Gay male leather culture has existed since the late 1940s,[1] when it likely grew out of post-WWII biker culture. Early gay leather bars were subcultural versions of the motorcycle club with pioneering gay motorcycle clubs including the Satyrs, established in Los Angeles in 1954; Oedipus, also established in Los Angeles in 1958, and the New York Motorbike Club. Early San Francisco clubs included the Warlocks and the California Motor Club[2], while early clubs in Sydney included the South Pacific Motor Club (SPMC). Leather Clubs for gay men started in Amsterdam and Berlin in the 1950s, and inSydney from 1970.. The community started out as small motorcycle clubs that practiced a form of masculine gay sexuality. To say there is set old guard protocols and rules as wrong. Each individual club had there own form and rules. Leather is a core part of this community as they wore it to look Butch and for protection. There core believe was that new comers had to earn there leathers thus there place in the community. They had individual apprenticeship where the apprentice earned pieces of leather when the top or Master thought he was ready. This led to the practice of earning your collar. First the sub might get a collar of consideration, then a training collar and after months or even years might earn his collar.
Old Guard vs. New guard has been a long standing debate stating that old guard was all about form and protocols, and new guard is disorderly and more individualized. Truly both forms existed from the beginning since each club had there own rules and ways of running things. Some clubs where all about rituals and protocols where other embraced the biker code more and was about disorder and chaos. Some engaged in strict forms of courtesy thus the old guard protocol so many says was hallmark of all old guard life styles, while some welcomed newcomers to the leather community through bars and clubs. Some state that anything before the 1980’s was old guard but many changes had already been incorporated into the leather community by that time. Some classify old guard is the generation that came before the current one, and the generation that follows the current one is new guard. Now the new guard is not mainly leather gay groups, but encompasses a wide variety of individuals who subscribe to the protocols set down as standard for old guard. Old guard believed in new members learning the rules and earning there place in the community. They had to practice strict protocol into how they dressed and spoke to members that were higher ranking then them. They had high principles and values and if you didn’t meet them you weren’t welcome to the group. Old guard had a rule seniority was proven through experience. You had to earn your right to be called Master and work you way up that is largely ignored today when so many call themselves Master’s with no experience at all. Most old guard had a dress code. The dress code they followed showed experience without the need for words. There was significance to each piece of leather they earned and any member looking at someone could tell where they were in experience by what they had on. Social interaction was usually pretty formal. Those in senior positions usually took lead in conversations and they weren’t to be interrupted. Submissives weren’t’ supposed to make eye contact unless told to. They were expected to walk a half step behind there Dominants. There was certain ways they served there Dominants which varied with individual clubs and people. Some had to always serve on there knees while others could serve standing upright but had to carry and hand things a certain way. High protocol is rarely used to day. Most think common courtesy and politeness is usually enough.
The internet has opened a whole new realm of rules and protocols not only for old guard/new guard life style people but every one in between as well. Now you have not only old guard, new guard, you have Goreans, players, and internetters as well. Many think we should go back to basic courtesies and forget all the games. So what does back to the basics mean? It means to adopt a set of values and principles that are consistent through all aspects of BDSM. Whether you’re leather, new guard, gorean, etc., the values and principles should be the same. In my opinion, it is time to get rid of the politics, the egos, and the pretenders. How one practice their BDSM lifestyle is relatively unimportant. What one does and says is very important. Those old guard values and principles -- good manners, being courteous, not lying, honor, honesty, reliability, integrity, generosity, trustworthiness, responsibility, respect for others, common sense, a sense of humor, a willingness to help others, open and honest communication, trust or respect -- is what this lifestyle should be all about.
