FETISH: The Leather Identity Project's focus for 2013.

The Leather Identity Project has always been my way to seriously explore topics and show common ground. I've focused on significant issues like labels and identity, HIV, sex role, family, and race. In 2013 I'll be taking the project into a different direction.

We all have limits. Blood, scat, permanent marks, women, and piss are among the most common from my "what are you into?" survey. While a fetishes can be an acquired tastes, they are usually already with us waiting to be discovered. Fetishes that are on the fringe of accepted practice, or at lest unpopular, invite jeering and negative jokes.

Like most people, I have limits. Scat grosses me out. I see BB as an unnecessarily risky behavior. PnP freaks the hell out of me. Never the less, we've all been in situations where a friend opens up about a fetish that turns us off. How did you respond? I've always done my best to be accepting of my friends "other interests." Heck, I'm into water sports and many think that's disgusting.

Next year I'll be exploring different fetishes. Popular sites to get information about safe exploration and etiquette. I'm also looking for experts on different fetishes to help out. You don't have to be the ultimate authority to help out. I want to know what turns you on about your fetish. What was your first experience? Have you ever done it in public? Do your friends know about it?

I'm including a form with this post asking people to contribute thoughts, information, and anyone willing to be interviewed about their fetish. Please take the time to look at the form.

- Fetishist Information Collection - 

Race in the Leather Community

I'm a thirty something year old white guy who was raised in an affluent suburb. My expieriences with race were limited before I became an adult. Maybe life before then limited exposure, or perhaps I was simply oblivious. I admit, in my younger years I was limited in my sexual attraction, but now I'm a far more equal opportunity play mate. People of color are sometimes disproportionately absent in the leather community.

How are you affected by race in the scene? Are you?

This survey is closed. Data is coming soon.

Mr. ?

Leather titles are a significant part of the leather experience. Contests, being the core of many leather events, provide a setting to bring people together. While many see titles as the backbone of the leather experience others look down on them. Both leather title advocates and "sash queen" dissmissers are vocal members of the community. As with most things the loudest often have the most extreme opinions. 

Those with mixed feelings often don't speak up on their viewpoint. Where do you stand on leather titles?

Boys' Club Census

While working on the history page for the dc boys of leather I've discovered it's very difficult to locate information about which boys clubs have existed, what year they formed, and which ones are still active. I've decided to address this problem by asking for your help. There are boy clubs all over the continent. Some are thriving while others have disbanded or changed their name. Please help me compile a history of when these clubs formed and which ones still exist. Feel free to participate as many times as you want, my goal is to find out information about as many clubs as possible. Participate in the census.

I'd also like some high resolution images of club colors. I can pilfer around on the web, but a lot of you probably have some good images saved on your computers. If you have one please provide your email address and let me know in the survey.

Mixer: gay, straight, & bi

The leather community is a diverse and dynamic place. We're divided along lines of orientation, gender, and protocol level. Sometimes we all come together and celebrate, but more commonly we gather with those like ourselves. I've always seen the Leather Community as both sexual and social. Individual limitations of the former drastically influence the latter. How do you feel about the social and sexual mixing of individuals of different backgrounds? 

-click here to participate in the survey-

Does your mother know?

During Mr. MAL 2011's very motivational and energetic step-down speech he brought his parents to the stage. This made me cry like a baby. Maybe it was the fact that my husband was in the contest and I was already emotional, but it is always moving when someone shares the community with their biological family.

The leather community is a fundamental part of my social life, and sometimes it's uncomfortable living in both worlds. I make a lot of choices of what I share with family, vanilla friends, and co-workers. At the end of the day I consider my involvement in the leather community to be such a positive experience that everyone knows, even if I leave out some of the details about sex. This survey explores what you share about your involvement in the leather community.

This survey is now closed. Click this link to review data.

Survey: 'Barrier to Entry,' attendance at leather bars

For some, leather bars are the center of our social universe. They represent a second  home, a meeting place for all of our friends and 'family.' For others they are unwelcoming holes that don't tolerate those who break from the pack.

Whatever your view point, leather and leather friendly bars are an important part of our subculture. While some notable bars have closed in the past few years, it is good to see other bars taking the opportunity to open their doors to the leather community. I hope this indicates that leather bars, in general, are here to stay.

The aim of this survey is to explore what keeps people coming back to leather bars and also what prevents those who attend leather events like MAL from frequenting bars. I've opted for free form answers in parts of this survey, which adds a lot of work for me when I tabulate. I hope those taking the survey will take the opportunity to speak up on what they love and hate about leather bars.

This survey is closed, you may review data by clicking this link.

Happy _________!

Happy holidays from the Leather Identity Project! This time of year family and friends tend to mean the most to us. It's a time to come together in celebration and hope.

This month I'd like to explore who you are spending the holiday season with. Whether that be with your biological family or the family you've made, this is a time to pull together. 

This survey is closed, you may review data by clicking here.

Labels and Identity 2

A lot has changed since I launched the first "Labels and Identity" survey almost three years ago. I've also learned a lot from the "What is a boy?" survey. I toyed with exploring "puppies" this month, and "slaves" a few months after that, but it seemed to make a lot more sense to look at as many labels as possible all at once. 

Like my original survey I'll be taking inventory of the labels and percentage of people using them. I'll also take a much narrower focus than my original by exploring things much as I did for "What is a boy?" For many, labels are an important part individual identity. They allow us to destinguish ourselves from others while simultaneously connecting with something bigger than ourselvs. They tell others who we are without requiring explanations. The negative side to labels is that they also invite generalizations. The "What is a boy?" survey provided a dynamic image of boys beyond their often submissive role.  The "Labels and Identity 2" survey aims to do the same for other labels.

You may participate in this survey by clicking here.

SURVEY: Switch Up!

In August & September we're taking on the topic of role reversal and switching. An awful lot of people explore role reversal at some point or another, and yet it’s not always an accepted practice. In our ‘Labels and Identity’ survey we learned that 68% of the community has switched roles at some point or another. We also learned that 50% of folks see themselves becoming more dominant or submissive into the future.

This survey is closed, you may click here to review data.

SURVEY: What are you into?

In September and October we'll be exploring kinks. This survey will be reposted periodically so we can track fetishes as they change over time.

There is generally "accepted" kinks and "off limit" kinks. In society at large most kinks are rejected as perversion, Why do those in the kink community judge what people are into at all? This is a chance to explore kinks without judgement or shame. Who knows, your "secret fetish" might be more common than you thought.

This survey is closed, you may review data by clicking here.

Safe Sex

This survey is closed, you may review data by clicking here.