The Leather Report, Odyssey NY’s column on the darker side of New York Nightlife by Darrell BlackandBlue

Welcome!
Welcome to the first installment of The Leather Report, my column detailing what happened and will happen in New York’s Leather, Bear and Daddy scenes. This column will attempt to do many things: shed light on recent doings in the city, point out some names and faces; discuss topics that I care about and those you suggest; and introduce you to some of the notable and quotable people that make New York, unique, exciting and edgy.

Me, your humble scribe.
But who am I? Well you may ask as I ask myself that everyday. I am Darrell, known around as Darrell BlackandBlue or Darrell the DungeonBoss. I come from a long career of media and photography and have been in the leather scene since 1990. I help found Brothers In Leather, Masters and slaves Together NYC, New York Panthers Leatherclub. I was also an on-air host of WBAI-NY's OutFM and worked in various capacities for New York's all-club charity, Leather Pride Night. I now produce leather-themed play parties and I am building a network of web-based businesses serving the leather and gay communities. Extended versions of this column and other tidbits can be found on my blog: http://notesfromthedungeonboss.blogs.com/newnotes.

NY’s Leather scene.
What is this scene I am discussing? The Leather, Bear, Daddy scene is the hypermasculine, leather-centric, muscle-loving, hairy, shaved, tattooed men that have, over the past 20 years carved out a dark niche in every major city in the world. Having grown out of the Old Guard, formalistic American Leather scene of motorcycle clubs, bars, leatherworkers, contests and conventions, the scene is as much as about art and image, sex and fun, as it is about behaviors and heavy gear. For years, New York was know for its bars (and backrooms), sex shows and peepshows. Now the real estate boom has changed New York and many of its edgier and kinkier places have disappeared. Fewer places are multitasking, serving different segments on different nights. The audience for this scene seems to be shrinking, but in reality it is growing: as evidenced by the millions of men (and women) who join and post to the hundreds of fetish and leather themed sites all over the internet. The web has made sexual imagery, and by extension, fetish subjects, accessible to all Americans, for better or for worse.

The only way a nightlife scene can survive in any city is to find ways to tear these people away from their computers and come out and play. The experts in that field are the promoters, those people that define a scene, name a night, reach out and touch and make a party.
Meet Robert Valin, The Daddy of DADDY & Truck Stop
A born and bred New Yorker and Mr. Eagle NYC 2005, Robert Valin competed at IML that year finishing in the top 10. In the following year, he created Leather Invasion, a way to bringing together those interested in the lifestyle while raising leather visibility to mainstream society. Described by many as a "Kinky Critical Mass," past invasions have included NYC's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), "Black Ice" at Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park, IKEA, the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, to name a few.
A self-proclaimed Leather Bear, Valin runs Truck Stop (truckstopparty.com), the popular monthly party at The Penthouse at The Park, which on that night, caters to the Leather & Bear crowd (featuring a hot tub, yes, a hot tub) as well as the weekly shindig, DADDY on Mondays, upstairs at Vlada. Both nights feature hot DJs and dance floors. While Truck Stop is upbeat and friendly, with a tea dance feel and frat house vibe, DADDY is cool for the loner, or cruiser, with cheap beer, rough-sex porn and a curtained video area. I asked Robert what spurs him on to create these events, he replied, “Friends often complained that there were not many or enough ‘hunky, hairy happenings’ in New York, so I set out to create some,” he continues, “I wanted to make events that were geared to an over-30, beefier crowd, more embracing in terms of body image, that was not so much about fashion but about raw, masculine energy!”
Asked about the response to this growing scene, Valin states, “I met very little negative response, I have been very gratified to get emails from people who have started relationships at my events and from people just thankful that these places exist.” Apparently bars and other promoters are taking notice, he says, “they are seeing that there is a market for this demographic.”
Robert has been active in the community and charity areas fundraising for Teen's Prepared for Life and The Harvey Milk School. He has been a committee member of NYC's Leather Pride Night, an annual charity auction. I asked what he’d like to do in his wildest dreams, and it turns out that he would like to open his own Leather & Bear bar. “I kinda see it as “Cheers meets The Cock!”
With all this on his plate, you may well wonder what Robert Valin does by day. He is a professional voice-over artist for radio, film and television. Samples of that work can be heard on his website, http://robertvalin.com. An accomplished magazine graphic artist, he is developing a graphic arts company to serve the bear and queer communities.
Right now, Valin is starting to work on the Urban Bear Weekend NYC (http://urbanbearweekend.com), which is celebrating its second year this May. He will be busy this May, as he was just asked be one of the judges of International Mr. Leather 2010 (http://imrl.com) in Chicago. Asked for his reaction, he replied, “This is a rare feat, but I am humbled and speechless!”
Where the Wild Things Are:
Truck Stop is Sunday, January 24th, Penthouse at The Park, 10th Ave @ 17th St.
DJ Gustavo, Doors Open 6pm, Free before 7/$5 after http://truckstopparty.com
Daddy is every Monday night, Upstairs at Vlada, 331 W. 51 St. DJ Chauncey D 9pm/Free, Porn, "Backroom" Lounge, Cheap Beer & Vodka, Hot Fuckers


