Podcast Summary: Bawdy Storytelling – Episode 20: Leather Celebration

Host: Dixie De La Tour
Release Date: March 9, 2017
Featured Storytellers: Shiloh McCabe, Melina Williams

Overview

This episode of Bawdy Storytelling, titled "Leather Celebration," spotlights the sex-positive, unfiltered storytelling that the series is famous for. Host Dixie De La Tour presents two powerful, candid stories of sexual adventure, self-discovery, and community from the world of leather, kink, and polyamory. Recorded on the heels of Bawdy's 10-year anniversary, this episode celebrates the courage it takes to live and love authentically, and the transformation found in embracing desire and vulnerability.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Bawdy's 10-Year Anniversary Reflections

• Host Dixie De La Tour opens the show (00:56) by celebrating a decade of Bawdy Storytelling, reflecting on a packed month of events:
  • Body Slam (sex-positive story slam)
  • Body Songs Festival (original music)
  • Body Got Me Laid (off-stage hookup stories)
  • The "Best of Bawdy" stage show

Tone: Inclusive, triumphant, playful

2. Story 1: "Birthing Planets" by Shiloh McCabe

Segment Begins: [04:50]

Context & Setup

• Shiloh attends the Women’s International Leather Legacy in Dallas, Texas, during a challenging period of change in their polyamorous marriage. Feeling nervous about newfound sexual autonomy after 19 years, Shiloh braves the event alone.

Key Moments & Themes

• Intimidation & Insecurity: Shiloh describes feeling out of their depth, having never 'dated single' or had unscripted hookups (06:40).
  • "I have been coupled since puberty...I've never hooked up with random people."
• Building Community: Meeting Monica and Max, two self-assured and inviting kinksters, gives Shiloh a chance to explore.
  • Monica claims: "You're ours tonight, Shiloh." ([08:25])
• Negotiation Scene: The importance of clear, open conversation in kink play is illustrated. Shiloh’s uncertainty gives way to consent.
  • _"Monica gives me this knowing smile and says, 'Of course, Shiloh. We won't do anything that you don't want to do. I invite you to consider...if you give us a little leeway, you might really enjoy where we take you.'" ([10:26])
• Kink Dynamics: Punching, caning, and intense play unfold, with a focus on sensation, consent, and exploration.
  • "I'm the kind of masochist who wears my bruises and marks with pride because they show me that my body works—that I’ve lived, I’ve loved, I’ve struggled, suffered, and survived." ([12:50])
• Fulfilling Fantasy: During the scene, Max asks for Shiloh’s fantasy, leading to a powerful and explicit encounter involving bondage and degradation play.
  • Max: "You’re just a plaything to be used. Holes to be filled. Yeah, you take it. Don’t you fucking bite me." ([15:45])
• Transcendence in Pain: Shiloh participates as a demo bottom in a staple play class the following day, experiencing intense connection and transcendence.
  • "My pussy was the all-seeing, all-knowing goddess of the universe. I could see the atoms in every person in the room...I was birthing planets in this moment." ([19:56])

Takeaway

• Leather/kink spaces are about more than sexual acts—they build community, empowerment, and facilitate deep connection through fearless exploration.

3. Leather and Queer Signals: The Hanky Code

Dixie’s Commentary: [20:52]

• Explanation of the historic hanky code:
  • Colored handkerchiefs used in queer communities to signal particular kinks (e.g., red handkerchief = fisting, dark red = double fisting)
  • Discussion of Shiloh's modern adaptation (“femme flagging flowers” and bow ties for visibility and pride)
  • Notable moment:
    • "Shiloh corrected me...actually, you're teal. That color is teal and that means you're into cock and ball torture, Dixie." ([22:08])
• Storytelling as Community: Bawdy offers platforms for marginalized voices, supports self-discovery, and fosters connections.

4. Story 2: “The Muse and the Master” by Melina Williams

Segment Begins: [27:29]

Context & Setup

• Melina Williams, a self-proclaimed “delicate, trembling flower of submission,” describes her frustration at being untouchable in the kink scene due to people's perceptions of her as intimidating and unapproachable.

