Leather subculture - Citizendia

The leather pride flag, which has become a symbol of BDSM and fetish subcultures. The Leather Pride Flag is a symbol used by the Leather subculture since the 1990s

Start of the Leather contingent at the 2004 San Francisco gay pride parade. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city LGBT pride or gay pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and

The leather subculture denotes practices and styles of dress organized around sexual activities and eroticism ("kink"). Kink is a term used to refer to a broad range of sexual practices (sometimes referred to as "kinky" such as spanking, bondage, Dominance and submission Wearing leather garments is one way that participants in this culture self-consciously distinguish themselves from mainstream sexual cultures. Leather culture is most visible in gay communities and most often associated with gay men ("leathermen"), but it is also reflected in various ways in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight worlds. Gay community or LGBT community is a term used to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender subculture In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation Many people associate leather culture with BDSM (Bondage/Discipline, Dominance/Submission, Sado/Masochism, also called "SM" or "S&M") practices and its many subcultures. But for others, wearing black leather clothing is an erotic fashion that expresses heightened masculinity or the appropriation of sexual power; love of motorcycles and independence; and/or engagement in sexual kink or leather fetishism. Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. Kink is a term used to refer to a broad range of sexual practices (sometimes referred to as "kinky" such as spanking, bondage, Dominance and submission Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the Sexual attraction to materials and objects not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature ^[1]

1 History
2 Demographics
3 Events
4 Museums and exhibitions
5 See also
6 Notes
7 Further reading
8 External links

History

Popular and Social Origins

Gay male leather culture has existed since the late 1940s,^[2] when it likely grew out of post-WWII biker culture. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A motorcycle club (MC is an organized club of dedicated Motorcyclists who join together for Camaraderie, strength of numbers companionship education rider training Early gay leather bars were subcultural versions of the motorcycle club. A motorcycle club (MC is an organized club of dedicated Motorcyclists who join together for Camaraderie, strength of numbers companionship education rider training Pioneering gay motorcycle clubs included Satyr, established in Los Angeles in 1954; Oedipus, also established in Los Angeles, and the New York Motorbike Club. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Early San Francisco clubs included the Warlocks and the California Motor Club. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city ^[3]

These clubs, like the motorcycle culture in general, reflected a disaffection with the mainstream culture of post-World War II America, a disaffection whose notoriety---and therefore appeal---expanded after the sensationalized news coverage of the Hollister "riot" of 1947. The Hollister riot occurred during the Gypsy Tour Motorcycle rally in Hollister California from July 4 to July 6, 1947. The 1953 film The Wild One starring Marlon Brando wearing jeans, a T-shirt, a leather jacket, and muir cap, played on pop-cultural fascination with the Hollister "riot" and promoted an image of masculine independence that resonated with some gay men in a culture which stereotyped gay men as effeminate. The Wild One is a 1953 Outlaw biker film directed by László Benedek. Marlon Brando Jr (April 3 1924 – July 1 2004 was an Academy Award -winning American Actor, whose body of work spanned over half a century To that end, gay motorcycle culture also reflected some men's disaffection with the coexistent gay cultures more organized around passing, high culture, popular culture (especially musical theater), and/or camp. High culture is a term now used in a number of different ways in Academic discourse whose most common meaning is the set of cultural products mainly in the Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Perhaps as a result, the leather community that emerged from the motorcycle clubs also became the practical and symbolic location for gay men's open exploration of kink and S&M. KINK —also KINK FM —is a commercial broadcast Radio station in Portland Oregon Metro area. ^[4]

Representations

Glenn Hughes of the Village People

The more specifically homoerotic aesthetics of men's leather culture drew on other sources as well, including military and police uniforms. Village People are a concept Disco group formed in the late 1970s Homoeroticism refers to the representation of same-sex love and desire most especially as it is depicted or manifested in the Visual arts and Literature. This influence is particular evident in the graphical illustrations of leathermen found in the work of Tom of Finland. Tom of Finland ( May 8, 1920 &ndash November 7, 1991) (born Touko Laaksonen in Kaarina, Finland) was a The pornographic films of one of his models Peter Berlin, such as his 1973 film Nights in Black Leather, also reflected and promoted the leather subcultural aesthetic. Peter Berlin (born Armin Hagen Freiherr von Hoyningen-Huene in 1942 is a photographer artist filmmaker clothing designer/sewer model and gay Sex symbol.

