"Father of Gay Leather" Makes Rare Public Appearance (tags)
Larry Townsend, author of "The Leatherman's Handbook" and many other pioneering works about Gay Leather sexuality, made a rare public appearance March 13 in San Diego to honor outgoing Mr. San Diego Leather, Lee Butler. He talked about the ways the Leather community has evolved in his nearly five decades in it, and particularly the responsibility of older Leathermen to steer young people away from drugs and STD's.
San Diego Leatherpeople, Police Meet to Discuss “Leather and the Law” (tags)
The San Diego Gay Leathermen Only (GLO) organization met October 1 with representatives of the San Diego Police Department — vice squad head Lt. Chris Ball and Lesbian/Gay community liaison Mark Dallezotte — and attorney Andy Zmurkiewicz, who successfully defended the "San Diego Six" in 2000. The issues discussed included the distinction between "public" and "private" places to have sex (the issue at the heart of the Six case) and whether leatherpeople run the risk of being arrested and charged with domestic violence for having consensual sadomasochistic sex.