2006 SINSATIONS KEYNOTE
ADDRESS
GIVEN BY MASTER Z OF DALLAS
FEBRUARY 3,
2006
REVISION #02
2/02/2006
TITLE: DIVERSITY – THE TIES THAT BIND
GOOD
EVENING AND THANKS TO MASTER Z FOR THAT KIND
INTRODUCTION. IT IS NICE TO BE
BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR WITH ALL YOU SINNERS, AND TO SEE THE LEATHER FOLK,
KINKSTERS AND YOUR GENERAL, RUN-OF-THE-MILL PERVERTS REPRESENTED HERE THIS
EVENING. IT FEELS LIKE ANOTHER
FAMILY REUNION AND A HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
TWO
WEEKENDS AGO, SLAVEBOY AND I, ALONG WITH THE ALL THE MEMBERS OF MY TEXAS
LEATHER TRIBE, WERE IN PHOENIX ATTENDING THE SOUTHWEST LEATHER CONFERENCE WHICH
IS ONE OF 3 EVENTS WE HAVE ATTENDED THIS YEAR ALREADY. NOW WE ARE HERE IN CHICAGO VISITING
WITH MORE OF OUR TRIBE AND COMMUNITY.
IT’S
QUITE A CLIMATE CHANGE HERE IN CHICAGO FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST COAST THOUGH
AND Y’ALL ARE A LITTLE SHORT ON CACTUS.
BUT IT DOES FEEL LIKE A REUNION WITH BRETHREN.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW ME, I AM
MASTER Z, FROM DALLAS TEXAS. THE
REASON I NOW IDENTIFY THE CITY I AM FROM IS BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE IS
ANOTHER MASTER Z OUT THERE. HAS ANYBODY
EVER HEARD OF HIM?
I DISCOVERED THIS OTHER MASTER Z ABOUT TWO
YEARS AGO AFTER SLAVEBOY AND I REPRESENTED THE MASTER AND SLAVE COMMUNITY AS INTERNATIONAL
MASTER AND SLAVE 2004.
I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHAT REFERENCES I MIGHT
FIND ABOUT MYSELF ON THE INTERNET NOW THAT MY PUBLIC KINK PERSONA HAD BECOME
INCREASINGLY MORE VISIBLE.
SO AFTER GOING TO THAT GOOGLE THING AND TYPING
IN THE REFERENCE …MASTER Z, UP POPS A NUMBER OF LINKS, ALL APPEARING TO PROVIDE
REFERENCE ABOUT THE SAME PERSON. I
WENT TO ONE OF THOSE REFERRED SITES.
HMMMMMMMMM I THOUGHT! LOOKS
ELABORATE AND SINCE I DIDN’T HAVE A WEBSITE, I KNEW IT COULDN’T POSSIBLY BE ABOUT
ME. I WONDERED WHO IS THIS
INDIVIDUAL USING “MY” NAME AND TITLE THAT I HAD BEEN USING FOR THE LAST FEW OF
YEARS. WHO WAS COPYING ME?
WELL, LO AND BEHOLD WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT WAS A
MARVELOUS, INTERACTIVE WEBSITE IDENTIFYING MASTER Z AS A CHICAGO HETEROSEXUAL
DOMINANT WHO HAS BEEN IN THE SCENE FOR OVER 30 YEARS. WELL, THAT OBVIOUSLY WAS NOT ME!!!
HOWEVER, I DID GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THE MASTER
Z FROM CHICAGO SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND I AM PROUD TO SAY HE AND I HAVE BECOME
VERY GOOD FRIENDS. I DID SUBSEQUENTLY
LEARN THAT I WAS A FEW YEARS OLDER THAN HE IS, SO I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF
RENAMING HIM, “MASTER Z, JR”. I,
ON THE OTHER HAND, IDENTIFY AS “MASTER Z, SR”. SEE! ONE TIME AT
LEAST THAT AGE DOES HAVE ITS PRIVILEGES.
