| PG: | I am sitting here with Fred Colmenares, Mr. Bolt leather, 2017. Thank you for sitting down with me and talking to me about your experience. |
| FC: | Well thank you for having me. |
| PG: | Excellent. So how did you get into leather originally? |
| FC: | I’d say the first time I was steered in that direction was late 2014. I went on Scruff and there was someone online that I was sending messages to and he asked if I’d like to meet up in person, so I did. And after we did the usual thing, I noticed he had a vest with the bolt patch on it. And I’d never seen that before so I asked him, “What does this mean?” I’ve never seen this before. Or heard of it. He basically gave me a rundown of the whole title thing and how there are leather titles and I hadn’t heard about it at the time. He jokingly said, “Oh you should tryout for it. You’ll actually look good in a jockstrap.” And my response at the time was, “No, I could never. That’s way too revealing for me.” |
| And then the following August for the 2016 contest I was doing that very same thing. Just happen to be a random suggestion and then it just snowballed into that. | |
| PG: | So it sounds like, pretty quickly within the year of being introduced to it, you actually did the title holder year. And what were your experiences, as the title holder, and how was that experience? |
| FC: | It was very different. Prior to doing all of that, my life before was, I would say just uneventful, I was just doing school and I was doing work. Usual stuff here and there. But this was way beyond my comfort zone that I had to really push myself to experience all these new things. So my title year was trying to figure out where I fit into the whole community thing. And also force myself to be more social. Travel to more place and get to know people. |
| PG: | So where do you think you fit in the whole community now? |
| FC: | I’d say I don’t have the feeling of wondering, do I really belong here? As where I did initially, I was like, “Maybe I made a mistake.” These people are really out there, social, and talkative, and I’m just hanging in … what’s the term, the wallflower thing. I’m just observing because that’s just how I tend to operate when I’m in an unfamiliar situation. But I think now I’ve found my footing. People know me as Leather Link now just because my step down outfit for the 2018 contest I decided I wanted to do something different that no one’s done before and since I love video games, I started looking around to see if I could find someone or find the clothing so I could make a leather link outfit. |
| PG: | Very cool. How did that turn out? |
| FC: | The crowd really liked it. As soon as I stepped out, they were just like, “Wow.” I just heard the noise go up that high. And people after my step down speech were saying, “This is amazing. The work you put into this.” I was like, “Well, found someone to custom make the shirt and hat for me, I found the pants at … what was that shop, Worn Out West, when it was still out.” And then everything else I just went on Amazon, just looked for little video game related trinkets and put it all together. |
| PG: | I’m gonna ask you for a picture of that because that sounds pretty awesome. So we’re beginning of 2019, and have been in the leather community for about two and a half years or so at this points, sounds like? |
| FC: | Yeah. I started getting serious around 2015. Because that’s when my friend that told me about it became my mentor. And then I started really getting into it. So it’s about three years now I’d say. |
| PG: | And is the mentor the guy who told you your ass would look good in a jockstrap? |
| FC: | Yes. Mr. Bolt 2014. |
| PG: | Okay. And tell me more about that mentorship. |
| FC: | I would say it went really well. The first few trips we made to SF just so I could get familiar with the area. Because I’d only been there once or twice before. But that was seeing some extended family and running an errand in some store for my sisters, I think it’s looking for a dress. So he was very involved with getting me familiar with Mr. S, Eagle, the Castro area, SOMA in general. |
| PG: | Just even to the point of physically showing you these places, and like, “Hey let’s go into this store that is really fucking intimidating if you’ve never been there.” |
| FC: | Yeah. My first reaction was … some of the bondage and leather stuff, I was like, “Okay, that’s expected.” But seeing the selection of items that people like to use for- |
| PG: | All the butt plugs and giant dildos that are the size of your leg. |
| FC: | Yeah, I was shocked. I was like, “There’s no way this can be-” there’s no way people can actually use these right? And he just gave me a serious shrug thing. “Yeah, no, I’ve seen it.” I was like, “Okay, wow. That’s new. I didn’t know this today. Well up until now. I’m just gonna let them have their fun because I don’t really know how … I can’t wrap my mind around how that would work. But if it works for them, more power.” |
