Recently, International Mister Leather made an announcement regarding the selling of Bareback Porn at the Leather Market. You can read the press release here.
I asked readers to leave their opinion of the controversial decision in the comment section of my blog. Below are the responses. They’re very interesting.
Names withheld for privacy reasons.
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READER: I’m a bit disappointed. YOu mentioned the bareback porn.. I like it sometimes.. and I like being able to walk up to a booth, give someone $20, and walk away with some fun stuff to watch. Not doing it there, I understand. Not being able to sell porn with it, I think is a bit much..
READER: Wholeheartedly agree. While there are many things out there that can hurt the community (breath control without a healthy dose of understanding comes to mind), barebacking is one area where it’s becoming pandemic.
Kids — and sorry to put it this way to our young up-and-comers, that’s what 18-19 year olds still are, kids — are having sex under one of many fallacies nouveau: HIV doesn’t cause AIDS; they’ll beat the odds (variously stated between 1:50 and 1:1000); they’ll “wash up” immediately after sex; or it’s just Somebody Else’s Problem.
I’m surprised it took this long for IML to notice. When it comes down to it, we’re talking about an event where the attendees are there specifically because they like wearing alternative clothing as a lifestyle or for sexual enhancement; why can’t we look at condoms (or similar barriers, e.g. latex C&B sheaths) in the same way?
READER: isn’t IML about community? thus this fits perfectly because we gotta watch out for each other. no one in the outside world is gonna care, so we gotta care.
READER: I think that this is a very important decision that IML had to make. One thing that a lot of people are saying is that IML shouldn’t tell them what to do, but that is not what IML is trying to do at all. They are in no way trying to tell you what to do, but they are simply deciding what they will and will not advocate.
What you do in the privacy of your home is your business, but just always remember that it also affects others.
Always disclose your status to others regardless of how safe you are playing.
Hi Ruff.
Here’s my 2 cents.
If I talk to someone who likes to bareback, I almost always pass. I really don’t even want to play with them. I think it shows a real lacking of judgement, common sense and concern for theirs and others safety. Once in a while, my mind will wander to barebacking in a scene, but it’s not something that I would do in real life, nor is it something that I will tolerate in anyone I play with.
However,….
IML banning the act of barebacking is a very bad idea. The minute the powers that be of IML pass any kind of judgement on any consensual act, the principles of IML and sexual freedom go into the trash.
I’m very HIV conscious. When I want to play with someone, I always ask their status. And even when they tell me they’re negative, I still assume that they might be wrong. And if they’re positive, I ask if they’re taking their meds, what their viral load is and if they visit their doctor regularly. So I do believe that it’s a pandemic, but you still can’t take away people’s personal freedoms. And banning something like barebacking at IML sets us down that path.