AND I HAVE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THERE IS
ANOTHER “MASTER Z” HAILING FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTHWEST. IF THIS SHIT CONTINUES, WE CAN START
OUR OWN CLUB, CHARGE DUES, CREATE A VEST PATCH AND RETIRE.
SERIOUSLY THOUGH, I WAS VERY HONORED TO HAVE
BEEN ASKED BY MASTER Z JR., TO GIVE A SHORT ADDRESS DURING THE OPENING OF THIS
YEAR’S SINSATION EVENT.
BUT FIRST, LET ME SHARE SOME HISTORY. SLAVEBOY TONY AND I SERVED AS THE 2004
INTERNATIONAL MASTER AND SLAVE AND ATTENDED A FEW EVENTS ONE MIGHT SAY, AS REPRESENTATIVES
OF THE MASTER AND SLAVE COMMUNITY.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, FROM FEBRUARY 2004 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2005, SLAVEBOY
AND I LOGGED OVER 40,000 MILES AND ATTENDED 47 EVENTS OVER OUR TITLE YEAR.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT WE SAW VERY LITTLE OF HOME
OVER THAT YEAR. THE PATTERN WAS
USUALLY OUT ON FRIDAY, AND BACK ON SUNDAY - THROW DIRTY LAUNDRY IN THE HAMPER,
RE-PACK AND GET READY TO LEAVE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER EVENT THE NEXT WEEKEND.
IT WAS A GRUELING SCHEDULE BUT ONE TO WHICH WE
WERE COMMITTED. THROUGH ALL OF
THAT TRAVELLING, WE HAD THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND GET TO KNOW MEMBERS
OF THE TRIBE FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. AND I ASSURE YOU, FOR ALL THAT WE GAVE
OF OURSELVES OVER THAT TITLE YEAR, WE GAINED MUCH MORE.
WE STEPPED ASIDE FROM THIS TITLE IN FEBRUARY
2005 AND THE GRAND PLAN WAS TO SLOW THIS CRAZY TRAVEL PATTERN DOWN A BIT. HOWEVER, THAT HASN’T HAPPENED YET. YOU SEE THIS TITLE THAT WE REPRESENTED
IS AN EDUCATIONAL TITLE. BY THAT I
MEAN THAT THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS TITLE, UNLIKE MANY OF THE LEATHER OR
LIFESTYLE TITLES IN THE COMMUNITY, CARRIES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING EDUCATIONAL
REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE MASTER AND SLAVE LIFESTYLE.
AND BEING A TITLE WUZZIE DOESN’T END THAT
RESPONSIBILITY. BUT IN THE HISTORY
OF THE MASTER AND SLAVE TITLE AS WE CAN TRACK IT, IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THAT
WAY.
BACK IN 1999, THE MASTER AND SLAVE TITLE WAS
PRETTY MUCH IN THE TOILET AND THE CONCEPT OF A MASTER AND SLAVE RELATIONSHIP HAD
SOME PRETTY BIZARRE INTERPRETATIONS – PRIMARILY FUELED BY WRITTEN FANTASY AND
THE POPULARITY OF INTERNET CHAT ROOMS.
IT WAS IN THE YEAR 2000 THAT MASTER STEVE
SAMPSON AND HIS NEW SLAVE KIRK WERE ASKED (ACTUALLY MORE LIKE BEGGED) TO RUN
FOR THE INTERNATIONANL MASTER AND SLAVE TITLE THAT HAD BY THIS TIME, FALLEN ON
VERY HARD TIMES.
THEY RELUCTANTLY AGREED TO DO SO WITH THE
PERSONAL GOAL OF TRYING TO REGAIN THE RESPECT, HONOR AND RECOGNIZTION THAT THIS
TILE DESERVED, AND HAD LOST.
IT WAS THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS THAT THE TITLE
BECAME AN EDUCATIONAL/TEACHING TITLE AND HAS ONCE AGAIN, GARNERED RESPECT AND
ADMIRATION IN TODAY’S COMMUNITY.
LET ME TELL YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THIS TITLE IS STRUCTURED.
