CAMP Safe  

Recently I have been part of an ongoing discussion about the leather community and safer sex. Many of these discussions centered around contests such as Mid-Atlantic Leather and International Mr. Leather. My friend (I shall call him the skeptic) said that these events are just places for men to meet to have sex and that the leather community does nothing to promote safer sex. I told him to listen to Sir, because I would teach him a few things about safer sex. That is, safer sex in the leather community.

I have had the opportunity to meet men from different leather clubs while living here in Rehoboth. I have had some good experiences with a group in Washington called SIGMA that has a membership of hundreds of members who live all over the United States. One of the things that impresses me about SIGMA and other groups like them is that there is a desire to keep alive the traditions of leather play; safe, sane and consensual. These groups promote safety in their play parties (these guys know how to have fun!) and educational events. I think that has to do with the community these groups have spent time building and the respect and dignity they give to all their members, regardless of age, race, and body type.

Even though the leather community has been in transition from "old-guard" to "new-guard," many leather groups continue to live by the message of playing safe. In my 30 years of life experience on this planet, I have found that the leather community is the one group that has really taken the time to emphasize playing safe, especially around HIV and safer sex. Yes, you do have your factions in any group that want to take risks. It really disturbed me when I went to a contest where one of the contestants was promoting bareback sex as an option. I did not agree with this at all. Neither did many of the audience members. Most of us realize that members of the leather community have a responsibility to set an example of maintaining tradition by educating "newcomers" about the risks associated with unsafe play. I firmly believe that most leathermen live by this and can still participate in the type of play that they enjoy the most.

Many of us could learn a lot from these groups. The most important lesson is to live by being safe, sane and consensual. Safety is the number one aspect of maintaining an negative HIV status or not infecting someone you care about. Being sane is caring about what you are doing to yourself and others. Consenual is agreeing to what kind of sex you will be having and making your partners aware that you are either negative or positive.

Leather sex can be fun and leather men can be good teachers. Give it a try! You have nothing to lose, but think of all the knowledge you could gain.