Styles of dress associated with gay men's leather culture also had influence on mainstream pop culture. It may be seen in the chains and leather or denim and leather look espoused by heavy metal bands. Heavy metal fashion is the style of dress Body modification, make-up hairstyle and so on taken on by fans of heavy metal, or as they are often called Metalheads The first practitioner of this look in a heavy metal context was Rob Halford, the lead singer of the influential NWOBHM band Judas Priest. Robert John Arthur Halford (born August 25, 1951) is an English singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (frequently abbreviated as NWOBHM) is a heavy metal music movement that started in the late 1970s in Britain, and achieved Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1970 in Birmingham. Halford wore a leather costume on stage as early as 1978, a look he described as originating in the gay leather subculture. [1] The subsequent influence of his costume may be seen in many metal bands, particularly in the widespread and creative appropriation of the codpiece in metal rockers' costumes. A codpiece (from Middle English cod, " Scrotum " is a flap or pouch that attaches to the front of the crotch of men's Trousers to provide

Aspects of leather culture beyond the sartorial can also be see in the 1970 murder mystery novel “Cruising” by Jay Green. Cruising is a Novel written by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker and published in 1970 The novel was the basis for the 1980 movie ”Cruising,” which depicted aspects of the men's leather subculture for a wider audience. Cruising is a 1980 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino.

And lastly, perhaps no figure has more vividly represented the leather subculture in the popular imagination than the leatherman portrayed by Glenn Hughes of the Village People. Village People are a concept Disco group formed in the late 1970s

Association with BDSM

In recent decades the leather community has been considered a subset of BDSM culture rather than a descendant of gay culture. Even so, the most visibly organized SM community has been a subculture of the gay community, as evidenced by the International Mr. Leather organization. Gay community or LGBT community is a term used to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender subculture International Mister Leather (IML is an international conference and contest of leathermen and leatherwomen held annually since 1979 in Chicago Illinois. Meanwhile, other subcultures have likewise appropriated various leather fashions and practices.

Gay and Lesbian

The Leatherman's Handbook by Larry Townsend, published in 1972, epitomizes the association of the leather subculture with BDSM. ^[5] This book also encoded what is retrospectively described as Old Guard leather culture. This code emphasized strict formality and fixed roles (i. e. no switching). In BDSM, a switch is someone who participates in BDSM activities sometimes as a top and other times as a bottom or (in the case of dominance and submission Other Old Guard practices emphasize discipline, honor, brotherhood, and respect, and are said to promote a stricter lifestyle, education, and intra-community privilege based on successive ranks or levels.

New Guard, or new leather (which describes an era in leather culture that started roughly around the early 1990's), embraced switching and a greater variety of approaches to eroticism. An increasing number of pansexual clubs evolved as well. Pansexuality or anthrosexuality ( anthro- literally meaning human human sexual (sometimes referred to as omnisexuality) is a Sexual orientation

Goth

Leather subcultural practices have also become a common, though perhaps not widespread, element of the goth subculture. The goth subculture is a contemporary Subculture found in many countries

Modern Paganism

Leather culture also infiltrates modern paganism, particularly in the organized neopagan religions, where the Occult importance of the "color" black and sexual self-knowledge again combine, such as in Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca, where the ritual practice of BDSM is public knowledge. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Gardnerian Wicca is a Wiccan tradition whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner Alexandrian Wicca is a tradition of the Neopagan Religion of Wicca, founded by Alex Sanders (also known as "King of the Witches"

Demographics

Relatively few lesbian women or heterosexuals were visible during the early emergence of the leather subculture. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation Pat Califia, who was a lesbian activist in the San Francisco leather subculture, is credited for defining the emergence of lesbian leather subculture. Patrick Califia (formerly known as Pat Califia) born 1954 near Corpus Christi Texas) is a Writer about sexuality and of Erotic In 1978, Califia co-founded one of the first lesbian S/M groups, Samois. For the French town with the same name see Samois-sur-Seine. Samois was a Lesbian - Feminist BDSM organization based S/he went on to be a prolific contributor to lesbian BDSM literary erotica and sex guides.

