Dallas Fresh Leather -  speech presented at the NLA-I Annual General Meeting; 9-28-08

 

Last year, around this time, NLA Dallas decided to embark on a new outreach program geared towards Leatherfolk between the ages of 18 and 35.  As an organization, NLA-Dallas realized that there was a noticeable lack of young people attending meetings and functions, and we recognized that in order to carry forth our club, we had to actively work to reach out to younger people.  At the same time, a small group of young people began to realize that our needs were not being met by social groups geared towards people under 35.  We wanted a place to belong that was not only social, but one where we could feel nurtured and guided in a Leather journey.  With the combined efforts of our group of young people and the NLA-Dallas EC, we launched Fresh Leather.

 

I have heard a lot of Leatherpeople talk about reaching out to the youth in our community – in fact, if you go to any Leather contest I’d bet that it’s mentioned in at least one speech!  The question, though, is how to move that
from rhetoric into action.  We can talk about it all we want, but until we find a way to actively educate, we will get nowhere.

 

So the question has been asked – why do we need a dedicated outreach for young people?  Why not let young people come in the way they always have? In her Beyond Vanilla keynote address, Ms. Twisted talked to us about how the internet has removed the personal contact and relationship development that used to be the way we did things.  But the way that many of you entered the lifestyle is very different from the way people enter it today.  The internet is a reality that our community must acknowledge, and although I know many of you don’t want to hear this, a lot of young people entering the lifestyle have never lived in world without it. When you felt that tug that pulled you into this community, what did you do?  You went to bars, you went to gay/lesbian events, you talked to people.  The fact is, when young people feel the tug now, they head straight for the internet. 

 

NLA Dallas decided to take an active approach to developing and training a new generation of Leather people.  What we do is create environments where young people get a chance to interact directly with respected and knowledgeable Elders.  You’ve all heard the stories – unsafe Doms and dangerous Tops are scary enough, but when you think about the added stress of the faceless internet, it’s no wonder young people aren’t coming to NLA meetings on their own.  The threat of predators is real – I’ve experienced it myself, and if you take the time to speak to the young people in the community you’ll most likely hear some pretty frightening stories.  So what we do is provide a safe environment and peer group, and we carefully introduce them into the larger community.   

 

This is an absolutely crucial endeavor.  We all agree that we want our community
to continue to grow, and that we don’t want our history to be lost.  I want you to take a second and think about where you will be in twenty years.  I’m 29 years old.  In twenty years, I will be almost fifty, and I hope to live in a country where my children are free to express themselves however they see fit, and who will
know how to do so safely and with honor and integrity.  Where will you be? 
Will you be here?  Maybe, maybe not – none of us can predict the future.  But where will this community be?  That is something that we can influence, but to do so requires us to actively create the future that we want.  So think about it – in twenty years, who will be the writers, the teachers, and the keepers of wisdom?  Who will be the leaders? You are creating a legacy - What are you doing to ensure that it’s carried out? 

 

I’d like to introduce you some people who are fast making a name for themselves as leaders in our community.  The government of Dallas Fresh Leather is designed to mimic the government of NLA to offer leadership training at a more fundamental level.  The Leadership Council (which we refer to as the LC) is made up of 9 people, and we meet once a month to work on projects, plan meetings, and develop new ideas for the expression of our mission statement.  The people you’re about to meet are the driving force behind Fresh Leather.

 

Our first project as a fledgling organization was a voter registration drive. Kiki, the chair of Fresh Leather’s voter education program, worked with Sir Cougar and slave marsha, who were kind enough to give us space at South Plains for our first project.  Since the start of our voter registration drive at SPLF, we have registered over 40 voters in Texas.  Kiki’s currently working on arranging debate watching parties and voter education.  She also worked on the Beyond Vanilla 18 planning committee. 

 

Not long after we kicked off our voter outreach program, we started our first major community service project.  I’d like to introduce blaze, who chairs the community service committee.  This summer, blaze headed up a benefit for domestic violence thrift stores in the DFW area that we nicknamed the “Stuff Drive”.  We challenged all of the local organizations to gather up all the “stuff” around their houses and bring it to us in 30 gallon trash bags.  The items donated included clothing, household items, electronics, baby items, and computers.  Over a three month period, the Dallas/Ft Worth community collected 188 bags of stuff, about half of which was donated by our winning group, DFW Power Exchange. Their name was placed on a Golden Paddle, which will be displayed at the Dallas Eagle.

 

The next project, as if we weren’t busy enough, was Leather 101.  This program is designed for people of all ages, all experience levels, and all identities and kinks, and was set up as a sort of round table discussion to address the questions and needs of the people in attendance.  This project has been headed up by another LC member, Vic.   Vic’s work on this project included working with Elders both before and during the workshop, and leading and mediating the meeting itself.  The first one was held this August, and we had about 40 people attend.  There was a nice ratio of Elders to Newbies, and everyone seemed to feel safe and comfortable.  The discussion was frank and the energy was great.  Vic is continuing to develop this branch of our outreach, so stay tuned for another workshop soon. Vic is also a member at large on the NLA Dallas EC, and was on the BV planning committee this year.

