Features 
Show your (leather) pride
Show your (leather) pride
| Show your (leather) pride |
| Written by Peter Hackney |
| Wednesday, 17 June 2009 17:03 |
 As the first Brisbane Leather Pride Festival begins, Peter Hackney casts an eye at gay leather and fetish culture.For many gays and lesbians, the leather community is a bit of a mystery. It’s Tom of Finland, that leather dude from the Village People, and the leathered-up guys you see in the Mardi Gras Parade each year. But for a significant minority of our community, leather and fetish is at the very core of their identity as gay or lesbian. And there’s evidence that the subculture is growing. One example is the fact that Brisbane is about to hold its first-ever leather pride festival. The inaugural Brisbane Leather Pride Festival kicks off on Sunday, June 28 with a launch at the Sportsman Hotel, which will be followed by a week of events, including leather information and safety workshops, dance parties and film screenings. James, a 35-year-old leather aficionado from New Farm, couldn’t be happier. “I’d put my interest in leather up there with being a gay man, as far as its importance to my sexual identity goes,” he tells Queensland Pride. “I just find the look, the smell, the feel of leather incredibly erotic, and the guys the scene tends to attract are my ideal – they’re masculine, they’re much more open to fetishes and interesting sexual practices. It’s just fucking hot!” Brian Mier couldn’t agree more. One of the leading lights of the leather scene, Mier runs Eagle Leather, the famous Melbourne leather and fetish store that sells its products around Australia and the world via www.eagleleather.com.au. Mier will be in Brisbane for the festival, co-presenting several workshops on leather culture at the Sportsman Hotel. “It’s not just about leather,” he says. “Just putting on some cow hide is not what it’s about. It’s a whole headspace, a culture. Leather and fetish culture is a way of life, a way of exploring your identity and your sexuality. “It sets you apart from mainstream gay culture a bit.” And with gay culture arguably becoming increasingly homogenised and mainstream, that can be a very attractive thing. But the leather scene is not without its detractors – not by a long shot. Much of the criticism comes from those concerned with animal rights. Which isn’t surprising, because there’s no getting around the fact that leather is created by ripping the skins of animals from their bodies. Animal rights advocate, journalist and queer cultural commentator Katrina Fox is one of the critics. “It’s pretty well-known that the fur industry is a terribly cruel one, but so is leather,” she tells Queensland Pride. “We’re talking about living, sentient beings being tortured and brutally murdered for their skin. “In Australia, cattle are mutilated – castrated, branded, dehorned without anaesthesia and in some states their tails are docked. They are transported long distances and then slaughtered. Most of the world’s leather comes from India, where slaughterhouse workers break the animals’ legs, rub harsh substances into their eyes, and sometimes the cows are even skinned alive.” It sounds horrific, and even Mier acknowledges the detractors’ concerns. But it is very possible to take part in the scene without actually wearing leather, he says. “For vegetarians and vegans, there are a lot of other options. “People concerned with animal rights will wear rubber or PVC, or ‘pleather’, which is a popular leather alternative,” he says. Although animal skins are a big part of his Mier’s identity as a ‘leatherman’, he adds: “As I said, leather is not really just about cow hide – it’s an umbrella term describing a scene, a culture.” Fox concurs: “I’ve spent time in these scenes in London and Sydney over the years, and some of the kinkiest people I know don’t wear leather. Some wear PVC … while others don rubber or fake fur. Then, there’s a whole host of costumes, complete with accoutrements such as handcuffs and whips (and yes, you can get non-leather whips), plus fabulous shoes and boots.” So there you have it – you can be into the leather scene, if that’s your bent, and be an ethical person to boot. Happy Leather Pride, Brisbane! BRISBANE LEATHER PRIDE FESTIVAL Key dates and events Sunday, June 28 3pm-8pm Brisbane Leather Pride Festival Launch Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Free entry Monday, June 29 7.30pm-9.30pm Movie: Daddy and the Muscle Academy Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Cost: $5 Tuesday, June 30 7.30pm-10.30pm ‘Tops and bottoms’ seminar An introduction to adult sex power games Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Cost: $5 Wednesday, July 1 7.30pm-10.30pm ‘The Last Supper’ dinner Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Cost: $30 Book at www.bootco.org.au Thursday, July 2 7.30pm-10pm ‘Tie Me Up’ workshop A basic rope bondage workshop Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Cost: $25 ($40 for two) Book at www.bootco.org.au Friday, July 3 8pm-late ‘Tom’s bar’ Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Cost: $10 ($8 for BootCo members) Saturday, July 4 8pm-3am Corium dance party Featuring Mr Queensland Leather 2009 finale Imagination, Spring Hill Hotel Cost: $25 ($20 for BootCo members) Book at www.bootco.org.au Sunday, July 5 2am-5am Corium after-party Mineshaft Bar, Sportsman Hotel Cost: $5 ($2 for Corium ticket holders) Note: details correct at time of writing. Visit the Boot Company Brisbane (BootCo) website for up-to-date information: www.bootco.org.au
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (0)
 Write comment
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed