Leather Vests and Hairy Chests

On a strip of LA’s Santa Monica Boulevard right by the famous Eagle LA gay bar, hundreds of leather-strapped gay and queer folks gathered to rock their Sunday skimpiest at the Off Sunset Festival.

Kicked off in 2013, the street fest was birthed by a group of LGBTQ+ Silver Lake locals who wanted to give back to the very places where they work and play. While most street fairs live off of local artisans, vintage sellers, and food trucks—and look, there’s nothing wrong with that—the Off Sunset Festival is a place for those who maybe find themselves looking for something a little bit different. 

The “Kink at Pride” conversation continues to be a heated one, with in-group arguments on whether bondage and leather gear should be allowed to be openly celebrated at  public pride events. Those opposed say it creates an inaccessible environment for underage attendees, as well as adults who may not consent to seeing it, while proponents advocate that kink is an integral part of some people’s identities and shouldn’t be left out. While kink and sex are seemingly inseparable, it’s not always about being horny for non-standard sex; kink is about freedom, about how a lot of people see and interact with the world. 

The history is long and complex. Even within Off Sunset, you have the dynamic of a gay, cis-gendered men majority contrasted with a small but growing attendance from trans, non-binary, and femme folks making their mark in this overarching conversation. Whatever happens in mainstream Pride events, there will always be a space for celebration of whatever way your queerness manifests. Events like the Off Sunset Festival are really a testament of joy in this dark timeline we’re all stuck in. 

On this one Sunday, it’s people enjoying the simplicity of absolute love and care that embodies kink cultures, paired with some cheap beer, hairy asses, and sweaty leathers. Enjoy the view.