Detroit skyline

The Detroit Leather Scene

Most guys who are from other cities or who've been to the more notorious cities tend to come to Detroit, shake their heads and say "So where is everything?" Sometimes it's hard to believe that a metropolitan area of over four million people has such a quiet leather community. Yet it helps to remember that the cities with bigger gay leather communities--San Francisco, New York, Chicago--are either much larger overall or have a greater congregation of gayfolks in general. Detroit does pretty well, considering where it is and how many of us there are.

Detroit also pales because we have two good options relatively nearby, Chicago and Toronto. We're about 5 hours from each, so road trips for the weekend (or even for an overnight stay) are not out of the question. Still, for those who call Detroit home, there are places to have leather fun.

Bars

The more popular leather bar is the Detroit Eagle (1501 Holden, Detroit; 313-873-6969). Nearly all of the local leather clubs hang their colors at the Eagle, and Friday nights are club nights. (Lately they've also been holding nights for local advocacy groups like the Triangle Foundation and AIDS/HIV service agencies.) The Eagle is open Wednesday through Sunday, with Friday and Saturday nights being the busiest. They also are open for dinner on Friday and Sunday evenings. The Eagle holds the Mr. Detroit Eagle contest in the fall. Open Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8 p.m. till 2 a.m., and Friday and Sunday from 5 p.m. till 2 a.m. On Fridays and Saturdays the cover is $3.

Also in town is the R&R Saloon (7330 Michigan Ave. between Cecil and Central Avenues., Detroit; 313-849-2751). The R&R has the reputation of being sleazier than the Eagle, though it has cleaned up some compared to previous years. The R&R holds the Mr. Leather Michigan Contest in the spring. Open seven days a week from noon until 2 a.m.

Diamond Jim's Saloon (19650 W. Warren, Detroit, MI 48228; 313-336-8680) is a somewhat new bar on Detroit's west side that caters to a wide variety of folks, especially leather folk. They hold a number of special events including fetish shows and country dancing. The owner is a big supporter of gay rodeo, so there's definitely a western theme here.

Clubs

The last decade or so saw a number of leather clubs in Detroit, including Trident-Detroit (an affiliate of the national Trident organization), Icon-Detroit, and the Motorcity Men of Leather. They scheduled regular bar nights at the Detroit Eagle and sponsor community-oriented activities and events. Tribe MC is well known as the force behind the Do-A-Fool run, which has taken place during the first week in April for over 25 years. Other clubs included Studs-30 and Wolfpack, whose main emphases leaned slightly more toward SM related activities than the other clubs, and Trident-Michigan, actually located in Ann Arbor. Interestingly enough, the club scene seems to have quieted down considerably recently. Detroit has a very large contingent of GDI's (independent leather folk).

Leather Shops

Detroit has no gay-oriented leather shops of any kind--one of the biggest letdowns, I suppose, in a metro area of its size. You can find leather in town, though. As far as leather clothing goes, here are some good options:

Leather Unlimited Factory Outlet (1601 W. Lafayette, Detroit; 313-964-0051) has a variety of leather jackets, vests, pants, and chaps. You'll find brands you would find in other stores, but they're cheaper here.
Far from the central city, you'll find the two locations of Gibraltar Trade Center, one in Mt. Clemens (North River Road just east of I-94; exit 237 from I-94) and one in Taylor (Eureka and Racho Roads, just west of I-75; exit 36 from I-75). These would be known as "swap meets" in some other states, from what I'm told--there are booths selling all sorts of close-out or discounted goods as well as food, tattoos, etc. The best leather vendor at the Mt. Clemens location is Shar-Dan's Leather Goods; it's a huge booth with a wide selection of American-made and some overseas leathers—jackets, vests, belts, chaps, and pants. No, it's not an erotic leather shop, though I did buy a nice dog collar there (wonder if they really knew what "dog" was going to wear it). Friends of the owners run a slightly smaller but just as good leather booth at the Taylor Gibraltar Trade Center. The other leather vendors at both trade centers tend to sell lower-quality goods most leathermen wouldn't be interested in.
You'll find lots of leather at motorcycle swap meets. Giant Motorcycle Swap Meets sponsors quite a few of them during the winter months at the Michigan State Fairgrounds, as well as other locations around the state. You'll have to watch for advertising to know when the next ones are. Some vendors have high-quality leather at good prices, while others have lower-quality leather for really cheap. There are also plenty of parts for your bike, t-shirts, and other motorcycle and biker paraphernalia. Even if you don't buy anything, it's a great place for people-watching (but please don't stare--the crowd is mostly straight, of course).

Detroit's biggest source of erotic leather goods (gay or straight) is Noir Leather (corner of West 4th and Center Streets, Royal Oak; 248-541-3979). Its atmosphere is more punkish and gothic, but there's a selection of leather and fetish wear for everyone and they sponsor many fetish events.

For boots, check out Chester Boot Shop in Roseville, Scott Colburn Western Wear in Livonia, or Western Flavors at the Mount Clemens Gibraltar Trade Center.

A lot of Detroit guys needing leather clothes, accessories, and toys get them in Chicago, Toronto, or other cities with established shops or through mail order. Occasionally, the Detroit Eagle has hosted local and out-of-town leather vendors who'll set up a table or two upstairs at the bar.

Events

Both leather bars each sponsor contests. The Eagle sponsors the Mr. Detroit Eagle contest; R&R Saloon is sponsoring a Mr. Leather Michigan contest. They send the winners to the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago.

The Do-A-Fool weekend run, sponsored by Tribe MC on the first weekend in April, attracts a lot of leathermen as well as others. It's a hotel-based run, with bar nights and afterhours parties. The centerpiece is a dinner and show, put on by the club.

The Eagle has sponsored a Leather Weekend, partly a run and partly a fundraiser for a gay/lesbian scholarship fund at the University of Michigan. Folks who buy run tickets enjoy Saturday dinner and Sunday brunch, both with SM demos and special guests (Lenny Broberg and Jack Rinella have been here in previous years). The big event is a Leather Auction, open to all, on Saturday night. The auction is the big money- raiser for the scholarship fund, with shops and organizations from as far away as Chicago donating items and services for auction.

Some of the smaller leather clubs sponsor their own events. These tend to be smaller and invitation-only, and it's best to contact them for more information.

Information

Detroit doesn't have a leather-specific information source, but the following may be useful:

Cruise Magazine, one of the local "bar rags," published weekly. (660 Livernois, Ferndale, Michigan; 248-545-9040)
Metra Magazine, a twice-monthly "bar rag" that also covers Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, and adjacent areas. (PO Box 71844, Madison Heights, MI 48071; 248-543-3500)
Between the Lines, a weekly paper with in-depth local, national, and international news, entertainment features, an extensive calendar section and ads covering all of Michigan. They also publish Pridesource, an annual directory of businesses and organizations of Michigan (20793 Farmington Rd., Suite 3, Farmington, MI 48336; phone 888-615-7003)
Affirmations Lesbian-Gay Community Center (195 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale, MI 48220) has many resources, including rap groups, youth groups, the Bayard Rustin library, and the Pittmann-Puckett Gallery, as well as an information helpline—phone 800-398-GAYS.
Chosen Books of Michigan (120 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak, MI, 48067; 248-543-5758) is a long-established gay book and video store. In addition to all the hot merchandise, the folks at the store have been known to point visitors and newbies toward the various corners of the local scene.
You can also try one of the bars; see above for their phone numbers.

Updated December 6, 2003
Detroit skyline graphic originally from the The Weather Channel's Detroit climatological info page
Other content Copyright 1997–2003 Charlie Songdog