Leather and Kink Outreach

Feb 13, 2011

We had the chance to chat with STOP AIDS Leather Network Coordinator – Jorge Vieto Jr.

Jorge is an active member of the S.F leather community as a Titleholder (S.F Leather Daddy’s boy XXII) and currently serves as a fraternal member for The 15 Association in San Francisco.

Let’s start at the beginning- the name of the BDSM program is?

It started out at “Leather Fuck”, then L.E.A.G (Leather Events Action Group), recently my Leather Community Advisory Board renamed it the Leather/Kink Network.  It can be found on www.stopaids.org through the “Leather/kink” button under “Programs” and it’s on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73759747644

What does the program include?

Our program consists of a MANY things…. such as OUTREACH in Leather spaces, like the SF Citadel, streets of SOMA, HIV Mobile Testing @ The Eagle Tavern (in the summer), and COMMUNITY BUILDING: I have a Community Advisory Board comprised of leather leaders and popular opinion leaders that help me make decisions about programming.

We also do a lot of workshops in-house and for other agencies and schools on cultural competency, basic safety, negotiations, and HIV and STD prevention within the context of BDSM/KINK.

What is the biggest health concern in the leather communities?

The type of play that we engage in inherently poses a bigger risk for things like physical and emotional injury. Therefore, we have to PLAN and NEGOTIATE our play a bit more than folks who just have “vanilla” sex.

Can you talk about emotional injury?

Without proper negotiation, scenes that include strong power dynamics – such as Master/slave or Top/bottom relationships  – run the risk of “tapping” in to something in our head that we didn’t know was there… child abuse, sexual abuse, traumatic accidents. Also in relationships with D/S dynamics, “getting your genuine need met” can be a tricky thing when you are in service, again… proper negotiation is important.

We need to be aware of our needs emotionally. Before, during and AFTER a scene, voicing those needs is key.

Then you get in to scenes of, HUMILIATION, FORCED, FEMINIZATION, “RAPE FANTASIES”… those generally carry an even greater risk.

What does one do when you inadvertently tap into one of these issues?

1. Voicing it/ Naming it (telling your top or bottom about it)

2. Recognize that we can’t help “feelings”, “feelings” are natural… we can’t blame ourselves for having them. Knowing what to do with them is more important.

3. Have a way to provide a safe space to “process” your feelings

Can you talk about consent?

Consent comes in many levels.

Explicit

Implied

Informed

All are basically the same…. “Agreeing to something”, but the exact HOW’s and WHEN’s and WHY’s depends on the situation.

I tell my play partners, that I enjoy impact sports… (flogging, whipping, some canning, and some punching) HOWEVER my face is OUT of BOUNDS.  I was gay bashed in high school; half my face has been reconstructed.  It’s a HUGE and BAD trigger for me.

Knowing ahead of time is VERY useful, for my partners to know what they CAN and CAN’T do.

What can I expect at Leather/Kink Network?

We offer SKILL building workshops, for the more specialized kinks, such as bondage, piercing and whipping…

We also offer a chance for the more experienced players to share their skills with the younger folks – therefore closing the generational gap.

We have tag line for a t-shirt:

OLD GUARD + NEW GUARD = AVANTGARD!

The Twisted Bear provides the bear and leather communities the single source they need for fine bear leathers and toys. We offer leathers for the bear – full sizes and custom work to meet all of your leather needs.

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