Lady Justice: How old are you? What are your stats?

Eddy: Age 50, 6 foot 200#, brown hair brown eyes. Homeowner, professional, type A, organized, titleholder, female to male trans-gender Daddy living in Columbus, Ohio.

Lady Justice: When did you realize you were "into" leather/BDSM/fetish? And how?

Eddy: I've always known from about puberty on, I would look at black leather and love it from childhood on. I was also always attracted to uniforms. I never entered the scene full time until 1988 when I moved to Columbus. By this point I was older, mature, had a professional job and was ready to devote time to exploring my sexuality.

Lady Justice: What are your hobbies?

Eddy: I enjoy reading, writing, history and all of the arts, travel, homes tours, gardening, music and above all learning. In the health arena I enjoy swimming, golfing, bicycling, weight lifting, cross-country skiing.

Lady Justice: What is your favorite quote?

Eddy: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." I also grew up reading the quote by President Kennedy carved into my hometown municipal building: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Lady Justice: How long have you been involved in the leather community?

Eddy: Since 1988.

Lady Justice: What keeps you passionate about the leather community?

Eddy: Everything about the leather community.... things like the brotherhood, caring, the level of service that we maintain, the creativity and the ability we all have to be true to ourselves.

Lady Justice: What is your definition of a "leatherman"? What are his responsibilities?

Eddy: The definition of a leatherman can vary greatly, but to me there is a sense of mentoring, caring, service to others and a strong commitment to be the best person you can be in this world. Responsibilities would include honesty, honor, education, a strong sense of self, and a strong sense of community as well. A desire to mentor and teach upcoming generations, lend a hand where it is needed.

Lady Justice: Which roles in the Leather BDSM lifestyle do you fit? How do the following words compare to you: Master, slave, dominant, submissive, sadist, masochist, Daddy, etc…

Eddy: I have had the honor of being trained by a mistress in the "Old Guard" way of training. I began my journey as a butch submissive lesbian. When I was in training in 1988, there was so much work to be done: AIDS was in full strength, people were dieing at an alarming rate. I started out doing safe sex demo's everywhere, and also worked on early domestic violence committees. I joined groups such as the Centurions of Columbus and the National Leather Association. My main areas of concentration were fundraising and education.

Today, twenty years later, I still consider those two aspects as areas that are all-important. Today, I identify as a trans-gendered female to male Daddy who prefers to mentor my submissives. We have the beauty of defining our roles and contracts. Each person may define their roles as long as it is safe, sane and consensual.

Lady Justice: What organizations do you belong? Are you an officer of any of these groups?

Eddy: I am an officer in the Centurions of Columbus back patch club, a member of NLA-Columbus, a member of a gay swim team: Ohio Splash, a member of the Pink Pistols gay gun club, previous Co-Director for the Great Lakes Leather Alliance Leather Contest, previous Asst. Executive Director of the Ohio Leather Alliance. I am a member of Trans Ohio, and I volunteer for the Ohio Historical Society and the Gay Ohio Historical Initiatives. Because I am involved in so much, I am mostly a member at large as opposed to maintaining a leadership position.

Lady Justice: What are your goals for the future?

Eddy: My goals for the future involve continued involvement in our community in the areas of fund raising, education, mentoring, and above all service to others, which is always an honor.

This calendar year, I am focusing on the Gay Ohio Historical Initiatives, I have been involved with them over the past six months. We need to preserve our history and so much of it has been lost with the large number of people who have died from AIDS. Also, I can volunteer at the local level with no traveling. My title years had me on the road quite a bit and although it was wonderful I wanted to devote some time to the local Columbus scene.

Lady Justice: Please tell us about the leather competitions you've experienced and competed in over the years. What is your fondest memory of competing over the years?

Eddy: I am a former Ms. Ohio Leather and Ms. Great Lakes Leather 2004 and First Runner Up at IMsL 2005.

