WHAT IS LEATHER?

Leather is a style and culture that developed in the gay bars and motorcycle clubs of the 1950s and 1960s. There are as many definitions of Leather as there are Leatherpeople. Leather is a style, an identity, a community, and a subculture that celebrates kink, fetish, BDSM, and sex.

— Leather Archives & Museum

WHAT IS GEAR?

Gear is the body of all of our Leather cultural expression, including leather, rubber, and puppy/pet play outfits and accessories. Gear can be part of play but many people enjoy wearing gear for social reasons and don’t consider their gear to be at all sexual.

WHAT IS DRESS CODE?

Some Leather events maintain a dress code to make sure only those with a genuine interest partake. Dress codes can either be formalized or left to the discretion of the doorman. While we encourage gearing up the Stockholm Leather Social does not have a dress code.

WHAT IS BOOTBLACKING?

Bootblacking is the practice of caring for and shining leather gear. While always a service to the community, bootblacking is not always part of play. Despite often being sensual, bootblacking is not necessarily erotic or submissive. Tipping is encouraged but not always necessary.

WHAT ARE OTHER LEATHER COMMUNITIES?

Other than the social, Stockholm Leather subculture is mainly oriented around the following clubs and events:

WHY QUEER?

Ah, do we really have to use that word? It’s trouble. Every gay person has his or her own take on it. For some it means strange and eccentric and kind of mysterious. That’s okay; we like that. But some gay girls and boys don’t. They think they’re more normal than strange. And for others “queer” conjures up those awful memories of adolescent suffering. Queer. It’s forcibly bittersweet and quaint at best - weakening and painful at worst. Couldn’t we just use “gay” instead? It’s a much brighter word. And isn’t it synonymous with “happy”? When will you militants grow up and get over the novelty of being different?

Well, yes, “gay” is great. It has its place. But when a lot of lesbians and gay men wake up in the morning we feel angry and disgusted, not gay. So we’ve chosen to call ourselves queer. Using “queer” is a way of reminding us how we are perceived by the rest of the world. It’s a way of telling ourselves we don’t have to be witty and charming people who keep our lives discreet and marginalized in the straight world. We use queer as gay men loving lesbians and lesbians loving being queer. Queer, unlike gay, doesn’t mean male.

And when spoken to other gays and lesbians it’s a way of suggesting we close ranks, and forget (temporarily) our individual differences because we face a more insidious common enemy. Yeah, queer can be a rough word but it is also a sly and ironic weapon we can steal from the homophobe’s hands and use against him.