Leatherati

Leather Identity Project - What is a Boy?

I love graphs!  Almost as much as I love boys.

Check out this fun and informative data breakout from the Leather Identity Project.  Not only did they explore what boys think it is to be a boy but they delved in to perceptions from non-boys as well.  Fascinating stuff.

Be sure to take part in their current polls while you're on their site.

Boy data after the jump

South Plains Leatherfest

Come on home - Registration is open for South Plains 2012! 

South Plains will remember history and traditions, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future.  Whether interested in Master/slave relationships or cutting edge SM or both, attendees will find what they're looking for at South Plains Leatherfest-International Master/slave Weekend in Dallas, Texas on March 9-11, 2012.  Registration is open here.   

The weekend will feature traditional activities and new events that celebrate the theme of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.  

South Plains offers two seminar “tracks” – one on Master/slave relationships and one on advanced SM techniques. Among the outstanding presenters are Master Skip & slave Rick, Master Jim & slave marsha (IM/s 2001), Liza & her slave Jody (IM/s 2011), Lady Hilary, Raven Kaldera & Joshua Tenpenny, Mark Frazier, Hardy Haberman, Phoenix, and Utah Rox. 

South Plains is also home of the International Master/slave Contest.  Contest activities start with Friday evening introductions, continue with presentations on Saturday, and conclude with the final contest ceremonies and events Saturday evening.  Emcee Karen "Ultra Domme" Crecelius will keep things lively!

News to Abuse: LA&M CLAW Grant - BDSM Approved - Tea With the Doctor

CLAW comes through for LA&M

The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) announced today that it has received a $6,500 grant from CLAW Corporation.  Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend, held annually in Cleveland, OH has raised over $300,000 since 2002.  CLAW has donated to the LA&M each year since 2002, with this year's grant bringing the total to $53,244.75.  

Bondage Club Gets City Approval

Sweet!

After months of wrangling with the city of St Louis, the south-city BDSM venue known as "The Facility" is legally in the clear to operate, proprietor Joe Kriegesmann says.

"We are approved for educational seminars," says Kriegesmann, who is also known as "Satan's Master." He tells us he received a letter from the Board of Public Service giving him the go-ahead to operate the club, which mayoral spokeswoman Kara Bowlin confirms.

Full article after the jump

Afternoon Tea with Doctor Larry Burden

Yes, the "Kinky Gynecologist" is leading the way at an afternoon of tea, networking and important discussions of our sex lives.

Serenesin.com is sponsoring the event to be held at the Veterans Memorial Complex, Uruapan Room, 4117 Overland Ave in Culver City, CA 90230. 

Info and tix here

Nashville Leather Leadership Conference Committee Resigns

A press release from Thomas Smith, National Chair of of the Leather Leadership Conference, arrived in my email box last week announcing the formation of a Southeastern Regional Organizing Committee for LLC XVI in Nashville in April of 2012.

I was curious since we had already dealt with a Local Organizing Committee prior to receiving this latest announcement.

A few days later I received some intelligence from a well-placed community leader reporting that the entire Nashville Organizing Committee had resigned.  The implication was that the LOC had resigned over disputes with the National Board.

I should disclose that I, and my co-editor Alex Lindsay, resigned from the Los Angeles LOC over LLC board management issues prior to LLC XV here in Los Angeles.

I contacted Kate Kinsey, formerly a member of the executive committee of the Nashville LOC.  She confirmed that the Nashville LOC had indeed resigned en masse over what they felt was an inability to work with the LLC national board.  She cited concerns that the national board had offered virtually no assistance to the Nashville LOC and attributed this to a board which has little or no hands-on experience in actually producing a conference.

News to Abuse: Internet Killed the Leather Scene - IML Tix Sale - Beyond Vanilla

How The Internet Killed (Or Maybe Just Changed) Dallas' Leather Scene

A pretty intersting article from the Dallas Observer that dives into the BDSM/Leather scene in Dallas.  The article sends you away with few hard conclusions but still manages to entertainingly illuminate some of the changes the local Dallas community is dealing with, if not exactly embracing.

It's written for an audience that may not be substantially "in the know" so you hard corers out there may find it a bit tame and charming.  Still, in all, it a very fair reporting on the scene and definitely worth a ready.  Read the full article after the jump.

IML Ticket Sale

The IML 34th anniversary weekend package sale is being extended.

Buy your tickets now for IML 2012 and save up to 20%. IML producers tell us this sale will not be extended indefinitely, so act fast!

IML staff also report that hotel reservations will be accepted soon. Check www.imrl.com for info. 

Beyond Vanilla XXI

The National Leather Association-Dallas presents Beyond Vanilla XXI.

