Leather Club Rome at Lisbon Meets Fetish
There are moments that mark the steps of our collective journey – occasions when the European fetish community comes together not only to celebrate, but also to reflect on who we are, where we come from, and where we want to go. Lisbon Meets Fetish 2025, held on 27 September and hosted by Gear Club Portugal, was one of those precious moments: a weekend that combined celebration, friendship, pride, and a renewed awareness of the value of belonging to a community.
For Leather Club Roma, attending Lisbon was much more than simply being present at an international event: it was an act of fraternity, of mutual recognition, and of building bonds. It was in this setting, during the gala dinner, that we heard the speech of Pedro Costa, president of Gear Club Portugal – a speech that struck us for its clarity, depth, and ability to express needs and values that are also our own. We chose to share some passages here, because his words do not belong only to those who were in the room, but to all of us who build the life of the fetish community in Europe day by day.
Pedro reminded us that, even in the absence of big resources, the true strength of our clubs lies in our members:
“We have no fetish venues in Lisbon, no shops, no sponsors. But we have our members: a family that seeks to remain united in the myriad differences that characterize each of us. It is no coincidence that our motto is Diversity and Inclusion.”
He raised a courageous reflection on issues often overlooked: the loneliness of older members, the fragilities linked to mental health, the abuse of substances, and the risk of sterile conflicts that consume the energy of the community:
“We, who are already a ghetto within another ghetto, are we truly taking care of ourselves? (…) Power must serve to build, not to destroy. It must serve to build bridges, not to tear them down. To foster dialogue, not silence.”
A moving section was dedicated to the new generations, with an invitation to foster intergenerational dialogue to ensure a future for our clubs:
“What will become of our clubs in ten years? It matters little who is president, secretary, or Mister if there is no longer a community to represent. (…) Let us take this as an invitation: to think together, with kindness, about the future we can share.”
Finally, a passage directly addressed to Rome and to the project that sees us among the protagonists:
“Dear brothers of Rome, when last year we exchanged our flags (…) none of us could have imagined that such a singular and fertile idea could be born: the Southern European League. (…) May the founding act of SEL not be mere formality, but the prelude to a renewed paradigm: more diverse and more inclusive.”
Lisbon was also an occasion to celebrate the commitment and merits of those who give so much to the community: Awards were presented to Gear Club Portugal member Manel, to our friend Chuso, and to the ECMC, the great European network that continues to be a fundamental reference point for all of us.
Pedro closed his speech with words that deserve to be remembered and embraced:
“This is the true meaning of community: to feel at home, not in solitude, but in one another.”
These words perfectly express the value of moments of sharing like Lisbon Meets Fetish: feeling ourselves part of a common project, where fetish pride becomes connection, mutual support, and a vision of the future.
For those who wish to read the full speech, the complete text of Pedro Costa’s speech is here:
Dear friends,
Eight years ago, at the first edition of Lisbon Meets Fetish, I ended my welcome speech by saying: “Our club is still a child, and we still have a long road ahead. I don’t yet know how we will overcome this challenge, but I know for sure that we will find a way.”
I am pleased to say that Gear Club Portugal, after eleven years of existence, has indeed found its path. We have no fetish venues in Lisbon, no clothing stores, nor even a network of sponsors that allows for the kind of splendour often seen abroad. But we have our members: a family that strives to remain united amid the myriad differences that characterize each of us. It is no coincidence that our motto is Diversity and Inclusion.
Of course, over the years we have faced disagreements, departures, and moments of distance, but always travelling the same road, side by side. Contrary to what some may say (or think), this is not my path: it is yours. And I hope you know that we will go wherever you deem it right to go.
Now it is time for an applause for our wonderful volunteers, who have done everything to ensure the success of this edition of Lisbon Meets Fetish: Carlos, Jens, Miguel, Nuno Rodrigues, Nuno Tamaki, Paulo Sctosman, Paulo Raínho, Pedro, Ricardo Pinto, Ricardo Milagaia. THANK YOU!
Eleven years bring with them new responsibilities, and so we must ask ourselves: what are clubs like ours really for?
Many of us, young people in a country still recovering from nearly fifty years of dictatorship, were raised to believe in permanent economic and social progress, in the need to respect differences as the cornerstone of democracy, and in the conviction that this would be the fuel to get us on Europe’s train, as we used to say. Those were the days of boundless confidence.
But today, looking around, it is not always easy to feel hopeful about the future. And yet I continue to ask myself: what are clubs like ours really for?
