Ask Lemmygrad

Being into kink does not make someone queer, but kink has historically been a massive element of queer culture.

Not just having sex either, the leather community was an integral part of the fight against aids and lesbian leather orgs were the first to start organizing and providing mutual aid for gay men suffering. All while the disease was still on the societal periphery. Those lesbians are the reason the L is the first letter of the acronym.

Leather bars and Ballroom drag events were also some of the first major underground events that promoted trans culture and existence, while providing safe spaces, housing, and community for abandoned youth, sex workers, and other forced to societies fringes.

When people say kink at pride they don’t mean a public display of a gimp suit bound bottom getting whipped senseless by a leather wearing dom, they quiet literally mean a guy wearing a pup hood or a bearish motorcycle dude with a big beard shirtless while wearing a leather vest.

While not entirely centered on what I’m talking about, I highly recommend the documentary Paris is Burning, it’s on YouTube for free currently.