Dave Rhodes' Hump Day, June 30, 2021

December 04, 2023

Dave Rhodes' Hump Day, June 30, 2021

By Dave Rhodes July 01, 2021

Bars reopening en masse

Once the date of June 15 was announced as the day we could begin to return to normal was all that owners of surviving bars needed.

Locally, Eagle LA, Bullet Bar and Precinct DTLA were ready to open completely after certain final touches were made to their venues. Some had soft openings and others were out of the gate and running on June 15. Bullet Bar is all-go and Eagle LA opens fully on July 1.

Because some bars had dining, they had already opened with Covid-19 protective restrictions in place. The bars in Palm Springs and Cathedral City were in full swing. Others opened with restrictions or waited until a special date to arrive. The SF Eagle was one of these with an opening on Friday, June 25 which was the beginning of San Francisco Pride Week.

The Leather Journal will resume its print schedule in early July and will have a long list of bars, shops and other Leather community businesses and how they fared throughout the pandemic.

Flash Back Gallery - LGBTQ Pride - Part I

We dig into our treasure chest of 75,000 or more photos to bring you 99 shots of Leather/BDSM/Fetishfolk participating in LGBTQ Pride events around North America, from 2010 to the present. The vast majority are from San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles.

Scroll down to the Flash Back Gallery to see photos from each year. There are a lot of faces of our people who have passed, who are leading the way now and those starting to leave their mark.

And the Ces Williams Legacy Award goes to...

There was no Leathertarian Award this year due to the pandemic, but on June 21 the 2021 Ces Williams Legacy Award was presented to a woman who knows the art of selflessly giving, Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt. There isn't enough room to write about all she has done. She has been in the community a very long time and has stirred controversy once in awhile. Mama is being recognized for a lifetime of hard love, hard work and caring for gay men and kids with AIDS/HIV.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/246241072211011/announcements

California B&B Corps LA Division

The California B&B Corps LA Division's first event will be their Annual Fourth of July Beer Bust, Boots & BBQ at Eagle LA starting at 3 PM. Hunter is rolling out the smoker for the best meats on Eagle's expanded patio including tri-tip, chicken, ribs; the B&B Corps will provide the sides. $5 suggested donation at the door. $12 BBQ Plate includes tri-tip, chicken, and ribs.

https://www.facebook.com/events/503047804145474

Leather in Fire Island Pride Parade

By Bruce-Michael Gelbert

Cherry Grove, Fire Island, held its 23rd Annual Pride Parade, around downtown Cherry Grove, on June 26. As usual, there was a Leather contingent, made up of Mr. Fire Island Leather titleholders and loved ones and friends. Marching with the Leather Pride flag were Messrs Fire Island Leather 2001 (the first) this writer and 2005 spouse Joe Saporito, 2012 Mark Nayden, and 2019, and still reigning, Bruce Michael Weitzmon, known as Bruce Michael the Second, with Excelsior MC Vice-President Mike Desantos; as well as Dawn Cookler and Wendy Pinkhouse. Photo - Leather contingent: Dawn Cookler (front) and (left to right) Bruce-Michael Gelbert, Bruce Michael Weitzmon, Mike Desanto, Mark Nayden, Wendy Pinkhouse and Joe Saporito. Photo by koitz.

CMEN West Coast Gathering 2021 to be held in August

By Rick Boehle

CMEN's West Coast Gathering 2021 will take place August 20–29, at a conference center in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains east of Big Bear. Men attending will share experiences and learn new skills in a wide variety of workshops and seminars including Leather and kink. The Gathering also includes time to relax at the pool and enjoying the Southern California sun, hiking, social hours, evening shows, camaraderie and fun.

The Leathermen’s Weekend session, August 26-29, will include an afternoon Leather social, the Mr. CMEN Leather contest and a victory dance party.

First held in Malibu in October 1999, the all nude, all male West Coast Gatherings have drawn over 500 naturists from throughout North America, the Pacific Islands and Europe.

CMEN will also host a smaller Northern California Gathering, July 27 – August 1, in the Sierra Foothills east of Auburn. CMEN is an international social organization for gay and bisexual men (age 21 and over) who enjoy naturism. Session options are available for both gatherings. Proof of Covid-19 full vaccination will be required.

http://www.cmen.org

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Dave Rhodes Hump Day Mailing List

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Join our Facebook Group today and Have my biweekly news blog sent to your Facebook Notifications

every time we post as well as interviews and main features from The Leather Journal.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107211362781405/

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Satyrs MC - Badger Flat Run is on

By Brent Sweer

The Satyrs are still alive and are ready for summer with two events coming up. The first one is the AIDS Charity Ride on July 18 with kickstands up at 10 AM. It will start at the Astro Restaurant in Silver Lake and end at Eagle LA. Even if you do not do the ride, our charity has been hit hard over the past years. Please go to our web site and donate.

