4. The 1950s Saw the Rise of Gay Leather Culture
In the early 20th century, BDSM culture was being impacted by the invention of new industrial materials such as easy to obtain mass-produced leather, rubber, and polyester. In the 1930s, metal and leather began to be incorporated into both costumes and personal tools used by both heterosexuals and gay. With the rise of new “wetlook” fabrics, rubber and latex fetishism developed.
In the 1950s, highly masculine biker and greaser cultures were prevalent in the United States. The gay male community began to adopt elements and symbols of that culture. By taking stereotypically masculine cultural factors, gay men were challenging the status quo assumptions about gay men being effeminate and submissive. An icon of this era was Tom of Finland, a muscle-bound gay man often depicted in leather police or military attire. Tom of Finland was created by famed Finnish erotic illustrator Touko Valio Laaksonen.
The 1950s leather culture had a substantial impact on the broader BDSM culture alongside pinup icons like Bettie Page who was frequently photographed with bondage accessories. Gothic and bondage-adjacent icons like Vampira also helped to develop the culture. In the latter half of the 20th century, leather was an unavoidable fixture of the BDSM community and is omnipresent at BDSM community events like the Folsom Street Fair. It also remains a fixture of the gay male scene, especially among niche kinks like leather daddies.