On Guard Cigar Salon

Anyone paying attention realizes the United States is being confronted by a direct threat to our democracy from our own government. Horrific things are happening, and happening quickly. Many ask “But what can I do?” This episode is an answer to that question. The On Guard crew discuss some of the things we can all do to push back against the internal threats to our country; while interviewing the community in Minneapolis already at ground zero pushing back and supporting their own community. What can we learn from them? Please share this one far and wide and get the word out...Don't be a bystander - BE AN UPSTANDER!

The On Guard crew takes a look at a longstanding queer dance art form that has deep roots within the gay men’s leather community. Flagging (no, not the hanky kind) developed from fan and t-shirt dancing prominent in early American leather dance and later circuit party club culture. Today it is most commonly done using specially-made weighted silk flags spun while dancing. The modern iteration of flagging has seen a revival in recent years. The On Guard crew wants our audience to experience the joy of this unique queer art form while we discuss its leather roots and tangential cultural influences.

After the last national election and seeing news reports shortly thereafter of a racist demonstration by white nationalists, Brent Heinze became even more worried than he had been and began to fear some horrifically troubling times ahead for the US. Those fears were sadly validated by increases in discrimination and hate crimes affecting people within LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other communities. Not being one to simply accept a bad situation, Brent decided to do something. He formed Safety Blows, a grassroots nonprofit initiative to empower queer people and other marginalized communities to better protect themselves while also fostering strength and solidarity. In this episode, On Guard interviews Brent Heinze about his organization and safety within our communities.

The new administration has done a lot of damage to our country in a short amount of time. But people are pushing back as we become the OPPOSITION PARTY. There is an energy rising of Americans from all walks of life who are horrified by what they’ve seen. So, what’s working to push back against the attempt to install authoritarian rule and what’s not? The On Guard crew has a lively discussion to inform and inspire our audience to get engaged to save our democracy and protect our freedoms.

The On Guard crew is back with another Unfiltered show. We recorded this about two weeks into the new administration and it's clear we're angry and pissed off. But, that said, we offer tangible action items our viewers and listeners can do to push back against the firehose onslaught of awful coming from the administration right now. This is a heated and lively discussion and we point you to useful resources so you can get active immediately to help save our democracy and freedoms.

Huge thank you to our sponsor:Just two days after the election we threw a camera in the corner of the room and just talk about our true feelings about this elect. This is not our normal professional studio shot. Just our normal salon we do every week unfiltered. Agree or not we invite You to be a fly on the wall and witness out true feelings unfiltered and sometimes angry. We just witnessed what could be a tipping point for our democracy as a result of the recent election. We now have a precarious situation considering who will soon occupy The White House. Vigilance is the watchword. Unity is the goal. Democracy and freedom are the guiding lights toward which we should all reach. In this unscripted, spontaneous episode, the On Guard crew candidly reacts to the election results, what they might mean for queer and kinky people, and what we can do now that we have to deal with this challenging outcome.WARDROBE: http://SafewordShop.com-------- Cast Socials -------Twitter: http://Twitter.com/OnGuardSalonIG: http://instagram.com/OnGuardSalonhttp://OnGuardSalon.comRace BannonTwitter: http://Twitter.com/BannonRaceIG: http://instagram.com/BannonRaceGraylin ThorntonTwitter: http://Twitter.com/GraylinThorntonIG: http://instagram.com/GraylinThorntonKristofer WestonTwitter: http://twitter.com/KristoferWestonIG: http://instagram.com/KristoferWestonThe Cigar PigTwitter: http://twitter.com/TheCigarPigIG: http://instagram.com/TheCigarPigPup AmpTwitter: http://twitter.com/PupAmpIG: http://instagram.com/PupAmpA @Wattsthesafeword Production

In the realm of LGBTQ and civil rights politics, there are few people more experienced than the rightfully esteemed Cleve Jones. We’ve interviewed Cleve before, but in light of the upcoming election and the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation and sentiment coming from the conservative side of the political spectrum, we wanted to have Cleve back on our show to give us his thoughts on how we as queer, kinky, and otherwise marginalized people can rally the vote in November and maintain our freedoms and move our causes forward.

