IML Bans Bareback-Friendly Vendors
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15 July 2009 | 16 Comments
As if the leather community didn’t have enough problems already… Our leather bars are disappearing (our one “leather bar” here in NY is best described as “leather friendly” – there is no time when you’re turned away for wearing white pants or sandals), our organizations are shutting their doors (e.g. “the World’s largest gay S/M organization” – GMSMA here in NY – is now gone), there’s rampant racism in the community, etc. So what does the International Mr. Leather (IML) organization do? It decides to go on the warpath against a big portion of the people in its own community to reduce the numbers even further. Their target is barebackers. Anyone associated with barebacking is now barred from being a vendor in IML’s leather mart. Here’s the text of their letter to vendors…
Dear Vendors:
On behalf of International Mr. Leather, Inc., I would like to thank you for your past support and in particular for your participation as a vendor inour annual Leather Market. We are writing you today to inform you of a policy change affecting next year (2010) and all future markets.
Though we are now three decades into the HIV/AIDS epidemic, no cure has been found. The CDC and local health officials inform us that new infections are on the rise. And, while we have had some success developing medications that might make infection more manageable, that accomplishment comes at a price. Not having experienced the deaths – the loss of loved ones — which preceded these medications, we have an entire generation who may not fully appreciate or comprehend the severity of the situation.
Too many in our community believe HIV/AIDS is curable or manageable. Too few understand that HIV/AIDS infections dominate life. We believe that it is our duty to inform and educate. Several years ago when “Meth” was the scourge of our community, IML drew a line in the sand and raised awareness and used all our influence to try and stop this addictive madness. As is the case with HIV/AIDS, we believe it is our further obligation to do everything in our power to prevent future infections.
To that end, after considerable discussion, the Executive Committee of International Mr. Leather has decided that it will no longer allow participation in the IML Leather Market by any entity which promotes barebacking or distributes/sells any merchandise tending to promote or advocate barebacking. This restriction will also apply to distribution of gifts, post cards or any other information via our facilities.
This policy takes effect immediately.
Sincerely,
Chuck Renslow, President
International Mr. Leather
(Emphasis is mine.) Click here to see an image of the actual letter.
For years they’ve been profiting from barebacking, yet somehow it’s suddently a problem. I haven’t heard any public apologies for the racist comments at their contest this year – apparently that doesn’t bother them. They can’t even bother with private apologies – the e-mail I sent them complaining about the racist comments was never answered. They don’t seem to mind racists in their midst, but apparently they just can’t stand that someone would CHOOSE to not use a rubber when fucking. It’s sorta insulting actually – they seem to think the people who go to IML don’t understand the risks – that they’re stupid and need to be protected from themselves.
And let me make something crystal clear – if they say it’s a health issue their either delusional or lying. These days smoking kills WAY more gay men than barebacking yet they’re completely supportive of the smoking fetish. I mean cigar smoking leather daddies are iconic in the leather community. How many of them will die horribly painful deaths because of their choice to smoke? If IML were serious about health issues they’d start there and ban all vendors that have anything to do with supporting smoking – that’s the activity that’s going to kill the most people in the leather community, not barebacking…
From what I can tell, this is a case of the “old guard” vs. the “new guard”. People my age and older, who dominate the leadership of IML, often don’t get that HIV/AIDS is a very different disease today than it was before ARVs came on the scene in 1996. Just because we had a horrible experience with HIV/AIDS they think no one has the right to fuck raw – ever…
The appeal of the leather community used to be that it was edgy. Minorities used to put up with the racism just to feed off the overall edginess of it all. For those of you who were around NY back in the ’90s Pork @ The LURE on Wednesday nights was an incredible experience – the East Village boys invaded and ran a leather bar and it was a wonderful mix. Today what edginess there is in the gay community is found in the bareback community. So the question is what’s the appeal of the leather community if it’s openly hostile to the leading edgy elements in the gay community? Why will people bother with leather? Why will they want to learn how to do BDSM properly? Leather will just become a fashion statement and BDSM will become marginalized as something only old queens do.
