Both groups formed in part because the gay community itself had developed certain stereotypical expectations - typically, hairless young ' metrosexuals'. There is a lot of overlap between the two groups, but the same way not all leathermen are into BDSM, not all bears are into leather. Just a strict code of honor, obedience to tradition and hierarchy and a strict set of rules.Ī related but distinct group are bears, masculine types with body hair, heavy-set builds, and/or 'traditionally' masculine behaviour. In fact, some of the older leathermen (the 'old guard') have few, if any, BDSM tendencies. The BDSM part sort of merged in later, though it's not a bonafide requirement that a leatherman be into kink. They became the biker gangs of The '50s, and the subculture grew from there. The leather tradition is generally traced back to gay servicemen returning from World War II. One component has historical roots in the BDSM community and to biker culture, resulting in a noticeable number of gay men wearing a LOT of cured animal hide in suggestive cuts. The LGBT community has a variety of subcultures and groups.