Age: Age of coming out:
Environment born into: (place, type, class)
Education: (college, field, degree)
Involvements/affiliations past and present: (kind)
1. What was special about leather, what meaning did/does it have for you?
2. What meaning/significance does SM have for you?
3. Is there a religious/spiritual significance to leather/SM?
4. Do you view SM as a game or play?
5. Is SM anti-social?
6. Is SM humorous or ridiculous?
7. Is SM a masculine way to relate?
8. Is SM the best way for gay men to relate? Why? Is it gay?
9. Is SM leather tribal or cultish?
10. How and when did the leather/SM subculture begin among gay men? Why? What caused it?
11. How/when did you become involved in leather/SM? How many years? Describe first experiences.
12. What were influences on your SM/leather background? Were there special mentors?
13. What was it like then pertaining to attitudes, behaviors, beliefs? Compare to the current scene.
14. What do you think about the current SM/leather scene? Where is it heading?
15. How has the scene changed/developed since you first came into it? Was it better then?
16. Are you concerned with the direction of the gay movement? Does it have any relationship to leather/SM objectives?
17. How should a leatherman behave?
18. Of what significance do dominant/submissive or master/slave relationships have? What is to be gained from them beyond conventional relationships?
19. Express feelings about power/control, fear/anger, abuse, talking out fantasies, safe, sane consensual, role playing, pushy bottoms, vulnerability of topmen, turn-ons, turn-offs.
20. Do leathermen have rich fantasy lives?
21. What do you think about drug use in SM?
22. What do you gain from practicing SM?
23. Have you played and do play both roles? Which role predominates?
24. Are you a loner or do you belong to an SM/leather or motorcycle club?
25. Are you or have you been involved in an SM relationship? How does it work?
26. How/where do you meet/make contacts for SM sex?
27. Give a brief history of family relationships. Were there any childhood influences such as abuse or special experiences that might have predisposed you to SM sexuality?
28. Relate some of your good and bad experiences in SM.
29. Do you think there are more bottoms than tops? Why?
30. Do you role play or do you practice for real?
31. How important has it been for you to talk over a potential scene beforehand with a new partner? What do you expect and how far will you go?
32. It is said that coming out into SM is like a second coming out. Please comment.
33. What changes have there been in the symbols of sexual availibility, i.e., handkerchief colors, keys on right or left?
34. What do you think about this research project?
35. Is there anything else you would like to say about the SM/leather scene, past or present? (Relate anecdotes, experiences, fantasies, psychology, philosophy, etc.)
36. Were there more tops or bottoms in the early days (when you came out into SM/leather) and did they switch?

The questions are not all inclusive. I am trying to compile personal experiences of men who were active in the early stages of the gay male SM/leather subculture with the intention to write a socio-history. I am primarily interested in why we play SM, how and why did the subculture come together when and in the way it did, how it has changed and where it is heading. Simply talk about your involvement as a leatherman.

This project is not statistical research, but based on human experience, beliefs and behaviors. I want to use as much of personal interviews as possible in the book. All names/identities will be kept strictly confidential unless I am instructed otherwise. I will assign fictitious names to the characters to keep the accounts personal to the reader. Any names or other identifying facts you would not wish known to the public should be kept out of your account. I am interested in what happened and why you think it happened, not who you are. Thank you.

Stuart Norman
Cyrwyn@coolcatdaddy.com