Disclaimer and Terminology

* Disclaimer
* Terminology
* For Visitors Unfamiliar with Erotic Gay Writings

DISCLAIMER

The contents of this site are intended for adults. Measures are taken to prevent minors from entering the site: a warning on the entrance page to this site, warnings at the top of every page of the site, keywords, and PICS labels.

This site includes texts intended for adults. By entering this site, you indicate that you are aware of the nature of the site and are an adult.

The opinions expressed by the people quoted in articles should not necessarily be taken to represent the views of the contributors.

References in writings to particular individuals should not be regarded as indicating their sexual orientation or their interest or disinterest in particular erotic activities. The same is true for contributors.

This Website does not contain nude or erotic photography, art, or videos. It does link to such photography, art, and videos, however.

TERMINOLOGY

Various conventions exist in the gay community concerning such matters as terminology, capitalization, etc. Contributors to the magazine use whatever style they find most helpful for communication or symbolic significance. This should not be regarded as a criticism of other valid manners of handling gay terminology.

FOR VISITORS UNFAMILIAR WITH EROTIC GAY WRITINGS

Visitors who are from outside the gay or leather communities, and who hold concerns about those topics, may be interested in the dialogue section of this magazine's links page. Please also read the disclaimer on this page.

This site contains general gay and gay leather writings. Visitors who are unfamiliar with gay erotic writings should be aware that certain words are used in such writings in a different manner than in non-gay writings. Below are a few words that are often a source of confusion.

Boy: In general gay writings, "boy" refers to a sexually desirable man, in the same manner that "girl" sometimes refers to a sexually desirable woman. Boys can be of any adult age. In gay leather writings, a "boy" is a man who has chosen to submit to or serve another leatherman. "Leatherboys" can be of any adult age. The men that leatherboys submit to or serve can be older than them, younger than them, or the same age.

Daddy or dad: In general gay writings, a daddy or dad is an older gay man. In gay leather writings, a daddy or dad is a leatherman who takes a mentoring role toward another leatherman. The term does not indicate that the daddy is related by blood to the leatherman he mentors. A leather daddy can be older than, younger than, or the same age as the man he mentors.

Leather: Leather is a gay male subculture centered upon the wearing of leather clothing. Some leathermen practice sadomasochism.

Master/slave: An encounter or relationship between two leathermen, in which one man willingly enters into service to the other man. The slave has the legal right to end the service at any time.

Sadist/masochist: An encounter or relationship between two leathermen who have chosen to give or receive pain for the sake of pleasure, either erotic or emotional. The ethics of the leather community require that sadism and masochism occur only between willing partners.

The above are not intended to be definitive definitions of gay and leather terminology. They are simply rough definitions intended to clear away common misunderstandings. Various gay men define the above terms in various ways. For more information, see Gay Slang Dictionaries, A Large Leather Lexicon for a Little List of Terms, the Deviants' Dictionary, and the National Leather Association International's Domestic Violence Project.