The reason why I care is because the leather community used to be the embodiment of a group that unapologetically demanded respect for who they were. They demanded tolerance for their sexually deviant consensual acts, but yet they’re unwilling to be tolerant of others’ sexually deviant consensual acts. They’ve lost something, and it’s sad… In an era of everyone conforming to heterosexual norms (with gay marriage) we need a group that stands up for tolerance and respect of being different, being kinky, and being a deviant…
Let me just run down the vendors who are affected. Since most places that sell videos sell at least some bareback titles, that eliminates almost everyone who’s related to porn with the exception of production companies that only shoot condom porn. The other question is whether they consider pre-condom to be bareback. It is, and if they’re really being consistent they should not allow companies who continue to sell bareback videos under the title “pre-condom”. If they don’t treat pre-condom as what it is – bareback – then that just points out the craziness of their decision.
- Bijou Video (pre-condom)
- Dark Alley Media (recently started producing bareback titles)
- Dick Wadd Media
- Erotic Writers (will IML allow writing about bareback sex?)
- Factory Video / Gay Reality Porn
- Helix Studios
- Spunk Video
- Treasure Island Media
Those are just the ones I can pick out from their list… I think there might be others.
Needless to say, I’m not going to IML next year. I had already decided a while back to go to MAL instead…
If you would like to tell IML what you think of their decision, the e-mail address is info@imrl.com… But don’t expect a response…
I would like to know that every vendor which IS eligible under the “new policy” decides to boycott and refuses to participate in IML. Further, that there be massive boycott of IML by individual members.
This attempt at censorship by IML is as disgusting as anything that could be launched by some right wing group — even more disgusting because the knife is being thrust in by supposedly “our own” people.
I think that the actions taken by IML are both treacherous and traitorous and have the potential to be used by politicians with anti-gay agendas.
Am sending these comments to IML directly.
I never got to go to IML (I live in Australia), and now I doubt I ever will. I’m actually kind of sad that Renslow’s soapbox has now tainted an iconic event like this.
I was wondering if you are going to “live your values,” but that was sorta answered when you said you will attend MAL next year. If in 2 years IML holds to this policy, it will be interesting to see if you go.
IML is living their values as a board. It is your choice to disagree. At that point you should either: (1) not attend or support IML in any way, or (2) continue to support IML and work you way into a leadership post where you can impact policy.
***
One final note. This is the 2nd or 3rd time you have talked about racism in the leather community. From a midwest perspective, I don’t see it. I know a lot of African American’s, and a few Latino’s who participate in organized leather activities. I have neither seen them experience racism, or ever heard them say anything about such behavior towards them.
I wonder if you are taking an overly PC stance on a very un-PC comment during IML?
Racism, or any kind of oppression, can be hard to see when 1) you’re a member of a privileged group (in this case, white) and 2) it’s not pointed out to you. It’s very easy to go along accepting some really offensive and racist ideas when those ideas never get challenged. I don’t pretend to totally understand what it’s like to be non-white, but I’ve had enough non-white fuckbuddies to at least understand that there are layers of assumptions we all make that oppress racial minorities, women, gays and bisexuals, transpeople, people with physical disabilities… and on and on.
The best education comes from listening to people in the oppressed group in question. I don’t get the sense that the folks behind IML make a habit of doing that.
(And as far as the hypocrisy goes, with “pre-condom” being okay but current bareback titles being verboten, I am with you 100%.)
Darren…your comments are right on point; wish I could have said it the way that you just did in your post.
it probably is moot anyway. with nationalized health insurance, will the taxpayer tolerate subsidizing health care for recreational barebackers?
So how long will it be before they start turning away those that have profiles on bareback sites or appear in bareback videos?
Maybe next year they can join PETA and require only vegan approved leather alternatives.
so just start your own leather barebacking festival
Success breeds imitation. “I can put on an event like yours but with barebacking.” I don’t understand this desire to make a private event provide a venue to conduct it disagrees with.
Frankly, let’s be honest. The bb porn biz has been pushing the limits recently. What started out as confident poz guys fucking each other on camera has now devolved into seeding wide-eyed 18 year olds like Tommy Haine and crankin out countless vids with barely legal teen cumdumps from Eastern Europe. Sure, they are of legal age – but let’s be honest -they are still young, dumb and full of cum. I had my first cigarette at 19 thinking I could quit any time – 20 years later and I’m still hooked on the cancer sticks. It’s easy to imagine a naive 18 year old thinking, “I’ll just bb this one time – I can always go on the meds” – 20 years later and they’re still dealing with the shits from the meds…
Yes, it sucks that IML is splitting the community like this. But it also sucks that the BB porn companies haven’t really done much in the way of education, outreach or helping their own image. They don’t even bother to post a “don’t do this at home” warning at the front of the videos. It’s a two-way street.
Time to create a bb porn studio for and by the poz community – that both entertains and educates viewers about the risks and rewards of bare sex.
