Leather Institute For Education - Detroit



"Where Leather Learns"

LIFE Detroit 5th Anniversary
A Tribute to Goddess Lakshimi and Mark Ensinger
Handout - Goddess Lakshimi Tribute

LIFE – Detroit

 

Leather Institute For Education – Detroit

5th Anniversary Celebration

November 3, 2007

 

Goddess Lakshimi Tribute

 

By Dale Ross, Founding Member

 

   In 1989 John Cook, former owner of Chosen Books of MI in Royal Oak (mainly known for its Gay men’s videos) and also a GOOD Friend of mine, sent out a letter we wrote to approximately 8,000 of his customers and the Gay/Lesbian Community, hoping to instill a motivation to improve our Gay lives and Community.  In December 1997, hearing that Affirmations Gay Community Center, the Triangle Foundation (a hate crimes prevention organization) and Friends Alliance (for persons dealing with HIV and AIDS) were all struggling with finding new directors, I thought it may be an opportune time to reconsider what John Cook desired eight years earlier.  The following is a letter I wrote to the editors of our Gay newspapers in 1997 and feel it STILL captures the concerns and issues of our Gay ‘community’ ten years later.  I also believe the points relate well to our Leather Communities (both Straight and Gay), and I offer it as a reflection on the fine contributions and attributes of Goddess Lakshimi as well.

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“Open Letter to the Community – Revisited”, 1997 (edited for tribute):  I returned late last night from my second delightful visit to Chicago’s Gay North Halsted Days (can I call it an ‘annual trip’ yet?).  I was struck by a number of comparisons between Detroit’s ‘Gay Community’ and Chicago’s.  The first is Chicago’s shear numbers: over 300,000 during two days in past years.  With a ratio of populations between metropolitan Chicago and Detroit being approximately 2 to 1, where are Detroit’s TENS OF THOUSANDS of Gays and Lesbians???  (A conservative 10% of Metro Detroit’s 1 ½ million people leaves at least 250,000 primarily exclusively Gay and Lesbian citizens – plus house guests, of course.  And what about the additional percentage of Bisexual and Transgendered individuals who are yet to be ‘discovered’ and admitted to exist by our Brothers and Sisters, let alone mainstream society?  [What might be the percentage of Leather Sisters and Brothers (both Straight, Gay and in between – Bisexual)???]

   One Chicago friend commented on the lack of ‘individuals making a statement’, referring to the visible absence of the ‘Drag Queen’ and ‘Leather’ Communities.  Where there was a touch of leather among the many ‘buff bods’ and a few strands of colored beads, I readily agreed most of the Windy City crowd appeared rather ‘Middle America’ as they roamed in relatively orderly rows, staying to the right as one would while properly driving (we do like things to look pretty!).  I later recalled Detroit’s Human Rights Campaign Dinners where the vast majority stood around ‘looking and acting LIKE high society’ in their rented formal attire (while they paid significant sums of money for dinner, attempting to gain their ‘rights’ to be ‘individuals’).  I recalled the comments of appreciation from others for my having ‘the courage to wear leather’, as well as how ‘nice’ dressy Western leather clothes can appear.  I believe I saw two or three of ‘us’ trying to make various ‘statements’ with our clothes [out of the approximately 1,800 at the Detroit Ren Cen ballroom] and I recalled the fear I felt the first time entering, wondering whether I would be asked to leave (or worse, simply avoided and being left ‘out’ once, again) since I ‘dared’ to not act/dress like EVERYONE else, as ‘we’ fought for ‘our rights’.  I have read numerous articles about ‘effective political fighting’ where one leaves/forces the ‘fringe elements’ to not show/embarrass the ‘Community’s cause’… especially Drag Queens and Leathermen.

   In 1989 John Cook asked me to write his letter which he sent to about 8,000 customers.  I believe his ‘Open Letter To The Community’ is even more relevant today [both in 1997 and 2007] than when we had lunch to decide what to include.  He and I wanted to get people thinking AND ACTING.  Where was/is/will be Detroit’s leadership, their visions, goals, objectives AND how do the constituents feel they are doing?  Are there agreed upon directives, visions and ‘ethics’ among those we choose/’let’ lead and represent us?

   I recalled heartfelt discussions, in the later 70’s, about the need to have Gay people ‘get a life’ outside the bars.   Well, it is now THIRTY YEARS since I participated in those discussions and yet the majority of our ‘Community’ still revolves around these same social institutions (the names and locations may have changed, but many of the same owners/leaders and ‘types’ are still together).  BUT WHERE ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE???  As John Cook expressed, we fear too many are ‘opting out’ of being ‘out’ and simply staying home… with all the complications that go with ‘denial’ and UNhappiness.  [And, of course, the computer and Internet have both helped and complicated all of this.]  We all have feelings, whether we choose to express them vocally or in other non-verbal behaviors.

   I hear more people than ever complaining that they have no place to go (other than the bars) and that it is even harder to get anyone to meet them for anything other than sex (and I am NOT referring to healthy expressions of one’s sexuality which can be VERY positive).  A member of MAPP (Midwest AIDS Prevention Project) commented that the same 10 people show up for the various events they attempt to conduct for people who complain there is nothing to do.  Additionally, many people take our sexual exploitation as ‘personal rejection’ rather than being ‘objectified’ and ‘used’ by a sexually obsessed society at large, (I believe Gay men simply talk about it more openly)… [And, what about our Leather Communities (both Straight and Gay)???]

   In contrast, Chicago’s mainstream Sunday Sun-Times newspaper (in 1997) had a front page, full color, bold headlined article, “City to recognize gay neighborhood”, with a byline, “$3.2 million street project features ‘pride’ symbols”.  What a contrast to my awareness of Detroit, AND to have such an announcement show up across the city’s regular paper newsstands, AND on the weekend of North Halsted Gay Market Days.  Wouldn’t it be nice if our Gay [and Leather] representatives to Detroit’s city government(s) could lobby for such recognition?  Yet, do we even have such a person, what/which metro cities could she/he constructively approach, and what ‘platform’ would she/he be presenting/representing?  Perhaps there is a lot of work to do before we can ‘pretend’ to be a successful ‘Gay [or Leather] Community’ of one of THE MAJOR CITIES of the ‘free world’.  Who is going to do it, how will they be ‘elected’ to such positions, and what ‘accountability’ will be there?  I thought this last thought upon seeing a tee shirt that weekend which read: “LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!”  I would politely add “please and thank you for YOUR contribution of effort, YOU can and do make a difference!!!”.

   Well, I would kindly suggest that Goddess Lakshimi fulfills so many of the attributes I was thinking of ten years ago.   She was Ms. World Leather 2003 and did an excellent job of fulfilling her world-wide duties, and then she came home to Detroit.  Many would have simply rested on their laurels and enjoyed the many memories.  Goddess Lakshimi has continued to work very hard, both globally and locally.  We are indeed fortunate to have such a fine ‘leader’ in our local Leather Communities, and I would like to offer a slightly adjusted comment I thought of upon seeing that tee shirt “LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF HER WAY… thank you for YOUR contributions and efforts Goddess, and PLEASE continue… for YOU do make a difference!!!”

 

Respectfully,

 

Dale Ross

LIFE-Detroit Founding Member

 

PS  Copies of the original 1997 letter are available tonight… [which people requested]

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