My fondest memories of those years were the judges I interviewed with who asked the best difficult questions, the great contestants that competed with me, and all of the volunteers who worked endlessly to make sure those things went smoothly. Also my time on the road gave me the opportunity to meet people all over the country who were giving of their time and love to make the world a better place. It was an honorable, humbling experience.

Lady Justice: You have the most amazing home, how did it come to be as it is?

Eddy: Thank you! There is only one answer to that...I am a history addict, hate anything contemporary, and have always dreamed of owning my own home as historically correct as I could possibly have it on my limited income. My home has always been an obsession, and worth the many sacrifices that I have made over the years. I am obsessed with historical properties and preserving the past. I have been that way since childhood so I've always felt that way and have always had the dream to do just what I've done. In addition, I did it all on my own, so it never involved anyone else's input, money or labor. I felt it only fair that since it was my project, I take on the workload!

Lady Justice: Would you share some of your experiences as transgender leatherman in the community? And what would you like to communicate about being transgender?

Eddy: Being transgendered becomes easier with each new generation. Mainstreamed society is slowly coming to the realization that there are more than the two binary genders that we have always subscribed to. We are actually reaching the point where employers are allowing it which although long overdue, is reason to celebrate.

As far as our community is concerned, there has always been acceptance. There may still be one or two situations where trans is not included but as I look at the global picture, they are hardly worth mentioning because there is an overwhelming acceptance. I do believe that there is a time and a place for all that the continuum offers. For example there are times when only men and only woman should gather to discuss issues that pertain to their culture. I have never felt as though I was shunned but grateful that they had the support. The opportunities are endless today; there really is something for everyone. We are more pansexual than at any other time in our history.

Lady Justice: Have you ever conducted a leather workshop? What was the topic? If you were to teach more leather workshops, what topics would you teach?

Eddy: I would love to conduct a leather workshop but to date have not. I love the stage and am usually volunteering in that area. I would love to conduct workshops on trans issues, how to build bridges with our very diverse community, explore definitions and what they mean to everyone, topics along those lines.

Lady Justice: And, who would you like to be for 24 hours and why?

Eddy: I admire those folks in our community that have been around longer than I have. I honor their dedication to our community as well as their tireless efforts that keep everyone going. There are a number of them: Guy Baldwin, Mary Elizabeth Boyd, Chuck Renslow, Patrick Califa, Kendra McClain, to name just a few. Actually, I would love to kidnap Miss Mary Elizabeth for 24 hours and have her give me 24 hours of oral history. Tell me her life story with all of the characters involved.

Lady Justice: What is your stance on "old school" versus "new school" leather protocols and rules?

Eddy: History has proven to us that many things will change. I think the ideal set of rules/protocols would be a combination of the best of both schools.

Old school has taught us that we need to have respect, honor, mentoring, community and caring. New school has taught us to be more diverse in our communities and to be more accepting of others.

We are faced with many challenges in our modern day society. Who would have thought that the once male only motorcycle clubs would become the foundation for fund raising and education at the beginning of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. And sadly, as a result of the AIDS crisis we have lost so many good people with those same clubs disbanding due to a lack of members. We owe a great deal of gratitude to those who fought the fight before us as we all need to continue on in the fight for equal rights for all.

Lady Justice: Do others outside the leather community know you’re into leather? If so has that created any difficulty?

Eddy: At this late date in my life, everyone knows I am into leather. My experience has been that with age came pride, and an ability to live my life without caring what others think in mainstreamed society. My community has always had acceptance of me. Society has never been kind in that aspect. There have been many losses: career, high risk of violence, narrow opportunities for gainful employment and discrimination; however, no worse than the treatment that those before us have endured. Our goal has always been that each generation will have an easier time of it and I have seen that happen.

Lady Justice: What qualities about yourself do you like the most? The least?

Eddy: The qualities that I am grateful for is my firstborn birth status, my type A personality, my love of learning...the qualities that I like least is my health, I wish I would have started a workout program earlier in my life.