Check it out:
Woof Mondays http://www.viewbarnyc.com
Porno Bingo Wednesdays http://www.piecesbar.com/events.html
CODE Thursdays http://www.eaglenyc.com/

Next Month:
New York’s sex parties, how to prepare for the Saint Black Party, and an interview with Justin Costello, producer of the new leather title: Mr Rawhide NY!

Write to me at: darrell@darrellsdungeon.com

OMG! – Not another titleholder

As Los Angeles Leather rolls around, I'm to tell you why you should run for one of the titles that the leather community offers.
I can hear your eyes rolling. No way! I'm too shy. Too much work. I'm not good looking enough.
A friend gave me an interesting perspective on titles. A title year is like your life, compressed into one year; a year which can show you what you really care about, what your faults really are, who truly supports you, what you honestly enjoy doing. It's an opportunity to live your life completely differently.
So...here are some of the reasons why NOT to run for a title, and some reasons why you SHOULD.
The biggie, first: I'm too shy. Trust me, I am shy; painfully shy. If this is your reason for not running, let me ask: do you like being shy? I know I don't. Having a title is a fantastic opportunity to challenge shyness and fight it head on. Your title is a door opener. It's your JOB to talk to strangers, other shy strangers, hot strangers and fresh meat from out of town. People want you to talk to them.
It's too much work. Having a title is as much or as little work as you make it. Many titleholders are just looking for a little fun...and that's okay. Most producers have only a few expectations of their titleholder. Show up at a few events, hang around the bar making people feel welcome. Bars are always looking for something different...you can be that something different.
I'm not good looking enough. Look at the titleholders around the community. We are a motley crew of looks, sizes, backgrounds. What I can tell you is this...running for a title will make you look at yourself differently, it'll bring out the things that are most attractive about you from your charm to your physique to your dedication to your beautiful green eyes to your infectious laugh.
Having run for and won Mr. Regiment and American Leatherman has given me the confidence to go to events on my own and speak to people I've never met before. It's made me realize that I could make a lasting impact on our community. I've made friends I would never have met otherwise and I'm a greater me for the experience.
If you'd like to know more about upcoming contests, shoot me an email at americanleatherman2009@openkink.org
Cheers,
Alex Lindsay
American Leatherman 2009

DUNGEON PLAY PARTIES

By: Kinky Brothers

Ever fantasized about having your clothes ripped off you, wrists bound together, blindfolded, told to speak only when spoken to, strapped down to a horse bench on all fours, and having a leatherman work over your ass, dick and balls that it feels sensually painful, but you beg for more?

The above scene can happen and so much more at a dungeon play party. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a dungeon party, go for it and experience something different sexually. You don’t have to have full on leather to attend, but wearing dark clothes is best. Once inside, you can wear as little or as much clothing as you like. Dungeons usually have clothes check or lockers for you to use. Dungeon parties can be specific about who is welcomed, such as heterosexuals, women only, men only or pansexual, which means for all sexual orientations. Here are some helpful tips for attending a dungeon party:

> You do not have to do anything if you don’t want to. No one will force you to do anything.
> Follow these 3 words – “Safe, Sane & Consensual”
> Safe – play safely, know the skills, techniques and safety precautions
> Sane – be clear minded and not intoxicated in order to make the right decision
> Consensual – all parties involved are consenting to playing in the scene
> If someone keeps annoying you, let the dungeon monitor know and he will intervene.
> Do not stand around chatting by a play scene because you will disturb the players.
> Stand about 3 feet away from any play scene, so you don’t crowd the players.
> Do not get involved with a play scene unless invited by the players.
> No PNP and drugs allowed at dungeon parties.
> If you see a scene you’d like to try, ask the players after they finish and/or ask dungeon monitors to refer you to players who can do the scene with you.
> If you have questions about a play scene, ask the dungeon monitors and/or the hosts.
> If you want to learn a specific fetish/play scene, ask players to teach you and most are more than willing to do so.
> Dungeon monitors are easily spotted by a colored vest, baseball cap, armband, or badge identification. They are responsible for keeping the play area safe and sane.
> Dungeon parties may have house rules like no fire play, blood play, and such. These will be posted at the dungeon entry.
> Male only dungeon parties usually allow sexual penetration and exchange of bodily fluids. Otherwise it is posted in the house rules.
> If you just want to be a voyeur and not play, that is fine.
> If you decide to play with others, make sure you know everyone’s boundaries, limits, and guidelines, including yourself before playing.
> Dungeon parties usually provide snacks & beverages and a smoking area.
> Clean up after yourself when finishing a play scene. Use cleaning supplies provided to wipe down the furniture you used.
> Do not hog the play furniture for more than 30 minutes if other players are waiting to use the same furniture.

The above dungeon party tips will get you safely through a dungeon party. Lighting is usually dim, so you don’t have to wear night vision goggles or use Braille to get around the dungeon. Most importantly, you do not have to do anything you don’t want to sexually, but if you do, jump right in and have a lot of FUN! Leave your attitude and tiara at the door.

Avatar Club LA (www.AvatarLA.org) hosts several dungeon play parties each year. BOUND dungeon party is happening Saturday, October 24, from 9PM-2AM for $25. Dungeon location will be given with ticket purchase, which are available for sale at: 665 Leather, Rough Trade and Syren. Or you can purchase the tickets online at: www.BOUND.eventbrite.com.

There’s a monthly play party specifically for spanking/paddling/caning fetishists, party details at moonburnLA@sbcglobal.net. Into bondage? There’s a monthly play party for you, party details at – www.SoCaBondage.com. There are dungeon parties for women only too, so check into Radical and Wicked Women at www.myspace.com/keepingitraww.

Kinky Toy's and Gifts

Tis the season to be jolly and kinky, well you can be kinky all year round. I guess you can be jolly too. It’s that time of the year when Santa determines whether you’ve been bad or good and I hope you’ve been good at being bad…very bad in a nasty, kinky way!

I hope Santa will be good to you as you have been very good to others around you. So you are in the gift giving mood, don’t want to spend enormous amounts of money and give the typical Starbucks gift card. Here are some great kinky stocking stuffer ideas for you to pick out that won’t break your piggy bank this holiday season:

Ø cock rings (metal, rubber, neoprene, gummy or silicone)

Ø silicone ball stretchers by Oxballs

Ø nipple enlargers

Ø butt plugs for everyday wear

Ø dildos

Ø dick jewelry for the cock shaft

Ø armband (leather or metal)

Ø wristband/wallet or gauntlets

Ø leather key clip or strap

Ø necklace inhaler for poppers

Ø fetish DVDs from Club Inferno, Titan Media, etc.

Ø various travel size bottles of lube

Ø leather blindfold

Ø ball gag for the mouth

Ø clothespins

Ø riding crop

Ø athletic jock strap in many colors

Ø 10-15 feet of cotton or nylon rope

Ø nipple clamps

Ø box of condoms

Ø leather baseball cap

Ø leather suspenders

Ø neuro wheel

Ø chain link collar and padlock

Ø color handkerchiefs

Ø mini latex flogger

Ø box of paraffin candles

Ø leather scented shower gel & candles

I hope the above lists gets your kinky mind going as well as your juices as you read this. All these stocking stuffers can be purchased at 665 Leather (665Leather.com), Rough Trade (RoughTradeGear.com), Stockroom (Stockroom.com) and Leather Stock (LeatherStock.com). Stop by to check them out and you may find other kinky stocking stuffers that all of you will enjoy this holiday and beyond. Merry Kinky Christmas & Season’s Beatings to you and yours.

CODE NIGHT AT THE NEW YORK EAGLE

Well guys the summer is finally over time to put away the summer clothing and get ready for Fall.

It is my personal wish that all your flip-flops, sandals and summer sneakers will get stuffed AWAY

into the back of the closet where they belong! That being said I know you are all craving an exciting

night out on the town. A place where you can go with your friends to enjoy fun and sometimes

kinky guys. As the new MR. EAGLE 2010 I want to invite you all to CODE night at the

Eagle NYC. So lets get to it ! "What is code night? " "Why have a dress code?" Really great

questions. I hope that I don't sound like to much of an old-head when I talk about longing for the

days when people dressed for the theatre, took there hats off in church and would not dare go to

the Leather Bar without BOOTS on. Those days for better or for worse seem to be gone.

Code NIGHT has it all . Leather - Uniforms- Rubber- Fetish Gear. That is really only the

beginning . Smoke cigars on the roof -Get your BOOTS polished - enjoy Cheap Beer - Booze

Get yourself a haircut PLUS lots of HOT guys!!

With all of that lets make an effort and respect CODE night. Let us first say .....taking off your

shirt is not the CODE. So here are a few ideas: Get yourself some BOOTS!! Decide what kind of

geared up look you want to do and GO FOR IT. Need help? There is plenty out there.

The internet - magazines - ask a bartender - ask a friend - ask a Mr.EAGLE. If you want to

become part of the community it is all there just waiting for you to join in!

One more thing if you are not dressed in CODE- the EAGLE ALWAYS offers a full bar on

another floor- so GUYS- let's GEAR UP and keep the CODE night rocking.

I, Leather or I, Rubber?

I, Leather or I, Rubber? Are the two fetishes so different and can they exist in the same world?

As a kinky guy who's been into rubber almost as long as I've been into leather, the answer is a big ole pervy yes they are different and yes they happily exist in the same world! So why is the perception still pervasive that "real" leather guys don't wear rubber? And neither do bears or hairy guys or guys with a less-than-a-perfect gym bod.

We just had our 5th annual West Coast Rubber Weekend here in LA and I can tell you that every one of those guys who "don't" wear rubber was there and every one of them looked and felt hot in their gear. It's all about attitude and it's about how you feel in what you wear.

There are some major differences between the two fetishes. Leather tends to be more traditional with with the hyper-masculine (and hyper-hung!) Tom of Finland leather man in classic leather breeches, boots and leather uniform shirt serving as a prime example. I have to say "tends" to be more traditional because as the fetish has evolved designers like Priape in Canada, www.gaibec.com, have emerged with hot, cutting edge designs that incorporate unusual cuts, fabrics and treatments. Locally you can snag amazing creations with color and cut at Rough Trade and 665.

Rubber tends to fit a lot tighter than leather and aficionados of the fetish talk about the sensuality of wearing rubber, how it conforms to your body and becomes like a second skin. Rubber also lends itself to really sensual play like lubing up and sliding around on a play sheet, grinding against each other until....well, I'm getting off track here. It's hot, let's just leave it at that.

And yeah, rubber is hot, and it's cold. Because it is like a second skin it doesn't tend to offer a lot of protection against the elements. One of the most common comments I get when I'm out in my rubber gear is "Isn't that hot?" Yeah, it can be and that's part of the sensuality of wearing rubber when you get that layer of sweat underneath and you feel the rubber moving against and with your body. It's like whole body frottage!

I'm seeing more and more rubber at leather events like International Mr Leather and Mid Atlantic Leather and I'm even seeing some leather at rubber events like West Coast Rubber. These days it's less about the protocol and more about what feels sexy and hot. This weekend we selected Jeffrey Moline, a local WeHo guy, as our Mr West Coast Rubber for 2009. I know that Jeffrey also wears leather, and suits and sports kit, and looks hot in all of them. By the way, you can start your own slippery rubber collection at Syren/Stockroom right here in LA.

So, whether you're wearing leather or rubber, get your gear on and get your rocks off!

