Friday, December 18, 1998

Year-End Leather Update

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #93, December 18, 1998)

In 1998, Minnesota’s leather/SM/fetish community continued to increase its visibility both nationally and worldwide. Evidence: In the nominations for this year’s Pantheon of Leather community-service awards, Minnesota is represented by a record total of seven nominations. Read on for a summary of what happened in the Twin Cities leather scene in 1998, complete with updates on some of the people and stories I’ve covered this year.

Minnesota Nominees for Pantheon of Leather 1999

Kevin Cwayna, Reader’s Choice (Men)

Renee Indehar, Midwest Regional Award

Michael deLeon, Midwest Regional Award

Steve Lenius (your humble columnist), Midwest Regional Award

Atons, Club of the Year

Atons, Club Event of the Year (25th Anniversary run)

Black Guard, Club Event of the Year (Black Frost 21)

Clubs

February saw The Black Guard’s Black Frost 21; Drummer Magazine subsequently named Black Frost one of the top runs in the country, and it has been nominated for Club Event of the Year in Pantheon of Leather 1999. (Black Frost 22 is coming up February 12-14, 1999, so put it on your calendar now.)

The Knights of Leather held their tenth-anniversary Knights Tournament, with a birthday party theme, at the end of May. The Atons held Gopher Broke (their Lucky 13th run) in mid-July. It had a 1950s-leather theme (think Marlon Brando). The Atons have received Pantheon of Leather 1999 nominations for Club of the Year and for Club Event of the Year (for their 25th-anniversary run).

A list of other groups which have been part of the Twin Cities scene this year would include Sober Leather, which held some spectacular events; (un)Leashed, an ad-hoc group for women and trans-identified kinky individuals; leather gatherings of various types at All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church; and what started as the Red Hankie Social and has now become simply the Hankie Social (all hanky colors and all fetishes welcome).

Contests and Titleholders

On January 24, B.D. Chambers and Renee Indehar became the first-ever Mr. And Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather. They went on to represent Minnesota at the national Olympus Leather contest in New Orleans and have continued to be active community organizers.

In April’s Mr. Minnesota Drummer/Minnesota Drummerboy contest, the Mr. Minnesota Drummer sash was won by Mike Vintean, who later turned the title over to first runner-up Steve Eue. The Drummerboy sash was won by boy david (David McKammon). Both Eue and McKammon went on to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the Great Lakes Drummer/Drummerboy contest (which your humble columnist helped to judge), and Eue emerged as Great Lakes Mr. Drummer first runner-up.

The Minnesota Fantasy contest weekend in May featured a memorable motorcoach bar crawl as part of the festivities. Ken Flanagan captured the Mr. Minnesota Fantasy title with his hilarious “how to stuff a chicken” fantasy, and he went on to represent Minnesota at the International Mr. Fantasy contest in Omaha in August. The Fantasy Bus rolled again, this time all the way to Omaha, with an entourage of Twin Cities leatherfolk who showed their support for Flanagan.

Memorial Day weekend saw the Twin Cities’ first-ever international leather titleholder, Kevin Cwayna, make a stirring speech heralding the birth of the Leather Nation before passing the IML sash to his successor, Tony Mills (who is prominently featured in several of the1999 Colt calendars—just a little Christmas-shopping tip). Cwayna is a nominee for Reader’s Choice (Men) at this year’s Pantheon of Leather.

Mr. Minnesota Leather 1998 Roger Gregg, who represented Minnesota in this year’s IML contest, had earlier in the year presented two memorable hankie-color-themed events: the Red Party and the Blue Party. Gregg, assisted by his boy David McKammon, was becoming quite the leather impresario and was also working on opening a Twin Cities leather community center. Alas, piercing pioneers The Gauntlet made him an offer that was too good to refuse, and he and McKammon relocated to San Francisco (after liquidating a warehouse full of furniture and supplies which they had stockpiled for use at the center). The dream of organizing a leather community center has been taken over by others, so look for further developments in 1999.

Shortly before moving to San Francisco, Gregg passed his title to current Mr. Minnesota Leather Joshua Smith. Two weeks later Mario became the new Ms. Minnesota Leather in a contest held at the Bell Museum Auditorium on the U of M campus; current International Ms. Leather Megan DeJarlais was one of the judges. Minnesota’s newest international titleholder is International Mr. Rubber Thomas Smith (partner of current Mr. Minnesota Leather Joshua Smith), who won his title in Chicago supported by an audience full of friends from the Twin Cities.

Leather Pride Events

This year’s Capital City Pride in St. Paul gave the local leather community a special treat by featuring a spectacular performance by leather vocalist Rick Beech. A week later, the Twin Cities leather community was at the front of the Twin Cities Festival of Pride parade, carrying the world’s largest leather-pride flag and an equally huge rainbow flag. The flags were commissioned by Colin Spriestersbach and sewn by Carl Gscheidmeier (aka Alison Brooks, aka Betsy Ross.)

Leather Spaces

The list of possible places to hold leather events has widened in recent years, and this year St. Paul’s bars in particular saw a previously unheard-of level of leather activity. Many of the year’s contests were held at Club Metro Underground in spite of frictions between the bar and contest organizers. Trikkx and Over the Rainbow were stops on several leather party bus tours. This year’s Leather Pride celebration included events at The Town House, which also hosted several other leather fundraisers. In addition to The Town House, this year’s leather pride events were held at the Minnesota Bar & Grill (which has since closed, unfortunately) and at Tropix., which also hosted the Black Frost banquet and show. The Saloon continued to host many leather events, and even The 19 and The Brass Rail served as leather gathering spots.

And then, on September 8, The Minneapolis Eagle opened its doors, and in a few short months it has become a community institution. Will its popularity continue? And are these towns big enough to support other leather spaces in addition to The Minneapolis Eagle? The answers to those questions will become more apparent in 1999.

Issues and Trends

In January I wrote an article on the mainstreaming of kink. Since that article appeared kink has become even more mainstream—to the point where one can now walk into any Sears store in any mall in the country and buy a bottle of “Fetish” cologne. The marketing plan for this product appears to be targeted to teenage girls; I remember when teenage girls didn’t know the meaning of the word “fetish.” (If you buy some, don’t plan on wearing it to The Tank or The Eagle.)

Drugs and drug abuse were in the news again this year, but this time with a twist: often the drug being abused was Viagra. I said it before and I’ll say it again: Don’t mix Viagra and poppers unless you want your corpse to have an embarrassing bulge.

Sex continued to make outlaws of otherwise decent citizens in the Twin Cities and across the country. In August I wrote that election-year politics meant police crackdowns on sex in bars, on beaches and in other public places. As it turned out, even private homes were not exempt; right before this year’s election a local party was broken up by the Minneapolis police, and one of the hosts was arrested and spent the night in jail. Charges were later dropped, which leaves your humble columnist with all sorts of questions. But that’s another column.

Transitions

Back in Black Leather was recently sold and renamed Fit to a T Leather. New owner Jennifer Langlund is keeping the main store in the basement of Club Metro, and Scott Kelley is still there to help you with all your leather needs. You can also find their merchandise at The Minneapolis Eagle on Thursday nights and at The Tank on Sunday nights.

It was recently announced that Q Monthly is ceasing publication. I will miss reading them; it was always interesting to see how someone else (usually Michael Dahl) covered the Twin Cities leather scene. I also had the opportunity to work directly with the Q Monthly staff on two rodeo program booklets for the North Star Gay Rodeo Association, and found them to be a great bunch of people—even if they were “the competition.” Hail and farewell.

And so we come to another holiday season and the close of another year. Whatever holiday you celebrate, may it be filled with love, joy, peace and friendship.

Upcoming Leather Events

Knights of Leather “Toy For A Child” Holiday Fundraiser
Friday, Dec. 18, 7-9 pm, The Minneapolis Eagle
Please bring your donation of a new, unwrapped toy; donations will be accepted all night. $5 at the door includes a free well drink or domestic beer. Don’t have time to shop? Leave an extra cash donation and the Knights will do the shopping for you. Dress code enforced. Door prize chances all night.

Friday, December 4, 1998

Thomas Smith is Int’l Mr. Rubber 1999

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #92, December 4, 1998)

The Twin Cities can now lay claim to another international titleholder: Thomas Smith of Minneapolis won the Mr. International Rubber 1999 contest during the Rubber Blowout Weekend in Chicago, Illinois on November 14, 1998. First runner-up honors went to Michael Ryan of Cincinnati, Ohio; Stephan Krayse from Munich, Germany was the second runner-up.

Smith’s victory was celebrated by over a dozen other Twin Citians who made the weekend trek to Chicago. He told me he appreciated their support and believes their presence had a definite effect on the judging.

Contest events included an interview with the judges, a “rubber image” segment, a combination Q&A and speech category, and a “rubberplay” category which was judged on how the audience reacted to each of the contestants in a shower scene. Smith’s attire for this segment of the contest consisted of a rubber fireman’s hat and coat, thigh-high rubber waders, and a latex jockstrap with spikes.

Judging the contest were Christof Lehner, Mr. International Rubber 1998; Bill Bailey, founder of New York Rubbermen; Tim Brough, publisher of Vulcan America magazine; Thom Dombkowski, head judge for International Mr. Leather; and Rich Villagracia, Mr. Vulcan Rubber 1997.

Smith, who also holds the title of Mr. Kentucky Leather 1997, is active in the Black Guard of Minneapolis, the American Uniform Association, Gay Male S&M Activists, and is an associate member of the Bluegrass C.O.L.T.S., Lexington, Kentucky and the Louisville Nightwings, Louisville, Kentucky. He serves on the Human Rights Campaign Steering Committee and is a past Board member and Vice President of the Philanthrofund Foundation. He is on the Finance Committee of the Minnesota Council on Foundations and is active in All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church. He plans to travel extensively and be visible nationally as a representative of the rubber and macho fetish community.

Incidentally, the Smiths are now a two-title household: Thomas Smith’s partner is Joshua Smith, who is the current Mr. Minnesota Leather.

Upcoming Leather Events

Atons Holiday Fundraiser
Sunday, Dec. 6, 6-10 pm, The Saloon
If you’re not in a holiday mood yet, this should do it. Photos with Santa, bootblack, and prizes galore. $5 at the door; net proceeds will benefit Every Penny Counts. Also, please bring non-perishable food items for the Aliveness Project.

Mr./Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Meet and Greet
Saturday, Dec. 12, 6-10 pm, Minneapolis Eagle
Meet the contestants and bid in the Bear Auction benefiting the winners’ travel fund: Live bears will be auctioning off stuffed bears. $5 at the door includes free shot.

Mr./Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Contest
Sunday, Dec. 13, 7-10 pm, The Saloon
$10 at the door includes free shot. If you want to compete, contact contest producers Joshua or Tom Smith. Prizes include airfare to New Orleans for Pantheon of Leather and the International Mr./Ms. Olympus Leather Contest.

Ongoing Leather/SM Events (clip & save)

The Twin Cities leather/SM community includes many events which happen every week, every other week or every month. Space limitations don’t allow us to list them in every issue, so clip this list and save it for future reference.

Black Guard Fundraiser: 3rd Sunday of each month, various locations.

Dykes on Bikes: Meets every other Monday at District 202.

Hanky Social: Formerly the Red Hanky Social, the scope has been broadened to include all hanky colors and all interests represented by those colors. Time and location have been changed to the last Wednesday of each month from 8 to 10 pm at the Minneapolis Eagle. Next dates are Dec. 30 and Jan. 27. FFI: e-mail SEDrummer@aol.com.

Knights of Leather: Women’s leather club meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month, Sabathani Community Center. FFI: e-mail SSCKOL@aol.com.

Leather Roundtable: This newly-formed group of leather/SM community titleholders, club officials, event organizers, and other interested folks meets first Monday of each month at 8 pm to plan and coordinate leather events. Meetings are open, so if you have time, talents or ideas to contribute, call Joshua for more information.

Leather Spirituality Discussion Group: Every Wednesday, 7 pm, All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church, 3100 Park Ave., Minneapolis. FFI: Call Joshua, or call the church.

Sober Leather: All-inclusive club dedicated to “safe, sane, consensual, sober” meets 3rd Monday of every month at Cafe Zev, 7 pm.

T.I.E.S. (Tremendously Intense Erotic Situations): All genders/orientations. The TIES Munch (a non-play social gathering for the express purpose of meeting people in a non-threatening environment) is held on the last Wednesday of every month at Legends Cafe, Minneapolis. The Munch starts at 7:30 pm; there is no set ending time. TIES also sponsors two monthly discussion groups in private homes, one for dom(me)s and one for subs. FFI, see the TIES website at www.visi.com/~mdon/. TIES membership is not required for attendance at the Munch or discussion groups.

(Un)leashed: Loosely-organized club for women and transgendered persons meets 2nd Sunday of the month. FFI: Minneapolis, MN or e-mail dommish@aol.com.

Friday, November 20, 1998

Red Ribbons and Checkered Hankies

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #91, November 20, 1998)

Another year, another World AIDS Day. Surely you remember AIDS, don’t you? Oh, it was a horrible time. Thank goodness it’s over and we can move on to something else. Life can get back to normal—sex can get back to normal. Ahh, those protease inhibitors are amazing stuff. Some poor folks still seem to be stuck in an AIDS time warp—but come on, get over it! Yessiree, it’s great to be alive—or perhaps, still alive—in this great big wonderful post-AIDS era we live in. Care to bareback?

December 1 is World AIDS Day, 1998. To paraphrase Mark Twain: Rumors of the end of AIDS are greatly exaggerated. True, not as many people seem to be dying of it these days. But AIDS is still killing people all over the world. It’s still making people sick. It’s still causing people to take large quantities of medications which must be rigidly scheduled and which have daunting side-effects. (There are, of course, other people who don’t have access to these drugs or for whom the drugs are not effective.) The HIV virus is still being spread. There’s still no cure—people with AIDS can’t “get over it.” And the leather/SM community is still dealing with the devastation that AIDS has caused. I’m sorry if I’m being pessimistic, but none of that sounds “post-AIDS” to me.

While AIDS has had terrible consequences for many groups of people, it was especially tragic in leather/SM circles because it ripped apart one of our basic foundations of our community. In bygone days, younger people new to the scene were tutored and mentored by those with more experience; it was an effective way to pass on knowledge and keep traditions alive. The AIDS epidemic caused major disruption to that mentorship system, and the consequences of that disruption will be with us for a long, long time.

A large part of leather identity has always been the way in which the things a person wears (leather, hankies of various colors, run pins, etc.) become outward manifestations of the spirit of the person wearing them. One of my personal responses to the destruction that AIDS has caused, and continues to cause, is that whenever I wear leather I always include two symbols. I still wear a red AIDS-awareness ribbon, even though it may be considered passé by some people, because it still has meaning for me. And in the back-left pocket of my jeans is a black-and-white-checked hankie, which stands for safe (or at least, safer) sex. That hankie reminds me that there are things I can do, choices I can make, that will help stop the spread of AIDS. Every new HIV infection is another defeat. But every time sex happens, and the HIV virus doesn’t get a chance to spread, is one more victory.

Perhaps someday AIDS will be only a terrible memory. Someday. Perhaps. Today, toward the close of the year, the century and the millennium, AIDS is still very much a part of the landscape. So I remember the friends I’ve lost and cherish the ones who are still here. I respect myself and others by playing as safely as possible. And I try not to lose hope.