Lady Justice: If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? And if you could change anything about others, what would it be?

Eddy: If I could change anything for myself, I would put myself back 30 years with all the wisdom that I have today and start my accomplishments earlier. As far as changing others I would take away all hatred and discrimination genes!

I would also provide a boost to the brightest and best scientists so there would be no more diseases, and a way to find a way to live on planet earth without destroying her.

Lady Justice: What is the last book you read that deals with leather and the last book you read that is a non-leather topic? Why did you choose those books?

Eddy: I read about leather earlier in my life. I would read everything I could by Pat Califia, Tony DeBlase, Guy Baldwin, Susie Bright, Dossie Easton, Joseph Bean, Jack Rinella. One of most prized purchases in the past few years has been International Mr. Leather: The First Twenty-Five Years. The historical account is excellent. This past year I have had much less time for leisure reading as I once again headed back to school for classes in real estate.

As far as non-leather topics, that would be history, autobiographies, and current events. Right now I am reading As I Knew Them by Henry Stoddard. It belonged to my maternal grandmother; she had read it in 1968. Henry Stoddard was a journalist in the White House from Presidents Grant to Coolidge. I am a fourth generation history addict on my mother’s side.

Lady Justice: Tell us more about your lifestyle in the BDSM leather world. What are you into? And, what’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?

Eddy: I love fetish wear: leather, cowboy, uniform, construction worker, love my girl in Catholic schoolgirl uniform and fishnet stockings. What I've always wanted to do but haven’t yet...I would love to be a Daddy to three boys. Hope to get that happening soon.

Lady Justice: When you flag, which colors do you wear? Do you wear them on the left or the right?

Eddy: I wear the following colors on the left: yellow, light blue, robins egg blue, light and dark pink, lavender, rust, hunter green, gray, tan. Camo woodland would be worn as both right and left.

Lady Justice: Do you have a dungeon or play space? If you do, tell us about it. If you don’t, tell us how you would design your dungeon.

Eddy: I do have a dungeon and it is modeled exactly after the first dungeon I was ever in back in 1988. I was blindfolded on the way to a gay schoolteacher’s house that was out of town. His dungeon was in the basement and the main equipment was a sling. There were mirrors everywhere, a tile floor due to loads of used candle wax that involved easy cleanup. I designed my dungeon to be the same way, I took a corner of the basement, hung a sling, with a huge picture frame mirror. There is a toy rack, trunks and a bulletin board for memorabilia. When I was searching for a home, I wanted a dry usable basement for a dungeon. Of course, it was the first room of the house decorated. I've had many years of great photo shoots and parties there.

Lady Justice: Let’s pretend that you’re placing a 35 word personal ad in LeatherBear’s column. How would it read?

Eddy: Why pretend? Let's make it a real personal ad...

50-year-old FTM trans-gendered Daddy living in Columbus seeks cub that has a great heart, goals and honor. Age, gender, and race unimportant. See hanky code for additional interests!

Lady Justice: What do you think our community needs to successfully move into the future?

Eddy: The ability to change as needed for the good of the cause, the ability to accept all diversities, the ability to work together despite arguments, differences and move forward when we need to. All things that require change and effort.

Lady Justice: If I was your leather genie and you could make three wishes, what would they be?

Eddy: I would wish for nothing for myself. I do have global wishes: a cure for the horrible diseases that are killing us, world peace and the end of famine on our globe.

Lady Justice: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

Eddy: Yes. At mid century let me say that life goes unbelievably fast. Follow your dreams, engage in your passions, and no matter how large or small do all that you can to make our community and planet a better place.

Eddy: Lady Justice: Thank you for taking your time with us, Eddy! Where can we find you on line? Do you have e-mail or a web site you’d like to share?

Actually at my age I'm still learning how to make a website, so you can catch me at bowers_43212@yahoo.com.

Lady Justice above, reporting for LeatherBear, Steven Tompa