Leatherati

A Milkbone Divided?

By Olivier Pratt

The Leather community isn’t exempt from the trials and tribulations that plague the “normal” vanilla world. In fact, I think that because of our zest, passion and rebellious nature, our squabbles are often worse, more divisive and passionate. Even our playful Pups aren’t immune. 

A puppy brawl has ensued over the resurrection of the International Puppy name and contest.  Two different organizations claim rights to the name and two different events are in the works under that contest banner. Legalities and strife aside, let’s take a look at what we have on the table. In the end it’s the community who’ll have to decide which event will survive, if any, or perhaps both? 

Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” Change is the one of the universal truths and just as Leather has been struggling with this, so are our sub communities. 

Recently I interviewed Barry Fiddick aka pup Cosmo from of Dallas, Sir Joseph Mastrapasqua from Tampa Bay and Master Phil from North Carolina about their events of the same name.  I made it clear that our position here at Leatherati was not to pick a side or an event, but to present the information to the community for them to discern what they thought was best for them. 

It’s very easy to focus on what separates these men and their events, the disagreement of who has clear ownership of the name International Puppy.  Staying clear of the quagmire of legalities, what’s more important is what these men have in common. Just about every goal and intent is identical, but perhaps these ideals are clouded through the perspectives of passion and anger. 

Mama Sandy Interview on Jed Central

"I'll Always Love My Mama" in the title of a recent interview with Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt by Jed Ryan (Mr Rawhide NYC 2011).

Almost everybody knows about Mama's Family, a diverse group of leather-affiliated folks from around the globe.  The Mama's Family Photos, which take place at almost every leather event these days, are legendary.

And yep, I'm proud to be Mama's Rubber Daddy!

Thanks Jed for a great interview with one of our finest leatherwomen.  Check it out on Jed's blog after the jump.

 

Leather Men’s Brotherhood donates $20,000 to Community Organizations in 2011

At their recent Volunteer Appreciation Party at Fort Lauderdale’s popular Mojo Restaurant, Leather Men’s Brotherhood presented checks for $20,000 to the two organizations that had been promised grants from Leather Masked Ball proceeds. 

$10,000 was given to Broward House.  These funds were approved as seed money for Broward House to kick off a Gay Teen Suicide Prevention effort.  Broward House grant writer Alan Tiano reported that LMB’s grant had enabled the organization to obtain an additional $30,000 and that the program is now almost completely funded. 

$10,000 was presented to the Leather Archive and Museum in Chicago as a sustaining gift.  This is the sixth year LMB has contributed to the archive, which is the only repository of Leather Community history and artifacts in the country.  Rick Storer, the Executive Director of LA&M notes that this amounts to five percent of LA&M’s annual operating budget. 

Lambda Men’s Brotherhood Inc / Leather Men’s Brotherhood is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that produces The Leather Masked Ball as a Leather Community outreach to create community partnerships through education and philanthropy, with emphasis on donating to important GLBT community needs and supporting the leather community.  

LMB President Ken Fiegel noted as he thanked volunteers assembled that in its six year history The Leather Masked Ball has raised over $110,000 for community non-profits. 

BLUF 12x12 Pledge

Keep the leather scene alive – sign up for the BLUF 12x12 pledge

Editor's note:  We're HUGE fanatics about getting people out of the house and in to their gear.  There's a lot of movement out there to re-claim our kinky gear spaces and the men from BLUF (Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub) are at the very forefront of that movement.  Check out this post from the BLUF webmaster Nigel Whitfield.  More info on the BLUF website. 

One of the most important things that BLUF does every year is to organise meetings around the world; these are arranged by volunteers, and take place in the UK, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, the United States, and many other countries. 
At many of these, attendance is excellent – at The Backstreet in London, for example, we’ll regularly see the bar filled almost to capacity, and the same is true at many other events, including of course those organised by other groups around the world, like Folsom Europe. 

One of the things that many people often say is that they wish the bars were so busy more often; there are plenty of people that, for instance, we’ll only see at The Backstreet the four or five times a year that there’s a BLUF party. 

A decade ago, that wasn’t the case – there would be a good turnout most weekends, and plenty of people making the effort to get out in their gear. Now, of course, plenty of people stay at home, thanks to smoking bans, the cost of drinking in bars, and the ease of making contact online. Just one more click, it sometimes feels, and we’ll find Mr Right, or Mr Right Now. 

