Let’s meet our new Mister Leather Italia, Giampiero!
Giampiero, “Leathergi Gp”, born in 1975, in Pavia, resident in Milan, tax and tax consultant.
GIAMPIERO, OR AS WE ALL ABBREVIATE, GIAMPI, TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD, WHERE YOU SPENT YOUR YEARS AS A SCHOOLBOY, WHAT WERE YOUR STUDIES, YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH SCHOOL.
I had a common and quite carefree childhood and preadolescence, maybe I was a bit of a spoiled child, but still with my feet on the ground and thanks to my parents I understood the importance of sacrifice and work; I do not have very linear memories of that period: I loved walking a bike, watching Lady Oscar on TV (the signs were there) and being with older people.
I had no dreams and artistic ambitions; I would have liked to be a teacher… project shelved when I understood what it really meant to teach and the fundamental importance on the growth of the subjects.
HOBBIES? LEISURE? YOUR GREAT PASSION?
In the past I played volleyball for some time but my main hobby, even if with sufficient results, is the gym that I also use as an outlet therapy for a day spent on numbers and regulations.
In my free time, in addition to meeting friends and weekly going to my parents in Pavia, I certainly love traveling, visiting museums, modern and contemporary art in particular, and listening to music, the most accessible and assimilable art form.
THREE ADJECTIVES TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Sincere, self-deprecating, sometimes repetitive in actions.
WHEN DID YOUR VOCATION FOR THE KINKS, FETISH AND LEATHER WORLD DATE BACK?
I always say this: I admired men with black leather gloves and from here began my first confused sexual fantasies; In the adolescent period I had my first pollution wearing a pair of gloves!!
Since then, they have always been an essential element of my code
The first relationship at the age of 18 was with a motorcyclist in an outdoor situation that was not exactly safe and even that experience weighed heavily on what is my way of being leatherman, master and man.
WHEN AND WHERE DID YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCEIN CONTACT WITH LEATHER TAKE DATE?
In 2001 in a bar in Vienna whose name I do not remember at all I saw a guy completely dressed in leather and I was fascinated! I didn’t do anything in that situation, not because I felt out of place, but I said to myself: one day I will be like this.
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO MR. LEATHER, AFTER YOUR FIRSTEXPERIENCE AS A CANDIDATE IN MAY 2019?
At first, I was hesitant, not because I didn’t believe it, but because of the unfortunate situation that involved all of us: it was like starting from the zero point without a path, a base etc …. Then I convinced myself not to lose all previous efforts even during the pandemic and for the support I had from people who already believed in me.
YOUR FIRST FETISH TRIP? ETA’? DESTINATION? SHY OR ALREADY EXUBERANT?
This is a question that I would like to answer by articulating a step-by-step discourse.
From 2001 to 2011 I was engaged to a man older than me, preciso, imaginative and experimenter, a lover of travel, and, thanks to him, I approached leather attending both the Milanese fetish evenings, and several cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Habmburg, Copenhagen, Gran Canaria, San Francisco and starting to buy the first boots, the first leather trousers and accessories; But it was a parenthesis relegated to travel and evenings and did not bring development to the community even if it allowed me to meet many people that I still see with pleasure today.
My first ever fetish trip was the Leatherpride in Antwerp in February 2013 (and in September of the same year the Folsom in Berlin) and I already had a clear idea of the leatherman I wanted to be, but I had not yet arrived and not for shyness but for awareness.
Positive solo experience that served me.
Finally, in 2017/2018, during a 4-year story with a person who I consider important, intelligent and sensitive, and who knew my way of being, but did not fully share it, I had my debut in the community at a social level that led to the candidacy in 2019.
EXCITED DURING THE CONTEST? HOW DID YOU LIVE THE EXPERIENCE ON STAGE IN ROME THIS TIME?
I was in an adrenaline rush but very very serious and controlled (I did not recognize myself); I was concise deliberately without being too dispersive as I sometimes am. I felt the weight a lot this time and I lived it well until a minute before the interviews.
Then I closed myself to hedgehog until the proclamation of the second classified, which among other things, I want to point out, was very good. When there was the proclamation on stage, I was super happy and proud even if I did not openly show it by holding back the emotion.
Then the evening went very well. A great moment.
WHY DO YOU THINK ITALY HAS A DISTORTED VISION FOR THE GAY AND FETISH WORLD COMPARED TO OTHER EUROPEAN CITIES? SEE BERLIN, LONDON, AMSTERDAM, ANTWERP, BARCELONA, WHERE FOR US GAYS LIFE PASSES IN A MORE PEACEFUL WAY IN CONTACT WITH OTHERS AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE OF RACE, COLOR, SOCIAL BELONGING, SEX?
Perhaps the most difficult question and for all the instances present in the LGBTQ+ world as well as for our community.
I believe that our country has a fair degree of acceptance of diversity as long as they do not make noise or create difficulties or challenges. In Italy there is more a gap of belonging to social statuses that perhaps brings out a differentiation. Progress has certainly been made, but as long as someone at the top is not sensitive to inclusion issues, homophobic episodes of racial intolerance and bullying that are inconceivable in a civilised and advanced reality will surely continue to happen.
GOALS DURING YOUR YEAR AS A COACH?
Being the next-door Mister, so I can invite myself over to dinner since I don’t know how to cook, and I only have yogurt in the fridge.
Jokes aside, I will try to be available to everyone, both for the associations I represent, and for the people who will have the curiosity and interest to enter a community like ours.
I don’t set myself any other personal goals, but let’s see what happens in the future.
UPCOMING TRIPS ON THE CALENDAR?
Padua – Rome – Gran Canaria – Berlin – Manchester – Nice – Madrid: these are the safe stages for 2022.
Then we will see to add and something else in the future.
And logically I will be present at all the major events in Italy.
ANYONE TO THANK?
Everybody… now it’s my must…
Jokes aside, I thank the Italian clubs (LCR and LFI) who gave me the opportunity to live this experience, my brothers Cosimo and Matteo and my groupie Max the pup. 😉
GIAMPI aka LEATHERGI