ALI MUSHTAQ

ALI MUSTAQ IS THE FIRST MUSLIM INTERNATIONAL MR LEATHER COMPETITOR – AND HAS A FEW MORE SURPRISES, TOO, MARC ANDREWS DISCOVERS.

DNA: What’s your background?

Ali: My grandparents are Burmese, Mum and Dad are Pakistani, and I was born in Orange County, where Disneyland is; a very conservative place to grow up.

You and leather get on well.

I love the feel of wearing leather, the smell, the taste… I love licking boots and having them licked. I love raunchy, kinky sex… getting flogged and being restrained. Leather is hot and sexy and allows me to explore areas of my sexuality I couldn’t in any other community.

You’re a shining example of the diversity of the LGBT+ community.

In Southern California we don’t have many South Asian or LGBT people so it was hard growing up. I want to be that role model, that South Asian go-go dancer people tip and think is attractive.

What did your family think of you entering the Mr Leather competition?

They were generally supportive. My grandparents have always been interested in social justice.

How supportive has your community been of you? I’m not really tied to many other South Asians, let alone many gay/queer South Asians. The goal of first generation South Asians has been to assimilate into the American middle class so they’ve ignored, largely, the experiences of gay/queer South Asians. What do you hope to achieve by being so visible? There’s a lot of work around diversity that needs to be done but I’m all for having a fun, sexy time. Some people don’t see contributions to diversity within the leather community as an actual contribution or accomplishment. Additionally, extremist, right wing nationalist groups are increasingly becoming a threat to the Western way of life. I want to continue to establish a presence for ethnic minorities in the face of adversity.

I love raunchy, kinky sex… getting flogged and being restrained. Leather is hot and sexy and allows me to explore my sexuality.

Some people argue the leather scene is outdated and anachronistic.

We need leather now more than ever. Leather has a break-the-rules spirit. In this era of conservatism sweeping Australia, the US and Europe, the leather community reminds the rest of the world that there is something different about us all and these differences ought to be celebrated.

Is the leather community close knit?

It can be. It’s a community based on sex and sexuality. The fact that we play and sleep with each other gives us a sense of community that most other communities don’t have. It’s sometimes isolated from real-world conversations of discrimination, based on race or gender. Leather can be extremely welcoming to outsiders.

Would you say, then, that leather is a lifestyle not just a fetish?

Some people believe leather is a way of life and an identity. For some, being a leather person is part of their identity, like being gay. Part of this identity is living by a certain moral code of trust, honor and commitment. Thus, leather becomes a lifestyle. Fetishes, on the other hand, are different kinds of sexual/nonsexual activities that get people off.

Are you romantically attached?

I’m in a polyamorous relationship with Ben and Jerry, the ice-cream company.

What things catch your eye about a guy when you first meet?

I want to say that I love a smart, well-read man, but what usually catches my eye is a nice chest, arms or ass. That usually does the trick.

What are your views on marriage?

I can’t imagine myself being married with kids, but congratulations to Australia for same-sex marriage! How has PrEP changed the gay world as we know it? PrEP has given us more options in terms of our sexuality. Gay men grow up with baggage, thinking our sexuality is wrong, shameful and harmful. There’s a point where we lose the negative moral connotations about sex but fixate, instead, on the negative health consequences that end up preventing us truly enjoying our sexuality. With PrEP we’re able to lessen those health concerns and give ourselves permission to exercise our sexualities. What are your views on recreational drugs? People should be able to do what they want as long as it doesn’t prove harmful to their life and livelihood. There are problems with certain substances that need to be addressed by public health.

What’s one thing that might surprise people about you?

That I’m a professor [laughs]. I’m also a competitive West Coast Swing dancer – it’s one of my life passions. What’s your message to the gay community? Listen to each other more and listen carefully. Problems won’t go away if we pretend they don’t exist. Also, thank you for this opportunity. It’s so inspiring to be a part of a publication that allows everyone’s voice to be heard.