Master & Servant

[August 8th, 2001] "Bruce" is a straight man with a straight job.

So what the hell's he doing in this column?

This 43-year-old professional (who requested that WW not reveal his full name) just so happens to be the president of the Portland Leather Alliance, and he's currently up to his nipple clamps in Leather Pride Week activities.

I know. Another straight person claiming a queer title.

Or is he?

It's a long-held belief that leathermen are all hairy-chested rawhide huggers who swing their things on Stark Street slings. But wait, Mary! According to Bruce, today's leather community is much more diverse. It wasn't always that way, though.

"Five years ago," says Bruce, "the Portland chapter of the National Leather Association was almost entirely gay (it had fewer than 50 members). Three years ago we decided to break away from the national group. That's when our membership jumped to 100. Now the PLA has almost 350 members."

That increase could have a lot to do with the group's missionarylike position: The PLA promotes itself as a pansexual group made up of equal parts het/bi and gay/lesbian folks dedicated to keeping their minds open.

"The S&M culture is about tolerance and non-prejudice," says Bruce. "We believe in it and hold it as a beacon for our lifestyle."

But lifestyle, schmifestyle--doesn't it bother straight-boy Bruce that he's (sometimes) queer-identified?

"No, not at all," says this self-described "bottom." "It bothers me 10 times more when gays don't like our group being pansexual."

Sounding more like the PTA than the PLA, Bruce says the group serves three primary functions for the BDSM/leather/ kink/fetish-loving crowd: charitable fund-raising, educational outreach (yes, they offer workshops and killer conferences) and social interaction. To that end, the PLA just held one of its biggies--the Fetish Ball--at the Adrianna Hill Grand Ballroom. The event attracted a huge crowd.

But, hey, why does it always seem to be such an old crowd? "People don't seem to know that a lot of people into leather are not barhoppers," says Bruce. "We are just a group of open-minded, regular people who like to have fun. Leather ends up being a great way to spice up your life and not get bored. Everyone is so open. It's a great confidence builder."

And it's not just for gay folk anymore. Who knew?