Scruff and the City

Our first MAL

I’m wading through a sea of leather, rubber, and fur in the high-ceiling lobby of the Hyatt with my eyes skipping from one handsome face to the next looking for my friends among the crowd.  I see cops, soldiers, and gladiators all rendered in leather; puppies barking and sniffing with each other; harnesses framing tattoos on muscular bodies; Boys in collars and Sirs in gloves…I’m at Mid-Atlantic Leather with my head about to explode with all the excitement.  WOOF!

My first MAL weekend began with lots of “OMG what to expect?!” thoughts on the bus ride down to D.C.  Fortunately I had several other MAL-virgins along with me as well as some seasoned brothers who were very familiar with the event to give some guidance.  Together we gathered at the host hotel, donned our gear and ventured forth into the fray.  And then things didn’t stop until Monday morning…

Basic needs such as eating and sleeping become secondary to meeting new friends and hanging out.  Days and nights are meant for fun and with only a few days to enjoy this Gathering of Leathermen I had to make the most of it (of course this meant by Sunday evening I was somewhat delirious with fatigue and had to enforce nap n’ cuddle time).

In short, MAL was AWESOME!  I made some new friends, got to hear about the leather community in other parts of the country, and grew closer to my NYC brothers.  I’m always asking, “what is the leather community?  who are we past/present/future?” and after this weekend I feel like I have a much better answer to this question.  My leather community is made up of the leather brothers who I share my life with: the men and boys I play with, run around in speedos with, cry, cuddle and laugh with; the guys who bring out the best in me, the men who encourage me to be an honorable and strong man.  While the L.C. as a whole is a hard to define group, I know that my personal L.C. are those brothers close at hand and heart.

MAL has reinforced my connection and belief in our kinky clan and I can’t wait to see everyone again at the next event.  The only downside is adjusting back to “normal” life with all the cotton and boundaries.  Thank goodness for CODE Thursdays (and coming soon GEAR Fridays…!).  Enjoy the slideshow below 🙂

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Happy New Year Kiss!

Time for us to hug 2010 goodbye and warmly mouth-kiss 2011 in.  New Year’s is here and it’s a great time to evaluate where we’ve been and where we’d like to go.  This yearly “reset” provides a fresh start on whatever goals you’d like to accomplish…and let go of any lingering troubles that have been tripping you up.  Life is about creating yourself so now is the perfect time to shape things the way you’d like them.

I always set some kind of resolutions or goals for the new year…they range from simple tasks like “file taxes correctly” or “renew passport” to more life-improving concepts like “become more secure with myself'”.  2010’s goals received about a 100% completion rating in large part because they were within my power to obtain them (that’s key for your New Year’s goals!).  Here are my goals for 2011…

1. Get leather pants.  I’m eager to get a pair of nice tight leather pants to wear to CODE on these freezing winter nights.  Total no-brainer purchase for a leatherboy.
2. Organize myself and get on track for going to nursing school.  SPOILER ALERT!  I want to drastically alter the course of my life and go back to school to become a nurse.  I’ve been thinking on this idea for a year now and I’m just about ready to say ENGAGE and get myself into school and start learning.  It’s gonna be a lot of work, but totally worth it for the sexy scrubs–er, I mean fulfilling, healing career.
3. Meditate at least once a week.  I’m starting small here because good mediation takes a lot of discipline for me.  I hope that once I get into the routine and experience the benefits that I’ll want to meditate more often.
4. Stay fit.  This one is kind of vague, but in short I want to maintain my health and improve on it some.  I’m happy with my body, so I just want to continue to shape it and bulk up a little more.  Don’t want to get too crazy here cause I don’t see the benefit of sacrificing all the cookies just for more abs (when cookies bring me SO much happiness).

I think that’s a good list for now…gives me something to strive for and that always produces a better man.  Of course I still have my ongoing objective of learning about and nurturing the Leather Community…a process that is constantly evolving.

2010 was the year I got established and settled in NYC; the year I got a full-time job, discovered Leather, and began to shape my identity as a man.  It’s been good…and I’m excited for 2011.  I feel the potential and the optimism; the adventure waiting for us.

All that’s left for this year is to find a hot man to kiss at midnight 😉

WOOF all you handsome leather folks out there!  This week is a simple post with a funny video taken of me back in my Japan days.  I volunteered to be Santa for a visit to a local orphanage and ended up getting completely assailed by Japanese children.  They have this game/deadly maneuver called “kancho” where the goal is to sneak attack your friend by ramming your fingers up his ass.

