Bridging Old Guard Values With Modern Leather Realities

Help Bridge Generations

The Guest Publications section of The Leather Sentinel exists to honor voices whose words deserve permanence, context, and respect. These contributions are not casual posts, reactions, or fleeting opinion pieces. They are intentional publications—written by elders, titleholders, educators, historians, and lived participants of Leather—offered in service to record, reflection, and the continued stewardship of our community.


Leather has always been transmitted through mentorship, lived experience, and written record. Long before social media, our values were preserved in journals, bar newsletters, contest programs, personal correspondence, and the spoken word of those who came before us. This space continues that tradition.


Each guest publication is curated for clarity, integrity, and alignment with Leather’s core principles: consent, accountability, earned authority, respect for lineage, and responsibility to those who follow. Contributors may speak from differing generations, identities, and perspectives—but all share a commitment to truth, reflection, and constructive dialogue.


The purpose of this section is not to dictate what Leather must be, but to document what Leather has been, what it is, and what it can responsibly become. These works stand as record.

Guest Column Submission Guidelines

We Value

  • Historical accuracy and lived experience
  • Transparency over performative outrage
  • Stewardship over authority posturing
  • Bridging over division

Article Length

  • Standard Guest Column: 800–1,000 words (preferred)
  • Short Editorial or Reflection: 600–800 words
  • Archival or Historical Essay: 1,200–1,800 words
    (By invitation or prior discussion)

Rights & Attribution

  • Authors retain ownership of their work
  • The Leather Sentinel retains first-publication rights
  • Republishing elsewhere is permitted with proper attribution and a link back to the original article

Citations & Sources

  • Lived experience
  • Recognized texts, archives, or events
  • Widely acknowledged community history

When applicable, authors may reference:

  • Books, essays, speeches, or archival collections
  • Personal mentorship lineages (clearly identified as such)

Editorial Process

  • All submissions are reviewed for clarity, alignment, and tone
  • Light editing may be applied for grammar, consistency, or flow
  • Substantive edits will be discussed with the author prior to publication
  • Publication implies consent to editorial standards, not ownership of your voice

Formatting Requirements

Please submit your work in one of the following formats:

  • Word document (.docx)
  • Google Docs

Submissions should include:

  • Title
  • Author name and title(s) (as you wish them to appear)
  • Optional author bio (50–75 words)
  • Article body

Content Expectations

  • A clear thesis or central question
  • Relevant context (historical, experiential, or cultural)
  • Personal accountability where applicable
  • A takeaway that contributes to Leather literacy, stewardship, or bridge-building

Allowed:

  • Referencing lived experience without naming individuals
  • Examining conflict, history, or protocol through principle-based analysis

Not Allowed:

  • Defamatory accusations
  • Anonymous call-outs
  • Social-media-style outrage pieces

Tone & Voice

  • Direct, thoughtful, and grounded
  • Written in first person where appropriate
  • Free of vague-booking, call-outs, or rumor
  • Focused on behavior, principle, history, or practice—not personalities, Disagreement is welcome. Personal attacks are not.

We invite principled voices committed to accuracy, accountability, and stewardship to help preserve context, bridge generations, and ensure our culture is recorded with integrity rather than reduced to trend or omission.

Optional Guest Column Template

Title
By [Author Name]


Opening (100–150 words)
Frame the issue, memory, or question. Explain why it matters now.


Body (500–700 words)
Provide context, experience, analysis, or history. Speak plainly. Be accountable.


Reflection / Takeaway (150–200 words)
What should the reader understand, question, or carry forward?


Closing Line (Optional)
A principle. A reminder. A bridge.