Well...where do I start? It appears more difficult than I thought to write my first blog post, particularly as the focus of this blog is to share my thoughts, reflections and fantasies as a young leatherman living in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Being a leatherman, in a wonderful relationship with a fellow leatherman has enabled me to explore my leather fetish and lifestyle. The last few years has been filled with many leather attired sessions, nights out and visits to fetish clubs. Many years ago, before 'coming out' and in a hetrosexual relationship, I could not have imagined how much pleasure, and completeness, leather would bring to my life as a gay man. Don't get me wrong, I always was aware, even a young teenager, that I liked leather, but I never thought my passion for leather would grow into a fetish that would arouse such strong feelings in me while wearing it, and seeing other guys wearing it.
Finding the courage to accept that I was gay was very tough, given my catholic background and not knowing any gay men in my family or town (well, that were openly gay, anyway, when I reflect back on growing up). Telling my family, and my female partner, was very difficult, but there came a point in my life, in my mid 20s, that it felt right to tell the people I loved that I could not continue to hide my gay feelings. I had built up so many scenarios in my mind of rejection and fear I had convinced myself that I would be hated and jilted by those that I cared so much about. I couldn't have been more wrong. While my female partner was totally devastated by my revelation, as only expected, she gradually grow to accept it and eventually we did manage to rebuild a friendship. On the other hand, my family and friends were truly wonderful and very supportive; something I never thought possible, given the mental scenarios I had generated in the months prior to coming out. Everyone was so accepting of me being gay and I couldn't have asked for a better response.
After 'coming out', I felt more content within myself and was on a high, so to speak. Within a very short space of time, I met my first partner that was very kind and supportive, having gone through a similar experience himself when coming out years before. It was a new world for me, one that was exciting, so much fun, but also one that was challenging. Challenging in the sense of finding out more about myself as a gay man, and what the gay community entails, given that I had not encountered any of this before. After a few 'bumpy' starts, I managed to reconcile my 'old' life with my 'new', gay one. What I realised was that each and every one of us, whether gay or straight, has multiple identities - 'gay' is only one part of who I am. I have other identities: I am a son; I am a partner; I am part of a community of practice, which involves my profession and includes my work colleagues; I am part of other communities of interests, from my various circles of friends, that varies from straight mates that enjoy the 'craic' (as we say in Northern Ireland) over a pint, to my girl friends that are party animals, to other friends that are more 'culture vultures', to my leather brothers that share my leather passion. Like most of us nowadays, our identities are more plural and fluid, evolving and blending, to some extent, to form who each of us are. We shape our own identity, but our identities influence us, too - it's a cyclical process.
Appreciating this has allowed me to navigate through life in recent years and understand that I am part of many 'communities' that make up contemporary society and these shape who I am. Now more content with who I am, and returning to the focus of my blog, I can happily declare myself as a very proud leatherman, a member (#1093) of BLUF, and part of the global leather brotherhood. Reading more about the gay leather community and personally experiencing it has reaffirmed my passion for all things leather. My leather journey is only beginning!
There will be more reflections (and possibly fantasies) from my life in leather in future posts, but for now I will draw this post to a close. Hopefully this blog will become more interactive, with other leathermen commenting on posts, and following, or linking with my blog (if that's the correct terminology...as I'm a virgin blogger!), as there is nothing more exciting for me as a leatherman to meet, chat and share my experiences with other leathermen. If fellow leathermen bloggers have any tips or advice on enhancing my blog, please feel free to contact me - I would appreciate your help.
Leathercolt x
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