 

Of course, we’re community masochists, so what else can we do but take on another project?   Last month Fresh Leather put on a Fetish Carnivale that absolutely knocked the socks off of everyone who came.  babygirl headed up that project and we pulled off an evening that people are still talking about.  We had about 150 people crammed into the Sanctuary to watch flesh hooks, rope shows, messy burlesque, freak shows, and fire acts, as well as playing game, winning prizes, getting pierced and quilled, playing in hot wax and playing with puppies.  babygirl is also our education chair, and she works to bring in Elders to do demos and history discussions for our meetings, and she worked on the BV planning committee this year.

 

Our marketing and promotions are done by Ms. Cinder.  If you’ve seen our flyers you’ve seen how good she is at that…. But she’s also in charge of our community connections program.  It is a program designed to connect junior members, regardless of age, with senior members of the community.  Connections are made based on the goals and preferences of the participants – they fill out an information form, and matches are based on compatibility… gender, identity, particular skill interest, etc.  It’s a new program, so if you’re willing to be a mentor, or you’re looking for one, please let Cinder know.

 

There are a couple of LC members who don’t often get the spotlight -  Coty, our membership chair, spends a lot of time behind the scenes keeping our group running smoothly.  She is constantly working to bring new Leather people into NLA meetings and activities, and she works closely with Xander, NLA Dallas’s membership chair, to welcome and support young members who join NLA.  Coty also serves as a member at large on the NLA Dallas EC.

 

MC, our secretary, keeps up with all of the paperwork involved with all the projects we do, as well as keeping minutes of our meetings and generally helping to keep all our heads on straight.  He was also the secretary of BV this year, and I am very proud to say that he was recently selected to be the NLA-International representative for NLA Dallas.

 

And our final LC member is Fred, who is Gulf Coast Bootblack 2008, and the creator of the boots for boys project.  Fred is working on documenting the development of Fresh Leather, and will be sending a package to the Leather Archives and Museum soon.

 

 

Fresh Leather general meetings occur once a month, and we are open to anyone between the ages of 18-35.  We welcome young people who are not members of NLA Dallas, but they don’t get the full benefits of membership.  Only chapter members have a voice in the projects and programs that we put on. Our meetings open with a business portion, which is followed by a history portion and a demo, both led by invited Elders.

 

For those of you from other chapters who might be interested in developing a Fresh Leather program, we look forward to working with you.  Our LC is in the process of developing informational startup packets, and we’d love to engage in a dialogue with each chapter to plan ways to start your own outreach.  Every community has different needs, and outreach programs from other chapters may not look like ours.  But with a unified vision, we can create a unified outreach program that can be tailored to the individual needs of its members.

 

Throughout its first year, those of us involved with Fresh Leather have been profoundly touched by the overwhelming support we have received from the community.  So many people have offered their support, many of whom live out of town and give their time and resources to work with us at meetings and events.  Sir Angela, Bill Reed, and Ms. Twisted have been strong supporters, and have taken an active role in the shaping of this group. All of the members of NLA Dallas Executive Committee – words cannot express what it feels like to experience the faith and support that you show us every day.  There’s no way I can say the name of every person who has given their time and support to us, but I can say this – this community never ceases to amaze me.

 

To show our appreciation for all the support the NLA Dallas community has shown us, Fresh Leather will be hosting a formal Leather Tea this December.  We are currently learning formal service and presentation protocol, and we look forward to having the opportunity to formally thank NLA Dallas for everything you do for us.

 

Through all of the projects, we are learning leadership skills that will serve us for the rest of our lives, both in and out of the Leather community.  Currently, the Dallas Fresh Leather membership includes two titleholders, three NLA Dallas EC members, six members of the BV 18 planning committee, and four Beyond Vanilla presenters.  Many of our members hold leadership positions in local groups and are active in educational capacities as well.  Along with leadership training, we’re also providing constant opportunities for young people to work with Elders in a mentorship capacity, and we’re providing Elders the chance to actively shape the future.

 

We ARE the future of this community.  We are the ones who are going to carry on this amazing WORLD that you have created.  We don’t question your struggles – we want to know them.  We don’t take for granted the meetings, the workshops, the events, the contests, the networking, the support, and the faith that is who we are collectively. We believe in what you have given us. But there is still work to be done, there are still people who need us, and there must be the ACTION of handing down this history.  

 

The passing on of knowledge occurs in two ways.  One is through the written traditions of documenting our history.  Projects like the Leather Archives and Museum and the Vi Johnson library are absolutely essential to our history, and require the support of each of us.  But the other way that history must be passed down is through action – through the tradition of oral history, the active teaching of our values.  Respect, honor, and integrity cannot be learned online. 

 

Dallas Fresh Leather is your legacy in action, and I honor every one of you for investing in the future of our culture.  Thank you so much for allowing me to speak to you today.

 

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April, 2008 - information and update 

In October of 2007, about five NLA members under the age of thirty-five got together to discuss the generation gap we perceived in the community.  We felt strongly that there were many more young people than us that wanted to carry forth the traditions and culture of Leather, but we weren't quite sure how to bridge that gap.

With the help of NLA-Dallas' Executive Committee and the support of NLA-International, we began to develop an outreach program we fondly dubbed "Fresh Leather."  As of July 1, 2008, we have 62 online members; 26 of those are voting members in NLA-Dallas.  We have nine members on our Leadership Council, including two titleholders, seven members of the Beyond Vanilla committee, three members of the NLA-Dallas Executive Committee, and various other leadership positions in the community.  We work hard and we are an active, visible presence in the community, in NLA and other groups alike.

 

 Mission