The State Of Our Leather Community – A Paradox In Progress First Annual D.A.R.K. Weekend - Keynote Address, 2005

• Presenter: Dale Ross
• Date: Feb 6 2005
• Location: Diamond Jim's Saloon

The State of Our Leather ‘community’ –

A Paradox in Progress

 

Leather Institute For Education (LIFE-Detroit)

D.A.R.K. Weekend Keynote Talk

 

Impressions by Dale Ross

February 6, 2005

Diamond Jim’s Saloon, Detroit, MI

 

I.    Need for confidentiality – follow-up discussion may include ‘politically incorrect’

            ideas initially and I encourage comments/feedback/INPUT - DISCUSSION

        People need the freedom/safety to explore ideas before coming to conclusions

 

II.  “The Best of Times & Worst of Times” for our Leather ‘community’

 

       A. Remember when sex used to be simply about having fun and feeling good???

               Show chart of California OCLA workshop topic suggestions…LONG

               Appreciate CLAW and NAIL for their efforts and helping make the weekend

               Appreciate LIFE-Detroit and Jim Brown for his conceptualization – EFFORTS!

 

       B. Progress -  We’re now VERY ‘mainstream’  -

              “CSI” Investigation TV – Las Vegas segment on professional S/M services

              Mr. S Leathers store used in San Francisco based “Nash Bridges” TV show

               “Zoomanity”, Cirque du Soleil erotic/kink show in L.V. 1,200 seats at $55-95

               IML 25yr anniversary book – this year’s contest at Navy Pier in Chicago

               Improved equipment  (old ‘whip’ vs floggers)

               Even Ken doll in Harley-Davison outfit

               Since 1994 ‘S & M’ no longer ‘mental illness’, Gays officially OK since 1983

               The Internet has allowed unequaled access to information and networking…

               But/and what are we doing with all this force or energy???

 

       C. Who are “we”???

               Levi/Leather has become…

               Levi/Leather/B-D/S-M/Kink/Rubber/Latex/Gay-Straight-Bi/Fetish/COWBOY/

                    Puppy/Equine/Goth… you get the point.  But do ‘we’ get it as a group???

               We are truly an international ‘force’ to be dealt with, when we think ‘globally’

               Washington, D.C. Gay marches had separate leather contingents – ‘identity’

               LIFE - Detroit meeting discussion identified 90 groups in our local area alone

               Analogy – to expanding universe where we are getting further apart as each

                    Segment/group grows and ‘matures’ (and the maturity is a question, too)

                I stopped using Community and now use ‘community’ – both Gay and Leather

 

      C.  What about the “Worst of times”, too?

                Religious Right is progressing with their own agenda (even though they accuse

                    Gays of having an agenda and ‘recruiting’)…

                Anti-Gay marriage amendments passed in ALL 13 states, estimates of 10 more

                    Advocate Mag. quotes next 4 – 5 years a time for Gays to be on defensive

                Bush ‘waffled’ on anti-Gay marriage amendment – it’s back on – St. of Union

                Religious tried to protest IML contest a couple of years ago (we successfully

                    blocked through effective registrations and cooperation of Hyatt hotel)

                Some groups are changing/evolving/ending

                    Hellfire’s President column in January letter – group needs to change to be

                    Mark E. – Novi concluding his weekends after 20 years – THANK YOU!

                The Internet has allowed unequaled access to information and networking…

                    For EVERYONE – novices, troubled individuals and Religious Right

                As ‘they’ succeed against Gays, who do we suspect who might be next???

                    Plug for supporting National Coalition For Sexual Freedom (and others).

              Sex can be mis-used/abused as an addiction – STRONG immediate gratification.

                    Like fast food, it takes edge off, BUT not satisfying and leads to out of

                        control behaviors – sex is not the problem, it’s how it’s handled.