Remember. Cherish. Respect. Hope. Red ribbons and checkered hankies. Faced with the continuing age of AIDS, that’s what I do.

Upcoming Leather Events

Hanky Social
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 8-10 pm, Minneapolis Eagle
Formerly the Red Hanky Social, the scope has been broadened to include all hanky colors and all interests represented by those colors. This is a recurring event; time and location have been changed to the last Wednesday of each month from 8 to 10 pm at the Minneapolis Eagle. Future dates are Dec. 30, 1998 and Jan. 27, 1999. FFI: e-mail SEDrummer@aol.com.

Black Guard Chili Feed
Sunday, Nov. 29, 5-10 pm, Minneapolis Eagle
A perennial favorite, now in its 22nd year. $5 at the door includes chili plus $1 off first drink or $1 off beer bust price.

Atons “Smoker”
Friday evening, Dec.4 (call for more information)
A social and informational evening for men who are interested in joining the Atons. Call their hotline for more information.

Atons Holiday Fundraiser
Sunday, Dec. 6, 6-10 pm, The Saloon
If you’re not in a holiday mood yet, this should do it. Photos with Santa, bootblack, and prizes galore. $5 at the door; net proceeds will benefit Every Penny Counts. Also, please bring non-perishable food items for the Aliveness Project.

Mr./Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Meet and Greet
Saturday, Dec. 12, 6-10 pm, Minneapolis Eagle
Meet the contestants and bid in the Bear Auction benefiting the winners’ travel fund: Live bears will be auctioning off stuffed bears. $5 at the door includes free shot.

Mr./Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Contest
Sunday, Dec. 13, 7-10 pm, The Saloon
$10 at the door includes free shot. If you want to compete, contact contest producers Joshua or Tom Smith. Prizes include airfare to New Orleans for Pantheon of Leather and the International Mr./Ms. Olympus Leather Contest.

Friday, November 6, 1998

Winter Getaways, Leather-Style

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #90, November 6, 1998)

Leather gives us plenty of reasons (excuses?) to travel—there’s always a run or a contest somewhere. Even if you’re traveling for business, you can connect with the local leather scene in your off-hours; publications like Drummer, International Leatherman and The Leather Journal have advertisements from leather-related bars, lodgings and other businesses in most major cities. But beyond the basics, and in keeping with the theme of this issue of Lavender, here are some out-of-the-ordinary leather-related travel ideas to make this year’s winter getaway the best yet.

• Lots of cities have leather bars, and some of those bars even have restaurants. But while you can get a great burger at the Minneapolis Eagle, only in New York City will you find a place like La Nouvelle Justine. In this SM-themed restaurant the waiters are masters, the busboys are slaves, and the menu features items like “public humilitation” and “verbal abuse” in addition to filet mignon. You may like it, or you may feel your community is being exploited. But as near as I can determine the restaurant is run by authentically kinky people rather than poseurs who settled on SM as a good gimmick. How’s the food? I can’t answer that; I’ve visited but haven’t yet dined there. Conveniently located in the heart of Chelsea: 206 W. 23rd St. at Seventh Ave.

• Turn your next Palm Springs getaway into an educational experience by signing up for one of Butchmann’s SM Training Weekends, a “3-day/2-night Live-in Experience.” Group or individual, beginning and advanced sessions. Palm Springs, CA; or e-mail butchmanns@aol.com. There’s a very informative website at www.butchmanns.com.

Team Delta, an elite unit of former special forces, military intelligence and military police personnel, is waiting to provide you with “intensely realistic military experiences.” From the looks of their website, they aren’t kidding. Choose from POW Interrogation, Basic Training, or War Games/Battle Tactics. Call toll-free, write to Philadelphia, PA or visit www.teamdelta.net.

• A fantasy voyage of another sort: Join Mr. San Francisco Leather 1996 Gary Virginia for Leather Cruise ’99 from Acapulco to San Francisco, a seven-day cruise departing May 12, 1999 aboard the Dawn Princess. For more information contact Travel Trends, San Francisco, CA.

• Speaking of cruising: if you like to stay at Beck’s Motor Lodge when you’re in San Francisco (because it’s so convenient to Castro Street, of course), where do you stay when you find yourself in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma? Head for the Habana Inn, mid-America’s largest gay resort complex. This huge two-story motel complex includes a restaurant, nightclubs, shops, and twin swimming pool courtyards. Lots of free parking, too. Wear your leather—the locals who congregate here will be impressed. I’ve stayed at both Beck’s and the Habana Inn and would recommend either for a good time. Oklahoma City bonus suggestion: When I was there, the fishing looked promising at Lake Overholser, on the outskirts of town.

• What’s your humble columnist’s favorite winter getaway destination? Puerto Vallarta, the only place in Mexico that has an annual Gay Pride Parade. Charter air service from the Twin Cities can be cheap if you play your cards right, and the non-stop flights are frequent. Once there you’ll find relaxing sunny beaches, great restaurants and nightlife, a rustic Mexican atmosphere (in the old part of town, at least), interesting shopping and sightseeing, and gay men and lesbians from all over the world (at least some of whom are into leather). Head for the blue chairs at Los Muertos Beach—with any luck, that’s where I’ll be for at least one week this winter.

Upcoming Leather Events

International Mr. Rubber Contest
Friday-Sunday, Nov. 13-15, various Chicago locations
Black Guard member Thomas Smith of Minneapolis will be competing, and he invites everyone to travel to Chicago with him for a fun time. Friday: Welcome Party, Cell Block, 9 pm-2 am (free). Saturday: Rubber Buddies Brunch 9 am-2 pm, Buddies, $10; Rubber Swap & Market 2-6 pm, Cell Block; Contest 8:30 pm-3 am, Cell Block, $10 (includes a $5 drink coupon). Sunday: Rubber Ball Beer Bust, Cell Block. Host hotel: Park Brompton. For more information on the contest call David at the Cell Block bar in Chicago.

Black Guard Chili Feed
Sunday, Nov. 29, 5-10 pm, Minneapolis Eagle
A perennial favorite, now in its 22nd year. $5 at the door includes chili plus $1 off first drink or $1 off beer bust price.

Ongoing Leather Events (clip & save)

The Twin Cities leather/SM community includes many events which happen every week, every other week or every month. Space limitations don’t allow us to list them in every issue, so clip this list and save it for future reference.

Black Guard Fundraiser: 3rd Sunday of each month, various locations.

Dykes on Bikes: Meets every other Monday at District 202.

Hanky Social: Formerly the Red Hanky Social, the scope has been broadened to include all hanky colors and all interests represented by those colors. Time and location have been changed to the last Wednesday of each month from 8 to 10 pm at the Minneapolis Eagle. Next dates are Nov. 25, Dec. 30 and Jan. 27. FFI: e-mail SEDrummer@aol.com.

Knights of Leather: Women’s leather club meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month, Sabathani Community Center. FFI: e-mail SSCKOL@aol.com.

Leather Roundtable: This newly-formed group of leather/SM community titleholders, club officials, event organizers, and other interested folks meets first Monday of each month at 8 pm to plan and coordinate leather events. Meetings are open, so if you have time, talents or ideas to contribute, call Joshua for more information.

Leather Spirituality Discussion Group: Every Wednesday, 7 pm, All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church, 3100 Park Ave., Minneapolis. FFI: Call Joshua, or call the church.

Sober Leather: All-inclusive club dedicated to “safe, sane, consensual, sober” meets 3rd Monday of every month at Cafe Zev, 7 pm.

T.I.E.S. (Tremendously Intense Erotic Situations): All genders/orientations. The TIES Munch (a non-play social gathering for the express purpose of meeting people in a non-threatening environment) is held on the last Wednesday of every month at Legends Cafe, Minneapolis. The Munch starts at 7:30 pm; there is no set ending time. TIES also sponsors two monthly discussion groups in private homes, one for dom(me)s and one for subs. FFI, see the TIES website at www.visi.com/~mdon/. TIES membership is not required for attendance at the Munch or discussion groups.

(Un)leashed: Loosely-organized club for women and transgendered persons meets 2nd Sunday of the month. FFI: Minneapolis, MN or e-mail dommish@aol.com.

Friday, October 23, 1998

Postcard from Drummer/Folsom

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #89, October 23, 1998)

Random thoughts on this year’s International Mr. Drummer Contest/Folsom Street Fair weekend in San Francisco:

• San Francisco is high on my list of favorite places to visit. It has generally nice weather, a scenic setting by the bay, interesting architecture, and more nice scenery in the form of gorgeous men. There’s another feature of San Francisco that’s not so pleasant: high numbers of homeless people begging on the streets. (My traveling companion at one point wryly remarked that we needn’t have bothered with hotel reservations, we could have just brought bed rolls.) Throughout a weekend charged with sex, fantasy and celebration, the homeless were a constant and somewhat disturbing presence.

• This year’s International Mr. Drummer Contest was held at a new venue: San Francisco’s Russian Center, where the auditorium was plain but serviceable. For the past several years, general admission ticketholders have had to stand at the back of the room throughout the entire contest and were probably unable to hear most of it; this year everyone got a seat where they could both see and hear what was going on.

• The theme of this year’s contest was “Drummer Boot Camp”—a phrase which, when you think about it, could have meanings the contest organizers never intended (or maybe they did). Fortunately, the “boot” factor was high and the “camp” factor low as emcees Brian Dawson and Queen Cougar took the part of drill sergeants who put the ten contestants/new recruits through their paces.

• The International Mr. Drummer Contest can be counted on for good fantasy presentations, and this year’s offerings more than lived up to expectations. Mr. Southeast Drummer Tom Stice got a standing ovation with his White House fantasy featuring, among other things, both Clinton and Newt Gingrich in bondage. Mr. Florida Drummer Michael Cruz’ “Toy Story” fantasy portrayed a hot three-way between life-size Billy, Carlos, and G.I.Joe dolls; the action was interrupted by Barbie stumbling onstage, looking for Ken. Mr. Europe Drummer Hervé Bernard presented an “Avengers”-themed fantasy that was very European in feel (and much better than the recent “Avengers” movie.)

• Mid-Atlantic Drummerboy ryan goldner became the new International Mr. Drummerboy; goldner is the assistant director of a gay men’s health and HIV prevention organization in Philadelphia.

• In the Mr. Drummer competition, Northern California Mr. Drummer Ray Tilton was second runner-up; Mr. Southeast Drummer Tom Stice took first runner-up honors; and the new International Mr. Drummer 1998 is Mr. Europe Drummer Hervé Bernard. Bernard is from Paris and is an actor, writer, Buddhist and activist. He currently does voice-over work for French radio and television, so if you lived in Paris you would recognize his voice. He was in Minneapolis several years ago when he appeared at Target Center in a show called “Jesus Was His Name” (!), and he has happy memories of “the back room at the Gay 90’s.” Let’s hope someone persuades him to make a return visit to the Twin Cities during his title year.

• Saturday’s Drummer contest was followed by the climax of the weekend, Sunday’s Folsom Street Fair. Now in its 15th year, it’s the third-largest fair in the state of California (according to the California Department of Tourism) and has attracted up to 300,000 people in recent years. But even in San Francisco, the kink community gets no respect—the only mention of the fair in either of San Francisco’s major daily newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, was a note about how it would affect traffic.

• For fourteen years the Folsom Street Fair has been blessed with beautiful weather. This year, for the first time ever, it rained. Most of the huge crowd took it in stride, but the rain seriously dented sales for at least one vendor I talked to. In spite of the rain, and in spite of having been to the Folsom Street Fair three times prior to this one, the experience still was impressive. The sight of a couple hundred-thousand members of the Leather Nation spending an afternoon on a street in San Francisco remains a powerful spectacle—one that I would recommend to anyone, whether they’re just getting into leather or are an old-timer.

Dan Savage Savages Leather Community? Not Really

It has been a longstanding policy of mine that I don’t use this column to trash people. But I was prepared to make an exception for nationally-syndicated sex-advice columnist Dan Savage. I was going to take him to task based on a quote from him which appeared in the October 4 New York Times Sunday Magazine, in which he called SM sex “ridiculous” and “laughable.”

I read the quote in a weekly media watch put out by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (www.ncsfreedom.org) and was outraged at the disrespect Savage showed the leather/SM community. I downloaded the text of the article (“Sex Advice for the Clinton Age” by Rebecca Johnson) from the Times website and was further outraged—elsewhere in the article SM is mentioned on a par with bestiality and incest.

Well, it just so happened that Savage was appearing in Minneapolis at the Gay 90’s to promote his new book. So off to the 90’s I went, bringing along my copy of the Times article.

Savage started the evening by reading from his book—specifically, the chapter on “Kink.” It was hilarious, but the information he conveyed was sound. Throughout the evening’s question-and-answer session he addressed subjects such as bondage, water sports and even scat, and I heard a lot of good information being dispensed—but nothing disrespectful or condescending to the leather/SM community.

During the question-and-answer session I asked him how someone so seemingly kink-friendly could have said something so kink-unfriendly in the New York Times. He asked to see the article and read the offending paragraph aloud. He then admitted that when he first saw the article in print he thought he might have a problem, because the Times hadn’t printed everything he said.

Here’s what the Times printed:

“ . . . Even the most vanilla sexual scenario has a subtle interplay of power back and forth. In the leather S&M scene, they take those seeds and exaggerate it until it’s laughable. You watch people having S&M sex and it’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen. It’s like cops and robbers or Indians and cowboys with your pants down.”

But when he was originally interviewed for the article Savage went on to say that ANYBODY looks ridiculous when they’re having sex, regardless of gender, orientation or what they’re doing. The Times didn’t print that part, however. Savage meant no disrespect to the leather/SM community (of which he considers himself a kinky, card-carrying member), and it’s unfortunate that the Times and/or Rebecca Johnson abridged his words to make it appear that he did.

As far as I can tell, Savage is sex-positive, gay-positive, kink-positive and humanity-positive. The only thing he seems to be against is stupidity. Here’s hoping he writes a letter to the Times to clarify his position, and here’s hoping they print it.

Moral of story: I guess these days one can’t even trust the New York Times to always get the story right. Other moral of story: Savage can take comfort in the fact that “You know you’ve finally arrived when you’re misquoted in the New York Times.”

Postcard from Drummer/Folsom

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #89, October 23, 1998)

Random thoughts on this year’s International Mr. Drummer Contest/Folsom Street Fair weekend in San Francisco:

• San Francisco is high on my list of favorite places to visit. It has generally nice weather, a scenic setting by the bay, interesting architecture, and more nice scenery in the form of gorgeous men. There’s another feature of San Francisco that’s not so pleasant: high numbers of homeless people begging on the streets. (My traveling companion at one point wryly remarked that we needn’t have bothered with hotel reservations, we could have just brought bed rolls.) Throughout a weekend charged with sex, fantasy and celebration, the homeless were a constant and somewhat disturbing presence.

• This year’s International Mr. Drummer Contest was held at a new venue: San Francisco’s Russian Center, where the auditorium was plain but serviceable. For the past several years, general admission ticketholders have had to stand at the back of the room throughout the entire contest and were probably unable to hear most of it; this year everyone got a seat where they could both see and hear what was going on.

• The theme of this year’s contest was “Drummer Boot Camp”—a phrase which, when you think about it, could have meanings the contest organizers never intended (or maybe they did). Fortunately, the “boot” factor was high and the “camp” factor low as emcees Brian Dawson and Queen Cougar took the part of drill sergeants who put the ten contestants/new recruits through their paces.

• The International Mr. Drummer Contest can be counted on for good fantasy presentations, and this year’s offerings more than lived up to expectations. Mr. Southeast Drummer Tom Stice got a standing ovation with his White House fantasy featuring, among other things, both Clinton and Newt Gingrich in bondage. Mr. Florida Drummer Michael Cruz’ “Toy Story” fantasy portrayed a hot three-way between life-size Billy, Carlos, and G.I.Joe dolls; the action was interrupted by Barbie stumbling onstage, looking for Ken. Mr. Europe Drummer Hervé Bernard presented an “Avengers”-themed fantasy that was very European in feel (and much better than the recent “Avengers” movie.)

• Mid-Atlantic Drummerboy ryan goldner became the new International Mr. Drummerboy; goldner is the assistant director of a gay men’s health and HIV prevention organization in Philadelphia.

• In the Mr. Drummer competition, Northern California Mr. Drummer Ray Tilton was second runner-up; Mr. Southeast Drummer Tom Stice took first runner-up honors; and the new International Mr. Drummer 1998 is Mr. Europe Drummer Hervé Bernard. Bernard is from Paris and is an actor, writer, Buddhist and activist. He currently does voice-over work for French radio and television, so if you lived in Paris you would recognize his voice. He was in Minneapolis several years ago when he appeared at Target Center in a show called “Jesus Was His Name” (!), and he has happy memories of “the back room at the Gay 90’s.” Let’s hope someone persuades him to make a return visit to the Twin Cities during his title year.

• Saturday’s Drummer contest was followed by the climax of the weekend, Sunday’s Folsom Street Fair. Now in its 15th year, it’s the third-largest fair in the state of California (according to the California Department of Tourism) and has attracted up to 300,000 people in recent years. But even in San Francisco, the kink community gets no respect—the only mention of the fair in either of San Francisco’s major daily newspapers, the Chronicle and the Examiner, was a note about how it would affect traffic.

• For fourteen years the Folsom Street Fair has been blessed with beautiful weather. This year, for the first time ever, it rained. Most of the huge crowd took it in stride, but the rain seriously dented sales for at least one vendor I talked to. In spite of the rain, and in spite of having been to the Folsom Street Fair three times prior to this one, the experience still was impressive. The sight of a couple hundred-thousand members of the Leather Nation spending an afternoon on a street in San Francisco remains a powerful spectacle—one that I would recommend to anyone, whether they’re just getting into leather or are an old-timer.

Dan Savage Savages Leather Community? Not Really

It has been a longstanding policy of mine that I don’t use this column to trash people. But I was prepared to make an exception for nationally-syndicated sex-advice columnist Dan Savage. I was going to take him to task based on a quote from him which appeared in the October 4 New York Times Sunday Magazine, in which he called SM sex “ridiculous” and “laughable.”

I read the quote in a weekly media watch put out by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (www.ncsfreedom.org) and was outraged at the disrespect Savage showed the leather/SM community. I downloaded the text of the article (“Sex Advice for the Clinton Age” by Rebecca Johnson) from the Times website and was further outraged—elsewhere in the article SM is mentioned on a par with bestiality and incest.

Well, it just so happened that Savage was appearing in Minneapolis at the Gay 90’s to promote his new book. So off to the 90’s I went, bringing along my copy of the Times article.

Savage started the evening by reading from his book—specifically, the chapter on “Kink.” It was hilarious, but the information he conveyed was sound. Throughout the evening’s question-and-answer session he addressed subjects such as bondage, water sports and even scat, and I heard a lot of good information being dispensed—but nothing disrespectful or condescending to the leather/SM community.

During the question-and-answer session I asked him how someone so seemingly kink-friendly could have said something so kink-unfriendly in the New York Times. He asked to see the article and read the offending paragraph aloud. He then admitted that when he first saw the article in print he thought he might have a problem, because the Times hadn’t printed everything he said.

Here’s what the Times printed:

“ . . . Even the most vanilla sexual scenario has a subtle interplay of power back and forth. In the leather S&M scene, they take those seeds and exaggerate it until it’s laughable. You watch people having S&M sex and it’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen. It’s like cops and robbers or Indians and cowboys with your pants down.”

But when he was originally interviewed for the article Savage went on to say that ANYBODY looks ridiculous when they’re having sex, regardless of gender, orientation or what they’re doing. The Times didn’t print that part, however. Savage meant no disrespect to the leather/SM community (of which he considers himself a kinky, card-carrying member), and it’s unfortunate that the Times and/or Rebecca Johnson abridged his words to make it appear that he did.

As far as I can tell, Savage is sex-positive, gay-positive, kink-positive and humanity-positive. The only thing he seems to be against is stupidity. Here’s hoping he writes a letter to the Times to clarify his position, and here’s hoping they print it.

Moral of story: I guess these days one can’t even trust the New York Times to always get the story right. Other moral of story: Savage can take comfort in the fact that “You know you’ve finally arrived when you’re misquoted in the New York Times.”

Friday, October 9, 1998

New Minneapolis Eagle Soars

(Article published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #88, October 9, 1998)

“It’s the nicest leather bar I’ve ever seen!” That has been a frequent reaction from visitors to the new Minneapolis Eagle, located at 515 South Washington Ave. The bar was formerly known as The Mill Inn because directly across Washington Avenue is the historic Minneapolis flour-milling district on the Mississippi River.

Decked out in beautiful tri-tone mahogany paneling supplemented with dark green and dark red upholstery, carpet and wall colors, the Minneapolis Eagle doesn’t fit the usual image of a leather bar as a dark and somewhat spartan space. Liquor and glasses are displayed on a streamline-moderne masterpiece of a bar, complete with spectacular wood-veneer and chrome inlays and amber fluted glass columns lit from inside with red light tubes. Owner Ed Hopkins was concerned at one point that maybe everything was too nice—now, he says, “If I changed the woodwork I think people would kill me, because everybody comments on it.” At the back of the bar is a small kitchen and a hallway leading to an outdoor patio in back of the bar.

Hopkins is one of the Eagle’s three owners; the other two are Greg Norton, who is in charge of the kitchen, and Tom Wolden. Hopkins and Wolden have been friends for ten years and have worked together as CPA’s specializing in taxes, while Norton’s background is in the bar and restaurant industry. The idea for the Eagle started with Hopkins: “I wanted to do something for gay community; I wanted to have my own business; I’ve always liked being in a bar and being around music, so this was ideal way for me to have my own business.”

The partners have been working on opening the Eagle for over two years and considered several other sites before finding their present location. Plans for a West Bank location led to lengthy negotiations that finally collapsed. A south Minneapolis location had parking problems. Space in downtown Minneapolis on Hennepin Avenue was also investigated.

Once the present space was located came the hardest part of opening the bar, according to Hopkins: obtaining the liquor license. “It was cumbersome, and there was a gigantic amount of paperwork. There is a police investigation of all the owners, and you have to submit a business plan and financial information. The city is very concerned about where the money’s coming from to purchase a bar, and how it will be run.” Hopkins applied for a Class A liquor license which allows stage shows (a leather contest could not be held at the bar without a Class A license). By contrast, the previous (Mill Inn) license was Class E which, according to Hopkins, “basically allows them to watch television. Jumping from Class E to Class A was a big deal with the City Council.”

In Minneapolis liquor licenses are not sold from bar owner to bar owner; each prospective bar owner must apply to the city for their own license. Part of the licensing procedure is a public hearing. Hopkins didn’t expect his hearing to go poorly, and was surprised when it did. “A man stood up and argued they shouldn’t issue a Class A liquor license because of all the apartments and condos by the river. He said, ‘I thought we cleaned up Washington Avenue, what are you doing granting another Class A liquor license?’ He was afraid it would be an ‘adult entertainment’ business, a straight strip bar. I tried to counter that it would be a gay bar and our clientele would better behaved than other types of bars. There wouldn’t be a lot of police calls, we’d have our own security, there wouldn’t be a lot of problems.”

After the meeting the gentleman who had protested pulled Hopkins aside and apologized, saying he hadn’t known it was going to be a gay bar. Hopkins again: “He said, ‘I have a lot of gay neighbors, they’re wonderful people, I think you should go for it.’ He was an older gentleman and I thought that said a lot for him.

“Unfortunately, he did the damage before the council. Typically the liquor committee gives a recommendation to the full City Council as to whether you should be granted a liquor license or not, and the committee did not give me a positive recommendation.” Hopkins called Jackie Cherryhomes, the city council member for the ward where the Eagle is located, and Cherryhomes’ office wrote a letter to the City Council supporting the issuance of the Eagle’s liquor license.

Hopkins called Lisa Goodman, the council person for ward where his residence is located, and “she was exuberant about supporting me too. But I didn’t know going into the full council meeting what would happen because it left the liquor committee meeting without a recommendation. Then at the full council meeting, the chairman of liquor committee, Mr. Biernat, said ‘We’ve discussed this and we’re changing our position—we’re going to recommend you get your liquor license.’” In the end the City Council voted 13 to 0 to issue it.

Hopkins said one of the minor problems of opening the Eagle was with bartenders and other staff accepting a position with the bar and then changing their mind. “That would screw up the entire schedule, and it was close to opening. But the bartenders who stepped up to the plate in a pinch have been incredible. Our staff is amazing, and it frees the owners to do other things.”

Hopkins plans to have a different personality at the Eagle on different nights of the week, leading up to dress-code weekends. “I was afraid I was going to be criticized for not being a full-time leather bar, but I was also afraid I would not succeed as a strictly full-time leather bar. I felt I had to diversify in order to be able offer the community a leather bar on the weekends—I felt without something different on the other nights I would not have the level of business I needed to stay in business.” Plans call for Karaoke Monday nights, two-for-one Thursday nights with 80s videos, and a Sunday beer/soda bust from 4 to 8 pm. Happy hour pricing is in effect from 5 to 7 pm on weekdays; Friday’s happy hour includes a complimentary buffet. “One thing we want to try, but we don’t quite know how to do it yet, is to have a Womyn’s night. We’d also like to promote something toward the Sober Leather community. It’s easy to offer non-alcoholic drinks, but we want to do something more in coordination with that.”

Friday and Saturday nights a leather/rubber/uniform dress code will be enforced starting at 9 pm (check the Eagle’s website at www.mplseagle.com for what is and is not allowed.). People have already been turned away for wearing white shoes or other dress code violations. Hopkins instructs his bouncers to enforce the dress code because it’s what his customers expect. But dress code issues are sometimes not as simple as they might seem. Hopkins has already received e-mail from patrons who have seen customers in white tennis shoes on Friday and Saturday night and who wonder why he’s not enforcing the dress code. “If you see somebody with white tennis shoes they were probably there before 9 pm, when we begin enforcing the dress code, and we’re not going to ask people to leave if they’re already in the bar. It’s not appropriate to ask them to leave.” Hopkins also reminds the community to be careful about what’s exposed and how people behave. “We’re new, and we don’t know when the vice squad is going to be in here, checking to see if we’re legit or not. We haven’t seen any sexual behavior so far, and that can’t be tolerated. We just can’t allow it here.”

The kitchen at the Eagle is open weekdays from 11 am to 10 pm, which means they cater to both a lunch and a dinner crowd. (On weekends the kitchen is open from 3 to 10 pm.) The menu currently features, in Norton’s words, “pub food, but with a creative twist to it.” Their most popular menu item is the Eagle Burger, and Norton wants to concentrate on developing other signature dishes. Future plans call for some sort of kitchen expansion, which would allow the Eagle to offer steaks, prime rib and pastas, as well as a Sunday brunch with exhibition-style cooking.

There are leather bars called “The Eagle” in major cities around the world. One question Hopkins hears often is who owns the Eagle franchise. His answer: “Wouldn’t you have liked to be the person who franchised it? That was the very first thing I checked into: whether it was franchised or if they were somehow all connected. They’re not; they all stand alone. But there’s kind of a brotherhood in a sense. I made a lot of calls to the other Eagles around the country and they’re very excited that someone’s opened another one. They sent me posters when I asked for them, and asked if there was anything they can do to help. I thought that was pretty nice.” (Another nice touch: The Saloon sent flowers and a card welcoming The Minneapolis Eagle to the community.)

There are already posters on display from the Baltimore and Washington, DC Eagle bars, as well as New York City’s LURE (which stands for “Leather, Uniform, Rubber, Etc.”), with more to come. People tell Hopkins they want to contribute “posters, flags, videotapes. The leather groups want to contribute their colors. They all want to contribute something. People are taking stock in it as if it’s theirs. That’s exactly what we wanted to do, and it feels so good.”

In addition to the kitchen expansion plans already discussed, future possibilities for the Minneapolis Eagle include expanding into the unused space in the building next door. (There is a second floor to the existing building but it is currently inaccessible.) Hopkins says the building next door “needs work, but it would be wonderful to be able to expand into it.” But for now, he’s glad that The Minneapolis Eagle is finally open and he knows he did the right thing in opening it. He says he’s enjoying it as much as he thought he would: “I’m about a hundred times happier than I ever was doing taxes. Every night, it’s like having a group of friends over.”

Mario is new Ms. MN Leather

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #88, October 9, 1998)

As the publicity for the contest prophesied, Ms. Minnesota Leather is back! Her name is Mario and she’s the president of Dykes on Bikes, the women’s motorcycle group that is a perennial favorite at the Twin Cities Pride Parade.

After a year’s hiatus, the contest staged a blazing return Saturday night, September 19, at the Bell Museum Auditorium on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. (Also a feature of the weekend was Friday’s combination meet-and-greet and “Bare As You Dare” party at the Saloon.) This was the most untraditional leather contest I’ve ever seen—and I mean that in a good way. It was a fresh, creative, and sensual celebration of leathersex from a womyn’s perspective. If a guy like me found the evening’s entertainments erotically stimulating, I can only imagine what the women in the audience were feeling. Then again, I guess it wouldn’t take much imagination; the audience, which was made up of all sexes, genders and orientations, was unrestrained in voicing its approval.

The evening’s fantasy presentations were entertaining and skillfully presented. But, to me, it was the contestants’ speeches that really stood out—they were more performance-art pieces than speeches. Mario told her leather history entirely in verse (and clever verse at that—see below). Ruth gave a stream-of-conscious monologue about her leather/SM history. Pamela tried (and failed) to maintain her composure as she delivered a lecture on various methods of tanning leather, and the various uses for the leather produced by each method. Babalon, who took first runner-up honors, gave the sole traditional speech of the evening; it was about being visible as a community so that no one ever needs to feel they’re the only kinky person on earth.

The evening’s emcee was International Ms. Leather 1991 Kay Hallanger. Head judge was current International Ms. Leather Megan DeJarlais; other judges were Joshua Smith, current Mr. Minnesota Leather; B.D. Chambers, current Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather; Sue Able, Ms. Nebraska Leather 1994; and long-time member of the Twin Cities leather community Russ Helbig.

More About Mario

The new Ms. Minnesota Leather’s full name is Mario Lorenzi, but everyone knows her as Mario. Those who remember Foxy’s and Ladies Night, two womyn’s bars of years ago, may remember that Mario was a DJ and bouncer at both of them. Nowadays her interests are many and varied: She lives in northern Minnesota where she runs a ranch and horse stables. She is a musician and writes original music and lyrics, which are performed by her band, “Stay Hungry.” She is a welder and metal sculptor whose art is in the collections of celebrities such as Bonnie Raitt and the artist formerly known as Prince. And, as mentioned earlier, she’s president of Dykes on Bikes. She says that during her title year she “wants to be visible in the community”; she also thinks raising funds for local causes and groups is important and plans to make that a focus of her title year.

