january 20, 2016 This week in Gay Palm Springs

LEATHER REALM by Dave Murdock “The Leather scene is changing – Part 2”
Before I continue last weeks column I just want to friends and so everyone banded together to help,
give a shout out to the Desert Daily Guide. This and in doing so everyone found common ground.
column marks my 1 year anniversary of writing We toned down the bd/sm not only so as not to
Leather Realm for them and I wanted to thank scare off potential donors but because we didn’t
Will Paige and his staff for giving me the opportunity
know what was killing us so we put a lid on it.
of writing a Leather column. Not many But that’s still not the entire reason. The rest of
publications would be be as accomodating as they it, and sometimes I think the majority of it, has
have been. They have consistently supported the to do with the internet. Now you don’t have to
Leather Community in Palm Springs by promoting get dressed up in your best gear, you can just type
Leather events here by giving us generous ad space, a few words, click a few buttons and you can get
so take the time to send them a note to thank them pretty much whatever you want. Anyone can call
for supporting our community. You can send an themselves Master, no bona-fides needed. And
email to: publisher541@desertdailyguide.com. while I understand it and yes, partake in the online
Last week I started writing about how the Leather
scene, it does scare me a little.
scene has been changing from the hard core The other day a friend, new to the scene, sent me
ultra-masculine Tom of Finland look to something an article he’d found about electro-play. I’m glad
that has less to do with what you are wearing and he was searching for info but the problem was the
more to do with homogenization of Leather into a article he sent me was mostly wrong. In the bad
clothing fetish with more and more people wearing old good old days you learned how to “play” safely
leather as a fashion statement.
by your mentors, the elders in the community and
So why is this happening? The article stated you didn’t do a scene until your mentor felt you
that ““Leather became metaphoric for claiming were ready to solo. And while that still happens
masculinity,” said Michael Bronski, a gender and in the harder core Leather scene the Internet has
sexuality studies professor at Harvard University
become another method of learning. My problem
and author of “A Queer History of the United with it is how do you know if what you are learn-
States.” “These guys were baby boomers who’d been ing is correct or written by a 15 year old who has
told that being gay meant being a sweater queen or no clue and is just regurgitating something they
being fluffy or effeminate.” And I think that’s really read?
the truth, and why I was attracted to leather in Good grief, I’ve reached my column length and I
the first place. I liked heavy duty masculinity and still have more to say on this topic so I guess this
that’s what the scene offered. As I was coming out is going to be a 3 part series. Tune in next week
I looked at the more effeminate gays in my small for the continuation where I’ll talk about why just
home town community and thought “If that’s what wearing leather does not a Leatherman make.
being gay is then I must not be gay”. Well, we all
know how that statement played out...
But the Leather scene has really been homogenized.
Dave Murdock
We don’t have to have our own places (al-
If you have any questions about the
though a part of me wishes we still did). Leather is
Leather scene, please send an email
now accepted everywhere, and it’s not looked at as
something scary anymore. We had to join forces to Leatherrealm@gmail.com
with a broad array of groups in order to survive in
the 1980’s and 90’s. AIDS was decimating all our
34 Your weekly LGBT Gay Desert Guide. View our Free Digital Version on-line.