What Is a Leatherboy?

And why it’s more than you think

Being a Leatherboy isn’t a phase. It’s not a role I play when I’m in the mood. It’s not just a title I throw on; it is WHO and WHAT I am.

At its core, a Leatherboy is someone who finds identity, purpose, and power in submissive service within Leather culture. We serve with intention. We submit with heart. And we show up, not just in scenes – but in community, in ritual, in family, in everyday life.

And no, we’re not all cis gay men in cruising caps and tight jeans with the top button open.
We’re trans. We’re non-binary. We’re bois. We’re queer. We’re disabled. We’re loud. We’re soft. We’re filthy and we’re feisty.

Some of us kneel. Some of us can’t. Some of us bark. Some of us are littles. Some of us organize entire conferences from behind the scenes with no fanfare and still look for ways to serve. Some of us are community leaders and mentors. And some of us are just learning; exploring.

Being a Leatherboy is about devotion, not performative submission.
It’s about service with soul, not being a doormat.
It’s about ownership, whether that’s under a Daddy, a Sir, a Mistress, a House; or even just the ownership of your own Leather boyhood. Being a Leatherboy doesn’t mean you have to be owned or collared. Whether or not you are in dynamic has no bearing on whether or not you are a Leatherboy.

For me? Being a Leatherboy feels like coming home to myself every time I do an act of service for Daddy. It feels like being seen in a way that cuts deeper than kink, it is woven into the fabric of my identity, it gives me worth, and it gives me belonging.

My collar that reminds me who I am on the days I want to disappear. I often find myself reaching up and holding onto it or rubbing the lock when I am stressed or struggling. It reminds me that I am under the protection and care of my Daddy, and that I never walk alone.

It’s choosing obedience not out of fear, but out of fierce love.

It’s pride in small things like washing and folding clothes well, preparing meals, and anticipating needs. It is making myself available to Daddy for errands, chores and backrubs. Service isn’t less than. It’s sacred.

What Leatherboys are NOT:

• Being a Leatherboy does NOT mean you are weak and powerless.

• Bing a Leatherboy is not existing only in the shadows of a D type.

• Being a Leatherboy does NOT mean that you don’t have a voice.

• We aren’t all the same, nor do we all have a D type. That doesn’t make us any less.

• We aren’t submitting because we are beneath you. We are offering our power to someone who has earned it.

We hold power, too, just in a different way.

Our vulnerability is power.
Our loyalty is unshakable.
Our submission is deliberate.

Some Leatherboys are high-protocol perfectionists. Some are bratty boys who’ll push your buttons just to see if you’ll hold them accountable.
Some are bootblacks. Some are switches. Some are littles. Some are service pups. Some are Daddy’s favorite pain slut with a heart full of glitter and grief. Some are completely autonomous players.

And ALL of it is valid.

In a community that sometimes forgets to honor the submissive side of Leather, Leatherboys hold space. We carry tradition forward with tenderness. We remind people that there’s power in bending the knee without losing yourself.

We serve, yes. But not quietly.

We speak. We teach. We support each other. We cry. We howl. We fight. We rebuild. And when the world is cruel, well, we show up anyway.

So what does it mean to be a Leatherboy?
It means being all in; heart, hands, and history.
It sometimes means devotion with teeth.
It means holding the line between surrender and self.

Above all, it means working for the community that helped build us, finding ways to bridge gaps and hold ourselves and each other accountable. Accountable to honesty, integrity and respect – for Leather history, for ourselves, for our community. We show up for this community and we look for ways to make it better. And for me personally, it means being seen as a good boy, and making my Daddy proud that I wear her collar. Every goddam day.

And fuck, it’s beautiful.

– Cade, forever in service and forever proud.