Frequently asked questions
leather community & culture
What is leather culture, and what does it mean to be a part of the leather community?
Leather is a queer subculture that emphasizes personal excellence, deep emotional connections, and a powerful sense of community and belonging. For gay men, leather is strongly associated with the performance of masculinity. An important purpose of Leather culture is for gay men to share their social traumas, and to reclaim their masculinity from the expectations imposed on them by society.
Being a part of the Leather community means engaging with others on a deep emotional level. Leather people take pleasure in consensually engaging in hierarchy, protocol, and power exchange. In order to engage in these activities in a ‘safe, sane & consensual’ way, Leather people embody the virtues of integrity, honesty, and humility, counting on each other to participate in and contribute to their personal growth.
What is the purpose of a leather club, and what kind of activities do you organize?
A Leather club’s purpose is to support the community by utilizing resources such as money and volunteer hours, according to a democratic process. To host a “Leather Night” at a dungeon, to raise money for a worthwhile charity, or to organize a protest of an unjust law, takes resources. The structure of a club allows its members to make motions, cast votes, and commit together to decisions about how to spend money, what events to host or attend, and how members’ time should be spent best to achieve these goals.
An everyday “event attendee” is every bit as much “part of the community” as any club member. Their club membership speaks only to their desire to contribute time, money, and other resources toward the goal of creating more spaces for gay men to exist and have experiences in.
What do you mean by "protocol" and "hierarchy" in the context of your club?
Leather is commonly associated with group rule-following and power exchange behavior. To some extent, this is codified in official club activity: as a democratic organization with by-laws and ceremonies, the club is proscriptive of certain behaviors for its constituents. Additionally, there is authority delegated through club actions like the forming of committees and the naming of committee chairpersons, which gives control of certain aspects of the club’s activities to certain members. Additionally, protocol and hierarchy are present in kink/BDSM play: daddy and boy, handler and pet, and other power exchange dynamics establish relationships of control between participants. It is our goal to create spaces where these kinds of relationships can function and be put on display.
What does "leather visibility" mean, and why is it important to your club?
A subtle kind of oppression that erases personal identity is conformance of dress. Our Leather proclaims us to be in a state of rebellion against the norm, declaring our queer identity in an unapologetic and unmistakable way. When we cannot declare ourselves to be gay men, we cannot find each other in crowds. We cannot look out into a group, and see affirmation that society has room for us. Leather men are visible to everyone, but perhaps the most important audience for us is one another. Without the freedom to gather publicly, to declare our existence, and to express our culture with our clothing, we can be stuck living in isolation even as we walk past each other on the street every single day.
How does Circle City Leather interact with and support other queer organizations in Indianapolis?
It is our belief that there are many different groups that fall under the banner of “queer”, and that it’s beautiful and inspiring that so many different ways of living can come out of the human experience. Circle City Leather is best positioned to assist people who identify as gay men, and our events reflect that. In addition to running our own events, Circle City Leather provides volunteer time and fundraising to other organizations, as well as advertising their events to help all our community members find the spaces that work best for them. Information about organizations we frequently work with can be found on the Resources page.
events
What should I expect when attending a Circle City Leather event?
Circle City Leather organizes many kinds of events, which range from social to play and interactive. In order to support everybody’s comfort, we work carefully to spell out all expected protocol in the event listing. If you have any concerns that are not addressed there, please feel free to reach out to us through our contact page, or message an administrator in our events chat. A vitally important aspect of sharing sexually charged spaces is understanding what to expect, and we want to support all attendees as much as we can in this regard.
How do you ensure a safe and consensual environment at your events?
We do not permit play that restricts a participant’s ability to speak, or consensual non-consent scenes at public events. This sort of play is valid, fun, and beautiful, but it muddies the waters when creating a space in which everyone is intended to feel safe. Events will always feature lower-stimulation areas that attendees may retreat to without needing to change clothing or leave the venue. If a staff member has a concern about any ongoing play in the space, they may ask for a “light check” from a participant, where the answer “green” signals consent and “red” signals a problem.
I'm not sure if I identify as part of the queer community. Can I still attend your events?
Circle City Leather designs its events to support gay men. Being unsure if one feels at home in the community is an experience that all of us have gone through, at one time or another. If you believe that the support we offer would be helpful to you, then you’re welcome here.
I'm new to kink/BDSM. are your events a good place to start exploring?
Absolutely! Circle City Leather seeks to provide spaces that align with our mission, but we also maintain strong connections to the queer, kinky, and BDSM communities in Indianapolis. If you determine that Circle City Leather doesn’t feel like home to you, it would be our privilege to assist you in finding the local community that is. Our calendar shows events hosted by us, as well as events hosted by other queer organizations around town, and our resources page provides contact information for a variety of businesses and non-profits that operate in the Indianapolis area.
I'm interested in learning more about kink/BDSM. Do you offer any educational resources or workshops?
We do. We also participate in larger, more community-wide education events run by other groups in Indianapolis, and advertise those as well. If you are interested in something you cannot find an event for, please feel free to contact us and ask. It would be our pleasure to assist you in locating a practitioner of the activities you’re interested in.
How can I stay informed about upcoming Circle City Leather events and activities?
Consider joining our telegram channel, where our ‘regulars’ hang out, chat about shared interests, and receive updates about upcoming events. Our events page also reflects all of our planned events, as well as those of other queer groups around the city that we support.
our club
Do I need to identify as a gay man to join Circle City Leather?
Circle City Leather membership is available to persons of any sexuality and gender that wish to provide support for gay men in Indianapolis.
Is Circle City Leather exclusively for people who practice kink/BDSM?
Practice of Kink/BDSM is not a requirement of membership. That said, Kink/BDSM have a strong presence in our culture, and the majority of our events will be designed in such a way that people who practice Kink/BDSM will have the opportunity to do so. If you aren’t comfortable around the presence of Kink/BDSM activity, you may find that Circle City Leather’s events don’t appeal to you.
How does Circle City Leather support neurodiversity within the community?
Circle City Leather designs its events with explicit, simple protocol that is clearly explained. This helps neurotypical and neurodiverse audiences alike to understand what’s expected of them at our events, and to allow them to create their own expectations of our events as well. Our understanding of the best ways to support neurodiversity in our community is always evolving, and you should feel free to reach out to an admin via the telegram channel or the contact page if you have any specific concerns.
How can I get involved with Circle City Leather and support your mission?
The simplest way to support our mission is proudly to wear your Leather, be a person of integrity, and show the world that a Leather man is a model of queer . If you are interested in supporting our club specifically, we are always looking for new members, volunteers, business partners, sponsors, and donors, please feel free to reach out to us on our Contact page or attend any of our public meetings.
Are there any membership requirements or fees associated with joining the club?
Yes. More information will be made available in due time.