Despite its name, the Tom of Finland Foundation has, from its very beginnings, been more than merely an institution dedicated to honoring the legacy of the late artist Tom of Finland. It has also carried another legacy: that of Durk Dehner, who, from the very beginning, has devoted himself relentlessly to developing and building up the Foundation dedicated to Touko Laaksonen—not only to preserving his work but also to safeguarding the broader cultural heritage embodied in his art.
During the AIDS crisis, Durk Dehner opened his home, known today as TOM House, to gay men struggling through those difficult years. He embraced Tom’s legacy as a symbol of a purpose far greater than art alone. He wove Tom’s art into the gay movement, championed it as art in its own right, and elevated it to another level by placing it within a broader social context.
Yet the Tom of Finland Foundation carries not just one legacy, but two: that of Tom of Finland and that of Durk Dehner. Two legacies, equal in significance and inseparable from one another.
Thus, the original mission and purpose of the Tom of Finland Foundation must be upheld and governed with both legacies in mind, guided by the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience.
If these fundamental obligations are not being met, the Foundation's governing body—the Board of Directors—cannot simply continue to act as though its authority and legitimacy remain unquestioned.
Signed,
A Friend of Tom of Finland
Los Angeles
United States