Are we paying due attention to our elders, often alone and unable to face no longer being the “cover boys” of the good old days? What are we doing to at least alleviate the problems linked to mental health? And what about the use and abuse of drugs (I say this with concern, not as an accusation—I’ve been there!)? What is the role of our associations in such a troubling moment in our society, in which many defend profoundly harmful political positions that undermine the most basic human dignity, and yet manage to gain consensus even within the gay fetish community? We, who are already a ghetto within another ghetto—the LGBT community—are we truly taking care of ourselves?
I regret to say it, but we are not. We consume the energies we need to build the future in endless quarrels repeated all over Europe, without any sense. Power must serve to build, not to destroy, in self-devouring politics. It must serve to build bridges, not to tear them down. To dialogue, not to silence.
And as for the new generations, what are clubs like ours really for? We cannot give young people stable, well-paid jobs; we cannot offer them housing at affordable prices; we cannot always guarantee them the mental serenity they seek—because often we are what they would like to be, but without the possibility of becoming it.
In the end, we do not always understand the values they embrace, just as they do not fully understand ours. What will become of our clubs in ten years? I have said it before and I repeat it: the international fetish community must seriously reflect on this question. It matters little who is president, secretary, or Mister, if there is no longer a community to represent.
I am convinced that our relationship with time—past, present, and future—is the natural cause of this generational gap. For some of us, “yesterday” still breathes in the shadow of Byzantium’s fall; for others, it is nothing but the fleeting memory of a TikTok post seen five minutes ago. This temporal dissonance shapes not only the way we perceive the world, but also the way we recognize ourselves within it.
The new generations bring with them new perspectives, and often the desire to reshape fetish culture itself. I do not believe the answer is to close ourselves off, nor to fling the doors wide open without measure, as some suggest. But I sense in more than a few the attitude of “Après moi, le déluge.” Instead, let us take this as an invitation: to think together, with kindness, about the future we can share.
Brothers of Spain, as your eternal poet said: “Dad crédito a las obras y no a las palabras.” Looking at Spain and your clubs, we find a work that transcends words: a dynamic fetish community that, in its multiplicity of diversity and the vastness of its territory, stands as an international reference point, regardless of the centres that animate it. Before us, Iberian clubs, stand common challenges that require unity and a firm hand at the helm. Once again, Gear Club Portugal renews its commitment to building consensus and concord, so that we can do what Cervantes teaches us: “Trust in time, which usually gives sweet solutions to many bitter difficulties.”
Dear brothers of Rome, when last year we exchanged our flags in a gesture of fraternal union, none of us could have imagined that, in such a short span of months, such a singular and fertile idea could be born: the Southern European League. I confess with emotion my amazement in seeing even the very name—almost jokingly proposed in one of our first correspondences—so warmly embraced. It is an immense challenge, worthy of all our commitment. But it must also be a transversal space, open to the world around us. As our Camões said: “Give new worlds to the World.” May the founding act of SEL, which we will sign in December, not be a mere formality, but the prelude to a renewed paradigm: more varied and more inclusive.
Dear David, Chuso, Pedro and Rafaelle, thank you for your presence, which is a great honour for us. Thank you also for your commitment in your communities throughout 2025. To David, Mr. Leather Europe, we wish to renew our friendship and tell you that you will always be welcomed with open arms (though I cannot guarantee the beer will stay at €1.50). To Chuso, Pedro, and Rafaelle, our best wishes of good luck for the election of Mr. Leather Europe 2026, in October, in Amsterdam.
A final word for Victor Pinto, president of MAP – the Portuguese alternative motorcycle club. Thank you for supporting the beginning of a dynamic between our two clubs. Though we have different missions and paths, there remains the conviction of the relevance of a close collaboration, in a spirit of dialogue. May this alliance grow in strength and significance, opening the way to new challenges and opportunities, always in a positive and generous dynamic of mutual support and shared commitment.
I will conclude with an Aboriginal proverb that remains current: “We are all visitors in this life, in this place. Only passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love. And then, to return home.”
I hope that each of you has found, in Lisbon Meets Fetish and in Gear Club Portugal, that sense of comfort, safety and belonging. For some of us, this is where the heart rests, a deep peace that stabilises and remains. It is here that our stories are heard, our truth valued, and our essence recognised. This is the true meaning of community: to feel at home, not in solitude, but in one another.
Discaimer: This is a blog post of Gius, head of communication for LCR. For info, amendments or to send your own contributions: giuseppe@lcroma.com