| PG: | Just move the hips out of the way and it all works. |
| FC: | Yeah, who needs a few organs here and there, you can always just shift them. |
| PG: | Yeah. Alright and so, working with Mr. Bolt 2014, getting a lot of mentorship and that. At this point, what do you think makes good leather folk? |
| FC: | I would say, it’s varied? Not necessarily varied, but there’s definitely a lot of attributes that certain people can have that one may not have in comparison to the other that makes it work. I guess mine would be just being actively involved in certain events. Like a beer bust for a certain club or something. Show up for a bit, if you can’t make it the whole night that’s fine, just show up for an hour or something, just chat with people. If there’s certain events where they need volunteers, help out there. And I’d say travel would be essential just because there’s so much that you learn from traveling. I definitely learned a lot from going to San Jose for international Miss Leather. And then going to the LA area for their Los Angeles leather pride. It was a lot of people that I met there that I got to know that really helped give you a new perspective on a lot of things. |
| In terms of community involvement or learning the gay history. Prior to this I didn’t really know much about the gay history of the ’80s just aside from, the big crisis, but I didn’t really understand who much of a crisis it really was until my brother, Ralph Bruneau talked about it in a speech of how … the severity of it and even now, even though its been decades past that, it’s still lingered with him. I would say just travel is probably the best thing. Because the thing I would have never have heard any of this, had I just decided to stay in Sacramento, just do my title year here. And then just go to IML and that’s it. | |
| PG: | But it sounds like, there’s the community involvement part, the actually showing up and being a part of the community. But then it sounds like just the greater exposure to the community knowledge that what ever little bubble you might live in, the experiences of people … and kind of the history keeping. The leather community stretches way far back than either of us. |
| FC: | I remember hearing that they think it started roughly ’40s. Either World War II or post World War II era stuff. |
| PG: | The good old biker gangs and the vets, them coming together. I guess as Mr. Leather, what parts of that do you carry around with you on a daily basis, and how does that impact your daily living? |
| FC: | I’d say the mindfulness of different people in different situations still sticks with me pretty much every day. Just because when I’m at school I’m mindful of certain classmates that come from a different background. They’ll have a certain upbringing that, I would just be observant about. Whereas before I would just … I’m trying to think of how to word this. I’d say beforehand I would just do my own thing and I wouldn’t think of anything else. My whole things was, okay I’m just gonna work on my work, and then everyone else, they’re doing their own thing, focus on my own stuff. But now it’s being mindful of other people around me. I find that I can get to know certain people a bit better rather than just being my own little thing. Okay I’m gonna do my work, show up do my work, do these things, turn it in, done. So I think I carry that around. Let’s say there’s often times where I’ll also wear just a bit of gear. Even though that’s going out, I don’t really wear a lot, just more of my casual clothing, I’ll still have my chain belt on or some suspenders, or if it’s raining my boots, just because it’s easier than dealing with regular kind of shoes. |
| PG: | Has anybody clocked you at school? As a leather man? |
| FC: | Not really, no. Since I wear sort of minimal stuff, I don’t think anyone really notices. I think the most that I’ve seen at school, leather oriented, was the flag that they had up in the gay center. But they took it down and replaced it with other ones. I would have liked it. Seeing that flag there certain days, did help a bit with keeping the whole school craze in check. But I’ll just ask if they have it and I’ll ask if I can keep it. Because they’re not using it. |
| PG: | And so what are some of your most memorable experiences with the leather community? That have helped shape and guide you even? |
| FC: | There’s a few. I would say it’s when my mentor and a few other people helped me out after a pretty, not great Folsom. Just because the person I was staying with at the time, I guess they took it upon themselves to say, “Okay well he came back to the room a few hours ago, he’s asleep, I guess that means that he can’t say no.” They helped out during that whole process. My mentors skipped the entire day at Folsom just to help me out. And a few people here and there would give me their support. |
| PG: | Feeling that solidarity amongst your mentors |
