Stories Behind the Sexies: Lincoln Anderson
Lincoln Anderson, co-author of "Media, critics get whipped into a frenzy over Leatherfest" gives us some back story:
"I'm glad that The Villager's article about the Leather Festival received a Sex Positive award. It was a pretty divisive issue in the Village community. One would think Greenwich Village is totally open and liberal when it comes to sex and alternative lifestyles, but there are also pretty conservative people who live down here, and they have their opinions too. Some of them felt a Leather Festival was just inappropriate. I think why we received a Sex Positive award was probably because we didn't just write a sensationalistic article -- as some other local media did, mainly the daily papers -- but tried to simply, objectively lay out the arguments on both sides.
We probably didn't change anyone's views; those who don't like Leather Festivals probably will continue not to like them. But I think it was important that we accurately reported the community-review and -approval process for the fair, the free-speech issues involved, and then the actual happenings at the festival.
Really, it wasn't that "scary" or "evil" -- just your typical street fair, except some guys were wearing leather kilts and black PVC geek wear, a woman wore military garb, had a crew cut and threw lesbian parties, there were bull-whip and tying-up-on-the-rack demonstrations. ... I personally feel people should have a right to express themselves, and if they do it on a little, one-block, out-of-the-way street off of America's gayest street -- Christopher St. -- where no one even sees it, much less little kids, what's the big deal? I'm not sure if that came through in the article, which was intended to be an objective report, but that was my feeling.
[Co-author] Jefferson provided on-the-scene reporting and colorful quotes that added to the flavor of the event -- again showing that these are just real people with a sense of fun and humor. I did some on-the-scene reporting and also got the community board chairperson's position on the festival -- that he felt it was a free-speech issue and should not be banned."
"I'm glad that The Villager's article about the Leather Festival received a Sex Positive award. It was a pretty divisive issue in the Village community. One would think Greenwich Village is totally open and liberal when it comes to sex and alternative lifestyles, but there are also pretty conservative people who live down here, and they have their opinions too. Some of them felt a Leather Festival was just inappropriate. I think why we received a Sex Positive award was probably because we didn't just write a sensationalistic article -- as some other local media did, mainly the daily papers -- but tried to simply, objectively lay out the arguments on both sides.
We probably didn't change anyone's views; those who don't like Leather Festivals probably will continue not to like them. But I think it was important that we accurately reported the community-review and -approval process for the fair, the free-speech issues involved, and then the actual happenings at the festival.
Really, it wasn't that "scary" or "evil" -- just your typical street fair, except some guys were wearing leather kilts and black PVC geek wear, a woman wore military garb, had a crew cut and threw lesbian parties, there were bull-whip and tying-up-on-the-rack demonstrations. ... I personally feel people should have a right to express themselves, and if they do it on a little, one-block, out-of-the-way street off of America's gayest street -- Christopher St. -- where no one even sees it, much less little kids, what's the big deal? I'm not sure if that came through in the article, which was intended to be an objective report, but that was my feeling.
[Co-author] Jefferson provided on-the-scene reporting and colorful quotes that added to the flavor of the event -- again showing that these are just real people with a sense of fun and humor. I did some on-the-scene reporting and also got the community board chairperson's position on the festival -- that he felt it was a free-speech issue and should not be banned."