Jack Stice Award

This award was given at SELF from 2000 to 2008. Below is the text read by Catherine Gross when it was last given in 2008:

For the past eight years, SELF has given the Jack Stice Memorial Community Service Award. In 1998, SELF Treasurer David Armstrong proposed that SELF establish an annual community service award for the southeast region. The SELF board unanimously voted to create this award, and as a tribute to Jack Stice’s dedication to community service, named it in his honor. In 2000, David received the Jack Stice Memorial Community Service Award posthumously, when it was presented for the first time at SELF 5.  

Last year, just days before SELF, Jack’s former slave Tom Stice informed us that he was uncomfortable with SELF continuing our tradition of presenting our trademarked award. Given the ways in which Tom chose to express his displeasure, this February, SELF agreed to turn over our trademarked award to Tom though we still own the trademark. After this year, SELF has agreed that we will no longer present the Jack Stice Memorial Community Service Award named for the founder of our event.

This year we had 23 nominations for this award from all over the southeast. This year’s recipients will be the last who will join a long list of people, organizations, and businesses that have been recognized for their exemplary gifts to our various communities in the southeast. 

Since we are ending what has been a long standing tradition at SELF, it is only fitting that the last Jack Stice Memorial Community Service awards are being given by two of the original SELF board members, Nickie S. and Ms. Victoria. (see the winners below)

History of the award

Over thirteen years ago, a passionate Atlanta leatherman brought forth the idea of creating a special gathering in the southeast. He envisioned a gathering of leather people of all orientations, genders and traditions. This event would give people the opportunity to come together to celebrate diversity, exchange ideas, listen, learn and share. He saw commonality where others saw divisive difference. Jack Stice was this man and his enthusiasm spread to others and the idea blossomed. As the 1995 International Master, Jack Stice and the specially formed Atlanta Leather Pride Committee created the first SouthEast LeatherFest.

In 1996, SouthEast LeatherFest, the first major leather event of its kind in Atlanta, became living proof that the leather communities of Atlanta had taken great strides in bridging the gap between different factions-- gay, lesbian, pansexual, bisexual, heterosexual and transsexual.

Jack Stice was a determined leader in the community, a devoted advocate of charitable concerns and the producer of the first SELF. He gave his heart to the new event just as he gave his all to everything else that was important to him and to the community. Jack Stice was fearless in his actions and words and dedicated to personal and community growth.

Jack was able to celebrate and enjoy the first and very successful SELF and then AIDS took him away. Before he died, Jack passed along the vision and asked for commitments from others to continue with SELF in the spirit in which it was created.

An active and devoted Executive Committee continued with SouthEast LeatherFest and the event grew. Jack's legacy and ideas are still a driving force at SELF. At our tenth anniversary, a hand-sewn quilt was presented in honor of Jack and is now part of of the AIDS QUILT.