Happy Holidays from Leatherati!

Whether you do or don't celebrate a holiday, the end of the year is a good time to reflect on the preceding 12 months, take stock of life, and lay out some plans for the next year.

Of course life is always a mixed bag with bad often coming on the heels of good.  We lost good friends this year and made new ones.  Many of us struggled financially while new doors opened for others.  We laughed at exactly the right moment and cried when we needed to.

To us, the enduring nature of our chosen communities, our tribe, our brothers and sisters, is the most valuable anchor in our lives.  We're proud to say that our community is rich and diverse and filled with people who are incredibly generous and talented, people who have enriched our lives in ways that will never be fully realized or appreciated.  

Leatherati is still very much a "labor of love" (as we're prone to call something that consumes our lives but doesn't quite pay the bills yet!)  The idea of an online kinky, leathery, pervy news and editorial site has been embraced and supported in unbelievable ways by individuals, groups, clubs and businesses.  Articles, ads, weekend media passes, interviews, live event coverage, photos, and the occasional $20 contribution on the Support Leatherati button, have all played a huge part in Leatherati's success.

San Francisco Leatherman’s Discussion Group 15th Anniversary Celebration

By Deborah Isadora Wade

Elves in jockstraps serving puff pastry sweet potato and pecan treats blessed The San Francisco Leatherman’s Discussion Group’s (LDG) 15th Anniversary Party held at the LBGT Center in San Francisco this past Saturday.  Greeted by Lex, I walked into the room with my huzbutch, my much younger sister and my 23 year old niece.  Oh. Yes.  The graciousness of our community was evident as was the playfulness, the laughter of men and the hotness of human decorated Christmas trees with lots of needles.  And I am not talking pine needles.  

Brian James, the President of LDG welcomed us to the party and introduced the additions to their 2012 Board of Directors.  The new board members are Richard Sprott, boy erik Gibb, Robert Shively, Lexx King, Danny Nguyen and pup sky/eric see. Brian James’ commitment to supporting community and building for the future is evident in his leadership and willingness to honour our past but to build for a future.  LDG welcomes men of all ages, who are both long term players or new to our community to their organization and their monthly presentations. 

With an eye to the future, Brian stated, “SF LDG’s Board of Directors has witnessed many acts of selflessness and community involvement by a wide swath of people, and we decided to start a non-traditional set of SF LDG Service Awards.” LDG gave homage to those who have come “recently” to the Bay Area Community, stepped into both play and organizational roles and reached out to help others.  The 2011 award recipients are: The SF LDG “We are Everywhere” service award to Leland Carina for helping to revive the SFgoL, writer for Leatherati, photographer and community volunteer. The SF LDG “Leatherman’s Best Friend” to Suzan Revah, event creator having  raised close to a half a million in for the Aids Emergency Fund, editor of Gloss magazine and host of Marlena’s Drag-a-thon.  The last SF LDG the “Group Phoenix” award, for raising groups from burned out ashes, went to Rubber Men of San Francisco. The rise of the Phoenix is the efforts of Rick Holte.  

Vi Johnson Receives NGLTF Leather Leadership Award

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force announced today that Viola Johnson will receive its 2012 Leather Leadership Award, to be presented at the Task Force's 24th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. More than 2,500 leaders and activists are expected to attend the conference, which will be held in Baltimore, Md., Jan. 25-29, 2012.

The award will recognize Johnson's nearly four decades of leadership and activism within and on behalf of the leather community. She is the seventh person and first woman to receive the prestigious award, which is accompanied by a $5,000 honorarium. Previous recipients include leather luminaries Guy Baldwin, Tony DeBlase, Hardy Haberman, Chuck Renslow, Dave Rhodes and Graylin Thornton.

“We are proud to recognize Vi Johnson's extraordinary record of selfless service to our community,” says Sue Hyde, director of the Task Force’s Creating Change conference. “Her warmth, humility and quiet perseverance have endeared her to several generations of leathermen and women and this award is a way for the larger LGBT community to embrace her as well.”

