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By Todd Franson on January 17, Founded in Chicago inONYX was formed to provide a space for a segment of the population that did not necessarily see itself reflected or embraced in traditional leather clubs. They want to take that sense of brotherhood back and replicate it wherever they live.

For Dominion, coming out was a slow process. While he realized at 13 he was attracted to men after flipping through mail-order pornography catalogs, he had few resources to consult about his feelings. I grew up in Clinton, Maryland, and they instituted a restriction on the number of books you could take out from the Clinton Public Library, because I african american gay leathermen fetish to take out too many books.

I would take out like 30 and 40 books at a time. I read everything I could on homosexuality and a lot of the readings said that it was a phase african american gay leathermen fetish teenage boys go through. I spent the years between 16 and 26 hoping that it was a phase, that it would go away.

Because I was hoping this was a phase, and then I was going to find a wife, get married, have 2. So I came out to myself on my 26th birthday, and over the course of the next four years I had a lot of fun. I caught up. Dominion eventually came out to his family at 30, which was around the same time he began getting involved in the leather community, establishing a new identity that was separate from his professional identity — which he uses only 20 percent of the time in certain formal situations.

But at the time I was, and I wanted a full hard separation, with a different Facebook profile and everything, between Brian and something else. Dominion and his fellow fraternity brothers from ONYX Mid-Atlantic are guaranteed to be present — and busy — at the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend celebrationwhere they will be hosting both a meet-and-greet happy hour and a leather gear show and auction.

MAL Weekend is particularly important to those within the leather community who may not have a regular outlet to experiment, try new fetishes or kinks, or demonstrate their pride. Generally, if you live in a smaller community, or even in a big city, but in an insular community, this type of event is the only place you can express yourself.

I was 29, and there were a group of guys just sitting in the corner and they welcomed me over. I always say it was the family that I never knew I had missed, and they welcomed me with open arms. I was free to do whatever it was that I wanted, and I was treated as an equal.

Over the years, my interaction with the group became deeper, and I started to learn more from some of the founders, particularly Mufasa Ali and Steve Bailous, and several other brothers. I modeled some of the things that I was learning in my own life. I try to welcome them with open arms, and give them the opportunity to learn or participate to the extent that they want.

DOMINION: I put the pledges through their five-month pledge program where they learn about the history of leather and the leather community, the history of men of color in that community, and provide them with academic and experiential opportunities to learn about kinks and fetishes so that they can advocate for themselves and others.

I have been involved with fraternal organizations in some way sinceso it was a natural fit for my skill set.

OPINION: Men of Color deserve space in the Leather Community. ONYX provides it.

The idea of bringing people in and helping them help us plan for the future was a natural fit for pledge master. Some people join strictly because they like the camaraderie and friendship, and sense of family that we exhibit. Some people join because they like the political aspect of our organization.

Our organization is open to anyone who identifies as a gay or bisexual man of color, so that by definition includes trans men. One of the things that Onyx has done is try to take a role in advocating for equality of all people, regardless of their gender identification.

MW: What to you is personally appealing about the leather, kink, and fetish community? I was sort of a nosy, kinky kid. I got the opportunity to go to events like MAL and IML and got an opportunity to meet brothers, people who eventually became my family. One of the things we talk about in the pledge process is self-actualization.

Many of us grew up in backgrounds where we were repressed sexually to varying degrees.