LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

CAMP Profile

Just opening a discussion about leather is pretty much one certain way to energize a room full of facial configurations. So get them readybe they knowing smiles or lip curling sneershere we go.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to present Mr. Double L 2008, Paul Masterson. And although some of you (probably the lip curlers, I'm guessing) might be tempted to simply dismiss him as a "leather boy" and get on with your day, you would be doing yourself a disservice. Paul Masterson is a forty-one year old man, a Technical Architect for a global IT company, in a committed relationship for more than twelve years, and incredibly thoughtful about why he entered this contest and what he would like winning this contest to mean for both himself and us.

So firstthe contest. The Double L opened its doors nearly eleven years ago and owners Mark Fernstrom and John Meng were soon approached about holding a Mr. Double L competition with the winner continuing on, sponsored by the bar, to represent in the Mid-Atlantic Leather competition. And like all pageant contests, there is the requisite strutting on stage aspect, but beauty is really the lesser component in achieving the crown (or leather sash as the case may be). The runway is really about how one carries oneselfcomfort, self-empowerment and bearing. The interviews all contestants face are purposely and intensely probing about the entrant and their commitment to carrying forward proudly a legacy.

For it is here in the legacy that both the pride and the pain of a community can be felt. Mary Elizabeth Boyd, now in her sixties is often referred to as "The First Lady of Leather" and is most assuredly not only an icon of the leather community, but part of what is now called, "The Old Guard."

And for us to understand the importance of Paul Masterson's upcoming year, Ms. Boyd graciously and patiently explains how we must travel back to dark days of our own history; back to the days when the Leather Community's seams were literally ripped out by the AIDS Epidemic.

"I have a phone book from before those days; there must have been more than one hundred names of people in the community I called friends. If I opened it today, I would be lucky to find two of those people still alive."

The struggle to salvage a decimated community has necessitated changes to survive. Without mentors to lead the way, much of its renowned protocol for "earning one's leather" has been mitigated and a more freewheeling style has taken its place. But there is still legend, lore and always the love of leather to uphold and this leads us back to today and back to Paul Masterson.

"For some, leather is different. For us, leather is part of what makes us interesting." In a time where many can be accused of growing complacent in their comfort, the Leather Community still finds itself an outcast, existing on the fringe. And from those fragmented edges, they continue to lead battles. They (and others such as the Drag Community) were on the front lines at Stonewall fighting for us all, the front lines in the AIDS battles even as they died and now, in spite of their own suffering (and their own pain when pride parades 'invite them' to bring up the rear) they continue to raise astounding amounts of money for charities as diverse as Pediatric AIDS and Breast Cancera disease they like to remind us isn't just for women.

It is to this legacy that Paul Masterson looks forward to adding his voice. Paul wants his reign to leave behind a new event from his leather community to his beach community. He recognizes "he can't solve world hunger," but believes there's a way to have some fun, raise some money and maybe, just maybe, raise some awareness along the way. And he's looking for a few good ideas.

The year was 1990. Paul Masterson bought a vest. And he felt proud. Today that vest bears a patch proclaiming his title, Mr. Double L 2008. That patch is made from leather. It is leather he has earned. He wears it with respect.

Paul would love to hear any ideas. His e-mail is LeatherMasterson @verizon.net

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 14 October 10, 2008