Mario’s speech at the Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest was really a poem (or perhaps a lyric), “Intro to Leather 101,” written by Mario for the contest. Here it is, reprinted with her permission:

Intro to Leather 101

By Mario Lorenzi

My intro to leather
Was at quite a young age.
Black leather diapers set the stage,

Ahh, at the daycare I was all the rage
My intro to leather was at quite a young age.

I enjoyed all my spankings . . . the sound and the slap
As my mom bent me over and gave me a whack.

I sought out the trouble as only I could
With the hopes Mom would catch me and give it to me good.

And in adolescence, I’d share what I knew
Got caught spanking Julie behind the church pew.

Got caught spanking Shelly and Katie and Jen
Got caught and got punished, and did it again.

And now that I’m older, I do what I want
I do what I want, and my leather I flaunt.

I do as I please and I please who I do
As I’ve got a collection to please even you.

I’ve got black gloves, and bracelets
My chaps and my whips.

There’s the belts and the handcuffs
And clips for your tits

There’s shackles, a rack,
And a sweet cat-o-nine.

My tight leather pants
And it’s mine all mine.

Upcoming Leather Events

Please note: The Mr./Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Weekend has been postponed due to the impending relocation of the event’s producer, former Mr. Minnesota Leather Roger Gregg. (A fabulous career opportunity means he and his boy david will be moving to San Francisco in short order.) Watch for a rescheduled Minnesota Olympus Leather event later this year (or perhaps in January 1999).

Friday, September 25, 1998

Mr. Minnesota Leather 1999

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #87, September 25, 1998)

As you read in this space last issue, Joshua Smith became the new Mr. Minnesota Leather on Sept. 6 at Club Metro Underground in St. Paul. Recent frictions between Club Metro and the leather community seemed to have been put to rest, and the contest (and all the rest of the weekend’s events) drew a healthy crowd and got generally good reviews from those attending.

Smith’s competitors for the evening were first runner-up Scott Kelley and second runner-up Karl Keturi. The judges came from as far east as Philadelphia (Dan Clougherty, Mr. Philadelphia Leather ’98) and as far west as Australia (Andrew Lennox, Mr. Australia Leather ’98 and International Mr. Leather ’98 first runner-up). Other judges were International Mr. Leather ’97 and Mr. Minnesota Leather ’97 Kevin Cwayna; current Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Renee Indehar; current Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather B.D. Chambers; current Mr. Minnesota Fantasy Ken Flanagan; and outgoing Mr. Minnesota Leather Roger Gregg.

Smith’s speech, delivered with revival-preacher fervor, addressed a standard leather-contest theme (uniting the community) in an unusual manner. He summoned representatives of every subset of the leather/SM community—men’s leather clubs, women’s leather clubs, pansexual clubs, rodeo, bears, even the Metropolitan Community Church—in a graphic demonstration and reminder of how important it is to work together. Smith’s elaborate and dreamily surreal cop-fantasy presentation started with a dancing male silhouette on a windowshade; the focus then shifted to a hot scene between a prowler and the cop who apprehends him. Suddenly there was a blinding flash onstage as the proceedings were interrupted by local drag queen Eva, looking stunning and lip-synching to “Barbie Girl.” (That was the surreal part.)

Leather Community Charity Donations

The evening also saw various leather-related individuals and organizations distribute fund-raising proceeds to an array of charitable organizations. First, the Black Guard handed checks ($500 each) to representatives from The Aliveness Project, District 202, and Every Penny Counts. Camp Heartland received a total of three checks, one of which represented the money that was tossed onto the giant rainbow and leather pride flags that were carried in this year’s Twin Cities Pride Parade. The amount of that check (approximately $250) was matched both by the Black Guard and by Minnesota Leather Productions, producer of the evening’s contest.

Later in the evening, outgoing Mr. Minnesota leather Roger Gregg handed another check to Kevin Cwayna, representing District 202. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the contest weekend benefited the Sexual Violence Center (an organization that, a few years ago, would not take donations from the leather community).

All these donations continue a long tradition of charitable giving by the leather/SM community. This tradition didn’t necessarily start with the onset of the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s, but AIDS certainly brought about a greater awareness of the needs to raise funds. The leather community was one of the hardest-hit by the epidemic and leather clubs, titleholders and the leather community in general responded by taking care of their own in the days before government and the general public were aware of the problem. Today, while AIDS charities are still very much supported by the leather community, the focus has widened to include organizations, such as District 202 and the Sexual Violence Center, that are addressing other problems of concern to the community.

Upcoming Leather Events

Atons Leather/Levi Dinner
Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:30 pm, The Monte Carlo (219 3rd Ave. N, Mpls.)
All members of the leather/SM community are welcome. Call the Atons HotLine to make reservations.

Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest Weekend

A committee of nine women have been working on this weekend’s events for months, and it should be good. Even though it’s a women’s contest, leathermen are welcomed and encouraged to come and party. Prices have been reduced! Weekend Package is now $25 with Survivor’s Brunch or $15 without; events (except the brunch) are also available separately. Call Deb or Renee for further event or contestant information. Winner receives a prize of $250 and competes in the International Ms. Leather Contest in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 1999. Here are the event-by-event details:

Meet & Greet/Bare As You Dare
Friday, Sept. 18, 6:30-9:30 pm, The Saloon
“Bare As You Dare” returns, complete with trophies and finger food. It’s also “Bat Night” with the first 10 in the door getting a complimentary slapper. Plans call for a Vendor Fair and live-action digital-camera photos available for pose and purchase. $3 in advance or $5 at the door.

Pre- and Post-Contest Parties
Saturday, Sept. 19, Minnesota Bar & Grill. Cocktails and full menu dinner at 5:30 pm, shuttle bus to contest/show starts at 7 pm.
Why hassle with U of M traffic and parking? Park your car at the MN Bar, have drinks and/or dinner, then catch the shuttle bus to the contest. Shuttle returns to the MN Bar for the Post-Contest Party. $5 in advance or $7 at the door.

1999 Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest and Show
Saturday, Sept. 19, 8 pm, Bell Museum Auditorium, 17th & University Ave. SE, U of M Campus
Perennial favorite, former International Ms. Leather and soon-to-be-parent (you read it here first!) Kay Hallanger will emcee—in my book, that alone is worth the price of admission. Head judge will be current International Ms. Leather Megan DeJarlais. $11 in advance or $13 at the door (Co-sponsored by U Film Society’s LGBT Film Festival, Oct. 2-15.)

Survivor’s Brunch
Sunday, Sept. 20, location and details when you register
Open only to the first 50 people registering for the weekend package, so get your reservation in now.

Wind-Down Party
Sunday, Sept. 20, 9 pm-1 am, The Tank @ The Saloon
An informal wind-down party for the weekend. No admission charge.

Atons Bar Night at the Eagle
Friday, Oct. 2, 9 pm-midnight, The Minneapolis Eagle
$2 donation at the door benefits District 202. Your first drink is half-price and there will be door prizes.

Mark Your Calendar . . .

October 1: Deadline for nominations for the Leather Community Awards. If you haven’t submitted your form yet, fill it out and send it in before this date. Don’t have a form? You’ll find one at the Atons’ website (www.starbase21.com/atons) which you can fill out, print and mail to the address shown on the form.

October 16-18: Pantheon of Leather presents the Mr. & Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather contest, “your local pansexual fetish contest.” The weekend will also include the above-mentioned Leather Community Awards. Call for event or contestant information.

