I joined an organization called Gay Male S/M Activists (GMSMA) years ago because I was curious and attracted to the leather-s/m lifestyle. What an adventure it has been. This group has introduced me to a leather-s/m community which is very welcoming and exciting. There is a kind of culture here, complete with a diversity of skills and tools, roles and rituals. In this culture, anyone is a potential participant.

Over the years, I learned that GMSMA, and in fact, the leather-s/m community as a whole, is grappling with an ethnic riddle. Even in large multiracial cities like New York, there are not that many people of color (meaning "non-Whites") visible in the leather-s/m community. Why not? Perhaps some are uncomfortable with this lifestyle or its social connotations. Perhaps many people of color are just not interested. Whatever the reasons, I believed the issue warranted some exploration and outreach. Being Chinese and a member of GMSMA, I knew I was statistically a "minority within a minority." Like GMSMA, I believe this community could become more racially inclusive if it invested more efforts in outreach to people of color.

Lately, due to outreach efforts from several organizations, the community has been alive with "S/M and People of Color" forums around the country. GMSMA facilitated a few, so did the National Leather Association, Men of All Colors Together NY, the Outcasts, and even the Leather and S/M Fetish Contingent for the March on Washington. As a contributor to three of these events, I gathered a few interesting observations from these forums.

Many participants at the forums expressed that leather-s/m publications such as Drummer and The Leather Journal need to do more to promote ethnic diversity. These publications are often regarded as a reflection of the community. If people buying these magazines see that the photos and illustrations are predominantly White, it's no wonder that they think the community is of interest mainly to Whites. Furthermore, it's untrue that there are not enough people of color in the communit