Ron Worsley, a prominent member of Detroit's leather community and activist for many years, passed away Feb. 26 from congestive heart failure. He was 78.
Detroit's leather community – now a slim shadow of its former muscular presence – thrived at the Interchange/ Eagle bars from mid '70s through late '90s. (The bar is up for sale at $200,000.)
An April tradition of leathermen solidarity was "Do A Fool Weekend." Contests, presentations of Tribe and Icon colors, wearing of uniforms, caps, road badges, camaraderie of S/M display and activity and much exuberant, unguarded physical gratification took place.
Eagerly awaited were well-attended performances of song-and-dance, show biz parodies by multi-talented theater professor and Icon club member Ronald Worsley.
Worsley, who had a rare gift for poking fun at straights, gays, tops, bottoms, in-betweeners, often quipped, "Everybody wants to be a well-baked homo. Everybody wants a piece of our meat pie."
Worsley's tongue-in-cheek productions included, "Andy Gets His Gun Off," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Orgy," "Cum-A-Lot," "How to Succeed In Leather Without Really Trying" and "Oliver Twisted." Each costumed production was performed and sung in several local staging venues. Worsley wrote a total of 40 screenplays.
(A sampling from "Sound of Musik:" "Men in black leather and S and M sashes/ Tied to a bedpost but loving the lashes/ Wonderful music of bouncing bedsprings/ These are a few of my favorite things.")
Worsley, who died in a Crookston, Minn., nursing home, held a Speech and Performance Ph.D. from Wayne State University. He taught theater at Henry Ford Community College, Wayne Community College, Detroit College of Business and Wayne State University.
Worsley was born in Hunter, N.D., on April 7, 1931, and was raised by his grandmother, who wrote poetry and short stories. She encouraged Worsely's own writing talents, and took him to plays, movies and small town annual fairs.
Worsley, for the last two years of his life, suffered from Alzheimer's Disease. He wandered in an out of mental clarity and confusion – occasionally singing or reciting his Broadway musical parodies to somewhat baffled nursing home staff, visitors and clergy. A picture of himself in drag hung on the wall.
Dan Ferrier, a leather community friend for over 20 years who visited Worsley frequently, said, "He was, in those alienated last weeks, uncharacteristically angry, vocally demanding of nurses. Quite, quite unlike his humorous, sunny, outgoing self.
"He was always a gentleman," Ferrier continued. "Respected, well liked by his theater colleagues, students, audiences. He always made you feel at ease. We saw many plays together during our long friendship."
Jeff Montgomery, former Executive Director of Triangle Foundation (now working as a consultant for the Victoria Woodhull Foundation) counted Worsley among his many leather community 'thespian' friends responsible for raising substantial money yearly for the LGBT human rights organization.
"Ron had an incisive, well-honed wit," said Montgomery. "I had the privilege – and fun – of taking part in one of Ron's many off-the-wall stagings. It was quite an experience, I'll tell you.
"He made theatrical history, perhaps of a unique kind. Satire in leather. I'm sure he's on stage somewhere over the rainbow, probably getting St. Peter to perform in chaps."
Ron Worsley asked that there be no funeral service. His body was cremated. Donations in his name may be made to Robert T. Hazzard Student Productions, Wayne State University.
