Camp and Leather: Oil and Water?
by boy rene
When you picture your ideal and picturesque Leatherman, what comes to mind? For me, I start seeing images drawn by Tom of Finland. I see tall men, clad in biker jackets, leather pants or chaps and jeans, tall, knee-high boots, and aviators. I see strong arms, thick, gloved hands, sculpted facial hair, and more confidence then should be able to fit into one body, without that arrogant, egotistical after-taste.
I find that many people, though, when they think about iconic, mainstream gay society, they start thinking about drag queens and musicals, twinks and dance bars, Streisand and Cher. So where do the Leatherguys fit in? Surely none of these campy interests and behavious have a place in a Leatherman's world, right? After all, we're talking about a community that prides itself on its image of hypermasculinity.
Yeah, that's what I thought at first, too. However, after meeting some of these men, getting to know them and being a proud member of their community, I can assure you that that's not the case. I've met a Leatherman, who's been a proud and active member of his community for over 25 years, with the most masculine strut when walking through a crowded bar in full leather gear, who has a huge liking for campy and cheesy musicals. I've spoken with one man, in full leather, who seems to have nothing but testosterone comming out of his pores and looks great wearing his chaps, who will occasionally wear make-up and a dress, and lip synch to Mylie Cyrus or Kelly Clarkson.
The thing is, Leathermen aren't really so separate from the rest of the gay community. In public, yes, they may have an air of extreme masculinity. But that doesn't mean that they can't sit down at a drag show and enjoy themselves, or be sure that they have front row tickets to the local showing of Mamma Mia. All it means is that, just like everyone, they care about their self-image, and how they're perceived. They wear their heart, and sexuality, on their sleeves, and have the confidence to not really care that it might not be what conventional society agrees with.
So the next time you go into a Leatherbar and see some hot, leather-clad stud giving you the stare down, don't think of him as all that separated from the rest of gay society. Who knows, he may just like the same Cher CDs you do.