I don’t get this. I thought that the leather community was essentially all about freedom. The freedom of consensual humans beings to live the lifestyle, that they choose for themselves. The freedom to be open about that choice of lifestyle. The freedom to be honest and not pretend. What’s it to me what any other consensual adult does between the sheets, or for that matter, anywhere where he wants to do it? I’m not involved unless I choose to be. So why should it bother me? So what’s it to them what I do, or don’t? Doesn’t their recent policy go straight against the basic principle, this community is build upon?
I can think of other fetishes that may be and are considered health-damaging. I don’t see them banning yellow or brown hankies or condemning those activities.
So where’s the consistency there? Also, while there is such a thing as passive smoking (a fetish they don’t condemn), there is no such thing as passive barebacking. You can’t contract HIV because two other people have unprotected sex. Not even if they are right next to you.
There’s a fascist streak about this policy. Now that’s one attitude I would condemn!
I’m reading with great interest this debate about barebacking and IML’s stance taken after I heard the speech Mr. Renslow so passionately delievered. I was there in the audience and listened as an HIV+ man. I was also one of the few men who stood when it was requested that we do if we knew someone who had died from HIV/AIDS. As a former leather titleholder, founder of a bondage club, co-founder of a PAC and Global Initiative and sit on two HIV/AIDS Research groups I took solace that Mr. Resnlow spoke at an event that has come at a crossroads about where it want to go. If you think his speech was easy to give then you’re too jaded to have a civil conversation about the topic…If you think freedom has no constraints then history is not your strong suit…try yelling bomb on a plane.
The issue at hand is freedom and responsibility. No one at IML is advocating telling anyone who and where someone can sleep with or how they chose to have sex. If every attendee at IML wants to have unprotected sex in the privacy of their room or play party they have that right. Nothing in the letter nor the speech suggests that prohibition. What IML has decided is that as citizens of a greater community at large they do not want to be seen advocating a practice that has contributed to a wave of newer infections. We can argue the effacy of the letter and how it will impact IML but we cannot find fault with IML for doing the public health route and sounding the alarm.
Lastly, we can speculate on the motive of why IML and Mr. Resnlow made that decision but until we have the facts then WE are dividing a community not IML. If I thought for one second the owners of the above mentioned video companies gave a second thought to any actor who contracted HIV, any owner who committed themselves to paying the expensive cost for meds, treating the sex addictive behavior and outcome that develops from either a lack of personal respect or repsect for another’s health then we have devolved into the very community thoes who deride us say we are…selfish, manipulative and self-centered.
I’ve heard the above mentioned reason for unprotected sex back in the 80’s. Remember the 80’s?? I do and I don’t want to go back. If you enjoy hanging yourself to get off, don’t care to pre-arrange a play session because you think its hot to have anonymous-dangerous encounters, lace the drink of a potential playmate, use massive quantities of poppers up your nose,or any other fetish you enjoy…go ahead…but don’t advocate that kind of play and not provide support for thoes who either get hurt, get infected or worse…die. All IML is doing and saying is that they want no part in advocating or advertising a free-right activity within the confines of its PRIVATE event. If barebacking is that important that you’d leave IML and other events…you have forgoteen the first code of a leathermen…..RESPECT.
Well it’s obvious that IML is cutting their feet off, since I would say most of the attendees to the conference are into barebacking, and the parties will go on! So if enough guys boycott or are too upset to attend this year the organization will definitely feel it. I guess that means others who attend won’t be there, like one of my favorites, BOY BUTTER, which is intended for good BB fucking. If you think about it, the bareback (and pre-condom) movies could be viewed as a “fantasy” experience, that guys would do if the world were all clean. I know it’s splitting hairs, but I know guys here who wouldn’t fuck BB but love to watch it on screen. I personally can’t get off using a condom (maybe twice in my life with one) and it feels ever so much better for both parties anyway. And I am HIV- still, having been to the 25th anniversary year of IML in 2003 and fucked BB every chance I got. Something like this stupid IML crap happened to the Folsom Street Fair a few years back, when TIM had reserved a part of their booth a select list of their “fans” who were going to be allowed to go behind a curtain and rawfuck one of their pornstarts (I think it was Dawson). I was on that list, but when I got there I discovered that TIM had been told to cancel that fun, so they boycotted the FF that year. These lame-asses need to realize that we are all adults and don’t need to be cluck-clucked by some “mother hen” organizers for what we love to do!