| FC: | Yeah, it’s like, okay wow, these people aren’t … they’re not saying, “Oh well this is unfortunate, there’s not much we can do. You just gotta do it on your own.” My mentor just said, “Here what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna go to the hospital just to get some tests done, just to make sure everything’s fine. And then go file a police report. And that’s what we’ll do.” He just pretty much did away with the whole day of plans just to help me out. |
| And then I’d say one that’s up there, that I think tops that one just because that one was a more positive experience overall, was just really participating in IML. Because for the months prior we had been, most of my brothers that had been talking over social media and all that, little chat things here and there. And I’d Facetime with a few of them and I saw two or three, a good amount before IML. But seeing all 63 of us there at the same time, and then being told that this is the only time that we’re all gonna be in the same place. Because the chances of us all coming back for the next IML or- | |
| PG: | That all 63 of you- |
| FC: | Yeah, or being in some other city or event is minimal. |
| PG: | At some of the big events you all may be there, but Folsom street fair, it’s just like, oh, he’s three blocks over that way. |
| FC: | Yeah. That’s actually what happened this past Folsom where a brother of mine from LA was in SF. And I knew he was here, but I was just making my way through the crowd and I just ran into him. I was like, “Oh hey how are you?” I think just getting to know as many of them as I could in that weekend frame, is just something I’m pretty sure I will keep in my brain for a long time. It was just a lot of us and we all just shared interests and stories and found out a lot of us had more in common than we thought. |
| PG: | That is sort of the, while you might all be from different places, there’s common threads that have brought you all to the same thing. Similar passions. |
| FC: | We were all maybe from different places but the medallion is what keeps us together. |
| PG: | Anything else? |
| FC: | I guess this still continues even now. It’s every now and then I’ll keep in touch with a good number of them. There’s one brother at Minnesota that I’ll just send Snapchats to everyday, back and forth. Just regular stuff that we’re seeing or a bunch of goofy stuff. And a few brothers that I can confide in and talk to whenever I have some sort of issue with anything. I guess the whole connection hasn’t really ended. It’s not as much but it’s still there. |
| PG: | It sounds like instead of being a keystone it was a beginning of a relationship for that group of guys. |
| FC: | Yeah. I can’t really conceive my life now without knowing them and all that. |
| PG: | And you mentioned your mentor. Are you guys still working together? |
| FC: | I guess the whole mentorship thing isn’t really as prevalent anymore since I’ve kind of found my own footing. But I keep in touch with him every now and then. A few days ago I was having … he just invited me for dinner. So I went to this Chinese place and we just ate and talked for a bit, and had a good time. |
| PG: | And anyone that you’re mentoring or passing it forward to? |
| FC: | I don’t think I have anyone that I’m mentoring. I think the closest thing would be my title son, who was 2018. I know he was relatively new to the area when he won. He’s had a pretty extensive S&M background from year prior. Since he’s older than me he had that much more experience to go with so. I guess in that sense I guess it wouldn’t be a mentorship it’d just be me just looking out for my title son. Like going to the events in SF or elsewhere and introducing him to the people there. And since he’s much more social than I am and able to do it much easier, all I needed to do was really just point him in the right direction and he was able to take it from there, and just get involved with that. But I’d say that’s the closest thing since, that we’re really close, so. |
| PG: | And so since the title year, you mentioned participation in events, beer bust and stuff like that. What has your involvement with the leather community look like these days? |
| FC: | Currently we made a group called Queer Leather Association in Sacramento here, just about back in 2017. It was early 2017 that we had really gotten together and started creating it. I was a founding member for that. |
| PG: | And that had basically picking up the piece from the Sacramento Valley Leather Corps. |
| FC: | Form what I’ve heard yes. I wasn’t involved … my involvement didn’t, was well until after that had been disbanded. So I don’t really know the ins and outs. Just a few people here and there just say that there were certain complications that they just kind of disbanded. But with this one I’m captain of the color guard. So any time that there’s an event that calls for a color guard flag, it’s my job to make sure the flags are kept with me, and then if I need volunteers I scout them out and just give them the basic rundown of what we’re gonna do. And most usually it’s just holding the flag, standing in the general order and then presenting colors, let the anthem play, or someone sings it, and then bring it back, and we’re done. |
