Leather Thanksgiving: Celebrating Community and Kinship in L.A.'s Queer Underground
On a Friday night following Thanksgiving, a hotel room at the Hotel Indigo in Downtown Los Angeles was transformed into a leather dressing room where friends gathered for a pre-party ritual. The group, part of the L.A. edition of CLAW, a national leather and kink convention, prepared for an afterparty with drinks, music, and outfit adjustments. CLAW, founded in 2002 in Cleveland, has expanded to include events in L.A. since 2021.
While many spent Thanksgiving with family, this gathering, known as "Leather Thanksgiving," celebrated chosen family and camaraderie within L.A.'s queer nightlife community. For Yair Lopez and his friends, the sense of belonging and connection within the leather community continues to grow. Lopez, a prominent figure in L.A.'s leather scene, showcased his art at a gallery, attended a screening of a documentary he appeared in, and participated in an afterparty.
For Lopez and his friends, leather represents more than just a fetish; it symbolizes kinship, safety, and visibility in a city where queer Latino spaces are limited. Lopez's journey into the leather community began a decade ago through photography, eventually leading him to the Eagle, a legacy leather bar in Silver Lake. The Eagle provided Lopez with a sense of community and acceptance that he had longed for.
The Eagle, a longstanding hub for L.A.'s kink scene, offered Lopez a space where he felt seen and accepted. However, the lack of representation of gay Latinos in traditional gay spaces prompted Lopez to seek out like-minded individuals within the leather community. Through his involvement in Contramundo, a Latino leather night at the Bullet Bar, and his community work, Lopez has become a prominent figure in L.A.'s leather underground scene.
Leonardo Iriarte, the first Latino Mr. L.A. Leather and co-founder of Payasos L.A., a nonprofit supporting Latino visibility in the leather world, played a significant role in Lopez's journey. Iriarte, who moved to the U.S. for personal freedom as a gay individual, faced racism within the leather scene but paved the way for other Latinos to find acceptance and community.
As the night progressed at the afterparty, attendees immersed themselves in the pulsing techno music, clad in leather attire that reflected their individual styles. Lopez, mingling with friends and acquaintances, reflected on the sense of community and acceptance these spaces provide. The camaraderie and freedom to express oneself fully in these underground spaces offer a sense of joy and connection that is often elusive in mainstream society.
In conclusion, the leather community in L.A. serves as a sanctuary for individuals like Yair Lopez and Leonardo Iriarte, providing a space where they can be authentically themselves and find acceptance among chosen family. Through art, activism, and community building, these individuals are reshaping the narrative of queer Latino representation in the leather world, fostering a sense of belonging and visibility for marginalized communities.