6 Reasons to Explore the Leather Scene

Photo: Matt Baume

The leather scene is one of the oldest gay scenes of the past century, originating in the late 1940's. Pictures of burly, hairy men in leather have become iconic, signifying some of the very best of gay subcultures. It isn’t for every gay man out there, but as someone who accidentally fell into it (and absolutely loved it), I can safely say that the leather scene may appeal to you more than you realize.

And there are plenty of reasons to explore it.

1. It's kinky

 

A photo posted by Marco DiNola (@marcodinola83) on Sep 7, 2016 at 12:09pm PDT

I know a number of men, myself included, who thought of themselves as very vanilla. As it turns out…We. Are. Not. Leather helped me discover my kinkier side, not only because leather is in itself kinky, but also because leather can lead you to other fetishizes and sexual practices that you didn’t know existed (and might actually be into).

2. It's body positive

 

A photo posted by Dean (@deancarter79) on Sep 5, 2016 at 1:49pm PDT

This isn’t always the case, but more often than not the leather community primarily consists of bears, otters, cubs, and pigs. Bears, and those related to their furry brethren, tend to be less body conscious, caring less about typical homonormative standards of beauty (i.e., six packs).

3. It's empowering

 

A photo posted by @butch_queen_up_in_pumps on Sep 4, 2016 at 10:36am PDT

You feel empowered wearing leather. Maybe it’s because the connotation of leather is one of either a badass or dominatrix. Whatever the reason may be, the moment you slip on that leather harness, you feel like a new man. 

4. It's different/novel

 

A photo posted by G2 Leather (@g2leather) on Sep 2, 2016 at 4:17am PDT

It’s different than your usual scene, and after hanging out at the same clubs with the same guys ordering the same drinks, it may be nice to try out something different for a change.

5. You’ll meet different men

 

A photo posted by @frysiandude on Aug 31, 2016 at 7:38am PDT

The gay men who attend leather events aren’t the ones who attend your average top 40 remix bar with $15 cocktails. (Okay, there’s some overlap, but not much.) When you hit up the leather scene, you will undoubtedly see a ton of fresh new faces. And they will be of all ages! While they may look more intimidating to speak to, they’re always super friendly and not the type of guys to immediately write you off or play hard to get.

6. You'll become part of a community

 

A photo posted by 18PLUS GAY CONTENT CENSORED! (@heroicpoemofadog) on Aug 28, 2016 at 8:25am PDT

It’s not the hat, the harness, the assless chaps, the collar, and the boots that makes the leather community so great. It’s not a single article of clothing. It’s the people. As I mentioned you’ll not only meet new men, but you’ll become a part of a whole gay community that was previously foreign to you.