Welcome back to the newsletter. We’ve got a little bit of important news before we get into the usual stuff. Firstly, we are extending the submission deadline for the zine by a week, so the new deadline is Monday 7th September (mostly because we ourselves haven’t finished the photography). Send us up to four A5 pages of material (~1,000 words) at [email protected] to submit! Full details in the early August email.

Also firstly, we are now actually soliciting contestants for Ms Bootblack Glasgow. Details below.

In other news, our pal Saoirse has got an open call seeking four dancers for their new film, The Farmer, The Ass, The Worker and The Lapdog. Project details and sign-up are here, and the deadline for signing up is midnight, Saturday 5th September.

Ms Bootblack Glasgow

We are officially opening sign-ups for Ms Bootblack Glasgow! It will be taking place on Friday 23rd October at Adrian’s (in the evening, just for contestants) and Saturday 24th October at Game Over (all day, for everyone), it’s free to enter, and it’ll be good fun – but if you win you’ve got to take being a titleholder for your title year seriously, is the only catch. It will be judged entirely externally to our org to keep it fair also; actual judges will be announced in due course (as in, once we’ve actually got our fourth judge). We will be accepting sign-ups until midday 27th September. The sign-up form is here and more info about it is here. (Potential attendees! Ticket prices & info will be coming once we’ve sorted that out with Game Over.) See you at the stand!

Upcoming Events

If you are a leatherdyke or otherwise think that leatherdykes in & around Glasgow would benefit from your event, email us at [email protected] to get advertised here.

Small Trans Library: Dinner and a Movie

STL are screening Bound on Tuesday 1st September at The Portal Arts on Govan Road (G51 3AJ) from 6pm till 9pm. There will be free vegan food. Remember that this is a nut free and dry space also, and this event is for trans & non-binary people. I’ll be keyholding so like, say hi.

September Bar Night

Next bar night is on Wednesday 2nd of September at Game Over on Drury Street (G2 5AA) from 7pm till 11:30pm(ish). We will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bound (1996, dir. Wachowskis) with a butch-fem theme. This will be our first themed event and will probably be the only theme we ever do in the case that we want more. So, get some new mascara, find your old suspenders, and let’s make Corky & Violet proud.

Trans Fem Rugby

The Banshees are going to be doing another practice session on Wednesday 9th of September at Queens Park Recreation Ground (G42 8BS) from 7pm with a passing circle from 6:30pm. Second Wednesday of the month is now the Banshees regular slot! Remember to bring water, boots, a gum guard, and durable clothing for contact sport. This session will be “3 on 3”. Check out the insta for more info.

UK AIDS Memorial Quilt Display

The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt is being displayed for the first time in Scotland from Saturday 12th September to Sunday 4th October, at Tramway, Albert Drive (G41 2PE), open 12–5pm Wednesday–Friday and Sundays as well as 12–6pm on Saturdays. More information here and if you want to volunteer there’s a form here.

Bootblack Social / Basic Leatherwork Workshop

Our next bootblack social is on Wednesday 16th September, at Adrian’s on Victoria Road (G42 8RW) from 7pm till late. We’ll be having a workshop on basic leatherwork. No prior bootblack experience or bootblacking kit is needed, and there will be a 101 afterwards for anyone who needs it.

Leatherdykes Recommend…

Let The Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993, by Sarah Schulman (Morwen)

“[disclaimer: I haven't finished this yet] A history of some of the many people behind ACT UP that attends to both the personal histories of each organiser, and the interpersonal and structural forces that led to ACT UP's successes as well as its failures. It simultaneously gives me hope and inspiration, and makes me super fucking depressed, which is a solid reading experience as far as I'm concerned. I continue to feel like the AIDS crisis has shaped our present in such a huge way and at the same time is not well understood publicly, and well worth everyone's time to learn about properly.”

Blog

We had a great time at EAF! I say “we”, that was Archer, Morwen, and Photographer Rowan delivering the presentation, but I certainly heard it was a great time. Thank you to everyone who showed up for the workshop and for the EAF team for inviting us and facilitating that. In general, we’re often pretty happy to give workshops, interviews, talks, and whatever else, so just email if you’re interested.

As mentioned previously, we’re kicking off official announcements for Ms Bootblack Glasgow. The Saturday at Game Over is going to be the public event and it will be ticketed since it’s not a usual bar night. Ticket prices will be as cheap as we can manage, but all the logistical stuff there is pending a conversation between me and Game Over to figure out what works. Still, we’ve got dates, and if you’re a leatherdyke from anywhere else in the UK it would be great to see you alongside our regulars. Anyway, hopefully in the next email I’ll be sending y’all out a ticket link and announcing the judges and everything.

At any rate, while this continuing heat and rain can dampen my spirit (and my clothes and my hair and my skin), it cannot diminish the love I have for you.

With my boyfriend asleep beside me because some people like to lie in on a Sunday morning apparently (it’s about half nine ante meridian at time of writing for context; I realise this doesn’t parse quite right if I’m sending the email this afternoon which I might because, at present, I am waiting on like one thing that is more-or-less out of my control),
yr girl, yvette, for Glasgow Leatherdykes