However we see it the Leather Sub-Culture is not at all a united fraction. Very often Leather men are associated with BDSM practices. But it’s not just that. The origins of the Gay Leather Culture lay well behind, in the development of the motor bikers movement of the late 40’s in the US. As such the first gay bars to have a leather look where the gay version of bikers clubs.
A second influencer of this movement can be seen in the rock scene, especially in its harder version.
Third but also very important, this movement has had in the early seventies a big diffuser of its stereotype from an aesthetic point of view. The drawings of Tom of Finland have made this stereotype circle the world, and made it a part of the gay culture all over the world.
Tom of Finland mixed several different elements of the general gay culture from an aesthetic point of view:
- Super-man characters, such has highly developed muscles and huge sexual attributes.
- Distinction from the “hairy” bearish type (although some drawings do also carry these), more in line with the greek ideals of beauty.
- Fetishes in dressing up, with loads of leather recognizable in hats, leather pants, high boots, leather gloves. Typical from the biker culture but not only.
These aspects have mixed themselves into today’s movement, a dispersed and variegated group that has collated himself under the label of a Leather Pride flag, sharing practically only the love for Leather as a distinctive sign of masculinity and sexuality.
Today the Leather Culture therefore does not represent an aesthetic model from a specific “body” type of view. Both bearish type and twinkie types of people do wear leather or sometime other fetish apparel (namely latex has been diffusing quite a lot, but also Denim is part of this world) . A character of the Leather movement is of course to have a wide-spread usage of all sexual practices, from “vanilla” sex to BDSM to all different kinds of sexual practices. Again here you can’t really make a distinction, but as in straight sex the suage of leather is very often linked to some kind of peculiar practices.
That’s why the Leather Subculture also developed some easy to use “signs” to identify sexual preferences, like the Hanky Code, a way to easily identify one’s taste in sex. Still today in many Leather bars is very easy to see the usage of this coding, which is based on having colored handkerchiefs or bandanas in your left or right pocket or looped around the belt. The left side of the body is used to indicate that the person is top in that practice, the right side that he’s bottom.
- Black is the indicator of S/M (left for master, right for Slave)
- Red is used for Fisting Practices
- Dark Blue is for anal sex.
- Light Blue is for oral sex.
- Yellow is for watersports.
- Brown is for scat.
- Green is displayed by Hustlers (i.e. people doing it for money).
- Orange simply means anything, anytime.
- Purple is for people into piercings (especially genitals piercings).
- Grey is for bondage.
Also simply wearing a leather bracelet on the wrong arm may create confusion sometime. So again being aware of this culture is very important. In this case my suggestion, if you’re interested in exploring this world, is to start with a friend that maybe already went to a leather event. Or, alternatively, you could explore one of the few public festivals, such as Folsom Street Fair inSan Francisco (or its equivalent version in Berlin). But, pay attention, some people get easily scared about what happens at these events:-) Nothing is hidden from your view, sex (also in its sleaziest form) is performed open air, and in sight of everyone. So that’s why some people have “trouble” with their first time there.
Last but not least, approaching the Leather world can be quite “expensive”. Also the smallest leather accessories (such as an harness) can be expensive. And you’re usually required to wear some if you get into a leather bar. So again, maybe a good thing could be to borrow some from a friend if you’re still doubtful, and try to experiment from there!
gayspirit.me/post/4713279017/104-sexual-partner-fantasy-leathermen
