quote:

ORIGINAL: BitaTruble

in the same way that xtians think of the bible, that's what i think of leather. it's part of my core, my beginning and a source of inspiration. when my hand heals within the next few days, if this thread is active i will join in more throughly.

celeste

edited to add - if archer chimes in here i can probably just say ditto to whatever he has to say - he, to me, is an excellent example of a leatherman

quote:

ORIGINAL: Archer

Leather, When I speak of Leather I think of men returning from war, men who learned they were not alone, that there were other men who were gay and wanted something to be other than the stereotype of the "mary" sissy boys they had been taught was what homosexuals were like. I think of men who had learned brotherhood, discipline,  integrity, and other values that made men, men in battle and returned to the states located their brothers and passed on those traditions and values they had formed. I think of the rough  trade days, Biker bars of the 50's and 60's where the men circulated and mixed with each other and took the traditions and built upon them. I think of the need to confidenciality because homosexuality was liekly to get you jailed or beaten by the cops or both. I think of jobs lost because someone found out. I think of that community banding together to protect their own first from discovery and later from HIV. I think of community action to help brothers and family, and then turning the activism and fundraising to a wider group of charities. Leather conveys a sense of family formed by choice rather than bloodlines.

Leather was chosen because it was the road armour they wore to protect them while they rode. It adapted to be the armour that protected them from bashers, from folks who still felt the need to attack someone because they were different. Symbolic they were not the sissy boys that the bashers thought them to be. Men testing their limits of pain, of love, of discpline.

Fast forward through the years of exclussivity to the years of activism and the ranks swell with first lesbians who had formed their own groups parrallel to the men's groups, and a few radical heteros who saw beyond the gay label and saw people practicing radical sex, forming lovong relationships, celebrating themselves. On through the years as they shifted from exclussivity to inclussivity a merging of BD-SM lifestyle people who had shared many of the same publications and contact mags.

These are the things I see when I look back at the history of what is now called Leather.

quote:

ORIGINAL: KnightofMists

yeah.. I know some people hate labels... but labels are here to stay so deal with it!


Leather!   Another label that is tossed around.  I am sure it means different things to different people.

So.. What does Leather mean to you?

quote:

ORIGINAL: IrishMist

quote:

ORIGINAL: ShiftedJewel

quote:

ORIGINAL: IrishMist

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ORIGINAL: ShiftedJewel

To me... leather means the difference between serious road rash and just bruises. It's also protection from hard shelled insects smacking you in the arm at 60 miles an hour and it helps keep you warm and half-ass dry in the rain... But that's the biker in me, I see leather as a necessity.
 
Jewel

LOL that was my first thought too Miss Jewel; that it was protection from the road .

Okay, I gotta admit.... A guy with a nice ass in leather chaps, a vest, and boots... nothing else... To me, that's the real pleasure of leather!!
 
Jewel

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOSH.........please........stop teasing me

quote:

ORIGINAL: Archer

Leather, When I speak of Leather I think of men returning from war, men who learned they were not alone, that there were other men who were gay and wanted something to be other than the stereotype of the "mary" sissy boys they had been taught was what homosexuals were like. I think of men who had learned brotherhood, discipline,  integrity, and other values that made men, men in battle and returned to the states located their brothers and passed on those traditions and values they had formed. I think of the rough  trade days, Biker bars of the 50's and 60's where the men circulated and mixed with each other and took the traditions and built upon them. I think of the need to confidenciality because homosexuality was liekly to get you jailed or beaten by the cops or both. I think of jobs lost because someone found out. I think of that community banding together to protect their own first from discovery and later from HIV. I think of community action to help brothers and family, and then turning the activism and fundraising to a wider group of charities. Leather conveys a sense of family formed by choice rather than bloodlines.

Leather was chosen because it was the road armour they wore to protect them while they rode. It adapted to be the armour that protected them from bashers, from folks who still felt the need to attack someone because they were different. Symbolic they were not the sissy boys that the bashers thought them to be. Men testing their limits of pain, of love, of discpline.

Fast forward through the years of exclussivity to the years of activism and the ranks swell with first lesbians who had formed their own groups parrallel to the men's groups, and a few radical heteros who saw beyond the gay label and saw people practicing radical sex, forming lovong relationships, celebrating themselves. On through the years as they shifted from exclussivity to inclussivity a merging of BD-SM lifestyle people who had shared many of the same publications and contact mags.

These are the things I see when I look back at the history of what is now called Leather.

quote:

ORIGINAL: KnightofMists

yeah.. I know some people hate labels... but labels are here to stay so deal with it!

quote:

Leather!   Another label that is tossed around.  I am sure it means different things to different people.

So.. What does Leather mean to you?

quote:

ORIGINAL: KnightofMists

yeah.. I know some people hate labels... but labels are here to stay so deal with it!


Leather!   Another label that is tossed around.  I am sure it means different things to different people.

So.. What does Leather mean to you?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Rover

To me, "Leather" is evocative of a community of serious BDSM enthusiasts (as opposed to weekend warriors).  Whereas "leather" is an animal hide that can be made useful in some pretty interesting ways.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Archer

Leather, When I speak of Leather I think of men returning from war, men who learned they were not alone, that there were other men who were gay and wanted something to be other than the stereotype of the "mary" sissy boys they had been taught was what homosexuals were like. I think of men who had learned brotherhood, discipline,  integrity, and other values that made men, men in battle and returned to the states located their brothers and passed on those traditions and values they had formed. I think of the rough  trade days, Biker bars of the 50's and 60's where the men circulated and mixed with each other and took the traditions and built upon them. I think of the need to confidenciality because homosexuality was liekly to get you jailed or beaten by the cops or both. I think of jobs lost because someone found out. I think of that community banding together to protect their own first from discovery and later from HIV. I think of community action to help brothers and family, and then turning the activism and fundraising to a wider group of charities. Leather conveys a sense of family formed by choice rather than bloodlines.

Leather was chosen because it was the road armour they wore to protect them while they rode. It adapted to be the armour that protected them from bashers, from folks who still felt the need to attack someone because they were different. Symbolic they were not the sissy boys that the bashers thought them to be. Men testing their limits of pain, of love, of discpline.

Fast forward through the years of exclussivity to the years of activism and the ranks swell with first lesbians who had formed their own groups parrallel to the men's groups, and a few radical heteros who saw beyond the gay label and saw people practicing radical sex, forming lovong relationships, celebrating themselves. On through the years as they shifted from exclussivity to inclussivity a merging of BD-SM lifestyle people who had shared many of the same publications and contact mags.

These are the things I see when I look back at the history of what is now called Leather.