Durk Dehner

Dehner was raised in Alberta, Canada. His father was a farmer and his mother was the daughter of a doctor. Dehner was the youngest of three siblings. 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. He studied fine arts at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, The Allied Arts Center in Calgary, and The Vancouver School of Fine Arts. In 1976, Dehner met Dom Orejudos, who he later described as "my best friend for many years." Orejudos was a pen pal of Tom of Finland—both were gay erotic artists—and was responsible for introducing Dehner to Tom. == Career ==

Tom of Finland Foundation Dehner has worked in various jobs, including film direction, publishing, public relations and marketing, editing and production, photography, art collecting, public speaking writing, and event production. 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. He also had noticed that Laaksonen's work been misused by publishers who reprinted his work without obtaining written permission. Therefore, he offered, as a token of their friendship, to assist Laaksonen in the promotion of his work in the states. In 1978, Dehner secured an exhibition of Laaksonen's work in New York where he met fellow artists Robert Mapplethorpe and Andy Warhol. TOM House in Los Angeles (2002), photographed by Henning von Berg. Dehner, along with administrators and volunteers, maintains the craftsman home in Echo Park, Los Angeles that houses the foundation, and was once home to Laaksonen during his final decade. Much of Laaksonen's original pieces are on display, while thousands of others are archived. 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. The Cultural Heritage Commission adopted the structure on November 23, 2016. Nazi regalia scandal 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. Dehner resigned as president of the Tom of Finland Foundation. == Honors ==

In 2017 Dehner was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame. In 2025, Dehner was asked to be a judge of that year's International Mr. Leather Contest. This honor was revoked after his history of wearing Nazi symbols came to light. == References ==