As a gay man, I have to make an admission: I don’t get the fascination that so many of my gay brothers and sisters have with leather and fetish gear. I’m not knocking it, but I don’t understand it, and up until this point, I haven’t tried to, but thanks to adult performer Ruben Rodriguez, I’ve begun to take a closer look.
I have dismissed the leather scene in the past, as just a box to be perpetually unchecked on my end. And admittedly, I’ve applied judgment and stereotypes to the leather scene that have been less than supportive, yet I have no idea why. But that’s a failure of humans. We often ridicule things we don’t understand, and maybe too, we are potentially envious of others’ ability to express themselves in specific ways. Therefore, our judgment becomes far more about our issues than anyone else’s. I’ll own that.
Ruben and I have had very poignant discussions about the fetish and kink communities and the sex-positive movement he and his partner Alex Tikas advocate. As I realize now, it’s been enlightening to discover that these are communities where men form familial bonds, sometimes more substantial than their actual blood family, in relationships that are not always sexual.
Ruben will take the stage tonight in the coveted Mr. Eagle NYC competition. In sharing his excitement, he schooled me quickly about what the contest represents — it’s not just about men walking around in leather gear. For Ruben, especially, this title would come with a tremendous social responsibility with more possibilities to expand the work he’s already done for years as a champion for the homeless, the drug-addicted, and his fight against the criminalization of sex work.
I encourage you to read about this impressive man. He is so much more than what meets the eye. Granted, what meets the eye is gorgeous, hairy, and sexy as all hell, but his mission toward making a more humane society extends far beyond that leather harness and fury chest.
The Interview with Mr. Eagle NYC Contestant, Ruben Rodriguez:
CA: So, Ruben, let’s start at the “start.” Why did you decide to run for Mr. Eagle NYC?
RR: When I decided to run for the Mr. Eagle NYC, somebody told me I needed a platform. Despite what people believe, the contest is not just about sex appeal and how sexy you look in leather gear. No, if you win, there is also a great responsibility and opportunity to make a difference with that title.
So, as for having a platform, this part of the competition greatly excites me because I am involved in many social causes and have been for years, from fighting hunger to combating homelessness.
Fighting for social change and equality are already a part of my everyday “platform,” or whatever you want to name it. I call it doing what’s right. And I want people to know that I would never stage or fake an interest in social causes to win Mr. Eagle — or any contest for that matter. I have put in the real work for years and still do. My platform is humanity.
CA: This past year and a half were one of the most challenging times the world has had to deal with; COVID, racial divisiveness, and so much civil unrest. How did you personally deal with it?
RR: Yes, we as a human race skipped a year or more of our lives, and it definitely will go down as one of the most memorable times in our history.
I was not surprised by the global response to the George Floyd case. Witnessing the murder of a fellow black man was so difficult for me and others who look like me, brown-skinned people. It was only a matter of time before something like this would ignite a big reaction — and it was like an explosion, a real thirst for racial justice.
When I saw that video of the police officer killing George Floyd, I lived in DC at the time. I couldn’t help but cry my eyes out because I felt so helpless like I couldn’t do anything to stop it. And it brought back so many horrible memories from the protests in my native country of Venezuela. Thousands of people were being murdered in the streets, and nothing stopped it because of fear.
So I decided that I could put to use one of my creative talents, which is painting. The next day, I went down to the dumpster in my building and took some pieces of cardboard and made a sign, and went out to the streets of DC to protest. My Sign said, “Together we rise,” and it was made in all the colors of the rainbow.
There was a need for a revolution, and I set out to prove that we, as a community, can fight our common enemy and work together for a common goal.
CA: Do you mean the gay/ LGBTQ community or the community as a whole?
RR: They hopefully come together at some point, but I specifically mean the gay community. Think of the start of the AIDS crisis back in the 80s. We made all the difference with the ACT OUT movement. Then we made history working together for gay rights and civil liberties, and we’re thankfully seeing more trans rights come to the forefront.
At the same time, though, I have to address a new enemy that past gay generations didn’t have to contend with. Many gay men, my fellow kinky men, especially in the kink community, are dying due to meth use and other hard drugs. My job here is not to judge anybody. Instead, I want to come up with solutions and encourage people to work together to help those battling drug demons often caused by unhappiness, depression, or other mental distress from sexual shame.
