The Italian rubber scene during COVID-19
Story by: Mike Miksche
Photography by: Italian photographer the_dark_side_of_Pan
October 18, 2020
What is the rubber scene in Italy like? Well, the country has four fetish associations and one fetish group, but none are just for rubbermen. Rubber is welcome at the events hosted by these associations and there is a Mister Rubber Italy title, too, but it’s definitely no Berlin. The good news is that the rubber community in the country is growing because of the young’uns, who are getting into rubber and other fetishes, becoming a new source of energy for the community, one that has a new point of view and fewer limitations. That said, Italy was hit hard by COVID-19, so how has this small but growing scene fared in the shadow of the pandemic?
Drummer spoke to Chris Rub and Joy Gen from Leather Club Roma, to find out.
Drummer: What is something that most people don’t know about the rubber scene in Italy?
Leather Club Roma: In Italy, rubber is an old tradition and it has a strong connection with biker and sneaker lovers. The title of Mr. Rubber Italy was created in 2003 by Leather Club Roma and in 2007, in Chicago, Maurizio became the very first Italian to become Mr. International Rubber. There are many rubbermen in southern Italy too, even though it isn’t easy to wear rubber in the summer because of the high temperatures.
How has the pandemic changed the rubber scene in the country?
As the pandemic started, the Italian government decided to lock down the whole country, halting all non-essential activities and travel. All fetish parties were cancelled, including the election of Mr. Rubber Italy 2020. Leather Club Roma and Leather Friends Italy, the owners of the title, decided to extend the title of the current M.R.I., John Art, until 2021.
Are there any events and meet-ups still going on?
We don’t have leather or fetish bars. We just have cruising clubs and discos, which is where we were organizing our events. In Italy, it’s forbidden to have sex in public spaces, and this was also the case before the pandemic. Cruising clubs are “associations,” and you need to be a member to enter. There are no specific regulations about these types of venues: you can do everything, but you have to respect the rules, so facemasks are required and you need to practice social distancing of one meter.
So, we can organize events, but we aren’t sure it makes sense to do so at the moment. However, Leather and Fetish Milano and Leather Friend Italia seem like they are trying to throw parties, but with facemasks and social distancing.
What is the future of the rubber scene in Italy?
All the Italian fetish associations are preparing next season’s events, including the four national fetish titleholder contests. We really hope to have the chance to come together and celebrate our passion for rubber soon. In the same way, Italian clubs and cruising bars such as Bangalov in Milan; Depot in Milan and Naples; Crisco and Fabrik in Florence; Hot Dog in Padua; and Company and Skyline in Rome are trying to overcome this terrible situation and organize social events which meet our country’s health regulations. The future will be hard for the Italian rubber community, but we will work together to continue supporting our gummy passion.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
