This past weekend I finally travelled up to Edinburgh and Glasgow, a trip that has been too long on the dream list.
Travel is good for the soul, meeting others and learning about their history, where they came from, etc. It’s been at the core of my life as a gay man. It used to be that, certainly within the Bear community you could connect with someone online and instantly have a circle of people to connect with, you could go out for dinner, get a city tour, and learn where all the gay haunts were. That seems to have gone by the wayside, though I’m finding aspects of the Leather community still operate this way – thankfully.
A few weeks prior to heading to Scotland, I learned that there was a Leathermens social taking place in Glasgow on Sunday AND it was Mardi Gla on the Saturday before. Well didn’t that just change my plans for spending time in Edinburgh.
All in all, I accomplished what I wanted to in Edinburgh, and some of what I hoped to do in Glasgow. Most importantly, though, I’ve created some connections up here. Some great connections.
On Saturday, I marched with the Glasgow Leathermen, local Rubbermen and a few BearScots that were out. A great way to learn a bit about the city, or certainly one way to do so! It sounds like we may have also made a bit of history as that, we think, may have been the first time an actual organised group of Leathermen, Rubbermen and others of kinky persuasions marched. Congrats men!
The Glasgow Leathermen Social, held on a Sunday at The Gallery, is something that has been running since April 2019. Prior to that it sounded like there really wasn’t much of a Leather or kink community in Glasgow. Sure, there are definitely kinky men anywhere, and Scotland is no exception looking at Recon.
Photo courtesy of Wölf Macleod Glasgow Leathermen
Scottish men would head to Manchester, London or Berlin to get their fix. There certainly was MSC Scotland after digging around on the net to find them – sadly a group that is no more. A group of men are resurrecting something in Scotland, and such a nice group of men! It’s refreshing to see the formation of something rather than the decline.
I was sad leaving The Gallery Sunday night to make my way back to Edinburgh, to then head back to London. I wish I could have stayed longer because I felt like the right space for me.
This fed my soul. Thank you Glasgow!
The next Glasgow Leathermen Social is Sunday August 18th, 2019 at the time of writing this blog entry.
It’s been over two years since I wrote anything of substance in this blog. The last time, I was in The Netherlands rubber shopping in Amsterdam.
I’m now writing this after spending 4 months in Europe – mainly the UK but after having spent time in Brussels, Berlin, Cardiff, London, Lancaster, Newcastle and Paris.
I want to focus on my time in Berlin because it’s there that something clicked for me. I’m still processing it and while I can’t put one finger on one single thing that’s caused a shift in my mindset, I will say it was good for my Leather soul and figuring out who I am in the Leather spectrum.
I nearly didn’t go to Berlin – My business trip was extended an extra week and as a result, I was staying over Easter weekend. Of course, if I’m staying in Europe over Easter weekend there’s only one city a kinky gay man should be in, and that’s Berlin.
I’ve known about Easter in Berlin for years. The story someone told me of a guy fucking saying, “It’s good to fuck at Easter”. I can vouch, that it’s true. *GRIN*
As I’ve written more recently in my Recon profile: I’ve come to Leather from a D/s perspective having spent time as a boy, slave; as well as as a Daddy and Sir. Looking to expand my horizons even more than they have in the past.
Where do I start with Berlin? I arrived Saturday morning after spending time in London with friends putting each other in a bondage sleep sack and teasing each other. A great start to a kinky weekend.
I spent time with one of my slave brothers, Joe, touring Schöneberg checking out the various gear and kink shops, and some of the bars. Wow, if I lived there and had the space, I truly would have an amazing dungeon. Seriously! So many fun toys and things to experiment with!
I ended up meeting a mate from Finland, someone I had been talking off and on with for two years, and we hung out at the Cigar social on Saturday, along with Joe and others. We also made plans to go to a big Rubber party on Sunday – my first.
The Cigar Party
Let’s talk about the Cigar party because this blew me away. I had gone back to my hotel to play with a friend from Toronto and then I started to get dressed. My original plan was to wear jeans, chaps, a tank top, and my Jobmasters. I had put the jeans and Jobmasters on forgetting that I wanted to tuck the chaps into the Jobmasters. I didn’t want to take the Jobmasters off to put the chaps on so I said fuck it, I’ll go as is.