TODAY THERE ARE 4 REGIONAL FEEDER CONTESTS,
EACH SUPPORTED BY A CONFERENCE OR AN EVENT THAT FOCUSES ON THE MASTER AND SLAVE
LIFESTYLE. THERE IS:
Ø TOGETHER IN
LEATHER, WHICH REPRESENT THE SOUTHEAST;
Ø THERE IS THE
GREAT LAKES LEATHER ALLIANCE, REPRESENTING THE CENTRAL U.S.;
Ø THE NORTHEAST
IS REPRESENTED BY THE MASTER AND SLAVE CONFERENCE:
Ø AND THE
SOUTHWEST LEATHER CONFERENCE, REPRESENTS THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST COAST.
THERE LIKELY
WILL BE A 5TH REGION IN 2006 THAT WILL COVER CANADA AND MEXICO AS
WELL AS SOME OF THE WEST COAST WHICH TODAY FALLS UNDER THE SOUTHWEST REGION.
THE WINNING MASTER AND SLAVE COUPLE FROM EACH
OF THESE FEEDER CONTESTS COME TOGETHER AT SOUTHPLAINS LEATHER FEST, HELD IN
DALLAS TEXAS AT THE END OF FEBRUARY EACH YEAR. THERE, THE COUPLE WHO WILL REPRESENT THE INTERNATIONAL
MASTER AND SLAVE TITLE FOR THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, ARE SELECTED.
THEY THEN REPRESENT THE MASTER AND SLAVE LIFESTYLE
IN THE LARGER LEATHER AND KINK COMMUNITY FOR THEIR TITLE YEAR.
AND THIS REPRESENTATIION ISN’T THE EASIEST TASK
BECAUSE, THERE IS NO COOKIE-CUTTER MODEL OF THE TYPICAL MASTER AND SLAVE
RELATIONSHIP. WE ARE A VERY
DIVERSE FAMILY TO SAY THE LEAST.
FOR EXAMPLE, MASTER STEVE AND SLAVE KIRK AND
SLAVEBOY TONY AND I ARE GAY MALES WHO HAVE EACH HELD THIS TITLE – THEY IN 2000
AND WE WERE IN 2004. THE 2001
TITLE HOLDERS ARE YET ANOTHER FLAVOR.
MASTER JIM IS A GAY MALE WHILE HIS SLAVE, SLAVE MARSHA IS A FEM LEATHER
DYKE.
MASTER SCOTT AND SLAVETTE FROM 2002 AND MASTER
BERT AND SLAVE NADINE FROM 2003 ARE HETERSEXUAL COUPLES LIVING THE MASTER AND
SLAVE LIFESTYLE BUT WHO ARE, VERY DIFFERENT IN THEIR APPROACH TO MASTER AND
SLAVERY.
THE CURERNT TITLE HOLDERS, SIR STEVEN AND SLAVE
CATHERINE ARE A HET COUPLE WHO BRING A VICTORIAN HOUSEHOLD FLAVOR INTO THE MIX AND
ARE NOT SELF-IDENTIFIED AS LEATHER, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM MOST OF THE
PREVIOUS TITLEHOLDERS.
THIS YEAR’S REGIONAL PAIRS WILL ADD ADDITIONAL
DIVERSITY TO AN ALREADY COMPLEX MIX.
THERE IS A STRAIGHT MASTER WITH A BI, BUT LEANING TOWARD LESBIAN
SLAVE. THERE IS A LESBIAN PAIR,
AND TWO HET PAIRS WHOSE RELATIONSHIP STRUCTURE IS AGAIN, VERY DIFFERENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DIVIERSITY OF THE MASTER
AND SLAVE LIFESTYLE HAS ALL THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW AND I BELIEVE, MIRRORS
OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO
BRIEFLY SPEAK ABOUT THIS EVENING WHICH IS THE ROLE OF DIVERSITY AS SEXUAL
OUTLAWS IN THIS WONDERFUL ALTERNATIVE KINKY LIFESTYLE WE ALL SUBSCRIBE TO.