                    Patrick Carnes book on Internet sex addiction, “In the Shadows of the Net”

 

III.  Possible future trends/pathways

       A.  IT’S UP TO YOU – we have no national organizations/clearinghouses to

                 facilitate our future.  We used to have national meetings on ‘political issues’

                 We have a National Leather Leadership Conference – outcomes/impact???

                 Gays are not in any better position on leadership/consensus, what about Kink

       B.  Get involved at various levels – local/national, social/political

       C.  Similar to planting a garden – various plants/groups mature at various times.

       D.  Support/sustain our leadership – constructive criticism and encouragement.

       E.  Caringly challenge unhealthy behaviors – don’t be ‘enablers’

       F.  Put some energy towards our/YOUR ‘community’ and its future – investment...

            We used to refer to ourselves as a ‘leather fraternity’ – that takes effort to sustain.

             Hillary Clinton referred to ‘it takes a village to raise a child’…what about our

                  future/new ‘tops’ and ‘bottoms’ (or whatever we/they decide to evolve to…)

 

IV.   Brief historical perspective of current situation influences (armchair sociology)

       A.  Early days of bars were simple and fun – “Was it HOT!?!”

             Jobs were something we got to get us from one bar/party to the next

             Also, it was assumed Gay people could not be open and ‘successful’, too

       B.  Alcohol use and legal restrictions set in (tighter drunk driving laws)

       C.  STD’s – some got on a first name basis with health departments

             Usually considered no big deal – just get a shot

             “Golden Age of Sex” – After penicillin and before AIDS

       D.  AIDS!!!

       E.   Tighter work place rules – less freedom to party first and (maybe) then work

                                                          

       F.   The Internet (less reason to socialize ‘in person’)

              Fantasy and distant socializing can become more exciting than ‘reality’?

       G.  “Moral Majority” and ‘morality’ attacks through politics - IMPORTANT!!!

 

V.   Who’s currently driving/leading our ‘community’/communities??? 

       In the local Leather and Gay ‘communities’ -

       A.  Detroit Bar Guild – a quiet death I didn’t even hear about

       B.  Detroit Area Gay/Lesbian Council (DAG/LC) – no longer around

            Other cities have Gay Chamber of Commerce organizations… what about us???

       C.  Currently – perhaps a lack of clear groups/leaders/GOALS???

             a. Triangle Foundation?  They do very good work in their area…

             b. Affirmations?  They also do very good work in their area…

                  e.g. just recently began coordinator position for ‘older Gay’ activities

             c. Internal/external coordination to larger metro area/organizations???

       D.  Feedback by our Leather & Gay ‘community’ citizens about their needs/wants

             Perhaps, a chance to start a new ‘paradigm of cooperation’, leaders and citizens?

 

VI.  Addressing our basic social needs, as Leather and Gay and/or Straight individuals

       A. Maslow’s “Hierachy of Needs”

             Physical, Safety, Sharing, Self-Esteem, Creativity

       B.  Organizations/Groups need to address these needs

             Are there goals/objectives and ways to see how well they are doing?

              Is feedback/evaluation solicited, appreciated and used for growth?

 

VII.Gay ‘lifestyles’ (and what about Leather ‘lifestyles’ – comparisons???)

       Homosexual vs Gay vs Gay Lifestyle

       Active Gay Lifestyle vs “Part-Time Gays” vs Integrated “Non-Issue” Gay Lifestyles

 

IX.   Regarding the new “Zumanity” Circue du Soleil show in Las Vegas:

        “Only time will tell if the public’s appetite for Circue du Soleil is limitless and

        whether the next new show will be the one that bursts the bubble.  Odds are, though,

        that Cirque will remain an essential and vibrant cultural force in Las Vegas

        because, like the city, it isn’t afraid to re-invent itself” 

        Nevada magazine, Nov-Dec 2003, p. 51

 

        Perhaps the same argument could, or needs, to be made about our evolving

        local, national and international Leather ‘community’… are you with ‘us’???

 

Comments and feedback are most welcome!!!