“I never intended to become an activist,” says Johnson. “I simply acted on those issues which I was passionate about, and on my need to make life better for the next generation as it was made better for me. I am so humbled and honored that the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has noticed my work.”

More about Vi Johnson

Viola Johnson has been an activist, educator, writer, motivational speaker and author in and for the leather community for nearly four decades. She has served as a mentor to countless individuals, and was dubbed "Mom" by several generations of leathermen and women. She is delighted to now be “Grandmom” to a whole new generation.

She is passionately involved with preserving the history of the SM/leather/fetish communities, serving as the director and senior griot of the Carter/Johnson Library and Collection, a traveling library designed to bring history to the communities it serves. Previously, she sat on the board of directors of the Leather Archives & Museum. Johnson is a member of Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Association (T.U.L.S.A.), the Lesbian Sex Mafia (LSM), and the ONYX Pearls, as well as honorary member of many other organizations.

She has lectured at numerous academic institutions, including Bryn Mawr and Barnard Colleges, and Oklahoma State University. She continues to speak on panels at a wide variety of events and organizations.

In addition, Johnson has received numerous honors for her work, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from Pantheon of Leather, the National Leather Association, and Black Beat. She is the author of two books, Dhampir: Child of the Blood and To Love, To Obey, To Serve: Diary of an Old Guard Slave. She is the wife of Jill Carter, International Ms. Leather 1996.

Leather Hall of Fame Announces Inductees

The Board of Governors of the Leather Hall of Fame (LHOF) is pleased to announce the 2012 inductees:  Guy Baldwin, Sam Steward and Irving Klaw.  

Guy Baldwin is a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist, author, activist and educator specializing in issues of particular relevance to the BDSM and leather communities, and more generally in issues relating to non-hetero-normative practices. He won International Mr. Leather in 1989. He is co-founder of an internet-based professional referral resource, the KAP list, now administered by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. He continues to teach at various lifestyle events across the U.S. and Canada.

Sam Steward (1909–1993) was an academic, novelist, historian and tattoo artist born in July of 1909. Steward maintained a card index he called his “Stud File” which documented a detailed account of his sexual experiences in vivid and often very funny detail. In the 1940’s and 50’s, he worked extensively with famed sex researcher Alfred Kinsey as an unofficial collaborator. As tattoo artist Phil Sparrow he mentored both Cliff Raven and Don Ed Hardy. He wrote several books of BDSM fiction under the name Phil Andros.  

Philadelphia Leather Alliance

The Philadelphia Leather Alliance is establishing their roots in the city of brotherly love. During a special ceremony in the Carter-Johnson Leather Library, Rick Storer, Executive Director of the Leather Archives and Museum, bestowed the first patches to the founding members of the club.

Roughly one year ago, two people brought together a gathering of like-minded individuals to brainstorm ideas about what Philadelphia might need in a BDSM or Leather group. Out of that meeting, a steering committee of seven was chosen by their peers to forge those ideas into something tangible. Ten months later, the evolution of those ideas has finally come to fruition as the Philadelphia Leather Alliance (PLA).

PLA is a cross-cultural leather fellowship whose purpose is to foster friendship, build leadership and to provide opportunities for education and community service. Membership transcends sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and disability. They welcome those who feel they have a place in the Leather, Levi, S/m, Fetish and Kink Communities.

PLA has two levels of membership – full members and associate members. Full members must complete a pledge period of at least four months, which includes fulfilling community service hours. Full members can hold office, vote and wear the full size club patch. Associate memberships are available for those who cannot dedicate the time necessary for full members but wish to support PLA’s mission. Associates can wear the small club patch.

Those interested in learning more about the club are invited to attend PLA’s monthly social, which meets from 8:30pm – 10:00pm on the third Friday of each month at The Bike Stop. Applications for the charter pledge class will be accepted through January 13^, 2012.

You can find more information at www.philadelphialeatheralliance.org.

Barracks Bar Shut Down

Breaking news...we just received a text indicating the Barracks Bar in Cathedral City, CA was shut down this afternoon by the local police department for "capacity" issues. The closure came during one of the busiest Sunday beer busts of the year with the town crowded with attendees to Palm Springs Leather Pride. The Barracks has had ongoing difficulties with the Cathedral City police department over capacity issues and displayIng porn in the bar. We'll update as we get more info.