Beyond Vanilla is their annual Leather/Fetish/BDSM event featuring 2 days of workshops and lectures, play parties and entertainment.

It all takes place at the Sterling Hotel in Dallas, Texas form September 30 - October 2, 2011.  Get more info on the Beyond Vanilla website.

Interview with David Stein - Perfect Bound Press

We enjoyed a conversation with Editor/Publisher David Stein of Perfect Bound Press.

Check it out after the jump

Mollena Williams on Taboo Play for Leathermen’s Discussion Group (LDG)

by Leland Carina

Patrick Mulcahey introduced Mollena by saying that people like her, if there are any others, piss him off. He went on with a smile to say that she is so multi-talented as a writer, performer, speaker, teacher, has a great understanding of M/s and so on. He joked that it leaves him wondering if there’s anything he can do better than her... but then remembers that he can pee further while standing up.

Mollena laughed as she took the stage. She related that when she does presentations she doesn’t follow a script, she tells stories. She invited the audience to share their experiences as well.

Call for Contributions

We're putting together a new series for Leatherati.com on the topic of "Kink Shame" and we're looking for contributors.

We're looking for articles which explore how shame exists, or doesn't exist, in the community about our lifestyle.  Are we ashamed to talk about our kinky selves to people outside of our circle.  Are other communities ashamed of us?  How does this impact us?  How do we and how have we overcome this?

Your POV can address any or all of these concepts or ones which aren't listed here.  Articles should be between 1000 and 1500 words.  Please send submissions to editor@leatherati.com and be sure to include a short bio (less than 100 words) and a bio pic to accompany the article.

Be sure to check out our new Leatherati Voices channel too.  We're proud to feature some very talented regular contributors as well as one-time authors.  Some of the people who have added their Voices to Leatherati include:  Deborah Isadora Wade, Lucesco, Papa Tony, Leland Carina, Bootblack Kassie, JJ Deogracias and Douglas Connors.

International Power Exchange Contest

Beyond Leather has added an innovative new feature to its already exciting weekend, the International Power Exchange contest.

Beyond Leather =spoke with the producers of the International Master/slave contest about an idea for an additional couple's title and after much consulting and research, Beyond Leather has created the International Power Exchange contest to cater to an assortment of power dynamics. Instead of having separate Mr. and Ms. Beyond Leather titles, as they have in the past, the International Power Exchange contest is an educational title for a power exchange couple. The producers are excited to reach out to all the diverse groups and dynamics within the BDSM communities.

IPE is open to all couples over 21 years of age regardless of gender or sexual preference, who have been in a power exchange dynamic for 2 or more years and who are not a traditional Master/slave couple. For example, a couple could enter as: Dominant/submissive, Femdom/submissive, Daddy or Mommy with a boi/boy/girl, Sir/Ma'am with a boi/boy/girl, Top/bottom and the list goes on.

The winning couple will have the opportunity to travel around the country giving demos and classes on the aspects of their dynamic. Beyond Leather will assist with raising a travel fund to help subsidize travel expenses for the winning couple. 

More info at the Beyond Leather website

News to Abuse: BLOC - Master/slave Conference - Erotic Books Online

BLOC

Brotherhood of Leathermen of Color (BLOC)

A group based in New York City has formed a working coalition of Leathermen of Color and their friends.  Their alliance seeks to produce and promote social events that will provide relevant experiences, enhance their collective image, and improve their lives as gay leathermen.  

They welcome all who share th at vision!  Monthly Meettings are on the 2nd Sunday of each month from 5-7PM at the NYC Gay Center.

For more info, call 347-766-2562 or www.blocorg.weebly.com. 

Master/slave Conference 2011

MsC 2011 is just around the corner on the Labor Day Weekend in Washington, DC September 2-5, 2011.

Keynote speaker Guy Baldwin will be on hand to open the conference on Friday and then on Saturday night author Race Bannon will keep the dialogue alive with a speech.

You will also have  chance to attend the Northeast Master/slave Contest and well as a fantastic array of educational classes as well as the rich history of the Carter/Johnson Leather Library.

Leatherati bloggers will also be on hand to deliver coverage throughout the weekend.  

More info on the Msc website.

Erotic Book Network

The Erotic Book Network is now online and featuring the entire Pink Flamingo Publications BDSM catalog especially the non-consensual BDSM titles removed from the Pink Flamingo website.

Male Domination, Female Domination, Bondage Fantasies, Erotic Power Exchange, Abduction Tales and Erotic Slave Worlds - from Sizzling Romance to Edgy Extremes!

Consensual BDSM will still appear on the Pink Flamingo Website, plus Spanking and General Erotica titles.

More info at www.eroticbooknetwork.com