“Leather became metaphoric for claiming masculinity,” said Michael Bronski, a gender and sexuality studies professor at Harvard University and author of “A Queer History of the United States.” “These guys were baby boomers who’d been told that being gay meant being a sweater queen or being fluffy or effeminate.”īut “progress” in the name of same-sex marriage, social acceptance and civil rights seemed to have taken its toll on the leather scene. In the 1960s through the early ’80s, men in leather caps and chaps could be seen strutting about Christopher Street, looking as if they had emerged from a Tom of Finland illustration by way of a Marlon Brando movie still. The leather scene used to occupy a very visible part of gay culture.
“Being into kinky stuff doesn’t mean you have to wear certain clothing to let the world know.”
“Leather has been integrated into the larger downtown culture, as gay sexuality has become more accepted,” Mr. While the store still carries leather harnesses and chaps, they have become seasonal items tied to specific parties most racks these days display flannel shirts, hoodies and nylon bomber jackets. Stalwarts of the leather scene agree that there has been a shift from lifestyle to sexy dress-up.ĭavid Lauterstein, who opened Nasty Pig in 1994 with his husband, Frederick Kearney, said that his store has undergone a transformation of its own.