Fall-in! It’s a very familiar command to all members of the armed forces. It means get in formation, line-up, dress right dress and stand tall! Yes boys and girls, Sirs and Doms, it’s time to show your military leather pride.
This year, the San Diego Leather Pride Community is celebrating our roots! Yes, that’s right; the leather community gets it roots from the armed forces. Where did you think the shiny boots came from?
Back in the ’50s and ’60s when service members left the military, some lived in what today would be called a commune, i.e. leather houses. These houses to former service members were the equivalent to living in a platoon, a squadron; a cohesive team environment where one felt safe and secure; the barracks. That’s how everyone had been trained to live in the military, so they all had the same disciplines.
So after they returned home from the wars, they sought out other like-minded service members with those same disciplines. They were used to a hierarchy of those who cooked, those who cleaned, those who ironed, and those who commanded, counseled and trained. Some of those disciplines have carried over into the leather community today.
San Diego Leather Pride has chosen to honor our service men and women. How apropos, because the San Diego economy was pretty much built by members and former members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army! As the story goes, when the deployed ships docked in San Diego, you would see a parade of white sailor uniforms coming into the Hillcrest and North Park communities.
Adam Latham, owner and producer of San Diego Leather Pride, himself attended a military school. Annie Romano, producer of Ms. San Diego Leather was a member of the U.S. Air Force. I am retired Air Force. There are so many more of us! The list can go on and on.
There are quite a few prior service men and women in the leather community throughout the United States, who have chosen to live by the creed they learned in the military: “Trust, Honor and Respect.” And they don’t take it lightly, but are very light hearted, warm and caring people.
I choose the leather community as my path because of its disciplines and the characteristics of the lifestyle. I grew up in a military household, which came with the disciplines of honesty, hard work and integrity.
So this month, March 2011, get your gear on. Suit up in your service dress, blues and whites. Display your ribbons and medals, that “you earned” for being a good troop or an outstanding service member. Come out and show how proud you are to have served your country.
There are a host of events that you can attend, starting with All Clubs Night at Joyce Beers Center in Hillcrest, March 10. It will be a fun-filled evening with a variety of clubs and organizations, like ClubX (a heterosexual mixed group), the Cowboys, the Bears, the boys, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the new kids on the scene, the leather fetish men’s group and the puppies, just to name a few!
If you missed All Clubs Night, stop in at the Ms. San Diego Leather Meet and Greet at The Hole this Friday night. There, you will meet the contestants and more like minded individuals. If you don’t know anyone, I recommend you ask for Annie, Karen or Tiger. Tell them Sir Mike sent you, and they will take you by the hand and introduce you to some great folks.
In the leather community, the men support the women, and the women have always supported the men. So the following week, we’re going to do it all over again, but showcase the guys. At the guys events, ask for Adam, Anthony or boy bryan.
Both the Mr. and Ms. contests will be at Rich’s in Hillcrest at 7 p.m., with the Ms. this Saturday and the Mr. next Saturday. At these two contests, we will say so long to two great titleholders: Tiger, Ms. San Diego Leather 2010; and Anthony Rollar, Mr. San Diego Leather 2010. They have had a stellar year! And just because they are stepping aside doesn’t mean they’re gone.
People you might see at these events: Former Mr. and Ms. San Diego Leather; authors and editors of books and publications; Kane, the new Mr. San Diego Eagle 2011; producers of various leather contests and events from all over the world; actors and models from all forms of media; bar and business owners; members of the Imperial Court de San Diego; and of course me and my boy.
To the active duty members: You never know who you will meet at these events. It’s okay to be supportive, but keep in mind, it’s not final yet! So right now, we won’t tell, if you don’t tell. We can have fun waiting. And next year, you could be Mr. or Ms. San Diego Leather 2012!
In the words of Lee Greenword, “I’m proud to be an American.”
If you have any questions or input for my next column, then contact me at intlleathersir2003@cox.net.