Contest Winners

(Published in Lavender Lifestyles Magazine, Issue #12, November 10, 1995)

As George Bush would say, it’s been Contest City around here lately, but contest attendance has been rather light. For those of you who weren’t there, here’s what you missed at the Mr. Minnesota Leather contest and the Mr. Gay 90’s Leather contest.

Mr. Minnesota Leather:

Six men competed for this title on a recent Saturday afternoon in the Gay 90’s Dance Annex. The show started with high-energy precision dance troupe 202 Jam (the audience loved them). Later in the show, comedienne Jody Maruska drew big laughs and much applause.

Contestants John and Gary performed their fantasy together (the first fantasy I’ve ever seen that included a cellular phone!). Thomas performed a hot shaving fantasy in a jockstrap. Norm did a classic S&M (stand & model) fantasy, but did it so very well. LaRon’s fantasy got the biggest audience reaction due to his wicked Bette Davis impression. Michael’s fantasy featured special guest star Dr. Bob (and slave) doing a heavy-duty bondage demo.

The erotic attire contest segment could have been better. This was not the fault of the contestants, who did the best they could under very bad circumstances—bright, flat lighting and absolute silence. Memo for next year: it’s much easier to be seductive when you have some sexy music and lighting getting the audience in the mood.

The results: 2nd runner-up, LaRon; 1st runner-up, Thomas; and the new Mr. Minnesota Leather, Michael DeLeon. Congratulations and best wishes to all.

Mr. Gay 90’s Leather:

In previous years this contest, held in the Men’s Room Bar, has been loud, boisterous, rowdy—but certainly never boring! What happened this year? Did the entire audience overdose on Prozac? The first contestant strutted his stuff and got absolutely no reaction from the (small) crowd. The off-stage announcer said, “You can clap if you want to.” I tried to start some applause, but it didn’t work. Three more contestants met the same lack of response. Finally, Bill Thompson took the stage in a spectacular chain harness and got some applause, as did Lee Sickler, the last contestant. Congratulations to winner Bill Thompson; thanks to you there will be another good-looking leatherman’s portrait hanging on the wall of the 90’s. And to Bill and the other contestants: Please don’t let this rather lackluster contest experience dim your enthusiasm for leather in general or leather contests in particular. Any of the contestants would be a welcome addition to any other leather contest.

Man Bites Community:

Fellow LavLife columnist Timothy Lee also publishes a ’zine called Demure Butchness. Issue #7, “The Nasty Issue,” more than lives up to its name as Timmer & Co. diss just about everybody. There are references to the leather community sprinkled throughout its pages, but the most vitriol is found on pages 40 and 41, in which the “Club Kids” bitch about various aspects of the community, including this column, which they say is “usually about surface previews of upcoming events at the Gay 90’s.” They’re right when they say “That’s calendar listing materials.” But so far, there is no local newsletter (like they have in Seattle, for instance), and I’ve never seen a local leather calendar other than those formerly issued by the Atons. Quite often at leather events I’ve had people tell me they wouldn’t have known about the event except for this column. That tells me it’s filling a need within the community.

The Club Kids say they would like some “education and outreach” columns. Well, I’ve written columns that dealt with topics such as my leather family, or ways to take “safe, sane and consensual” beyond the dungeon and apply it to other areas of life. I got good feedback on those columns, and I’d like to do more of the same, but I only have so much space available in this magazine.
The Club Kids have much more to say about the current state of the local leather community. If you want to be outraged, or just see some sacred leather cows gored, pick up a copy of Issue #7 of Demure Butchness. You may agree, you may disagree, but it will certainly make you think. Available at A Brother’s Touch or Dreamhaven Books or send $3 to Demure Butchness, Minneapolis, MN. (And no, Timmer did not pay for this plug, either monetarily or in trade.)

UPCOMING EVENT

Black Guard Chili Feed
Sunday, Nov. 19, 4-9 pm, Gay 90’s Dance Annex
$5 gets you beer, chili, and the famously rowdy atmosphere that this event is noted for.