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Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 7:25:45 AM

arson982

Posts: 69
Joined: 12/2/2005
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I am doing some research on Earning your Leather. Can anyone help. I would like to know on how you earn them.

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 7:48:39 AM

MistressFire70

Posts: 378
Joined: 7/25/2004
From: North Carolina
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This was a tradition started with the Old Guard (meaning the "original" gay male oriented Leather community). In this community, you began as a submissive and worked your way up, much the way you work you way up in the military (which is no surprise, since the OG community was created by military men who rode motorcycles in WWII, if I have my history correct). So, in order to earn leather, you must have a group of people who all agree to this tenant. It's a tradition that's dying, but some do still keep it up. Mostly, it's the 40+ age group that has 15+ years of experience who still do it.

I have mixed feelings about it. Having earned a few pieces of leather myself, there's a certain amount of pride connected to the exchange. There's also a feeling of being accepted and fitting in. These three things are very important to the human psyche (look at what humans will do/believe in order to "fit in"). On the other hand, should we really have a need to outward approval if we have well balanced egos and self esteem? Personally, I feel that we shouldn't...but I'm first to admit, it just flat out feels good when someone recognizes what I do as being valid and right.

Fire

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 7:50:46 AM

MysticalPhoenix

Posts: 212
Joined: 11/30/2005
From: Kelloggsville, Vanilla County MI
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: arson982

I am doing some research on Earning your Leather. Can anyone help. I would like to know on how you earn them.

"Earning your Leather" refers to the old guard's pecking order. You earn your leather the same way anyone in any community earns higher status. Officially, it's by experience, service to the community and showing that you are true and real, and deserving of the respect of others. But it really requires the usual politicking: influence-peddling, ass kissing and boot licking.

Unless you are involved in an old guard situation or studying the history of the bdsm scene, I wouldn't worry about it.

Phoenix

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 8:01:01 AM

cbts4gd

Posts: 16
Joined: 12/22/2005
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MistressFire70

This was a tradition started with the Old Guard (meaning the "original" gay male oriented Leather community). In this community, you began as a submissive and worked your way up, much the way you work you way up in the military (which is no surprise, since the OG community was created by military men who rode motorcycles in WWII, if I have my history correct). So, in order to earn leather, you must have a group of people who all agree to this tenant. It's a tradition that's dying, but some do still keep it up. Mostly, it's the 40+ age group that has 15+ years of experience who still do it.

I have mixed feelings about it. Having earned a few pieces of leather myself, there's a certain amount of pride connected to the exchange. There's also a feeling of being accepted and fitting in. These three things are very important to the human psyche (look at what humans will do/believe in order to "fit in"). On the other hand, should we really have a need to outward approval if we have well balanced egos and self esteem? Personally, I feel that we shouldn't...but I'm first to admit, it just flat out feels good when someone recognizes what I do as being valid and right.

Fire

What would happen if you wished to stay a submissive and not progress to a dominant?

(in reply to MistressFire70)

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 8:12:37 AM

JohnWarren

Posts: 3807
Joined: 3/18/2005
From: Delray Beach, FL
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MistressFire70

which is no surprise, since the OG community was created by military men who rode motorcycles in WWII, if I have my history correct\

Not exactly, but close.

They were ex-military but the "motorcycle" aspect came into it because that was one area where women were almost completely absent so it didn't show up on the cops' radar when a bunch of guys gathered at a bar if they were a "motorcycle club." Some of the Old Guard really rode but most didn't.

On the main topic, I'm pretty neutral. I've seen some fine tops come from the "bottom first" school, but I've also seen some terrible ones come that route. The biggest problem with the bad ones is that they take the attitude "I know what a bottom needs; I was one myself" and don't listen carefully.

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 8:15:23 AM

JohnWarren

Posts: 3807
Joined: 3/18/2005
From: Delray Beach, FL
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quote:

ORIGINAL: cbts4gd

What would happen if you wished to stay a submissive and not progress to a dominant?

You could do so. It was a complex pecking order in which in some areas a senior bottom outranked a newly invested top..

One aspect of it was that a senior bottom was usually paired with a top so he wasn't available to others in the same way a newly joined bottom was.

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 12:47:54 PM

arson982

Posts: 69
Joined: 12/2/2005
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The history is nice to know but How do you earn them. Eraning your boots and your leather and your top. that is what i would like to know.

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 12:56:47 PM

stef

Posts: 10215
Joined: 1/26/2004
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Those are questions you need to ask your trainer. There is no codified ruleset or checklist for earning your leather that people follow. Basically, you'll earn them when your trainer decides you've earned them.

~stef

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RE: Earning your leathers - 2/13/2006 1:41:07 PM

JohnWarren

Posts: 3807
Joined: 3/18/2005
From: Delray Beach, FL
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quote:

ORIGINAL: arson982

The history is nice to know but How do you earn them. Eraning your boots and your leather and your top. that is what i would like to know.

Each group had different rules. Despite the mythology that has grown up, what is now called "The Old Guard" was basically small, isolated groups with rudimentary contact. In short, they made the Methodists look like a centralized organization.

In your case, the one who would decide is the person or group to which you defer. We don't get a vote.

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