PARIS, CONNECTICUT
At this year’s Beyond Leather Fest, Master William Miller, 77, widely acknowledged as one of the first leather masters to receive his cover in a formal ceremony gathered a group of highly respected leathermen for a different kind of ceremony.
As he was exiting his class, Master Geo was stopped and circled by the group of prominent masters.
William Miller spoke first. “For all you have done for the community, someone decided it was a good idea to give you a cover. Well, for all you have done to the community, we’ve decided they made a mistake.” At that point Master William reached for the cap to remove it from the head of Master Geo.
“That is when the scuffle broke out,” reports a bystander. “Geo pushed Bill Miller and then a bunch of the other guys just started wailing on Geo and someone grabbed his hat and ran off with it.”
Master William suffered a bloody nose and some scratches across his face when Geo’s slave grew hysterical screaming “Not the hat! Not the hat!” and began flailing wildly, biting and scratching everyone near her.
The ceremony is unofficially being declared the first “Uncapping” ceremony.
“It is fitting that Bill Miller was a part of it,” said Master Kip, a 43 year old Master. “He was the first one capped, so it makes sense that he should be the first to uncap people too.”
Master Geo refused to comment other than to say “No one told me they could take it back. It doesn’t seem right.”
Photo credit: roger blake CC: NC SA
