Fetish Fashion Show at Beatbox
Published 02/06/2014
by Race Bannon
At the forefront of rubber's higher profile in San Francisco is Rick Holte, the main front man for the Rubber Men of San Francisco (www.rmsf.org). They are dedicated to providing more social experiences and fetish events for rubber enthusiasts and they welcome male-identified individuals of all legal ages and experience levels. The organization started in 2001 when two guys asked the owner of the Loading Dock bar if they could gather local rubber men and form a club. The organization has been significantly energized in recent years through Holte's leadership and is now a strong force in the overall San Francisco kink community.
Last year Rubber Men of San Francisco brought the first ever rubber fetish fashion show to San Francisco with a look at the hottest collections from the rubber scene's favorite gear designers. On February 8 they offer us the second of what appears to now be an annual event – Tenacious: Rubber on the Runway. This year Tenacious will be a peep show featuring fetish looks that combine classic and new pieces from top gear designers on the runway.
Tenacious will be held at Beatbox at 314 11th Street in San Francisco from 4p.m. to 7p.m. Ten percent of all ticket sales will be donated to The Carter Johnson Leather Library (www.leatherlibrary.org), a non-profit organization that hosts a traveling collection of thousands of books, magazines, posters, art, club and event pins, newspapers, event programs and ephemera showing leather, fetish and BDSM erotic history.
The rubber fashion runway event is part of an overall rubber weekend called Rubbdown. Tickets for the entire weekend or just the fashion show can be purchased at www.rubbdown.com.
I asked Rick Holte his thoughts on why rubber has become a much more popular fetish in the U.S. in recent years. Among the reasons, Holte said, "I believe that we owe thanks to pop culture. In the past few years, thanks to pop icons like Lady Gaga and movies like The Fifth Element , we have started seeing rubber in everyday fashion, from shoes and bags to club wear and high fashion for both men and women. At the same time, rubber has become increasingly popular in the fetish community where it has become very typical rather than exceptional to see rubber at events like IML."
When asked to describe the appeal of rubber to its enthusiasts Holte said, in part, "There is a huge physical attraction to the texture and constriction of wearing rubber. The increased temperatures are prime for sexual energy. I also find that it creates a tactile buffer that mutes unwanted sensations like tickling while amplifying the sensuality of rubbing and caressing. Visually rubber is associated with things like superheroes, which creates a fantasy of physical perfection even for someone who doesn't have a muscular build."
Luckily for the Bay Area, rubber has become a normal part of the local kink scene for both men and women. As I've attended various events in San Francisco and throughout the area, as well as nationally, I've seen rubber garb popping up more often lately. The rubber fetishists seem to always fit in quite nicely with the leatherfolk and others who populate this increasingly diverse alternative scene that is often encapsulated by the moniker of leather. But how does a newcomer to rubber dip their toes into the bathwater and begin to experience the joys of rubber without feeling uncomfortable or pressured? I asked Holte that question.
"Thanks to the advantage of technology, today someone can search for rubber fetish on Google and Facebook and find others to hold their hand. Still, there is a certain code that will help to find the right people. Since rubber is all about gear, that is the key. No one expects a newbie to show up at a party decked out in full rubber, but an ice breaker can be to ask for advice about gear and where to get it. Most kinksters can weed out people who just want to get their rocks off talking about kinky scenes involving gear from those who actually have a craving to explore it as a serious fetish.
"My advice is to put yourself out there, whether it's online or visiting stores like Mr. S Leather or going to any event that even suggests it's kinky. Wear the closest thing you have to the gear you want, even if it's running tights and rain boots with a harness made of older inner tubes and duct tape with a wrestling hood (yeah, I used to wear that to a fetish nightclub). Find the people that have what you want and approach them with respect and say, 'I want what you have. Can you show me how?' It shouldn't be a come-on or a pick-up line, just honest interest in what they are into."
So if rubber might be something you're interested in exploring, there is a growing community of people willing to embrace you and your interests. Aren't the growing range of erotic options wonderful?
Race Bannon is a local author, blogger and activist. You can reach him through the contact page on www.bannon.com.
Leather Events, Feb. 6-15, 2014 There's always a lot going on in the San Francisco Bay Area for leather and other kinksters.
Thu 6 Beyond The Gasmask @ Bulldog Tattoo Rubber Men of San Francisco host a Rubber 101 for both newcomers and experienced rubber enthusiasts, free but donations welcome. 7pm. 2275 Market St. www.rubbdown.com
Fri 7 Rubber Men @ Kink.com Join the Rubber Men of San Francisco for a look behind the scenes at kink.com, $25. 7pm. 14th St. and Mission. www.rubbdown.com
Sober Kink Together @ Castro Country Club Officially a CMA meeting, but open to all Anonymous 12-step Fellowship members. 9:30pm. 4058 18th St. www.castrocountryclub.com
Current title holders Scout Hudson, Community Bootblack Sir Brent Gannetta and boy Element Eclipse at last year's Northern California LeatherSir/boy and Community Bootblack Contest. See Sat. 15 listing for info on this year's event. Photo: Rich Stadtmiller
Sat 8 Tenacious: Rubber On The Runway @ Beatbox A Rubber Men of San Francisco fetish fashion event showcasing collections from the rubber scene's favorite gear designers, $20. 4pm. 314 11th St. www.rubbdown.com
GearBox @ Mr. S Leather Part of RubbDown weekend, hosted by Mr. West Coast Rubber $20. 7pm. 385 8th St. www.rubbdown.com
Sun 9 Mary Rubber Men Brunch @ OMG The brunch closing out Rubber Men of San Franicsco's RubbDown weekend. $25. 3pm. 43 6th St. www.rubbdown.com
Robert Shively's Installation as Senior Pastor @ MCCSF Service and reception to install the new leather-friendly MCC Senior Pastor, formal leather encouraged. 3pm. 50 Eureka St. www.mccsf.org
Wed 12 Golden Shower Buddies @ Blow Buddies A men's water sports night, Golden Shower Buddies. $15 with membership. 8pm. 933 Harrison St. www.blowbuddies.com
Fri 14 Northern California LeatherSir/boy and Community Bootblack @ Powerhouse Meet and mingle with the contest contestants and many others. 7pm. 1347 Folsom St. www.northerncalifornialeather.com
Sat 15 Northern California LeatherSir/boy and Community Bootblack Contest @ Beatbox Come cheer on the contestants and have a good time. 7pm. 314 11th St. www.northerncalifornialeather.com
1 comment:
I WISH i could look as good as everyone pictured here ...at least I wish someone would make a positive comment about how i should look.lol.
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