Recently, London Leathermen shared a new initiative for London Leather Weekend. Rather than lead with a singular weekend programme as "London Leathermen and the others" – they announced a joint partnership with Proteus and Leatherdykes. The aim – Celebrate together, share socials, as a "group of clubs", not as an ambiguous unit, but as affinity groups with their own strengths and audiences, holding each other up high.
I think this is a brilliant move and a refreshing take on equitable and fair representation rather than a dilution of all groups where a majority calls the shots. I think this could be the real way we unify when the world wants to divide us and use our in-fighting against us.
I've seen and participated in initiatives where groups are all placed in a space together and expected to mix and mingle. It can work, but often it's more dependent on a few strong individuals or previous connections rather than it organically happening. Almost always, it is dictated by a majority group. That can be benevolent – but it can also be exclusionary by design and using diversity as an act of theatre and a way to say "well, we tried, didn't we?"
I've had an account on Fetlife, attempted to connect and fit in to the Fet ecosystem and the respective groups aligned with that, earnestly attended nights where I have been promised "We are very welcoming to other groups". However, that's not my world, and it's not fair on one group to have to interpret and accommodate another group that doesn't serve to strengthen them. I can't find my people, and the world of munches, Victoriana and swingers clashes with my world of burly leather, fraternal and publicly visible community, a distinctive sexual language. I can feel that I'm not fitting, the access and connection is not equitable.
Contrast this with Quälgeist, who house many different communities in one space. This wasn't always the way, but by putting in the work and listening to each represented community, have found a way to create a mostly harmonious space where all groups are individually represented while collectively powering an impressive dungeon space and a presence on multiple scenes at once. It's not a perfect family, but it is an individually represented and equitable one where each group has a chance to define and actualise their needs without needing to awkwardly cede to another.
Taking the position that mixed spaces is a cure-all fix to our fragmented spaces is naive, and almost always leaves lesser represented groups in the dust. Our communities don't get to shine when we throw everyone in one pool and expect them to instinctively 'get' and understand each others culture, history, rules of engagement. In fact, it's a disservice to what makes each group special, and a lie we tell ourselves while we huddle with our own. London Leather Weekend's approach of 'same, but different' takes a different look at this – we are different, but that's what makes us special, and we get to shine as our own thing.