I’ll be honest – I’m the one and only guy at the event who isn’t in full Leather. Everyone else has their full uniforms on – it’s freaking hot to see and I’m drooling.
The one thing I will say – nobody gave me attitude or shit for not being dressed up in full leathers. In fact, I got guys asking me about smoking a pipe because the other thing I was doing was smoking a pipe rather than a cigar.
You have no idea how much this meant to me. This was my first big Leather event in Europe. Not my first big Leather event, but I was certainly feeling a little out of my league. This was something I was very much looking forward to, and I admit, we do have some preconceived notions about Leather in Europe in North America.
Needless to say, I felt welcome.
Something else clicked about the event, and I’m still not sure what it was. Maybe it was being in the space with the right men at the right time. I didn’t sense any silly drama that I’ve observed at Leather events in North America. I didn’t pick up on any political agendas that you also certainly feel at events in the United States. I think it boiled down to people enjoying each other’s like minded company. The United Nations of Leather events?
I will note that the crowd was definitely older, which may also be part of the energy and vibe I was picking up on.
The Rubber Party
I was invited to go to the Rubber Party, being held at Lab.Oratory – I was already planning to go, although I really didn’t want to go alone, so this was perfect.I can be quite shy and bashful at times, so this was perfect.
Wow, what an experience. So many hot men, a hot space, amazing energy and anything goes.
I also didn’t feel like I was out of my league. I knew what I was getting into, even though the space is the most hardcore kink space I have ever been in; although it could be argued I’ve been in more hardcore spaces but in different ways.
From playing with my mate, to the hot German Rubber Bär I pounded, to the hot Daddy from LA that initiated a piss three way, to pissing on a couple making out below the piss area, I was in my element. This is the kind of pig space I’ve always wanted to experience.
It felt like a kinky version of home.
To Summarise
I didn’t know what to expect from Berlin, but I will say that it is now my most favourite city in Europe on so many levels. Sorry Amsterdam, you’re now second.
I went into my time in Europe wanting to experience a bunch of different things including:
Picking up new gear, especially rubber – So far I’ve been picking up something new in each country from rubber to neoprene to leather
Going to my first European Leather Bar
Experiencing Leather and Kink weekends
Making connections with other kinky people
Learning some new play – whether it’s new experiences, whatever they may be, or new techniques
What I received in Berlin was a reset. I seem to have found a balance between the D/s world I’ve come from, balancing it with Fetish, and learning to play without the need for D/s. I’m dancing on a Venn diagram that I can take anywhere. I can be top, bottom, Sir, Daddy, boy – all of it. Some of it dependent on my mood and headspace, but I’m considerably more centred.
It’s what I needed and in many respects what I wanted.
It has transformed how I relate to fetish. For example, It let me take stock of the Leathers I put together during my title year as Eastern Canada Leather boy, and it’s made me realise what I actually have there, and got me thinking about where I want to take it.
It’s helped me to explore my interest in Rubber more, and has lead me further to explore Neoprene too.
I like to play – I think that’s a given, given who I am, and even the title I held, whether it’s within a D/s context or not. I might not talk a lot about the play I get into, but I do. I’ve noticed that I’m taking a renewed interest in new ways to play. Although, it also helps that I now have my own boy, as well some regular FWBs in Toronto.
I’m also starting to engage fellow Leathermen quite differently. I’m actually making new connections in Newcastle, Glasgow, London, and Manchester. I’m going to events in London, Manchester, Amsterdam and going to Folsom Europe in Berlin. Even in Canada, I’ve started to make some new connections.
Related to engaging with other Leathermen, after meeting Andrew in Newcastle, he suggested that I consider joining BLUF. I did a double take because honestly, I never considered myself BLUF material. However, Andrew is a man I’ve come to appreciate, respect, and he’s gorgeous. So, yeah BLUF 1862 is my member number.
I feel like I’ve found my Leather, kink and fetish home in Europe.
The next question for myself to answer is, how do I bring that vibe back to Canada and make a positive impact to my community here?
What a wild ride I feel like I’m on. Next up – London for Fetish Week, Glasgow for Mardi Gla and Leather Social; Berlin for Folsom Europe; Manchester Leather Weekend and Amsterdam Leather Pride.
