Sydney gets it leathers on
Leather Pride Week 2011 promises to be the largest festival of its kind Sydney has seen for years, and with 13 events spread over eight days there should be something to please everyone.
This year the Leather Pride Week Launch party returns to the Oxford Hotel on Sunday, July 31 from 2pm and will feature stalls and a sausage sizzle, so enjoy a cold one and a snag while you check out the passing trade on Taylor Square.
Head downstairs to the Oxford’s Underground bar from 4pm for a boogie at the Leather Pride Tea Dance.
Popular Leather Pride Week favourites returning this year include the Artspace art exhibition, opening on Monday, August 1 and running throughout the festival, and the Leather Pride Week Cocktail Party at the Oxford’s commanding Polo Lounge on the hotel’s top floor on Thursday, August 4.
A new free event this year caters to the spiritual side of Sydney’s leather community. Reverend Greg Smith at Petersham’s Metropolitan Community Church will hold a special contemporary worship evening service on July 31 at 6.30pm.
Smith will bless the success of the Sydney Leather Pride Association (SLPA), now in its 19th year, and commend its commitment and involvement in the greater GLBTI community.
As in past years, a series of educational workshops are being held during Leather Pride Week to help festival-goers play safely, whether they be curious beginners or old dogs at kink looking to learn some new tricks.
For those wanting to get ahead on things there is a pre-Leather Pride Week workshop on Uniforms and Hanky Codes on Wednesday, July 27, followed by workshops on S&M and the Law, and Fire Play on August 2 and August 3 respectively.
All workshops are $10 for SLPA members and $15 for non-members and are being held in a confidential location which will be revealed to participants on registration.
Looking for a weekend warm-up for Inquisition 19? Where better than a special Leather Pride Week edition of the Off Kutz regular Friday night fetish club night in the Oxford’s Underground bar on August 5 from 10pm?
And for those not sated by Sydney’s biggest fetish night of the year, the Inquisition party on Saturday, August 6 with recoveries running till noon the next day, a special post-Leather Pride Week edition of SLPA’s Dog Tag party is being held at The Underground bar on August 12.
