stressed the importance of independence and self reliance from an early age, and he often moved about his environment on his own, navigating his way through urban and natural settings with ease.

This daily meditation practice led Dehner to the belief that the solution to his "painful experience of self doubt" was to devote his life to other people.

[citation needed] In 1976, Dehner met Dom Orejudos, who he later described as "my best friend for many years.

Later, the mission was enlarged to serve as an erotic art archive, which would protect such work from discrimination and destruction.

The Foundation also focuses on promoting healthy, pro-sex attitudes and educating the public on the merit of erotic art.

[8] Dehner founded the Foundation to help promote the work of Laaksonen in the United States.

He understood the effect that his work had on the LGBT community and how he affected the lives and styles of homosexual males.

[11] To protect the space from development, Dehner submitted an application to the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission asking it to make the house a historic monument due to its relation to Tom of Finland and the critical role it played in the LGBT rights movement.

[2] In January 2025, International Mr. Leather, the world's oldest leather subculture conference and competition, removed Dehner as a judge following outcry after photographs of Dehner wearing Nazi regalia began circulating online.