Yes, this is a real thing.  No, this is not sexual at all.  Kids are the attackers most often and it’s done when everyone is fully clothed and in a normal environment (like at school whilst one is teaching).  Watch below to see the carnage…

I’ve gotten a bit better about protecting myself from such attacks since then 😉

Happy Holidays everyone.  Sniff ya later.

Drawing by Nick Stryker that was inspired from our night out

Six young men, six pairs of boots, six points of view on the kink/gear/fetish community.  This was my running crew the other night when a group of us went out together wearing our gear.

We are a diverse pack ranging in age from 25 to 30 who all met at the Eagle at some point in the last 6 months.  Our interests and exploration of “kink and gear” is what unifies us and perhaps sets us apart from the broader pool of young gay men in the city.  I have to admit it’s easy to get tripped up by terminology here because as a group we are hard to define.  In a general sense, we like to wear gear of some sort and we collectively thought it would be fun to do so in a “non-gear space’ (aka, not the Eagle).

Last Wednesday we joined forces and went to Amanda Lepore’s party called Carnival at Big Top (the final week for the party since apparently the straight management doesn’t want to deal with the gayness any longer…just a rumor I heard).  Twas truly a scene filled with young, attractive NYCers who are all very proud to be young and attractive.  Our group of six (henceforth in this entry to be called “Gear 6”) turned a few heads and we ended up taking position along a curved couch at the side of the dance floor (prime spot to observe and be observed).  I must admit I felt pretty cool with my leather and my boys.

Boots on the dance floor

As many of you know, the Leather Community is a group in transition.  As society in general and gay men specifically change, so do the subcultures they create.  In the past decade there has been a merging of the standard L.C. with guys into more general kink and this combination has resulted in some young blood and new perspectives in the community.  Gear 6 represents this younger generation and gives me a fun boy pack to run around with while I learn about the leather world.

Also it shakes up the other queers we encounter and gives them something new to see and think about.  Leather outreach!  We may get new guys interested in checking out the scene…there certainly were a few guys at the club who seemed keen on us (as well as a little uncertain).

Gear 6.  Sounds like a comic book hero team (hmmm…now that would be a pretty hot comic to read…and as a teenager I always wished there were more gay characters in comics).  New York City beware…there’s a new group of wild dogs on the prowl.  Hide your kids, hide your wives…and for sure hide your husbands/boyfriends 😉  HOWL!

Jason, Nick, and me at Carnival

Is there any better place to be?

Recently I was challenged by a seasoned leatherman about why it is I want to be a part of the Leather Community.  He wanted to make sure I wasn’t just some punk who is in it only to strut around in gear and look hot (which is of course partially true).  After a bit of thought I came up with this:

My number one reason for being and investing in the Leather Community is for community.  People need people and having folks to support and teach you, laugh and cry with, and just hang out with day-to-day is incredibly significant.  New York City can be a daunting place and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.  I floated around for a while before meeting the men of the Eagle and now that I’ve gotten to know some of them, I’m very content and happy to be in their company.

I realize I’m still a pup in this leatherman world…a boy with a lot of eagerness and a lot to learn.  Some might say my blog is a bit impudent and brash with its claim on the Mr. Eagle title, but I say it shows my dedication and enthusiasm to a group of men who inspire and thrill me.  I’m very open to any comments, suggestions, or criticisms anyone has…because I’m here to learn and grow.  While the strict structure of the L.C. has mostly faded away, I’m still keen on following the rites of passage that boys and men once had to follow.  I think of myself as a boy who looks to his elders* for knowledge and guidance (and by “elders” I don’t mean “old”) and I’m open to whatever they will teach me.  The mentoring relationship is a powerful one and something all men need.

Boys get into trouble and they need–and I dare say want–to be taught.  Having peers who will listen and guide you on issues like career, love, family or what kind of jockstrap to buy is what shapes men into stronger individuals.  I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months asking questions and just listening to the stories and advice of my brothers and I’ve found I gain a lot by hearing their perspective.

Gay culture has developed and changed so much over the recent decades and I feel it’s important to know the stories of the previous generations.  Since queer isn’t something that necessarily passes down through family blood lines, the history of what we’ve done and where we’ve come from can get lost in the passage of time.  By having connections to men in the L.C., I’m able to learn and preserve this knowledge…and thus pass it on myself.

Brotherhood is important to me…it’s something I lacked growing up in a straight world dominated by homophobia.  Now that I’ve found a group of men who welcome and understand me, I’m eager to learn from them and become a contributing member to their community.

Becoming Mr. Eagle is an idea…a driving force that encourages me to press onward and be the best man I can be.  The end result is still very much unknown, but the journey is sure to be a fun one with a lot of personal growth.  I feel more content now in the L.C. than I’ve felt in years.  This is where I choose to call home.  This is who I want to be.