Embrace your kink and unleash your lust for leather

Which leather fetish events have you got in your calendar?

Darklands – Leatherpride Belgium

Leatherpride Belgium is an annual celebration of all things kink and fetish.

The event is held in March.

We caught up with Jeroen Van Lievenoogen, the founder of the event, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of Europe’s biggest celebrations of kink.

How many guys normally take part in Leatherpride Belgium?

We normally expect around 5,000 visitors.

About 20 percent of our visitors are from Belgium, the same percentage from The Netherlands, and 60 percent are from abroad and further away.

What’s the gender mix at the event – is it just for guys?

The event is aimed at gay men - it’s an event that focuses on sex, so a gender mix wouldn’t work.

We use different themes each year, but they’re all connected by this same post-apocalyptic look and feel. It goes well with a fetish event.

What are some of the highlights of the event?

It’s difficult to point out one or more specific things, because the program is so elaborate and varies a lot to cater for everyone’s needs. We’re very proud to offer the biggest darkroom in the world, consisting of three different areas.

The best approach is to have a look at the online program, and pick the shows and parties you prefer most.

How hard-core is Leatherpride? Is this an event that should only be tackled by experienced leather pigs ready for some no-holds-barred action?

Leatherpride Belgium is the most hard-core event for gay men on the planet. There’s nothing that comes close. But, at the same time, it’s also an event for newcomers - we have a range of low-threshold activities such as Darklands during the day.

The event is so big and elaborate, you can create your own program as you wish - the easy, more social things, or the hard-core sex program.

When did you first begin to explore your interest in leather and fetish?

At an early age – I was around 16. But it took me until I was about 19 to visit a fetish bar for the first time.

I remember buying my first leather pants in a store in the city of Hasselt for €150. I bought it with my Christmas and New Year’s money. My mother wasn’t very happy with that, but she’s got used to it now.

What is it about fetish-wear that appeals to you?

I have a crush on both leather and rubber. Leather is something I prefer wearing during the day, on the street. Rubber is more my kind of thing to wear when having sex or going to a party.

Is the leather scene evolving at all?

Constantly. The well-known image of the leather guy in full leather with cap, boots, and braces no longer dominates the scene.

The younger generation in particular experiment a lot with combining fetishes, or introducing totally new subgroups – such as the puppies and the superheroes. Older guys often roll their eyes when they see it, but this is where the community is evolving to.

What’s the leather and fetish scene like in Antwerp?

It’s mainly focused The Boots – Europe’s biggest fetish club. The Boots is a seven-storey warehouse that’s been serving the community as a safe-haven for fetish enthusiasts for over 30 years.

You’ll often find guys in leather in bars such as Random, Cafe Delux, or Santos. They’re just regular bars, but here in Antwerp you can wear what you like.

Any advice for first-time attendees at Leatherpride?

Be who you are, come as you are, leave more happier than when you came in. Your sexuality is an important part of your identity. Explore your boundaries, fantasies and even more stuff you even hadn’t heard of before. Indulge in those things that turn you on, and find pleasure and happiness in them. Better sex for a better and happier life.

Mid-Atlantic Leather

The annual Mid-Atlantic Leather weekend – or MAL Weekend, for short – is always a highlight of the calendar for America’s fetish fraternity.

The MAL Weekend Takes place each year in January – over the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend. The event sees thousands of leather-loving men making the pilgrimage to the US capital.

IML – International Mr. Leather

IML is the annual gathering of the fetish tribe – it’s normally held at the end of May, over the Memorial Day weekend.

What’s IML?

Founded by Chuck Renslow over 40 years ago, IML normally takes place at the end of May.

Held in downtown Chicago, the centrepiece of the event is the contest to be crowned International Mr Leather, and International Mr Bootblack.

Other highlights include the vendor market, which showcases specialist retailers from around the world. There’s also the parties where the leather boys can all get a bit loose.

Leather in porn

In this scene for Jalif Studio, Jeff Stronger and Romeo Curtois gear up and get down to business.

There’s something about a man in a leather harness and a jockstrap that totally pushes our buttons.

Watch the full scene on Jalif Studio

Should you buy a harness?

In some point in the life of pretty much every gay guy, you’re going to want to go to a party where the dress code requires a specific type of outfit.

This might be a one-off kind of thing, it could be how you spend every weekend, or it could just be a Tuesday and you feel like getting your kink on.

The reality is, that in your wardrobe you’re going to need to have a harness.

We’re not talking some kind of equestrian fantasy, we’re talking the kind of harness that gay guys wear to flaunt a bit of leather, to embrace a masculine edge, to help accentuate their chests. The kind of outfit that you’d see on the guys that you’ve fantasised about in Tom of Finland drawings.

The history and the origins of the gay harness aren’t really clear, but it’s something that emerged out of the underground gay leather and bondage scene and has since become widespread among gay men of all sexual persuasions. The gay harness is even making appearances on entertainment industry red carpets as a fashion statement. Regardless of its fashion credentials, the harness remains a richly coded symbol of male sexual submission and control.

While you might decide to rock a harness for a red carpet appearance, or Sunday lunch with your grandparents, generally the harness comes out of the wardrobe for those nights out that have a definite sexual edge. Maybe it’s a club night where everyone is going to be taking their shirts off, maybe it’s the kind of party where sex is going to happen, maybe it’s the kind of night where you want your sexuality to be up-front and on-display.

There’s lots of variations when it comes to the gay harness. Generally they hook over the shoulders and secure at the front and the back. Traditionally they were made from leather, but these days the harness comes in lots of different types of fabric or material.

The shift away from leather has made harnesses much more affordable. If you want to see what it feels like to wear a harness, or if it’s a one-off event and you don’t want to outlay too much on something you’re not sure you’ll wear again, there’s entry-level priced harnesses that will get the job done.

Most gay stores that include a range of clothing and accessories will have harnesses for sale, but it’s generally worth making the effort to get to a specialist retailer so you’ve got a range to choose from.