The second is, Badger Flat 50 is on. Get registered and vaccinated. You will need proof of vaccination to attend. Satyrs MC is holding Badger 59 from September 3-6. Register at

http://www.satyrsmc.org

Smokeout at new hotel in Las Vegas

Smokeout returns to life the weekend of August 25-30 at a new hotel in Las Vegas. The Tuscany Suites Resort and Casino is the host and is not far from Alexis Park and closer to the Strip.

Smokeout is a fun-filled, uncomplicated weekend for cigar and pipe studs, bikers, Leathermen, bears and friends from all over the world. There will be time to gamble, shop, be a tourist, visit the Smokeout vendor area, enjoy a show, attend events or relax by the pools and have a great time. The motorcycle ride to Nelson, Nevada and tour of Techatticup Gold Mine on Saturday should be a big draw.

Members of Leather Uniform Club and Las Vegas Boys of Leather will staff the hospitality suite. Registration is $50 before August 24, or $60 at Smokeout. Paid event registration is required to reserve a room at the Tuscany Suites Resort.

http://lasvegassmokeout.com/

Lance Moore honored

By Marc Owens

Kicked off Pride weekend this morning, Saturday, June 26, to congratulate my friend, Lance Moore. California Assembly member Alex Lee honored him with a California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for his hard work and contributions for Trans Day of Visibility and the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Community Center in Hayward, CA.

ONYX Pearls Great Lakes

ONYX Pearls Great Lakes is a regional chapter of ONYX Pearls, an international organization. OPGL was chartered in 2018 with seven members. It's first line was named First Tribe.

On June 5, 2021, OPGL welcomed its second line of Siblings into the fold at the Carter Johnson home gardens in Newburgh, IN. The line was aptly named The Pearls of the Apocalypse due to the trials of pledging during the COVID pandemic. Three new Siblings joined OPGL and were embraced by the loving arms of Original Pearls Jill Carter, Vi Johnson, and Goddess Lakshimi. OPGL is proud to welcome Kitana ONYX, Cake ONYX and Bastet ONYX.

OPGL is an organization for gender expansive Women of Color whose mission is to be a resource for its members that provides support, education, and growth while operating under core Leather attributes.
We seek to Empower, Enlighten, and Educate while providing a safe and healthy social atmosphere for all Women of Color.

We desire to have a positive impact on the Leather, Kink and BDSM community and to address issues specific to Women of Color. We aim to help those who are less fortunate, and marginalized. Our Vision includes promoting Leather Sisterhood while supporting and partnering with our Leather Brothers of The Men of ONYX organization.

https://www.onyxpearlsgreatlakes.com/home

https://www.facebook.com/ONYX-Pearls-Great-Lakes-108180474061347/

Kink at Pride Divides LGBTQ Community

By Andy Humm

MSNBC’s out host Joshua Johnson did a segment on an apparent “controversy” over kink and Leather at Pride parades. He handled it sensitively with Al Rahm Luhan, chair of SF’s Leathermen’s Discussion Group as his guest, talking about the rich history of Leather activism in the community from the earliest days including leadership during the AIDS crisis. Johnson said he thought this interview was a first for cable news. But that distinction would go to Lou Maletta and the Gay Cable Network which had a dedicated Leather show: “In the Dungeon with Slave Dale.” Kudos to Johnson for bringing the issue mainstream.

This discussion has been going around the Leather community since a few days before Pride Month began. It surfaces to a boil every few years. View the story here

https://www.msnbc.com/the-week/watch/the-debate-over-kink-at-pride-115549765746

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Exploring Gay History One Bar at a Time

One determined researcher in Florida is committed to preserving the history of our gay bars and meeting places from all across the United States.

Over the course of the last eighteen months former Atlanta gay magazine publisher Art Smith has spent thousands of hours collecting information on the spaces that served as community centers and safe havens for the LGBTQ+ community. His project, aptly named GayBarchives, has documented more than 1300 such venues to date. His goal: “To create the world’s largest collection of the logos and stories of gay bars from the past." In addition to recording the locations and years of operation, Smith is endeavoring to capture first-person accounts from patrons, staff and owners of these establishments.

The project includes an extensive library of digitally reconstructed logos based on old ads and photos as well. A series of video segments collecting oral histories is also underway with more than 30 segments completed so far.