OVER THE TWO YEARS THAT SLAVEBOY AND I HAVE
BEEN ATTENDING EVENTS, WE HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED THE DIVERSITY OF THIS
LEATHER AND KINK COMMUNITY BEYOND JUST THE MASTER AND SLAVE EVENTS I DESCRIBED.
WE HAVE ATTENDED GAY MEN EVENTS, EVENTS
PRIMARILY FOR WOMAN, HET EVENTS AND MANY OF THE POPULAR PANSEXUAL EVENTS WHICH
ARE ALWAYS A POTPOURRI OF DIVERSITY.
THROUGH THESE EXPERIENCES, WE HAVE MADE ONE
VERY CLEAR OBSERVATION AND THAT IS THAT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS THE
TIE THAT BINDS US TOGETHER IN STRENGTH AND SOLIDARITY AND IS NOT A WEAKNESS.
SURE THERE ARE THE ISSUES FROM TIME TO TIME,
WHERE DIVERSITY IS NOT THE KEY TO UNITY.
TIMES LIKE WHEN THERE IS DESIRE FOR PLAY SPACE EXCLUSIVELY FOR GAY MEN WHO
DON’T WANT TO PLAY IN A SPACE WHERE THERE ARE WOMEN.
AND OF COURSE THERE IS THE REVERSE, WHERE AN ALL
WOMEN PLAY SPACE IS THE DESIRED ENVIRONMENT BY THE PARTICIPANTS.
OR, MAYBE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN INGRAINED
HOMOPHOBIC FEARS MAKE THE STRAIGHT MAN OR WOMAN UNCOMFORTABLE PLAYING WITH SAME
SEX PARTNERS. I GUESS THERE ARE
EVEN HETEROPHOBIAS AMONG THE GAY COMMUNITY THAT MIRROR THE SAME SORT OF
RESPONSE.
MASTER STEVE SAMPSON IS NOTORIOUS FOR SPEAKING
ABOUT THE FEAR GAY MEN HAVE OF THE GAPING VAGINAL JAWS OF DEATH AND THE STRONG SUSPICION
THAT THE VAGINA CONTAINS TEETH THAT COULD RENDER A GAY MALE INTO A PRANCING EUNICH.
TRUTH BE TOLD, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF THESE STEREOTYPES
AND MYTHS THAT HAVE NO BASIS IN FACT.
VAGINAS DON’T HAVE TEETH TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, THOUGH I
SUSPECT MY EX-WIFE WISHED THEY DID.
YOU HAVE HEARD I AM SURE THAT ALL LESBIANS ARE
DYKES AND DRIVE TRUCKS OR THE RUMOR THAT HET MEN HAVE NO SENSE OF FASHION. I MEAN THEY HAVE A VERY POPULAR TV
SHOW, “QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY” WHICH ADDRESSES THAT VERY ISSUE.
I AM HEAR TO TELL YOU TONIGHT THAT IT JUST
AIN’T TRUE - ABOUT DYKES I MEAN . . . NOW THE ONE ABOUT HET MEN AND FASHION MAY
HAVE SOME BASIS IN FACT- I MEAN THE TV SHOW IS NOW SYNDICATED. IT’S GOT TO BE TRUE, RIGHT? REALLY, I AM ONLY KIDDING MY STRAIGHT
BROTHERS HERE. . . I KNOW SOME PRETTY DAPPER STRAIGHT GUYS WHO CAN PUT THE GAY
GUY TO SHAME
BUT ONE THING I AM SURE IS NOT A MYTH IS THAT
IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT IN THIS EVER THREATENING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
THAT WE ALL FIND OURSELVES IN, THAT WE MUST COME TOGETHER IN OUR DIFFERENCES AS
A UNIFIED FRONT TO PROTECT ALL OF US FROM THE RADICAL RIGHT WING FANATICS WHO WOULD
PUSH US UNDERGROUND OR ATTEMPT TO CRIMINALIZE THAT WHICH CONSENTING ADULTS
CHOOSE TO DO.
