Gay and leather
The Importance Of Leather To Queer Communities
Have you ever seen a leather coat in a thrift store with a hand-done plan in the back? Have you wondered what the leather trend was all about? Or maybe you are wondering how leather relates to the LGBTQ community. We travel these questions further.
Leather was more than a build of self-expression for members of the LGBTQ/queer community, it was a shape of protest, a way to boost relationships, and community. By the 1960s clothier Alan Selby who saw adolescent gay men in motorcycle wear. He was inspired and went on to find Mr. S Leather, this helped solidify the approach and role of leather in the queer community. The style involved leather chaps, uniforms, harnesses, motorcycle jackets, and peaked hats. Although there was kink involved, kink entity individuals preferred sexual practices, fantasies, or non-conventional sex practices. To the leather community, it was about so much more than sexual relationships. It was about mentorship between an older gay person and a younger one. It was about having someone help you navigate the struggles of being a gay man in a time when lots of loath and s
What’s in the Archives? Leather!
Leather in the Archives
by Gordon Richardson, with assistance from Alan Miller and Michael Holmes (photography)
Leather subculture
The leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities. Leather society is most noticeable in gay communities and most often associated with homosexual men (“leathermen”), but it is also reflected in various ways in the gay, lesbian, attracted to both genders, and straight worlds. Many people associate leather culture with BDSM (Bondage/Discipline, Dominance/Submission, Sado/Masochism) practices and its many subcultures.
Gay male BDSM leather culture grew out of post-WWII biker culture. Some men returning from the war received surplus motorcycles, leather jackets, and other military gear. Wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a leather jacket and cap riding a motorcycle created an iconic image that was adopted by the first gay leather people. The first gay leather bars were the club houses of in advance biker clubs that opened later to the public. Pioneering gay motorcycle clubs included the Satyrs, established in Los Angeles in 1954; Oedipus also in Los Angeles in 1958, and the New York Motorbike
What Is the Leather Code In The Gay Community?
Hey there, mate! Time to sink those paws deep into a topic that’s stitched into the core of the bear community: the leather code.
Have you ever found yourself asking, “What is the leather code in the gay community?”
Or, “What do the colors mean?”
Well, this story is for you!
And it’s just in time because the Folsom Street Fair [NSFW link] is right around the corner!
Let’s hop into the leather code’s origins, unravel the meaning behind those vibrant colors, and, for the sake of clarity, distinguish between the leather code and the hanky code.
Ready? Let’s roll.
The Origins of the Leather Code
The leather subculture originated post-World War II when motorcycle clubs started forming across the US. It wasn’t just about riding bikes; it was about camaraderie, freedom, and a uncooked sense of masculinity.
With that, the leather attire was adopted – a rugged symbol of the scene.
During the late ’50s and ’60s, as gay communities sought places of acceptance, they naturally gravitated towards the strong, masculine, and brotherhood vibes of these biker groups.
A Brief History Of Leather And The Gays
Give to me your leather, seize from me my gays…
By Fraser Abe
Cubs, pups, otters, silver foxes and bears, oh my. The queer ecosystem has a wealthy taxonomy of subcultures that all somewhat stem from one Adam(4Adam)’s rib – the leather community. It’s been around since the 1940s, when the notion of otters and the like were just a twink-le (get it?) in some queen’s eye. We’re here to break down the history of leather for you, going all the way back to the greatest generation.
It’s generally assumed that leather customs got its start in the 1940s, as an offshoot to post-World War II motorcycle clubs that began popping up around the same time. Gays had flocked in droves to large cities tracking Blue Discharges from the army, a way of removing homosexuals from service, as dishonourably discharging and imprisoning gays became impractical with the huge number of recruits during WWII. It led to huge groups of homosexuals in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
Meanwhile, a dissatisfaction with the post-WWII white picket fence view of America was building, especially as seen in films like 1953’s The Wild One, starring Marl