Smith welcomes input from historians, archivists and anyone with stories to tell about their gay bar experiences to contact him through the project’s GayBarchives.com website. He estimates there are still thousands of bars that have not been recorded in his project.

http://gaybarchives.com/

Kansas City’s Pride Festival

On June 1, 2019 the first Pride Parade in 23 years was completed inside Kansas City’s Pride Festival. The Visibility Project donated flags and 33 Leatherfolk marched with the parade, showcasing many of the identities of the greater community.

One of the organizers, Mark Athens, shared his gratitude: “I would like to thank the Kansas City Leather community... To see so many organizations working together on a project …was nothing short of inspiring. If it wasn't for them, the positive impact this Pride Parade had would not have been possible.” Plans for bigger and better were instantly underway that very afternoon.

Then without warning, the only decision to be had was to cancel 2020 pride and the newly reborn parade. As the world began to reopen, so did talks of a 2021 Kansas City Pride. With a new board of directors and fresh leadership in the committees, the KC Pride Parade was born. This year on August 21st, 2021 the KC PRIDE Parade will be bigger (3 miles through the heart of KC!), louder, and more impassioned than anyone in a generation has witnessed!

LALC and Bullet Bar Pantry

While many people are getting their vaccines and the numbers of Covid-19 cases are the lowest they've ever been, there are still people in need.

The LALC CAReS - Community Assistance Resource Service
is a division of the Los Angeles Leather Coalition and is dedicated to helping and assisting our community, through various means and resources.

The LALC and Bullet Bar Pantry is for those in need of food supplies, clothes, toiletries, medicines, etc. and is proudly sponsored by the Bullet Bar. Please Contact Michael Lara via Facebook or E-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please put “Pantry” in the subject line.

The LALC Helping Hand is for those who are struggling and have a financial need during times of crisis. Please contact Frank Covallo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Please put "Helping Hand" in the subject line.
The LALC Lifeline is for those people who feel alone and need to talk to someone. (833) 373-0051. For information about receiving assistance, volunteering and donating, please visit

https://lalc.info/lalc-cares/

https://www.facebook.com/LALCCAReS

Mr. Leather Norway

By Per Helge Nylund

It’s my great pleasure to introduce the new Mr. Leather Norway 2021, Ambjörn Söderberg. My sash son is a Leatherman with a big heart and a big smile - I am very proud and pleased to see the title go to him! Please welcome Ambjörn to our community of Misters. This was during SLM Oslo's 45th Anniversary.

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Hello,

Since May, 1987, The Leather Journal has been bringing news to the Leather community in print. The first Issue was a quarterly, and within a couple years advanced to bimonthly and then to a monthly newspaper. The Leather Journal has been honored and blessed in so many ways and has accomplished iron-man records in LGBTQ publishing. When it hasn’t always been easy, we have withstood every challenge.

TheLeatherJournal.com began in 1996 and has expanded and stayed alive during the pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the print version has been down since last spring. In that time, without incoming revenue, we have accrued a large sum of debt. We are resuming publication in July and need to rebuild our advertising base since a good number of our advertisers did not make it out of the pandemic. We are reaching out for support so we can return to reporting news to the Leather community.

I am asking you to give from your heart. Remember the first time you saw your photo and/or name in The Leather Journal or on TheLeatherJournal.com and how proud you felt? Most likely, you were thrilled and shared it with friends. Perhaps you won a title or became a club officer and others learned of your accomplishments reading The Leather Journal. Perhaps you discovered the Leather community through reading the pages of The Leather Journal.

Please help ensure the newer folk in the Leather community can share this experience. To help The Leather Journal to resume publication and keep going, I ask you to first give, then implore your friends to help by posting and sharing this urgent request.

A sincere thank you to all. We have been blessed with the support we have received over the years and are thankful to those who can assist now.

Yours,
Dave Rhodes
Publisher and Editor,
The Leather Journal

https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-leather-journal-going/

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Flash Back Gallery

We dig into our treasure chest of 75,000 or more photos to bring you 99 photos of Leather/BDSM/Fetishfolk participating in LGBTQ Pride events around North America from 2010 to the present. The vast majority are from San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. We have also been to Toronto, Chicago, Long Beach, Saint Louis, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Lexington, West Hollywood, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia and Ottawa.

Because there were so many to choose from, it was not easy to decide who to include. Many decisions were made on quality of the photographs we have. There are a lot of faces of our people who have passed, who are leading the way now and those starting to leave their mark.

The next Dave Rhodes' Hump Day will feature2009 and before.

Photos by Rich Stadtmiller, Motorboot Robert, Steve Lenius, Bruce-Michael Gelbert, Scott Erickson, John Shepard, Michael Vazquez, Pretzelpaws, Tom Wray, Byfield Pitman, Christopher Tyger Roth, RacXposure and Dave Rhodes.

Albuquerque