| PG: | What are some types of events that would need a color guard? |
| FC: | We had Ms. Sacramento Leather contest after about a 20 year hiatus, back in October. And the color guard was requested. So I was able to get a few flags and get a few people there to do the anthem and then after that, my job was pretty much done. I could just watch the contest and see it all unfold. |
| PG: | And who are the people or the events, what are the things that are keeping you engaged in the community? |
| FC: | I would say around here it’s just the usual bar events that the club will host, or some of the bartenders will do. Just because I’m not able to do as much with my school taking more precedence, but I figure with these small weekend type of events that occur I can easily stop in for a bit and usually, my schoolwork isn’t too insane that I can’t set it aside for a day or two just so I can go out and talk to people and just hang out and all that. |
| PG: | So just the run of the mill events that are happening. |
| FC: | I may do a few leather contests here and there in the bay area just because it’s close enough that I can do a day trip and not have to do too much. But if there’s anything large I’d have to really plan. Like IML, I had to plan this past May for that. Because my school quarter still runs into that weekend. It’s not like semesters where I will be done. I had to take a few midterms early just so I can make sure I didn’t miss them. And then go to the event, do all that, and come back ready still. |
| PG: | And do you consider yourself part of the old guard or the new guard or any of the guards? |
| FC: | I don’t really know much about either. I’ve heard varying opinions on old guard and all that. I guess I would use some old guard type traditions in my upbringing. Ralph Bruneau, when I was down there for LA Leather Pride in 2017, I previous in our little chat room asked how covers are given. Because I had heard that someone gives it to you, you earn it, or another friend of mine just said, “Oh you just go out and buy one. Who cares.” But he had offered to give me one that he wasn’t really using anymore. So I guess in that sense, I was past … one was passed down to me. So I guess that’s old guard? |
| But I’d say given my interests and how I wear my club vest along with my pins, I guess it would be more new guard just because I don’t just carry pins from events and other title holders, it’s more of, pins that show off my interest in video games or small little things here and there. I’d say for the most part, from what I know of new guards, I guess I would fall there. But probably a few things that I’ve done are just old guard by definition. | |
| PG: | Traditions that had been going on. |
| FC: | Yeah. I’d say I’m more new, or I don’t really adhere to that, just because I’ve found what I’d like, and I’ll just stick with this. |
| PG: | And are there any parts of protocol that you follow? |
| FC: | Would the handkerchief code fall under that? |
| PG: | I think so. |
| FC: | One thing I just remembered up until now is that … well aside form the New York cap, I always just had a handkerchief [inaudible] just to flag that way. Because I like the whole hidden aspect of it. To a certain person that’s not involved with leather, it’s just like, “Oh it’s just a handkerchief. I guess they use it for when they sneeze.” But for people that know about it, they’ll say, “Oh okay, I know what that color is, that means this.” Aside from that, just making sure my gear is taken care of by going over it and treating it every now and then. Taking care of it. |
| PG: | Because gear is expensive. |
| FC: | Yeah, definitely. |
| PG: | You want it to last. |
| PG: | And then how would you describe leather sex? |
| FC: | Well aside from fun? I’d say it depends on the situation. Because there’s time where … it’s fun, usually, that’s my flat rate, if you will. It’s fun. |
| PG: | If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right. |
| FC: | Yeah. So I guess it depends on the person. There’s times it’s like, okay this is great, I enjoyed this. But there’s times where it’s like, if I’m at a play part or something like that. Then there’s just a bit more there. I guess this past New Year’s Eve I was in Palm Springs for the barracks. And I was there with a few friends, it was a jock night sort of thing, so I was in my jock and my harness and all that. And my friend just comes up form behind and starts doing stuff, and I was like, “Okay this is actually kind of great.” And since I had just a bit to where I was buzzing, but not overly done, I didn’t really mind anyone else watching. And to a certain extent it was almost kind of thrilling. So I just grabbed onto these guys thighs that I don’t really remember who they are, I just grabbed on. But they knew what was happening because they were just like, “You can grab on.” So in that case, this was really great. Thrilling. |