SO RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON THAT WHICH DEFINES
US AS DIFFERENT AND DIVIDES US, I THINK IT IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR CONTINUED
SURVIVAL AND GROWTH, TO FOCUS ON THAT WHICH UNITES US IN STRENGTH AND
FELLOWSHIP.
I HAVE FOUND A COMMON TRUTH IN ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITIES – AND THAT TRUTH IS THAT THOSE WHO SUBSCRIBE TO A LIFESTYLE AS A
SOCIAL AND SEXUAL OUTLAW HAVE A PROFOUND SENSE OF HONOR AND DUTY, A COMMITMENT
TO INTEGRITY, AND A GENERAL RESPECT FOR THE DIFFERENCES THAT WE ALL BRING TO
THE TABLE.
SURE, WE ALL KNOW INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY ACT
CONTRARY TO THOSE VIRTUES, BUT IN GENERAL, I THINK THE PRINCIPLES OF HONOR,
DUTY, INTEGRITY AND RESPECT ARE COMMON TO US ALL, NO MATTER HOW WE IDENTIFY OR WHAT
OUR DIFFERENCES MAY BE.
AND AS WE COME TOGETHER AT EVENTS LIKE
SINSATIONS, WE SHOULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELBRATE THAT STRENGTH OF
DIVERSITY THAT OUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTS.
RATHER THAN FOCUS ON WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT
EACH OF US OR OUR KINK, LET’S COME TOGETHER IN BROTHER AND SISTER HOOD AND
RECOGNIZE THAT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, IS BETTER AND STRONGER BECAUSE OF WHAT
EACH OF US AS INDIVIDUALS BRINGS TO THE TABLE.
AND WHEN INSTANCES OF OUR DIFFERENCES BECOME
APPARENT – LIKE THOSE PLAY SPACES THAT ARE JUST FOR MEN – OR HOLDING THOSE ALL
WOMAN PLAY PARTIES, LET’S HONOR THE CONCEPT THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, IT’S OK TO
WANT TO BE JUST AMONG YOUR OWN ELEMENT TO EXPERIENCE THAT UNIQUE ENERGY THAT ONLY
OCCURS IN THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.
LET’S NOT TAKE OFFENSE IF THERE IS ONE TIME WHERE THE WELCOME SIGN ISN’T
DISPLAYED FOR YOU.
I DO KNOW FROM OUR EXPERIENCES HERE LAST YEAR,
THAT THIS EVENT HAS A UNIQUE ENERGY OF ITS OWN, AND THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN BY
ACCIDENT. EVENTS LIKE SINSATIONS
ONLY HAPPEN BECAUSE THERE IS A VISION – AND THAT VISION BECOMES A REALITY
BECAUSE OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME, TALENTS AND DIVERSITY TO
MAKE IT A REALITY.
AT THIS TIME, WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME IN A
HEALTHY ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THIS SINSATIONS WEEKEND A REALITY
FOR US.
AGAIN, LET ME SAY THAT SLAVEBOY AND I ARE
HUMBLED TO HAVE BEEN ASKED TO AGAIN BE PART OF THIS AMAZING WEEKEND. LET’S ALL ENJOY THE FRUITS OF WHAT THE
LABOR OF THE SINSATION COMMITTEES HAVE PUT TOGETHER FOR US.
HAVE FUN, PLAY SAFE, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, SUPPORT THE VENDORS AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET TO
KNOW SOMEONE THIS WEEKEND WHO IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM YOURSELF.
TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE STRENGTH
OF DIVERSITY PRESENT HERE IN THE SINSATIONS FAMILY THIS WEEKEND. AND REJOICE THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE OUT THERE. FEEL AND CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY. IT IS THE TIE THAT BINDS US TOGETHER IN
TRIBAL UNITY AND COMMUNITY.
I THANK YOU FOR LISTENING THIS EVENING, AND MAY
THE WISDOM OF THE UNIVERSE BE YOUR PROTECTION AND GUIDE IN ALL THAT YOU DO. HAVE A TERRIFIC WEEKEND.
NAMASTE