(CNSNews.com) - Members of a "leather" sex club say the best way to overcome culturally inherited guilt about sexuality is to be around others who also want to overcome such guilt.

That's the rationale for the sixth annual Leather Leadership Conference, scheduled to take place in California on April 12-14.

The gathering is described by its sponsors as "the country's only event to focus on developing and strengthening the leadership and management skills of our SM/Leather/Fetish community leaders and activists."

The Leather Leadership Conference says its mission is "to foster the ongoing growth and development of sex-positive culture."

The Manhattan Beach, Calif., Marriott hotel -- which bills itself as "a youthful, energetic and stylish hotel with a resort feel" -- indicated it has no qualms about hosting the Leader Leadership Conference on April 12-14.

But many conservatives decry what they see as a growing trend for hotels to host sexually-oriented groups.

Another hotel chain, Howard Johnson, recently incurred the wrath of conservative Christians because its St. Louis franchise is hosting a sex bash for devotees of bondage, caning, flogging, and whipping on April 26-28.

News of the "Beat Me in St. Louis" event at the Howard Johnson's Lambert International Airport franchise prompted the Southern Baptist Convention to announce a boycott of Howard Johnson hotels last week. The Southern Baptists plan to hold their annual meeting in St. Louis in June, but members won't be staying at Howard Johnson's.

If you pay, you can stay

The Leather Leadership Conference's 2002 convention at the Manhattan Beach, Calif., Marriott Hotel offers an assortment of fetish-based workshops and seminars.

They include, "What We Learned from Right-Wing Extremists," taught by someone called Rope Angel; "Consent and Sex: Your Eyes Say Yes, but the Law Says No;" "College Outreach: What Works, What Doesn't;" "Practical Policies and Successful Models for Democratic SM Organizations;" "How To Change Laws and Regulations Through Effective Lobbying;" "Masters and Slaves Together;" and a 95-minute video titled "BDSM-Alternative Loving. (BDSM stands for bondage, discipline, sadism, and masochism.)

Manhattan Beach Marriott General Manager Robert Thomas said he's well aware of the nature of Leather Leadership Conference and its attendees, but corporate policy dictates that he must provide full access to his hotel's facilities for "anybody who has the ability to pay for them."

Thomas said he's just following his company's non-discriminatory policies. "If we were ever to try to discriminate what type of guests we allow in the hotel, we would have a real situation on our hands," he said.

Thomas said allowing groups to book hotel rooms does not imply any judgment or endorsement of those groups on the part of hotel management. "We're simply providing hotel services. That's what we do."

However, Thomas told CNSNews.com that he and his staff will be "very careful of protecting the privacy of all of our guests, even guests of this nature."

He said he will make sure that informational signs in the hotel's lobby directing LLC attendees to sexually oriented seminars are "not offensive" and "don't cross the boundaries."

Untapped market?

Louise Kramer, a reporter for Crain's New York Business, said it appears that sexual fetish conventions may be emerging as an untapped market for hotels.

Speaking strictly from a business standpoint, she said hotel chains such as Marriott and Howard Johnson are "probably glad to have any opportunity to fill their rooms."

However, Kramer said, "I don't think any hotel in their right mind would invite a group that the community finds unappetizing in any way." She added, "Maybe this is a symptom of how tough the (post-9/11) business is that they're putting out the welcome mat for groups that they wouldn't (normally) want."

On the other hand, said Kramer, it could be a smart move for various hotels to agree to host such conventions.

"I don't think any hotel wants (sex fetish) boycotters in front of it. It's sort of a delicate balance, I would think, in this situation. They need the business, they want the business, they're probably thrilled to have it, but they don't want the bad publicity."

But she also noted that some people think there's no such thing as bad publicity. "Perhaps for some clientele it would even be a good thing to be getting the name out there that they'll be hospitable to any group that is interested in booking their facilities," Kramer said.

The Leather Agenda

According to the Leather Leadership Conference (LLC) website, "The best way to expand and fully enjoy the tremendous gift that your sexuality represents is in a community of others who find pleasure and intimacy to be inherently good."

The LLC was formed in May 1, 1999, and it has applied to the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. The application is still pending, according to LLC's website.

The LLC defines a leather community as "a collective of leatherfolk who have fallen in love with each other as brothers and sisters." Members refer to each other as "daddies," "boys," "slaves," and "masters." The group's website notes it is "open also to the Lesbian Sex Mafia," a sex fetish club for lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual and transexual women.

According to LLC, "Group sexuality is unleashed where leatherfolk love each other collectively and the spirit of community is present."
LLC says it is "dedicated to strengthening the SM/Leather/Fetish community" by developing members' leadership skills and strengthening connections between various fetish groups.

Yearly conferences provide a forum for LLC's members to share their leather fetish knowledge and experience with one another, "fostering a greater sense of unity and understanding within the community as a whole."

Tax Tips for New Clubs

LLC's website recommends that start-up leather fetish groups consider "incorporating as a non-profit organization in your state, under a non-explicit name." Then, at a later date new clubs are advised to apply for tax-exempt status under the federal tax code.

"Being able to identify as a non-profit organization legitimizes your claim to be a community-based endeavor," states the LLC's "general tips" for new clubs.

A 501(c)(7) tax-exempt status "provides a legal assurance to your members (particularly members from communities in which your leaders may not be personally known) that their money and time cannot be used for your leadership's personal gain," the website notes.

Deja-Vu

Bill Johnson, the president of the American Decency Association, is once again rallying Christians, this time asking them to protest Marriott's decision to host the Leather Leadership Conference.

Earlier this month, Johnson was instrumental in prompting the Southern Baptist Convention to boycott the Howard Johnson chain.

"We must continue to see Christian groups standing up like the Southern Baptists have done," Johnson said. He said conservative, Christian groups "are going to need to continue to put the word out and to put the pressure upon any motel that opens its doors to these kinds of so-called sex fests."

"If it means calling for boycotts at those locations, then so be it," he added.

See Earlier Stories:
Baptists Boycott Hotel Because of 'Sex Bash' (5 April 2002) Popular Hotel Chain Closes Doors to Public for Sex Bash (28 Mar. 2002)

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