Winning Mr. Eagle would allow an excellent opportunity to launch a proposal I’ve been working on, to have a particular day called “KINK AND SEX.” On “KINK AND SEX” day, we would hold speaking sessions, where we invite people to join deep discussions about how their sexual desires and actions affect their lives and how to make changes to improve them.
I want to show those fellow kinky men a way to explore sexual desires and do hardcore stuff without any hard drugs that can destroy your life or kill you.
CA: So, what makes you a leader in this space? Are you drawing from personal experience?
RR: My journey in the adult entertainment industry has been filled with so many messages of encouragement from people telling me that how I navigate my chosen profession is inspiring. I’ve had so many people approach me interested in exploring kink but don’t know how to do it from a sober perspective. To say I want to be a “role model” in the kink community sounds a little dissonant. But if that means I can help gay men embrace who they are with joyous, healthy sexual exploration, then I’m eager to do so. You can have an incredible adventurous time in the kink community —without the use of meth.
CA: Another thing I know you are passionate about is leading the revolution against shaming sex workers. We’ve discussed it before. Why is that so important to you?
RR: Thank you for bringing this up. I appreciate it. As an adult performer, there is a lot of stigma to sex work. Right now, lawmakers are hard at work trying to criminalize much of what we do, which would make it impossible for people in the industry to make a living from their chosen careers.
I am willing to work with local lawmakers to decriminalize sex work. The Sesta/Fosta act, for example, was passed to target sex traffickers. But somehow, many of their tactics have been redirected to criminalize legal, willing adult sex workers from negotiating services with consenting adult clients online. This drives the business underground, which increased violence against sex workers because many women had to go back on the streets with more random encounters.
There is even a constitutional argument to be made against targeting sex workers in this way (read section 230). And what’s worse is that when sex workers are murdered, they don’t get investigated most of the time because, again, the stigma —oh well, they deserved it. No, NOBODY deserves that whether you agree with their lifestyle or not.
CA: In recent years, you’ve been advocating for the homeless, and I recently say heartwarming photos of you handing out backpacks with products to people in need. How did you get started with that?
RR: Yes, thank you. I’m currently working with an organization called backpacks for the streets, which consists of handling backpacks that contain items that can help people survive for at least a week. The organization also helps get these people back on their feet by getting and preparing for job interviews. These people are human beings who are often just going through hard times, and you know it really could happen to any of us. They sadly begin to adapt to just living in the shadows where nobody acknowledges or cares about them. So when we show up with supplies and food, it restores their faith in humanity. It’s beautiful to see the difference it can make when even a stranger says, hey, I care!
Living in the US with so much access, we sometimes take things like access to food or medicine for granted. I don’t take such things for granted because of the struggles I know and have witnessed in Venezuela.
CA: Those are inspiring words for sure, and I agree we have a lot of excesses here, and we also waste a lot of food that should go to those in need. That always infuriates me. Lastly, to wrap things up, what would make you the best choice to win Mr. Eagle NYC?
RR: Well, first, as I mentioned, I take pride in bringing people together to work for the common good. That’s what I’m striving for when I say my platform is humanity.
I am a man with a big heart and many ideas, and all of them are towards helping people. Why? Because I’ve been homeless, I have known what it’s like to go to sleep without a single bite of food in your stomach. I have been through a lot, so anything I can do to help those in need, I’ll give my heart and soul to do it.
I have determination, the drive, and the willingness to work hard to address these issues. Im a husband, a son, a brother, an immigrant, and a proud member of an ethnic minority. As Mr. Eagle NYC, you’re not only an ambassador to a leather club but also you’re a spokesperson with a fantastic opportunity to be a voice for the voiceless; you’re also a role model to those who need motivation and guidance.
I believe I have all these qualities to be the one, and it would be my honor to be Mr. Eagle NYC.
CA: Good luck Ruben Rodriguez, I commend you on your journey and I think you would be a terrific Mr. Eagle NYC!
RR: Thank you so much, I appreciate it and I appreciate you letting me share my story.
Fake as fuck. This guy and his boyfriend are total pricks. Just because you look good in gear doesn’t make you a leather man. And ironic about the No meth stance considering his boyfriend is in and out of “sobriety” 🤦🏻♂️
Hi sexy 😉