Gay leather and drag cultures have been intertwined for decades. Within gay communities, leather and drag have often formed strong alliances and been considered outsiders, mavericks, and rebels. Leather and drag community members have also often been part of the vanguard of LGBTQ activism. That's why On Guard wanted to interview Brigitte Bandit an activists from the drag community to discuss our shared commonalities as well as the recent anti-drag sentiment that echoes the anti-LGBTQ and anti-leather/kink forces with which many of us have had to deal with our entire lives.

Folsom Street Fair is the world's biggest fetish and kink fair of its kind. People from all over the globe descend on San Francisco every year to revel with other like-minded kinksters at the Fair itself plus an ever-growing assortment of surrounding parties and events catering to those who live and play on the outskirts of conventional sexuality. As the fair has gotten bigger, the community has gotten wider and misconception and judgements have become common. In this episode the On Guard crew tackles these growing pains and discuss the most recent Fair held in September 2023.Huge thank you to our sponsor:http://LeatherDaddySkin.comUse offer code: ONGUARD for 10% OFFand MR-S-LEATHERWARDROBE: http://OnGuardGear.com------- Socials ------Twitter: / onguardsalon IG: http:// instagram.com/OnGuardSalonhttp://OnGuardSalon.comRace BannonTwitter: / bannonrace IG: / bannonrace https://linktr.ee/bannonraceKristofer WestonTwitter: / kristoferweston IG: / kristoferweston Graylin ThorntonTwitter: / graylinthornton IG: / graylinthornton The Cigar PigTwitter: / thecigarpig IG: / thecigarpig Pup AmpTwitter: / pupamp IG: / pupamp A @Wattsthesafeword Production

The On Guard Cigar Salon crew delves into the topic of play parties and weekend events in front of a live GearUp Weekend audience. What are some tips on how to navigate such events? What are some of the common rules and guidelines that most play party environments enforce? In what ways are men's kink play and erotic spaces different today than in the past? The On Guard crew offers their insights as they answer these and other great questions from the audience comprised of both newcomers and experienced kinksters.Huge thank you to our sponsors:http://LeatherDaddySkin.com Use offer code: ONGUARD for 10% OFF and Mr-S- LeatherWARDROBE: http://OnGuardGear.com-------- Cast Socials -------Twitter: http://Twitter.com/OnGuardSalon IG: http://instagram.com/OnGuardSalon http://OnGuardSalon.com Race BannonTwitter: http://Twitter.com/BannonRace IG: http://instagram.com/BannonRace http://Bannon.comGraylin ThorntonTwitter: http://Twitter.com/GraylinThornton IG: http://instagram.com/GraylinThornton Kristofer WestonTwitter: http://twitter.com/KristoferWeston IG: http://instagram.com/KristoferWeston The Cigar PigTwitter: http://twitter.com/TheCigarPig IG: http://instagram.com/TheCigarPig Pup AmpTwitter: http://twitter.com/PupAmp IG: http://instagram.com/PupAmp A @Wattsthesafeword Production

Every year a growing group of gay men with an interest in cigars gather in Las Vegas to socialize and play. The event is called Smokeout and our crew was honored that the Smokeout organizers invited us to record an episode live during this year's event. Smokeout is unique. It attracts certain types of maverick and rebel gay men who often differ from the leathermen or kinksters you might see at other events. That is why the On Guard crew was especially interested in the questions they might have for us since they represent a sector of gay kinksters many don't see or hear from elsewhere. As expected, the men at Smokeout provided us with some great questions and we hope we fulfilled our salon's mission by providing helpful answers. We're grateful for the opportunity Smokeout gave us.

We take a look at Leather Contests and Titleholders. Are they fairly judged and are they necessary for our community today? WHO WINS HERE?