Part 1: Coming Out As A Young Gay Leatherman in the 1970's. Giving the context for what follows.
That's me on the left, with my leather mentor David Dollahite.
Part 2: When Things Went Very Bad: Part One (telling the stories, and counting the cost for myself, and for our Tribe), and Part Two (feedback, and fun stories).
From Papa Tony:
I am the founder of FMSD, and ran it for years. Now that I have stepped down as a community leader, I am embracing the role of Elder in our Tribe. This means that my duties have changed. I now:
- Celebrate when men in our community have reached their next level of achievement
- Mentor others when requested, and
- Preserve our cultural history. As part of this effort, I am starting a series of talks where I share what has happened in the realm of gay leathermen in the last 38 years, based upon my own experience.
These talks are meant to be real, explanatory and true, even if they are sometimes uncomfortable to hear. As I shift into my older years, I feel a strong need to tell my story, rather than take it to my grave, like so many men in our Tribe are doing.
Photos from Scott Smith
Photos from Felix Moo
From Felix: I loved your talk tonight. It was very interesting plus you're a good speaker with a sexy voice :)
Thank you for posting this, so those of us who can not attend in person can hear it too.
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