Of the many sub-cultures under the umbrella of BDSM, Leather is one of the most popular and most prolific. You may have attended an event, party, or munch and seen people wearing Leather vests, chaps, pants, or other Leather articles of clothing. These folks may follow a "Leather path" which is a lifestyle of living under the tenets of honor, service, accountability, humility, responsibility, and other similar traits.
The Leather lifestyle goes way back to the 1940s after world war 2 ended. As servicemen returned to the states from Europe, they were given the option of bringing back their Harley Davidson motorcycles if they paid for the transportation. This idea was quite popular and many servicemen happily paid to have their bikes flown or shipped via military boat back to the states. As servicemen received their bikes, riding clubs were created thus pushing motorcycle culture miles ahead. Along with their motorcycles, servicemen also had their Leather jackets, boots, and other items that became clothing staples. They wore Leather for protection from road rash, hot pipes, weather, and other issues that can arise when riding. Leather also provided a sense of style that created a specific look that riders (and spectators) enjoyed.
Fast forward to the 1950s. As both motorcycle and gay cultures merged, some of the very first motorcycle clubs for gay men were born in Los Angeles including the legendary Satyrs (est in 1954), and Oedipus, (est in 1958). As gay Leather culture grew, more and more motorcycle clubs for gay men began to form. In San Francisco, gay Leather motorcycle clubs included the Warlocks and the California Motor Club. Outside the US, the South Pacific Motor Club, or SPMC was born in Sidney, Australia. In addition to gay Leather motorcycle clubs, brick and mortar Leather Clubs for gay men started in Amsterdam and Berlin in the 1950s as well. The legendary Chuck Renslow and his partner Dom Orejudos founded the first gay Leather bar in the US, The Gold Coast Bar, in Chicago in 1958.
In June of 1964, Life magazine became the first national publication to report on the issues the gay community faced. A photographer for Life magazine was referred to a New York gay bar, The Tool Box, for the article “Homosexuality In America by Paul Welch" by long-time gay activist Hal Call who spent years attempting to dispel the opinion that all gay men were effeminate. The article opened with a two-page spread of the mural of life-size Leathermen in the Tool Box which had been painted by Chuck Arnett in 1962, and described San Francisco as “The Gay Capital of America.” After this article was published, San Francisco became a mecca for many gay Leathermen.
The 1953 film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando, wearing jeans, a T-shirt, a leather jacket, and a Muir cap, became a pop-cultural phenomenon and promoted an image of masculinity that resonated with many gay men who were disappointed with the stereotype that gay men were effeminate. The Leather community that emerged from the motorcycle and gay Leather bars also became the practical and symbolic locations for gay men’s open exploration of kink and S&M opening the door to what we know today as the Leather community.
