Master Larr
Dark Connections Featured Member January 2004

Name: Master Larr

Age: 49

Orientation: DOM

Marital status: Life Partner

Occupation: IT Database

To clarify, can you explain exactly how or where the Leather lifestyle fits into the BDSM lifestyle?
Leather evolved as part of the hyper-masculine biker experience of the Old Guard. Biker and quasi-military wear has become part of the gay BDSM paradigm. For me, the term Leather is interchangeable with BDSM. There are Gay Leather Bars and Leather Contests all over the world where BDSM/fetish are included. Simply, it is just fucking hot to wear, see and smell a room full of folk in leather.

When in public with your slave are there times when you have to not only conceal the fact that he is your slave, but also that you are a gay couple?
Interesting question, my sub belongs to me and we have a relationship, his relationship is not with the public. Submission is more than wearing a collar and being on your knees. My sub is a very strong, intelligent man who moves and shakes in his own right. I encourage him in every way, submission does not mean suffocation of spirit or will. So, in public, it may not be clear to some, as to what our BDSM relationship is, but we are completely clear.

Now for the second part of the question..."In public, do we conceal that we are a gay couple." My dear sub and I are proud Black Gay Men who conceal nothing about our relationship or lifestyle. HOMOPHOBIA is no joke, some folk come down hard on gay or perceived gay brothas/sistahs. But we have taken an active stand to be Out and Proud 24/7/365. The late Black, lesbian, mother, feminist, warrior, and poet , Audre Lorde wrote "Silence equals death." Concealing any part of life is not an option for free black conscious people, gay, bi, transgendered, straight or BDSM. I am very uncomfortable with the word conceal, as a black man who has fought racism, sexism, sm'ism and homophobia most of my adult life.

Are leathermen openly accepted into the "vanilla" gay community or do you find the two tend to segregate for each other? Yes and Yes..LOL. As an older black gay man, I do remember the times where leatherfolk were, somewhat, segregated, but much of that was by choice. In New York, there were many leather bars that had very intensive dress codes and would reject you based on your clothes. NOW, some of those same leather bars would also reject you, if you were black. There were non-leather gay bars (white) that rejected me for being black, also. So, I remember being segregated from both. Today, there are several men of color leather clubs that has changed the face of BDSM in the leather community and the people of color community, Onyx (Chicago, Atlanta), New York Panthers Leather Club (NY) and Maji (Baltimore/DC). Their visibility and political activism has worked to eradicate some of the problems we had earlier. Not only being visible in the leather bars, leather events, but also being visible in the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) people of color communities has helped with some of that disenfranchisement and misconceptions. My mentors Mufasa, founder of Onyx and John K, founder of New York Panthers Leather Club, embodies this vision by their work on both fronts, LGBT and BDSM of color.

As a leatherman of color, do you believe that racism exists within the leather community? If so, what do you feel is the solution to ending this problem, or is it even possible to remedy?
Racism exists in America, the leather community is no exception.

I do feel that there is more communication, also there are a larger number of people of color that are highly visible in BDSM; some are Mr./Ms. Leather contest winners. Onyx (men of color leather club) has an annual Blackout Run in Chicago and they also host parties at the largest leather events in the US (Mid Atlantic Leather,DC and International Mr. Leather, Chicago). So creating and developing people of color events and organization is the solution.

The need for secrecy during the Old Guard days was quite understandable. Has this changed, or is it still a valid condition in today's more liberal society?
Secrecy in the 1940 through the 60's was a systematic part for any gay lifestyle, leather or otherwise. There were laws on the book against men dancing with other men, having sex, along with many other perversion codes (SM being one of them). Possession of sadomasochistic picture could get you arrested, or declared mentally ill. So secrecy was very very important.

The Stonewall Riot in the 70's was the start of liberation from the Secrecy. My understanding is that there were leathermen, transsexuals and men of color who started this protest after some police raided the Stonewall Bar in New York City. After Stonewall, there was a general butching up of the gay man in America, the Levi 501 jeans and leather bomber or biker jackets replaced many of the sissy clothes that was the norm during that period. This again was due to the leathermen's influence in the gay right movement.

As for secrecy within the leather lifestyle today, Leather has become trendy, not despised and stigmatized as before, in many circles. That's good and bad, but the leather lifestyle is more than a jacket, boots and hat, or the profile you have online. There are still some Right Wing forces that are working daily to take our sexual freedoms away. The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is primarily focused on the rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish and we as people of color need to support and get involved with them.

In your opinion, do you find the leather community to engage in riskier or more promiscuous sexual activities than that of the vanilla gay community? Responsible SM activates are low-risk and safer sex. There are organizations like GMSMA (Gay Men S/M Association) that are focused on raising awareness, providing education, training and has Safe, Sane and Consensual keynoted in all of their information. New York Panthers Leather Club generated a safer sex for BDSM men of color that covered a wider range of topic not normally seen and was used and distributed at some workshops. So no, I don't think the leather community is more riskier or promiscuous than the non-leather gay community. It's not who you fuck or how many you fuck, but it's how you fuck. Last week there was a BDSM black man killed here in New York. I feel it is imperative to post Safe, Sane and Consensual guidelines in all the yahoo/chat rooms. There are some crazy people out here and it is our duty to educate and keep BDSM safe.

NY Times: December 22, 2003 -- The half-naked body of a Brooklyn hospital officer who was known for kinky sex tastes and shared his name with a comic-book superhero was found in his apartment yesterday, his throat slashed, cops said.

The grisly slaying of Nubian Knight - may have been the result of an Internet sex romp gone awry, police said, hinting that the bisexual's killer could have been a stranger he had only just met through a raunchy chat room.

A handcuff was found dangling Knight's headboard, just above where his severely beaten body was discovered on the floor of his apartment on Jefferson Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant at around noon, police said.

Leather contests and titles are a very important part of the leather community. What can you attribute their popularity to?
Last April, we went to IML (International Mr. Leather Contest in Chicago). The complete Palmer House Hotel was booked by about 15,000 or more leatherfolk from all over the world. I remember saying, "Toto, I don't think we in Kansas no mo.." This is the biggest leather contest in the world. Folk go for many reasons, to compete, for affirmation, wild scenes, hot sex and to buy shit. There are vendors from around the world, who sell things you can only get there, custom leather workers can make anything your heart desire. The vendor market took two complete floors of the hotel.

Describe the hottest scene you have ever witnessed.
4 subs tied over empty oil barrels while MasterJames flogged from the north, south, east and west. Shit, there was something spiritual happening, a connection by Master and the 4 winds (in Native culture).

Contact Master Larr at:bigknight20@yahoo.com