A bar where (usually
butch)
gay men congregate,
cruise,
drink,
and sometimes
play. The dress code is usually leather / Levis. Most leather
bars are the "home" club of one or more
patch clubs (
motorcycle or
S&M
group). Some leather bars are reasonably comfortable for (some) leatherwomen,
and while rare, leather bars catering to females do exist.
Most large cities in the US, Canada and Europe have at least one bar known
as the Eagle and usually it is oriented to leather folk (Boston would be an
exception, where the Eagle is a gay bar, but without leather atmosphere or
clientele).
What not to do in (most) leather bars
- Wear Dockers, sneakers, polyester
- Hang out in the cruising space if you're not cruising
- Dress in femme drag or wear cologne / perfume
Whether or not
S&M is permitted or encouraged in a particular bar will depend
on the local laws (
consensual S&M practices are often illegal), and the
bar's management. Even if it is ok to play in such a relatively public space,
you probably cannot expect all of the patrons to stay out of the path of your
whips; adjust accordingly.
Distingushing thnose in a leather bar who have interest in leathersex from
people who are simply into the look is probably easier than it used to be,
however it can still take some time