abstract
| - The LGBT community has a variety of subcultures and groups. One component has historical roots to the BDSM community and to biker culture, resulting in a noticeable number of gay men wearing a LOT of cured animal hide in suggestive cuts. The leather tradition is generally traced back to gay servicemen returning from WWII. They became the biker gangs of the 50s, and it sort of went from there. The BDSM part sort of merged in later. In fact some of the older leathermen (the "old guard") have few if any S&M tendencies. Just a strict code of honor, obedience to tradition and hierarchy and a strict set of rules. A related but distinct group are bears, masculine types with body hair, heavy-set builds, and/or "traditionally" masculine behaviour. Both groups formed in part because the gay community itself had developed certain stereotypical expectations - typically, hairless young "metrosexuals". Or drag queens. The defining characteristic of both groups was a certain visibly identifiable look and behavior. Which, of course, meant that once TV got around to even acknowledging that there was a gay subculture, these two were mashed together as possibly the stereotype to portray, after "classical" gay archetypes. Especially if the setting involved jail at any point. The popularity of The Village People and the artwork of Tom of Finland probably helped. Needless to say, character development seldom proceeds beyond "big, hairy, aggressive gay biker". May or may not be Hell-Bent for Leather. Not to be confused with the multitool of the same name. Compare Manly Gay and Macho Camp. Examples of Leather Man include:
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