LEATHER: The Other Form of Drag

The Leather Community is a very interesting group of guys.  A group that has their own dress code, hanky color codes, terminology, clubs, flag, and gay pride events.  Just like any community or fraternity.  They are a community within a community.  This group of guys range anywhere in age, body type, education level, and profession.  But, they all seem to have one thing in common.  They all love most things that are hyper-masculine .
 I don't think I have ever meet a queenie leather guy.  Although I found this picture during Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.

There are soo many fetish that fall under the umbrella of "leather".  Here are a few:

• Rubber Fetish
• Latex Fetish
• Uniform Fetish
• Traditional Leather
• Sports Wear Fetish
• Boot Fetish
• Role Play Fetish
• Bondage
• Bears
• For some reason guys who are into Western attire fall into this community.
• CBT (Cock and Ball Tortune)
• S&M
• too many to list.

A large number of guys assume the Leather Community is all about sex (extreme/kinky type).  Or that these guys are misfits because they don't fit until the mainstream of what gay means according to stereotypes.  If you have a conversation with the average Leather man he will usually talk about brotherhood". 

I have lived in Chicago and San Francisco.  Both cities have a very large and active Leather Community.

Every year Chicago has an event called International Mr. Leather (IML) - (http://www.imrl.com/).  This event brings in leather men from all over the world.  And it also brings out guys who are participating in the events/parties just for that weekend a year.  Just like some guys dress up in drag as a women once a year for Halloween.  This event is ALOT of fun (I higly recommend it even if you are not into leather....just a alot of fun with a group of barely clothed, friendly men).  There is a group in Chicago called Onyx (They are a group of Black and Latino Leather men).  They throw the BEST party every year during IML (it is a must).

San Francisco has event every year called Folsom Street Fair and Up your Alley.  Both events info at: http://www.folsomstreetfair.com/.  Folsom Street Fair brings in ALL types of people.  This event has become soo mainstream that it is the one of the top glossing event in for the city of San Francisco.  But is has also become more tame because of the more and more Heterosexual attendance and participation.   Up Your Alley is become the event for more extreme exhibitionist.  You have to experience both at least twice (1st time just attend and observe - 2nd time dress up and have fun).

My first introduction to Leather was a Tom of Finland picture in Mandate Gay Magazine when I was 14 years old.  Every since then I have had a fascination for the images Tom of Finland created.  I would love to go to more leather clubs.  Since my friends don't go to those type of clubs and I don't like going out alone, I don't go that often.  It is strange how I can go out alone in another city but in the city where I live I cannot go out alone.  My "thang" are uniforms and boots.

Here are a few of the Tom of Finland images I enjoy: