Gay Amsterdam

Contents:

• GETTG WHIPPED AT LEATHER PRIAS THIS WEEKEND’S GAY PRI PARAS RISE TO NEW HEIGHTS OF RPECTABILY, THE DAILY BEAST GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH TO ATTEND “LEATHER PRI DAY,” AN OLD-SCHOOL, X-RATED Y OF OUTRAGEO BEHAVR.SPENCER MANUPDATED JUL. 14, 2017 1:47PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 26, 2009 9:43AM EDT JT SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAG “I PED OH WHEN I WAS 19," SAID DALE VARGAS. HE HAD TO SQUAT DOWN ON HIS STILTS TO TALK TO ME. HE WAS WEARG A BLACK LEATHER JOCKSTRAP, RED BOLERO JACKET WH EPLETT, LEATHER MASK AND TOP HAT—LAST SUNDAY ON WT 28TH STREET MANHATTAN.IN OH, HE SAID, "YOU HAD TO BE WHE AND HAVE 2.3 KIDS TO F . I FOUND THE GAY MUNY PEOPLE WHO TEND TO LEAN TOWARD LEATHER AND KK WERE PEOPLE THAT DIDN’T BOX THEMSELV TO WHERE THEY GREW UP AND STAY THERE. THEY EXPLORE. I FOUND THAT THE LEATHER MUNY WAS MORE HONT, MORE WORLDLY, MORE TOUCH, AND THAT’S WHERE I GRAVATED TO.”THAT DAY, MR. VARGAS AND 7,000 OTHERS HAD TURNED THE FAR WT CHELSEA BLOCK TO A LTLE SLICE OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL PARADISE, FAR OVER THE RABOW OM OH, KANSAS, OR ANY OTHER PLACE WHERE THE SIGHT OF MEN LEATHER JOCKSTRAPS WOULD HOIST THE EYEBROWS OF THE TOWN MATRONS. THEY WERE THERE TO CELEBRATE “FOLSOM STREET EAST,” ALSO KNOWN AS LEATHER PRI DAY, THE ANNUAL STREET FAIR PUT ON BY THE GAY MALE SM ASSOCIATN.IT'S WHERE I MET 72-YEAR-OLD JOE REGAN, A RINT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AS HE WAS PULLG ON A PAIR OF YELLOW BBER BOOTS AND GETTG THGS PROPERLY SUATED HIS JOCKSTRAP. “I’M WEARG A YELLOW BBER JOCK THAT THE GUY DOWN THERE MAK," HE SAID, GTURG DOWN THE STREET. “HE MAK THE BT. THIS IS ALL ONE PIECE OF BBER, NO SEAMS.” I ASKED HIM WHAT FOLSOM STREET EAST—THE TAG PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ORIGAL, MUCH LARGER FOLSOM STREET FAIR SAN FRANCIS—MEANT TO HIM.“I’M BASILLY A TOP," HE SAID, " THOUGH I WILL PLAY MAN-TO-MAN WH A LOT OF GUYS, AND I REALLY ENJOY . THIS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU N LET ALL HANG OUT. I WOULDN’T WEAR THIS ANYWHERE EXCEPT AT A SEX CLUB NORMALLY.”OF THE DOZEN OR SO ATTEN I SPOKE TO—OM FRANK PARKER, A 45-YEAR-OLD OHAN WHO WORKS NSTCTN LEATHER SPENRS; TO MEN LEATHER KILTS SELLG CIGARS; TO “NIPPLE DAD,” A MASTAY OF CHELSEA—THE NSENS WAS THIS: IN AN CREASGLY NFORMIST GAY WORLD, THE SOCIALLY OWNED-UPON DISPLAYS OF SEXUALY TAKG PLACE HERE REPRENTED A RARE OPPORTUNY TO OPENLY EXPERIENCE HOMOSEXUALY AS THE ILLIC, WANTON, GE SUBCULTURE ONCE WAS.BEE WHEN NYC PRI DAY, THE MA EVENT OF GAY PRI WEEK, TAK OVER THE CY THIS WEEKEND WH OVER A LN ATTEN, WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT OM THIS LEATHER PRI BACCHANAL. NYC PRI DAY, LIKE MANY OTHER PRI PARAS ACROSS THE UNTRY, HAS BEE MORE AND MORE RPECTABLE WH EACH PASSG YEAR. BUD LIGHT, SKYY VODKA, DELTA, CONTENTAL, KIEHL’S, WHOLE FOODS, AND JP MAN CHASE ALL HAVE FLOATS THIS YEAR’S PARA. A REPRENTATIVE OF NYC PRI RECENTLY BOASTED THAT IF ONE WERE TO TEGORIZE THE MORE THAN 300 GROUPS PARTICIPATG, CHURCH GROUPS WOULD HAVE THE LARGT PRENCE.HERE AT LEATHER PRI, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU’D BE HARD PRSED TO FD AN VTMENT BANK OR AIRLE RPORATE SPONSORSHIP. AT THE MEN OF ONYX BOOTH, I CID TO GIVE THE BUTT PLUG TOSS A WHIRL. ONE PLUG FOR A DOLLAR, THREE FOR TWO. THAT’S ALWAYS A NO-BRAER. RICHARD, 54, A MANHATTAN PHYSICIAN (HE CLED TO ELABORATE), HAND ME THREE BLACK BBER PLUGS, AND TOLD ME ABOUT MEN OF ONYX AS HE HELD TWO OF MY PLUGS SO I ULD TOSS.“IT’S A LEATHER CLUB FOR MEN OF LOR AND PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO BE ASSOCIATED WH MEN OF LOR," HE SAID. "WE HAVE CHAPTERS CHIGO, ATLANTA, DC, LA—ALL OVER THE UNTRY." THE TARGET WAS A POSTER BOARD OF AN ANATOMILLY RRECT GENTLEMAN BENDG OVER. I TOOK NOTE THAT BUTT PLUGS ARE KD OF SHAPED LIKE DARTS; LOOKED PRETTY EASY TO SLIP ONE PAST THE GOALIE.RICHARD WAS SAYG THE LEATHER SCENE N BE TRICKY FOR BLACK MEN. WORDS LIKE MASTER AND SLAVE ARE OBVLY LOAD. ONYX, WHICH WAS FOUND 15 YEARS AGO, CREAT A FORT ZONE, HE SAID, WHERE “MEN OF LOR N EXPLORE WH OTHER MEN OF LOR, AND TALK ABOUT OUR PARTICULAR TERTS AND OUR PARTICULAR NCERNS AND HOW WE N ENJOY OUR FETISH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.”BULL'S-EYE! RICHARD GAVE ME MY PRIZE, A BUTT PLUG, WHICH I GRACLY HAND OVER TO THE GUY LE BEHD ME (JOURNALISTIC TEGRY!), WHO TOLD ME WAS JT HIS SIZE—HE TAK A MEDIUM.I SPOKE TO JOHN WEIS, WHO FOUND THE FOLSOM STREET EAST FTIVAL 1997. “THE BATN OF THE INTER AND ZONG AND REAL TATE HAS REALLY THROWN THE LEATHER MUNY FOR A LOOP,” HE SAID. “THERE REALLY AREN’T ANY PLAC TO NGREGATE AS A MUNY. THERE ED TO BE A WHOLE BUNCH OF LEATHER BARS—AND YOU KNOW THE MEATPACKG DISTRICT AS A WHOLE WAS A FORTABLE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE LEATHER MUNY.” HE NOTED THAT IMAGERY OF LEATHER BOYS HAS OFTEN ED TO MONIZE GAY MEN. “SO I N FULLY APPRECIATE WHY SOME MEMBERS OF OUR MUNY ARE RELUCTANT TO HAVE OUT THERE THE ONT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE’RE NOT OUT THERE PHG BOUNDARI AND PHG SOCIAL MOR, I THK THAT WE’RE ALWAYS GOG TO REMA WHERE WE ARE. IT’S ONLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE WILLG TO E OUT, STAND UP AND SAY, 'I’M NOT TAK’ THIS ANYMORE,' THAT YOU N PH A LTLE B AND MOVE A LTLE B FORWARD.“THE GAY MOVEMENT WAS A SEXUAL-REVOLUTN MOVEMENT," HE NTUED, "AND TO SHUN THE SEX PART OF THE SEXUAL POLICS OF A SEXUAL REVOLUTN IS A LTLE SHORT-SIGHTED AND NAïVE. I FULLY UNRSTAND WHY 'S IMPORTANT TO DO BOTH: SEX POSIVE AND THE MARRIED AND LIVG MAPLEWOOD WH A UPLE OF KIDS. BOTH OF THEM N HELP, BUT I DON’T THK ONE SHOULD BE SACRIFICED FOR THE OTHER.”NEXT UP: MEN CHAPS. ON A STAGE. BUT ALL WAS NOT GOG WELL FOR FAMED ADULT-FILM DIRECTOR AND DRAG QUEEN CHI CHI LARUE, WHO WAS PLAYG GAME-SHOW HOSTS: NONE OF THE NTTANTS WERE ABLE TO MATCH THE CHEEK PRTS TO THE WBOYS ON DISPLAY.BRIAN MCHELL, 28, WAS WATCHG. HE'D E DOWN OM BOSTON, WHERE HE DO FANCIAL REPORTG FOR MUTUAL FUNDS. HE WAS WEARG A BLUE BBER JOCKSTRAP, A LEATHER HARNS, A LLAR, BOOTS, AND A RED SOX BASEBALL P. (WHICH GAVE ME PSE TO WONR: WHAT WOULD MY SEVENTH-GRA GYM TEACHER DO IF HE KNEW THAT HIS GFF SISTENCE ON JOCKSTRAPS WAS SO SYNC WH A FASHN FETISH POPULAR AMONG GAY MEN?) “IT’S AN OPPORTUNY TO GET OUT OF THE BACKROOMS OF THE BARS AND GET OUT THE DAYLIGHT MORE THAN ANYTHG ELSE,” SAID MCHELL. “IT’S AN OPPORTUNY TO WALK THE STREETS OF NEW YORK YOUR LEATHER HARNS OR WHATEVER, AND BE LIKE, ‘THIS IS WHAT I’M TO, WHY SHOULD I BE ASHAMED OF THAT?’”Y, HE ADMTED, THE INTER HAD MA FDG IENDS THE LEATHER MUNY A LOT EASIER, BUT, HE SAID, “WHATEVER NNECTNS YOU MAKE ON THE INTER TEND TO BE REALLY SHALLOW. I LIVE BOSTON, SO I’M NOT LIKELY TO SEE MOST OF THE PEOPLE I MEET HERE EVER AGA. BUT ’S STILL NICE TO E OUT FOR A DAY AND JT BE IENDLY WH PEOPLE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.” HE SAID HE WOULD NOT BE RETURNG FOR THE MORE SQUEAKY-CLEAN NYC PRI PARA THIS SUNDAY.“THE PRI PARA TRI TO ACT MORE MASTREAM,” HE SAID. “I THK THERE’S AN IA WH THE MASTREAM GAY MOVEMENT OF SAYG, 'OK, WE NEED TO GET MASTREAM SOCIETY’S ACCEPTANCE.’ THEY’RE SAYG, ‘OH, YOU KNOW, WE DON’T WANT CRAZY PEOPLE WALKG AROUND JOCKSTRAPS AND HARNS. WE WANT PEOPLE TALKG ABOUT HOW THEY’RE LOVE AND WANT TO GET MARRIED.’ AND THAT’S FE. THERE’S A PLACE FOR THAT. BUT THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO GET MARRIED, WHO WANT TO WALK AROUND JOCKSTRAPS AND HARNS.”NEXT I MET MASTER LUS, A 32-YEAR-OLD S&M PROFSNAL WHO WAS DOG A BONDAGE MONSTRATN ON STTY, A GRIZZLY BEAR WH A PLATUM MOHAWK. STTY WAS SPEND ON A CROSS, SHIRTLS, A PAIR OF BLACK TIGHTS. HE GOT THE FULL TREATMENT: FLOGGG, PADDLG, SPANKG, NG, BBER FLOGGG, AS WELL AS “SOME DRAGON TAIL WORK.”“HE’S GOT SOME TOLERANCE,” MASTER LUS SAID, BREATHG HEAVILY, AS AN ASSISTANT BROUGHT HIM SOME WATER AND BEGAN MASSAGG HIS THIGHS. “HE’S FELY GOT SOME SER TOLERANCE.”MASTER LUS HAS BEEN THE LEATHER MUNY FOR 10 YEARS. “IT’S EVOLVED TREMENDOLY,” HE SAID. “THERE’S A LOT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE VOLVED NOW. I THK YEARS AGO, TOOK PEOPLE UNTIL THEY WERE 30 OR 40 YEARS OLD TO SAY, ‘FUCK , I’M A KKY PERSON, I’M GONNA GO DO WHAT I WANT WH MY LIFE REGARDLS OF WHAT THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY THK.'”I ASKED STTY ABOUT HIS TIME ON THE CROSS.“IT’S PAFUL,” HE GASPED, “BUT ’S TRYG TO BEE . I BELIEVE THAT THERE’S KD OF A LONG LE BETWEEN PA AND PLEASURE, AND ’S MANIPULATG THAT LE… IT SOUNDS WEIRD, BUT AFTER A WHILE AND THE MANY SENSATNS, ’S LIKE A MASSIVE BACKB.”STTY HAD E TO NEW YORK OM IDAHO, WHERE THERE IS NO LEATHER SCENE. “FOLSOM STREET IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE THGS THAT I LOCKED UP ALL YEAR,” HE SAID, ADDG THAT THE THG ABOUT THE LEATHER MUNY IS THAT ’S THE MOST “-TOUCH AND SWEET AND TENR-HEARTED OF ANY, BEE ’S VERY MUCH TO HOW THE OTHER PERSON IS FEELG, AND THEY’RE VERY NCERNED ABOUT HOW YOU’RE DOG. I MEAN, WHILE WE WERE DOG THAT, [MASTER LUS] ME UP TO ME ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE TIM AND SAID, ‘HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOG?’”SPENCER MAN IS A EELANCE WRER LIVG BROOKLYN. HIS LUMN MEN OF MANHATTAN APPEARS THE NEW YORK OBSERVER. HE IS A NTRIBUTG EDOR AT PLAYBOY MAGAZE. SPENCER MAN
• GAY LEATHER SCENE TON DOWN FROM HARD-CORE TO DRS-UP
• A HANDY GUI TO ALL GAY MEN
• ‘HOW DO ONE GET TO THE GAY BDSM BOTTOMG SCENE?’
• GAY AMSTERDAM

GETTG WHIPPED AT LEATHER PRIAS THIS WEEKEND’S GAY PRI PARAS RISE TO NEW HEIGHTS OF RPECTABILY, THE DAILY BEAST GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH TO ATTEND “LEATHER PRI DAY,” AN OLD-SCHOOL, X-RATED Y OF OUTRAGEO BEHAVR.SPENCER MANUPDATED JUL. 14, 2017 1:47PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 26, 2009 9:43AM EDT JT SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAG “I PED OH WHEN I WAS 19," SAID DALE VARGAS. HE HAD TO SQUAT DOWN ON HIS STILTS TO TALK TO ME. HE WAS WEARG A BLACK LEATHER JOCKSTRAP, RED BOLERO JACKET WH EPLETT, LEATHER MASK AND TOP HAT—LAST SUNDAY ON WT 28TH STREET MANHATTAN.IN OH, HE SAID, "YOU HAD TO BE WHE AND HAVE 2.3 KIDS TO F . I FOUND THE GAY MUNY PEOPLE WHO TEND TO LEAN TOWARD LEATHER AND KK WERE PEOPLE THAT DIDN’T BOX THEMSELV TO WHERE THEY GREW UP AND STAY THERE. THEY EXPLORE. I FOUND THAT THE LEATHER MUNY WAS MORE HONT, MORE WORLDLY, MORE TOUCH, AND THAT’S WHERE I GRAVATED TO.”THAT DAY, MR. VARGAS AND 7,000 OTHERS HAD TURNED THE FAR WT CHELSEA BLOCK TO A LTLE SLICE OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL PARADISE, FAR OVER THE RABOW OM OH, KANSAS, OR ANY OTHER PLACE WHERE THE SIGHT OF MEN LEATHER JOCKSTRAPS WOULD HOIST THE EYEBROWS OF THE TOWN MATRONS. THEY WERE THERE TO CELEBRATE “FOLSOM STREET EAST,” ALSO KNOWN AS LEATHER PRI DAY, THE ANNUAL STREET FAIR PUT ON BY THE GAY MALE SM ASSOCIATN.IT'S WHERE I MET 72-YEAR-OLD JOE REGAN, A RINT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AS HE WAS PULLG ON A PAIR OF YELLOW BBER BOOTS AND GETTG THGS PROPERLY SUATED HIS JOCKSTRAP. “I’M WEARG A YELLOW BBER JOCK THAT THE GUY DOWN THERE MAK," HE SAID, GTURG DOWN THE STREET. “HE MAK THE BT. THIS IS ALL ONE PIECE OF BBER, NO SEAMS.” I ASKED HIM WHAT FOLSOM STREET EAST—THE TAG PAYS HOMAGE TO THE ORIGAL, MUCH LARGER FOLSOM STREET FAIR SAN FRANCIS—MEANT TO HIM.“I’M BASILLY A TOP," HE SAID, " THOUGH I WILL PLAY MAN-TO-MAN WH A LOT OF GUYS, AND I REALLY ENJOY . THIS ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE YOU N LET ALL HANG OUT. I WOULDN’T WEAR THIS ANYWHERE EXCEPT AT A SEX CLUB NORMALLY.”OF THE DOZEN OR SO ATTEN I SPOKE TO—OM FRANK PARKER, A 45-YEAR-OLD OHAN WHO WORKS NSTCTN LEATHER SPENRS; TO MEN LEATHER KILTS SELLG CIGARS; TO “NIPPLE DAD,” A MASTAY OF CHELSEA—THE NSENS WAS THIS: IN AN CREASGLY NFORMIST GAY WORLD, THE SOCIALLY OWNED-UPON DISPLAYS OF SEXUALY TAKG PLACE HERE REPRENTED A RARE OPPORTUNY TO OPENLY EXPERIENCE HOMOSEXUALY AS THE ILLIC, WANTON, GE SUBCULTURE ONCE WAS.BEE WHEN NYC PRI DAY, THE MA EVENT OF GAY PRI WEEK, TAK OVER THE CY THIS WEEKEND WH OVER A LN ATTEN, WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT OM THIS LEATHER PRI BACCHANAL. NYC PRI DAY, LIKE MANY OTHER PRI PARAS ACROSS THE UNTRY, HAS BEE MORE AND MORE RPECTABLE WH EACH PASSG YEAR. BUD LIGHT, SKYY VODKA, DELTA, CONTENTAL, KIEHL’S, WHOLE FOODS, AND JP MAN CHASE ALL HAVE FLOATS THIS YEAR’S PARA. A REPRENTATIVE OF NYC PRI RECENTLY BOASTED THAT IF ONE WERE TO TEGORIZE THE MORE THAN 300 GROUPS PARTICIPATG, CHURCH GROUPS WOULD HAVE THE LARGT PRENCE.HERE AT LEATHER PRI, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU’D BE HARD PRSED TO FD AN VTMENT BANK OR AIRLE RPORATE SPONSORSHIP. AT THE MEN OF ONYX BOOTH, I CID TO GIVE THE BUTT PLUG TOSS A WHIRL. ONE PLUG FOR A DOLLAR, THREE FOR TWO. THAT’S ALWAYS A NO-BRAER. RICHARD, 54, A MANHATTAN PHYSICIAN (HE CLED TO ELABORATE), HAND ME THREE BLACK BBER PLUGS, AND TOLD ME ABOUT MEN OF ONYX AS HE HELD TWO OF MY PLUGS SO I ULD TOSS.“IT’S A LEATHER CLUB FOR MEN OF LOR AND PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO BE ASSOCIATED WH MEN OF LOR," HE SAID. "WE HAVE CHAPTERS CHIGO, ATLANTA, DC, LA—ALL OVER THE UNTRY." THE TARGET WAS A POSTER BOARD OF AN ANATOMILLY RRECT GENTLEMAN BENDG OVER. I TOOK NOTE THAT BUTT PLUGS ARE KD OF SHAPED LIKE DARTS; LOOKED PRETTY EASY TO SLIP ONE PAST THE GOALIE.RICHARD WAS SAYG THE LEATHER SCENE N BE TRICKY FOR BLACK MEN. WORDS LIKE MASTER AND SLAVE ARE OBVLY LOAD. ONYX, WHICH WAS FOUND 15 YEARS AGO, CREAT A FORT ZONE, HE SAID, WHERE “MEN OF LOR N EXPLORE WH OTHER MEN OF LOR, AND TALK ABOUT OUR PARTICULAR TERTS AND OUR PARTICULAR NCERNS AND HOW WE N ENJOY OUR FETISH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.”BULL'S-EYE! RICHARD GAVE ME MY PRIZE, A BUTT PLUG, WHICH I GRACLY HAND OVER TO THE GUY LE BEHD ME (JOURNALISTIC TEGRY!), WHO TOLD ME WAS JT HIS SIZE—HE TAK A MEDIUM.I SPOKE TO JOHN WEIS, WHO FOUND THE FOLSOM STREET EAST FTIVAL 1997. “THE BATN OF THE INTER AND ZONG AND REAL TATE HAS REALLY THROWN THE LEATHER MUNY FOR A LOOP,” HE SAID. “THERE REALLY AREN’T ANY PLAC TO NGREGATE AS A MUNY. THERE ED TO BE A WHOLE BUNCH OF LEATHER BARS—AND YOU KNOW THE MEATPACKG DISTRICT AS A WHOLE WAS A FORTABLE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THE LEATHER MUNY.” HE NOTED THAT IMAGERY OF LEATHER BOYS HAS OFTEN ED TO MONIZE GAY MEN. “SO I N FULLY APPRECIATE WHY SOME MEMBERS OF OUR MUNY ARE RELUCTANT TO HAVE OUT THERE THE ONT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE’RE NOT OUT THERE PHG BOUNDARI AND PHG SOCIAL MOR, I THK THAT WE’RE ALWAYS GOG TO REMA WHERE WE ARE. IT’S ONLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE WILLG TO E OUT, STAND UP AND SAY, 'I’M NOT TAK’ THIS ANYMORE,' THAT YOU N PH A LTLE B AND MOVE A LTLE B FORWARD.“THE GAY MOVEMENT WAS A SEXUAL-REVOLUTN MOVEMENT," HE NTUED, "AND TO SHUN THE SEX PART OF THE SEXUAL POLICS OF A SEXUAL REVOLUTN IS A LTLE SHORT-SIGHTED AND NAïVE. I FULLY UNRSTAND WHY 'S IMPORTANT TO DO BOTH: SEX POSIVE AND THE MARRIED AND LIVG MAPLEWOOD WH A UPLE OF KIDS. BOTH OF THEM N HELP, BUT I DON’T THK ONE SHOULD BE SACRIFICED FOR THE OTHER.”NEXT UP: MEN CHAPS. ON A STAGE. BUT ALL WAS NOT GOG WELL FOR FAMED ADULT-FILM DIRECTOR AND DRAG QUEEN CHI CHI LARUE, WHO WAS PLAYG GAME-SHOW HOSTS: NONE OF THE NTTANTS WERE ABLE TO MATCH THE CHEEK PRTS TO THE WBOYS ON DISPLAY.BRIAN MCHELL, 28, WAS WATCHG. HE'D E DOWN OM BOSTON, WHERE HE DO FANCIAL REPORTG FOR MUTUAL FUNDS. HE WAS WEARG A BLUE BBER JOCKSTRAP, A LEATHER HARNS, A LLAR, BOOTS, AND A RED SOX BASEBALL P. (WHICH GAVE ME PSE TO WONR: WHAT WOULD MY SEVENTH-GRA GYM TEACHER DO IF HE KNEW THAT HIS GFF SISTENCE ON JOCKSTRAPS WAS SO SYNC WH A FASHN FETISH POPULAR AMONG GAY MEN?) “IT’S AN OPPORTUNY TO GET OUT OF THE BACKROOMS OF THE BARS AND GET OUT THE DAYLIGHT MORE THAN ANYTHG ELSE,” SAID MCHELL. “IT’S AN OPPORTUNY TO WALK THE STREETS OF NEW YORK YOUR LEATHER HARNS OR WHATEVER, AND BE LIKE, ‘THIS IS WHAT I’M TO, WHY SHOULD I BE ASHAMED OF THAT?’”Y, HE ADMTED, THE INTER HAD MA FDG IENDS THE LEATHER MUNY A LOT EASIER, BUT, HE SAID, “WHATEVER NNECTNS YOU MAKE ON THE INTER TEND TO BE REALLY SHALLOW. I LIVE BOSTON, SO I’M NOT LIKELY TO SEE MOST OF THE PEOPLE I MEET HERE EVER AGA. BUT ’S STILL NICE TO E OUT FOR A DAY AND JT BE IENDLY WH PEOPLE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.” HE SAID HE WOULD NOT BE RETURNG FOR THE MORE SQUEAKY-CLEAN NYC PRI PARA THIS SUNDAY.“THE PRI PARA TRI TO ACT MORE MASTREAM,” HE SAID. “I THK THERE’S AN IA WH THE MASTREAM GAY MOVEMENT OF SAYG, 'OK, WE NEED TO GET MASTREAM SOCIETY’S ACCEPTANCE.’ THEY’RE SAYG, ‘OH, YOU KNOW, WE DON’T WANT CRAZY PEOPLE WALKG AROUND JOCKSTRAPS AND HARNS. WE WANT PEOPLE TALKG ABOUT HOW THEY’RE LOVE AND WANT TO GET MARRIED.’ AND THAT’S FE. THERE’S A PLACE FOR THAT. BUT THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO GET MARRIED, WHO WANT TO WALK AROUND JOCKSTRAPS AND HARNS.”NEXT I MET MASTER LUS, A 32-YEAR-OLD S&M PROFSNAL WHO WAS DOG A BONDAGE MONSTRATN ON STTY, A GRIZZLY BEAR WH A PLATUM MOHAWK. STTY WAS SPEND ON A CROSS, SHIRTLS, A PAIR OF BLACK TIGHTS. HE GOT THE FULL TREATMENT: FLOGGG, PADDLG, SPANKG, NG, BBER FLOGGG, AS WELL AS “SOME DRAGON TAIL WORK.”“HE’S GOT SOME TOLERANCE,” MASTER LUS SAID, BREATHG HEAVILY, AS AN ASSISTANT BROUGHT HIM SOME WATER AND BEGAN MASSAGG HIS THIGHS. “HE’S FELY GOT SOME SER TOLERANCE.”MASTER LUS HAS BEEN THE LEATHER MUNY FOR 10 YEARS. “IT’S EVOLVED TREMENDOLY,” HE SAID. “THERE’S A LOT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE VOLVED NOW. I THK YEARS AGO, TOOK PEOPLE UNTIL THEY WERE 30 OR 40 YEARS OLD TO SAY, ‘FUCK , I’M A KKY PERSON, I’M GONNA GO DO WHAT I WANT WH MY LIFE REGARDLS OF WHAT THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY THK.'”I ASKED STTY ABOUT HIS TIME ON THE CROSS.“IT’S PAFUL,” HE GASPED, “BUT ’S TRYG TO BEE . I BELIEVE THAT THERE’S KD OF A LONG LE BETWEEN PA AND PLEASURE, AND ’S MANIPULATG THAT LE… IT SOUNDS WEIRD, BUT AFTER A WHILE AND THE MANY SENSATNS, ’S LIKE A MASSIVE BACKB.”STTY HAD E TO NEW YORK OM IDAHO, WHERE THERE IS NO LEATHER SCENE. “FOLSOM STREET IS A CHANCE FOR ME TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE THGS THAT I LOCKED UP ALL YEAR,” HE SAID, ADDG THAT THE THG ABOUT THE LEATHER MUNY IS THAT ’S THE MOST “-TOUCH AND SWEET AND TENR-HEARTED OF ANY, BEE ’S VERY MUCH TO HOW THE OTHER PERSON IS FEELG, AND THEY’RE VERY NCERNED ABOUT HOW YOU’RE DOG. I MEAN, WHILE WE WERE DOG THAT, [MASTER LUS] ME UP TO ME ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE TIM AND SAID, ‘HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOG?’”SPENCER MAN IS A EELANCE WRER LIVG BROOKLYN. HIS LUMN MEN OF MANHATTAN APPEARS THE NEW YORK OBSERVER. HE IS A NTRIBUTG EDOR AT PLAYBOY MAGAZE. SPENCER MAN

I found the gay muny people who tend to lean toward leather and kk were people that didn’t box themselv to where they grew up and stay there. They were there to celebrate “Folsom Street East, ” also known as Leather Pri Day, the annual street fair put on by the Gay Male SM 's where I met 72-year-old Joe Regan, a rint of the neighborhood, as he was pullg on a pair of yellow bber boots and gettg thgs properly suated his jockstrap.

GAY LEATHER SCENE TON DOWN FROM HARD-CORE TO DRS-UP

”Of the dozen or so atten I spoke to—om Frank Parker, a 45-year-old Ohan who works nstctn leather spenrs; to men leather kilts sellg cigars; to “Nipple Dad, ” a mastay of Chelsea—the nsens was this: In an creasgly nformist gay world, the socially owned-upon displays of sexualy takg place here reprented a rare opportuny to openly experience homosexualy as the illic, wanton, ge subculture once was. Bee when NYC Pri Day, the ma event of Gay Pri Week, tak over the cy this weekend wh over a ln atten, will look very different om this Leather Pri bacchanal. ” He noted that imagery of leather boys has often ed to monize gay men.

A HANDY GUI TO ALL GAY MEN

“The gay movement was a sexual-revolutn movement, " he ntued, "and to shun the sex part of the sexual polics of a sexual revolutn is a ltle short-sighted and naïve.

(Which gave me pse to wonr: What would my seventh-gra gym teacher do if he knew that his gff sistence on jockstraps was so sync wh a fashn fetish popular among gay men?

“I thk there’s an ia wh the mastream gay movement of sayg, 'OK, we need to get mastream society’s acceptance. 22, 2015On a warm Saturday night November, about 800 gay men wearg harns and other ems ma of leather gathered at Bt, a party held at Santos Party Hoe Lower their 20s and 30s, the men danced to poundg hoe mic, flirted an timate lounge below the dance floor and ogled two beefy go-go men gyratg on box.

‘HOW DO ONE GET TO THE GAY BDSM BOTTOMG SCENE?’

Shirts me off, but leather harns stayed on all night, as Bt bills self as New York’s only monthly leather if the party was troducg the leather scene to younger gay men who had never heard of the Village People, also unrsred a social shift: The leather scene has lost much of s overt sadomasochistic edge, and is now more about drsg up. “Leather has been tegrated to the larger downtown culture, as gay sexualy has bee more accepted, ” Mr. ”The leather scene ed to occupy a very visible part of gay culture.

” “The guys were baby boomers who’d been told that beg gay meant beg a sweater queen or beg fluffy or effemate. ”Gay leather bars dotted Manhattan, wh nam like the Spike, Rawhi, the Ramrod and Badlands. And durg the cy’s annual gay pri para, wearers of leather played a proment role.

“Many factors, like gentrifitn and the fight for marriage equaly, have ntributed to the rise homonormaly, ” said Jeremiah Moss, who chronicl the cy’s evolutn on the se Jeremiah’s Vanishg New York.

GAY AMSTERDAM

”In Hell’s Kchen, which has bee Manhattan’s leadg gay neighborhood, leather isn’t nearly as visible as button-down shirts, tank tops and rgo pants. ”Bt, which started two years ago, has given leather a boost among gay men raised the age of hookup apps like Grdr and Scff. It is the annual Lbian and Gay Pri March, not the Gay Pri we handle rrectnsA versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn D, Page 8 of the New York edn wh the headle: After Gay Liberatn, the Leather Scene Tri to Lighten Up.