Loren Berthelsen
Mr Golden Leather 2009
Co-Producer, West Coast Rubber
Photo by JayPG Photography

OPEN KINK

By: Kinky Brothers

LA brings back the American Leatherman title home. Randy Carmenaty, American Leatherman 2008, went to New Orleans the weekend of July 9-12 to step aside and sash his successor. LA's Alex Lindsay beat out the competition and is the new American Leatherman 2009. Alex is also the current Mr. Regiment 2009 and 1st Runner-up to Mr. LA Leather 2009. Alex's competition consisted of a basket auction, interview with the judging panel, jock wear, formal leather & speech, and stage fantasy. Alex's formal speech described his title year's platform - openness in the kink community. Below he discusses his willingness to publicly discuss BDSM and share that passion openly and proudly.

Leading up to competing for the title of American Leatherman, I had a realization. It occurred to me that everything good I have in my life stems directly or indirectly from openness. Whether it's my work, marriage, friends, or community, the happiness I enjoy is enriched by openness. For forty years we have celebrated gay pride, and more recently leather pride as well. But there's more to kink than leather, and more to pride than parades.

I decided to create a way for people who are kinky to be out and proud about their kinks together, rather than as separate communities. Regardless of sexuality, whether they are into leather, rubber, flogging, fisting, furries, or who-knows-what. A way to say "I like creative sex. Talk to me about what turns you on or ask me about what turns me on. We may or may not like the same things, but we have this passion in common."

OpenKink is a symbol - a combination of an O and K - standing for Open Kink, and also as a reminder that it is OK to be kinky — whatever your kink. OpenKink.org is also a network — a way to find those people, clubs, websites and organizations which are kinky and reach out the public to share their kink.

It began in New York City, where I was born and raised. 40 years ago, just after I stepped into the world, the Stonewall riots opened the door of the gay closet, and we've been stepping out of it ever since. For me, during my freshman year of college, as soon as I realized it was guys I was interested in, I came out to my friends, and very quickly to my family. Absolutely, it was not an easy thing to do, but it strenghtened my relationships with my friends and my family. Rather than building a wall between us, I built a window. I quickly found myself playing the pronoun game at work. I came out there as well, and the sky didn't fall. Coming out gave me more confidence as a person—my comfort with my own sexuality spilled over into a confidence in the way I lived my life.

I knew I was kinky, even though I didn't know that's what being kinky was. What I did know was that the AIDS crisis was building, and I was terrified of sex. I discovered the Spike, but was so scared of the stories, that I would sit in my car weekend after weekend, waiting for something to happen. The thing that happened, is that I saw an announcement about GMSMA meetings. I was amazed to discover that there were men who talked about and taught about kinky sex. I was able to keep myself from jumping into the deep end of the pool, and instead stepped onto the stairs. I was welcomed and made friends there and was introduced to BDSM. To this day, I firmly believe that GMSMA saved my life. It may or may not be true in fact, but it is my personal truth.

Since that time I have sought out those people who present themselves publicly as kinky members of the world we live in. Whether they are the Leather Daddies of San Francisco, members of Threshold in LA or Club X in San Diego or club brothers in Avatar Los Angeles, these men and women enrich their lives and mine by sharing their passion openly.

I believe that, yes, coming out is a challenge, fraught with risk, and coming out kinky is even more so. There was a time not that long ago when being perceived as gay could ruin your family, your friendships, your career. But, thanks to the hard work, perseverance, and courage of individuals and organizations all around the world, we as gay men and lesbians now live in a better world. Is that work over? No, but it only gets easier as we become more visible.

And so it is with being kinky. Today, there are many places where you still risk family, friendships, career if your enjoyment of kinky sex comes out. But there are more and more places where is it irrelevant. Especially in larger corporations, the culture has developed where if you are a productive worker, your personal life is not an issue as long as it does not interfere with your work. This is on par with one's practice of religion. This is not to say that we need to share the details of our sex lives with friends, family, and colleagues, but it does mean being open to curiosity, and being ready to share. A few months ago, when asked what I was going to be up to over the weekend, I paused for a moment, and I came out. I said "I am competing for the title of Los Angeles Leather." There were questions about what that meant, and I offered some general information about the contest. Other questions were asked privately, and I offered a little more information.

So, OpenKink.org was born. Right now tell me what turns you on, and OpenKink will help you find it.