The Procrustean Bed

According to Greek Myth, Procrustes guarded the sacred access to Eleusis from Athens. Within his stronghold he kept an iron bed upon which he forced those making the pilgrimage to spend the night. And if his guest did not fit the bed, Procrustes, being a smith by trade, would make him fit, working away on the guest's body with his hammer. In contemporary use, Procrustes bed serves as a metaphor for an arbitrary standard used to force conformity. That is, a standard that has been imposed on others in order to control access to knowledge and experience.

During my extensive travels, I have encountered many variations on Leather and protocols. In my hometown of Boston, the role of a boy has a more rigid standard than in Seattle. And in European countries, the relationship between a Sir and a boy are often closer to the the Master and slave paradigm. Protcols, the manifestation of the bond between a Sir and His boy, reflect such regional differences.

While writing books and giving workshops on the subject certainly has its place, we must remember that the traditions of Leather have always varied from place to place. To flatter the protocols of one club or region excludes the traditions of another, the imposition of history and tradition through a biased lens. Those of us who do not fit the heterosexual, white male American stereotype recognize a similar tactic in the interpretation of history. Still, some in our community believe that the existence of books on protocols and "Old Guard" culture can substitute for a firm foundation in Leather based on practice. And that these should be accepted as a measure of the authenticity of a Leatherman. A fundamental truth.

Fundmentalism forms the basis of a great deal of political and religious debate today not only in the United States, but also throughout much of the world. People tout the written word as canonic law and claim that variance from that law forms the basis for exclusion. I see such tactics used in the Leather Community, with books like "The Leatherman's Handbook" and "Mr. Benson" treated with the same reverence as the King James Version of the "Bible."

I do not mean to suggest that such texts do not have a place within our Community. On the contrary, they serve to record the authors' observations. The also act as guides in understanding our tradition, a finger pointing at the moon, as we say in Zen. We must remember, however, never to mistake the finger for the moon. No matter how authoratative these texts appear to be, we must understand them within the context of time, place, and privilege. A professional, white male would write a very different record of Folsom in the seventies than a young, blue-collar Transman struggling with gender identity. We must be wary in understanding any one point of view as the official record of an era. More important, we must avoid the acceptance of these texts as a Levitical code for contemporary praxis.

Claimed ancestory often acts as a corollary of the fundamentalist stance. In Leather and kink, claims as to authenticity abound. Men trace the beginnings of their Leather back as far as they can to substantiate their roles as sirs. I find this interesting. Twenty-five years ago when I began dabbling in kink not one of my tops made such claims. And when I joined the self-defined Community a few years later, not one recognized sir produced his pedigree. "And Joe begat Stephen. And Stephen flogged Michael. And Michael fist-fucked Christopher again and again."

Returning to the exercise of protocols, in my own Leather Family I have four boys. Each is very different from the other. To expect the same protocols ignores the identity of each. The alpha is a traditional Leatherboy. The second, a sub with a penchant for boots and bootplay. The third is a young, dapper sir who harbors a fetish for suits, and who insists on wearing argyle socks with his boots. And the newest is an experienced player who is openly Trans. Like the blind men and the elephant, I am different to each according to his experience and need. I am a Daddy. I am a Dom. I am an older Sir apprenticing a younger one. And I provide the companionship and security of an Older Gay Man. Although I have a few protocols that are universally recognized by all four, each boy has his own that have grown organically from his interaction with me.

What unites my Leather Family is not shared protocols or mode of dress. As Sir, I refuse to impose a set of Procrustean protocols on all four boys. Instead, we are united by the shared role that Leather/kink has relative to our identity.

In Christian lore we are reminded to "Judge not, that ye be not judged." In a similar fashion, we must remind ourselves to avoid the two-edged sword of Leather Fundamentalism. Just as Procrustes was ultimately subjected to the cold standard of his own iron bed, those who try to impose rules on others in the Leather Community may find themselves excluded by the strictness of their own measure.

Also see Race Bannon's article "Leather Fundamentalism" at http://bannon.com/blog/

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