Burning Issue: Should You Be Able To Be Kinky Wherever And Whenever?

A co-worker sent this fetish-related item to me. A dude in Canada who is heavy into rubber was stopped by the cops and interrogated because he was strolling around the neighborhood in his gimp suit on Nov 22. Which came complete with gas mask. Steve Stewart is the reigning Mr. Rubber Ottawa (it’s a thing) and he likes to take strolls in his gear. An off-duty cop followed Stewart one day, confronted him about scaring women and children and informed him that “Halloween was over” and called for backup. Stewart reported that there were ultimately 4 cars and 5 officers on the scene. Is there no other crime going on in Canada?

Xtra!:

“I’m not going to push it. But I don’t want to feel defeated or be finger-wagged, saying I’m some pervert or criminal when they have, in fact, told me I’m not doing anything illegal,” he says. “If I’m told it’s illegal and I’m not allowed to, then I won’t.”

An Ottowa police rep said that Stewart was detained because “unless the person is involved in some type of training exercise, we have to . . . find out why they are wearing a gas mask. They may have a medical condition and there may be something in the air. We have to look at all the information and interview that person.”

What do you think? Shouldn’t people be allowed to wear whatever the hell they want if it’s within the law? Or are cops correct to keep an eye on people whom the general public might find alarming? I’m still pissed over that time I was in my furry squirrel costume and the cops tackled me.

- J. Harvey

p.s. That’s not Steve Stewart, but that dude certainly knows how to wear a gas mask, doesn’t he?