The Leather community has adopted (arguably reluctantly) the credo safe, sane and consensual. Apparently more and more of our members are not taking it to heart when practicing in the privacy of their bedrooms, twice again this past month. There are many workshops on knot tying and controlling your slave, where are the workshops that teach and explain the joys but seriously inherent danger (is that the attraction?) of solo edge play? To all you icons and leaders out there who bemoan the loss of leadership in the next generation—a louder plea has never been issued.
Chicago became the latest in Sci-Fi inductee when the beginning of August saw the swarming of millions of new born gnats filling the air like a snowstorm! Folks were swattin' and slappin' and swallowin' bugs du jour. I was in it briefly and went back inside. In the meantime scientists say that swallowin' the critters is a good source of protein. OK. Call me old fashioned but I prefer my protein the old-fashioned way ... Diet drink supplements.
Seems STEAMWORKS gym and Sauna is cracking down on alleged drug use in the place. I have a STEAMWORKS gym pass (yes I ACTUALLY DO use the gym upstairs, not always BALLY's, but good for quickie workouts!) and they confiscated my water. Now who does a workout without a lot of water nearby? Getting on and off the machines to go to the fountain can screw up a guys' momentum! Sunday early morning
(7:30 a.m.) found them going through my backpack with a fine tooth comb, even checking the pages of a book I had with me. Always polite but the next thing to airline security, the guys explained that things were going to get worse with random locker and room searches! I sure hope this isn't a backlash to all the community outreach they've been doing big time.
I've always wanted to print this: This information came from a reliable source I talked to at the desk, via phone who wishes to remain anon-y-mous! Apparently GHB is mixed in water and ... it's all beyond me, this columnist stopped smokin' drinkin' and takin' designer stuff a long, long time ago! STEAMWORKS is the proud sponsor of many diverse community events including MR. EBONY LEATHER. Kudos to STEAMWORKS and their hard line, but weep for a community that has metal detectors at dance palaces (New York has gotten big on that) and random drug searches at the bathhouses. Guess it's time to get a new hobby!
Is there any way to stop these Queens from screaming out to their girlfriends and such as they stagger out of the bars onto Halsted at 2-3-4 a.m. as if they owned it and people DON'T live and try to sleep on the main drag? Maybe they ought to post bouncers at the door OUTSIDE to remind these revelers that Halsted is still and always has been a residential district, show a little consideration. Makes you long for the skulking back alley days when we slipped quietly in and out the back doors!
Got sumpthin' to say? Check my Web site for complete column text n' pics www.mrcain.com .
Men of Onyx hosted Blackout VIII—Behind the Eight Ball, a weekend of events by and for African America leathermen. See www.onyxmen.com .
Photos by Kirk Williamson