Beef

The early gay male leather subculture is epitomized by the Leatherman's Handbook byLarry Townsend published in 1972, which essentially defined one specific order of the Old Guard leather culture. This code emphasized strict formality and fixed roles. There is another order of the Old Guard that emphasizes discipline, honor, brotherhood, and respect and promotes and even stricter lifestyle promoting education, knowledge, and privilege based on successive ranks or levels. Leather submissives start as novice trainees and systematically earn their leather while progressing through the levels of third class, second class, first class, and senior trainee. Once a submissive completes his training and earns the Senior title, he is ready to go into part time or full time service as a houseboy in an Old Guard Master's household. When gay leathermen cruised in the early 1970s, they began using the bandana code to indicate what kind of sex they were interested in having (some still use the code today).