In North America, with the possible exception of Quebec, gay men's leather culture continues to be associated with men above the age of 40. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk In Europe younger men have combined the aesthetic and exploration of sexual power with the gay skinhead movement and social-fraternal organizations like BLUF. A gay skinhead, also known as a gayskin or queerskin, is a Gay person who identifies with the Skinhead Subculture, often (though not BLUF (Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub is an international fraternal organization of Gay men and MSM sharing a fetishistic interest in leather Breeches

Today, while some may still use the term strictly in the old fashioned sense (i. e. , Old Guard), more than ever the leather subculture in the 21st century represents the activities of several major sub-communities. ^[6] These include BDSM practitioners, whether high or low protocol, and whether gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, or pansexual. This glossary of BDSM (Bondage Discipline Dominance Submission Sadism Masochism terms defines terms commonly used in the BDSM community They also include people who have a preference for aggressive or masculine sexual styles; people who love motorcycles; people involved in kink or leather fetishism; and people who participate in large-scale cultural and marketing events such as Folsom Street Fair or leather-themed circuit parties. Kink is a term used to refer to a broad range of sexual practices (sometimes referred to as "kinky" such as spanking, bondage, Dominance and submission Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the Sexual attraction to materials and objects not conventionally viewed as being sexual in nature The annual Folsom Street Fair is held on the last Sunday in September and caps San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. A circuit party is a mega dance event extending through a night and into the following day almost always with a number of affiliated events in the days leading up to and following the

Events

Several major cities host Leather Pride events, including San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair, Chicago's International Mr. Leather, Montreal, and Berlin. The Leather Pride Flag is a symbol used by the Leather subculture since the 1990s The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The annual Folsom Street Fair is held on the last Sunday in September and caps San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. International Mister Leather (IML is an international conference and contest of leathermen and leatherwomen held annually since 1979 in Chicago Illinois. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany.

Museums and exhibitions

The 10,000 square foot, two-story Leather Archives and Museum, based in Chicago, has much information and details on the beginning of the leather subculture. The square foot is an Imperial unit / US customary unit (non- SI non- metric) of Area, used mainly in the United States The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M based in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, USA, has much information and details on the beginning of the Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States.

In addition to activities in Chicago, the LA&M serves the leather world by preserving material from various leather communities, and sends traveling exhibits around the country. Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process

In 2005, Viola Johnson started traveling with her collection and telling stories from her 35 years of personal involvement in the leather subculture. V M (Viola M Johnson (b 1950 is a leatherwoman activist author and archivist who embarked on her journey in the Leather/BDSM scene in the early 1970s (Vi Johnson does not represent the Leather Archives & Museum).

Notes

^ "Elegy for the Valley of Kings," by Gayle Rubin, in In Changing Times: Gay Men and Lesbians Encounter HIV/AIDS, ed. Handkerchief code or hanky code (also known as bandana code and flagging) is a way of indicating usually among Gay male Casual sex Daedalus Publishing is based in Los Angeles California and is dedicated to creating intelligent publications for erotic adventurers The annual Folsom Street Fair is held on the last Sunday in September and caps San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. International Mister Leather (IML is an international conference and contest of leathermen and leatherwomen held annually since 1979 in Chicago Illinois. The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M based in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, USA, has much information and details on the beginning of the The Leather Pride Flag is a symbol used by the Leather subculture since the 1990s Mr Vancouver Leather is community leather title in Vancouver British Columbia which was revived in 2002 by Western Canada Leather Pride (WCLP an umbrella group of community gay National Leather AssociationInternational is a contemporary BDSM organization based in the United States Southeast Leatherfest (SELF is an annual adult fetish event for the BDSM, Leather and Kink communties based in the United States Levine et al. , University of Chicago Press
^ "Elegy for the Valley of Kings," by Gayle Rubin, in In Changing Times: Gay Men and Lesbians Encounter HIV/AIDS, ed. Levine et al. , University of Chicago Press
^ Rubin, Gayle. "The Miracle Mile: South of Market and Gay Male Leather, 1962-1997" in Reclaiming San Francisco: History, Politics, Culture (City Light Books, 1998).
^ Rubin, Gayle. "The Miracle Mile: South of Market and Gay Male Leather, 1962-1997" in Reclaiming San Francisco: History, Politics, Culture (City Light Books, 1998).
^ Leatherman's Handbook, by Larry Townsend, Nazca Plains Inc. , 1972
^ "Elegy for the Valley of Kings," by Gayle Rubin, in In Changing Times: Gay Men and Lesbians Encounter HIV/AIDS, ed. Levine et al. , University of Chicago Press

External links

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
network: | |

Contents