Key Moments & Themes

• Online Dating Struggles: Despite being “out” and transparent about her kinks on every platform—from FetLife to Christian Mingle—Melina receives only unwanted messages from men requesting domination. She’s open about her submission, recovery, and search.
  • Melina: "Everyone assumes you’re fucking all the time...but when that's the truth of your life, no one wants to believe you. So no one wants to fuck you...I am a submissive and a slave...Fuck you guys, but it's true." ([28:48])
• A Surprising Match: On the verge of deleting her OkCupid account, she receives a thoughtful, bold message from a 60-year-old German-Austrian top, sober, with a self-described accent and a keen interest in BDSM and emotional depth.
  • '"I trust in the definition of Robert Mapplethorpe that SM means sex and magic...I would like to tame you."' ([31:24])
• The First Date: Melina accepts an invitation to his apartment, is treated to a lavish meal, and an assertive, passionate sexual encounter.
  • "This dude pulls off my clothes, rips off my panties, puts his face in my pussy as though he had not eaten or seen pussy in the last 50 years...Four hours later, I'm like, blinded with orgasm headaches." ([34:30])
• Connection, Contracts, and Care:
  • The man quickly expresses love, proposes a D/s contract and a life together that honors Melina's submission and his role as nurturer and master:
    • "I have been thinking of what might be a good contract for Master-Slave...I would need you with me when I travel, need you to be sexually available at all times. I have strange fetishes...I need to watch men fuck you, but you must not love them. I will give you to other men, perhaps sometimes I will them too." ([36:00])
  • Emphasis that true D/s relationships require care and reciprocity.
    • "Who also feels that in a master-slave relationship, it is the primary responsibility of the master to care for, nurture, and love his slave. Because I am giving all of this to him, and he needs to be worthy of that gift."
• A Surprising Happy Ending: The relationship quickly becomes profound and lasting.
  • "Every day I look up...he will say, 'Is it true?' And all I can say is, 'Yes, yes, Sir, it's true.' And we are both very, very lucky." ([41:13])

Takeaway

• Even after decades of longing and near-misses, it’s possible to find exactly what you seek—mutual devotion, radical honesty, and the joys of sexual authenticity.

5. Reflections, Community, and Live Show Energy

Host Reflections: [41:31–46:00]

• Dixie underscores that these stories—and the community that Bawdy brings together—are about celebrating authenticity, building chosen family, and giving space to the rarely spoken truths of desire.
• The experience goes beyond the podcast: live shows spark friendships, adventures, and even spontaneous car-hood hookups.
• Upcoming show themes highlighted: “Easy” (Seattle, March 22), “Libertine” (San Francisco, March 16), “On Assignment for Bawdy” (April), and a “nerd sex” show (May).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shiloh McCabe ([19:56]):
  "My pussy was the all-seeing, all-knowing goddess of the universe...I was birthing planets in this moment."

• Monica to Shiloh ([10:26]):
  "Of course, Shiloh. We won't do anything that you don't want to do. I invite you to consider the possibility that if you give us a little leeway, you might really enjoy where we take you."

• Melina Williams ([34:30]):
  "Four hours later, I'm blinded with orgasm headaches. He's like, 'Are you okay?' I'm like, 'I need some coconut water. I need some Gatorade. I need, like, bananas and shit. This is ridiculous.'"

• Melina Williams ([41:13]):
  "Every day I look up...he will say, 'Is it true?' And all I can say is, 'Yes, yes, Sir, it's true.' And we are both very, very lucky."

• Dixie de La Tour ([22:06]):
  "If you don't know what a libertine is, it's someone who is sexually or morally unrestrained."

Important Timestamps

• 00:56 – Dixie’s 10-year anniversary recap and event highlights
• 04:50 – Shiloh McCabe begins "Birthing Planets"
• 19:56 – Shiloh’s transcendent, orgasmic staple demo moment
• 20:52 – Hanky code explanation and flagging flowers
• 27:29 – Melina Williams begins her story "The Muse and the Master"
• 34:30 – Melina’s description of her first night of passion with Georg
• 41:13 – Melina on finding lasting love and D/s devotion
• 46:00 – Dixie on the live show’s unique community, closing notes

Conclusion

"Leather Celebration" captures the raw, humorous, and moving honesty at the core of Bawdy Storytelling. Through Shiloh’s journey of sexual reawakening and Melina’s tale of finding her perfect Master after decades of searching, this episode celebrates the search for belonging, the courage to express true desire, and the magic found at the intersection of kink, love, and community. The stories and the commentary beautifully illustrate the power of radical vulnerability and the supportive space Bawdy has built for “pervs” of all stripes to find their people and their truth.