| PG: | A little bit voyeur, exhibitionist part of it. |
| FC: | Yeah. And he also gets off, pun intended, on that. And he did. |
| PG: | I don’t know how to phrase that but, I guess are there any elements of a sexual encounter that need to be present for you to be like, “Oh this is leather sex.” Versus, a Scruff hookup? |
| FC: | I think so. I’d say I tend to meet up with people that I’ve known for a while. Just because I feel more comfortable from that aspect. So if I wanna try something a little bit more, it’s not so awkward to ask them. I’d say most of the leather sex really happens at big leather weekends. If there’s something going on at the ball, or at the bar, or there’s a play party going on. I think that’s where I tend to see it most. Just because around here, the leather scene is still growing and still connecting itself. |
| PG: | Sacramento’s a little sleepy. |
| FC: | Yeah. It’s getting there slowly. So around here it’s just general hookups. But it’s either with people I know or, I guess a few months ago, I met up with someone that’s active in that. So just knowing that they were active and them doing what they were doing, I could easily tell it was much more. It delves more into the leather sex area. Just because he’s been in it for a while and he really likes getting into that role. |
| PG: | And what, if any, kinds do you think you’ve mastered? |
| FC: | I don’t know if I’d say I mastered any yet. Because the way I flag is light gray on both. Just to show that I’m still kind of figuring my way out through some things. Some things have resonated, some things not really, and some my ration’s like, “Okay, that was interesting, I have to do a little bit more just to figure out where I lie on that.” I guess the closest thing to mastering is, since I flag heavily on the right, I tend to get older types hitting me up. So I guess, I don’t know if you would call that mastery, or I’m just letting them know it’s like, “Okay, heres my handkerchief.” |
| PG: | As flagging boys, that’s, you tend to get the daddies. |
| FC: | Yes. And I would say that if they use the word “boy” during that I tend to resonate a little bit more with that. |
| PG: | And one of the things that a lot of times comes up, particularly in kink scenes is substances use. Do you have any stance on substance use or what is your experience with use, in kink scenes? |
| FC: | I haven’t really run into anything that severe in terms of that. I think the closest was, I was gonna meet up somebody in SF and I realize that they were smoking meth. And at that point I just said, “Oh I have to take a phone call.” And I stepped out and just went to my friend’s house. It was two blocks up that way. Just because I’ve heard plenty of stories from friends that have dealt with that that are doing well against it, it’s not the greatest thing. To limit myself with that, is understandable. I would gladly appear as a jerk for leaving, knowing that that’s what they’re doing. No, I don’t need that … I guess do poppers count as substance use or no? |
| PG: | Sort of? I think that they’re the potpourri of substance use. I feel like something that you can do on the dance floor or the bathhouse or … yeah. |
| FC: | I think that’s the most that I’ve used. And even then it’s not too often to … certain times I guess certain brand that will get me ahead, I’m just like, “Okay I’m done. I don’t need that.” I usually just limit that because I don’t really want to do too many of it. Because I don’t want it to pull me out completely and I’d become dependent on them. |
| PG: | And I guess what sort of role do intense physical experiences play in your sex life? |
| FC: | You mean like flogging or? |
| PG: | Flogging and impact play is definitely a great one. But certainly with fisting, or the hunter, primal sex. Just the notion that we’re seeking something more than just physical connection in sexuality. |
| FC: | What was the question again? Sorry. |
| PG: | What sort of role do intense physical experiences play in your sex life, if any? |
| FC: | It’s also one of those, it varies just with the chemistry of the other person. [inaudible] friend of mine, every now and then, I notice that we just both get pretty aggressive at it. We just go ham. |
| PG: | Tear into each other. |
| FC: | Pretty much year. And there’s another person that comes here every now and then for their work. And I notice that with him it’s a lot more emotional. I like the emotional connection that’s there. It’s got a bit of an intensity there as well but it feels refreshing. And then in the middle of that there’s times where I’ll just hook up with somebody and it’ll just be mutual, we do what we do, we get off, and then we’re good. |