Friday, September 11, 1998

New Leather Titleholders Announced

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #86, September 11, 1998)

Contest Winners, plus The Mpls. Eagle Has Landed

International Mr. Fantasy ’98

PHOTO A: Tim Kernan, International Mr. Fantasy ’98

PHOTO B: From left: Terry Brown, International Mr. Fantasy ’98 second runner-up; Tim Kernan, International Mr. Fantasy ’98; and Joshua Conrad, International Mr. Fantasy ’98 first runner-up.

Hometown boy Tim Kernan of Omaha captured the title of International Mr. Fantasy ’98 on August 22 in Omaha, Nebraska. Joshua Conrad (also known as Scooby) of Missouri was first runner-up and Terry Brown of Kansas was 2nd runner-up. Minnesota was represented by Ken Flanagan, whose fantasy about “how to stuff a chicken” was a big hit with the audience. (The “chicken” in question was a cute twenty-something boy—your imagination can take it from there.)

Great Lakes Drummer ’98

PHOTO C: Shown with trophies in hand are, left, Kirk Wood (Great Lakes Drummerboy ’98) and, right, Johann Villar (Great Lakes Mr. Drummer ’98).

PHOTO D: Steve Eue, Minnesota Mr. Drummer ’98 and Great Lakes Mr. Drummer ’98 first runner-up.

PHOTO E: Foreground: Kirk Wood, Great Lakes Drummerboy ’98. Background, from left: Steve Eue, Minnesota Mr. Drummer ’98 and Great Lakes Mr. Drummer ’98 first runner-up; Johann Villar, Great Lakes Mr. Drummer ’98; and Jim Ellison, Indiana Mr. Drummer ’98 and Great Lakes Mr. Drummer ’98 second runner-up.

Johann Villar, an invitation contestant from Michigan, was awarded the title of Great Lakes Mr. Drummer ’98 on August 29 in Columbus, Ohio. Steve Eue, who recently became Minnesota Mr. Drummer ’98, was first runner-up; Indiana Mr. Drummer ’98 Jim Ellison was 2nd runner-up. In the Great Lakes Drummerboy competition the title went to Kirk Wood, who had been first runner-up in the Ohio Drummerboy contest. Minnesota was represented in the Drummerboy competition by Minnesota Drummerboy ’98 David McCammon, and Minnesota was also represented on the judging panel by your humble columnist.

Mr. Minnesota Leather ’99

PHOTO F: Joshua Smith, Mr. Minnesota Leather ’99

The 1999 Mr. Minnesota Leather Contest was held at Club Metro Underground on Sept. 6. Joshua Smith emerged as the new Mr. Minnesota Leather in a tightly-packed evening that turned out to be more than just a leather titleholder changing-of-the-guard. Moments before Mr. Minnesota Leather 1998 Roger Gregg passed the sash to Smith, contest organizer Colin Spriestersbach passed the responsibility for the contest (and the Minnesota Drummer contest as well) to Gregg.

The evening also saw various leather-related individuals and organizations distribute fund-raising proceeds to District 202, Every Penny Counts, Camp Heartland, and the Aliveness Project in what can only be described as an orgy of charitable giving. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the contest weekend benefitted the Sexual Violence Center. (More details on the contest weekend, and on the leather community’s efforts to raise funds for charitable organizations, will appear in the next edition of this column.)

Minneapolis Eagle starts serving leather community

After months of planning (and rumors), the Minneapolis Eagle has finally opened its doors to the Twin Cities leather community on September 8. Owner Ed Hopkins says he has been impressed both with the caliber of bartenders and other staff who have applied for employment and with the level of interest from the leather community.

The Minneapolis Eagle, located at 515 Washington Avenue South and formerly known as the Mill Inn, also incorporates a grill; plans call for continuing and improving the menu, and perhaps eventually expanding the space. A parking lot is conveniently located next door (although parking in the lot isn’t free).

A grand-opening celebration is tentatively slated for September 26, but they’re open for business right now if you want to check them out. Friday and Saturday nights a strict dress code will be enforced; if you want to see what’s acceptable and what’s not, visit their website at www.mplseagle.com.

Upcoming Leather Events

Atons Leather/Levi Dinner
Saturday, Sept. 12, 7:30 pm, The Monte Carlo (219 3rd Ave. N, Mpls.)
All members of the leather/SM community are welcome. Call the Atons HotLine to make reservations.

Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest Weekend

A committee of nine women have been working on this weekend’s events for months, and it should be good. Even though it’s a women’s contest, leathermen are welcomed and encouraged to come and party. Prices have been reduced! Weekend Package is now $25 with Survivor’s Brunch or $15 without; events (except the brunch) are also available separately. Call Deb or Renee for further event or contestant information. Winner receives a prize of $250 and competes in the International Ms. Leather Contest in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 1999. Here are the event-by-event details:

Meet & Greet/Bare As You Dare
Friday, Sept. 18, 6:30-9:30 pm, The Saloon
“Bare As You Dare” returns, complete with trophies and finger food. It’s also “Bat Night” with the first 10 in the door getting a complimentary slapper. Plans call for a Vendor Fair and live-action digital-camera photos available for pose and purchase. $3 in advance or $5 at the door.

Pre- and Post-Contest Parties
Saturday, Sept. 19, Minnesota Bar & Grill. Cocktails and full menu dinner at 5:30 pm, shuttle bus to contest/show starts at 7 pm.
Why hassle with U of M traffic and parking? Park your car at the MN Bar, have drinks and/or dinner, then catch the shuttle bus to the contest. Shuttle returns to the MN Bar for the Post-Contest Party. $5 in advance or $7 at the door.

1999 Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest and Show
Saturday, Sept. 19, 8 pm, Bell Museum Auditorium, 17th & University Ave. SE, U of M Campus
Perennial favorite, former International Ms. Leather and soon-to-be-parent (you read it here first!) Kay Hallanger will emcee—in my book, that alone is worth the price of admission. Head judge will be current International Ms. Leather Megan DeJarlais. $11 in advance or $13 at the door (Co-sponsored by U Film Society’s LGBT Film Festival, Oct. 2-15.)

Survivor’s Brunch
Sunday, Sept. 20, location and details when you register
Open only to the first 50 people registering for the weekend package, so get your reservation in now.

Wind-Down Party
Sunday, Sept. 20, 9 pm-1 am, The Tank @ The Saloon
An informal wind-down party for the weekend. No admission charge.

Mark Your Calendar . . .

October 1: Deadline for nominations for the Leather Community Awards. If you haven’t submitted your form yet, fill it out and send it in before this date. Don’t have a form? You’ll find one at the Atons’ website (www.starbase21.com/atons) which you can fill out, print and mail to the address shown on the form.

October 16-18: Pantheon of Leather presents the Mr. & Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather contest, “your local pansexual fetish contest.” The weekend will also include the above-mentioned Leather Community Awards. Call for event or contestant information.

Friday, August 28, 1998

Steve Eue is New MN Mr. Drummer

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #85, August 28, 1998)

Mike Vintean Relinquishes Title

Mike Vintean, who won the 1998 Mr. Minnesota Drummer title in April, relinquished the title during the recent Mr. MN Drummer/Drummerboy Weekend. Vintean would not have been able to fulfill the requirements of the title due to a recent, unforeseen change in employment.

In a Friday night ceremony at The Town House Vintean passed the sash to Steve Eue, first runner-up in last April’s contest, who became the new Minnesota Mr. Drummer 1998. He and 1998 Minnesota Drummerboy david will be representing Minnesota’s leather/SM community at this weekend’s Great Lakes Drummer Contest in Columbus, Ohio.

PHOTO CAPTION #1: Mike Vintean, left, prepares to turn the 1998 Minnesota Mr. Drummer title over to Steve Eue, right.

PHOTO CAPTION #2: Good luck and best wishes to newly-designated Minnesota Mr. Drummer 1998 Steve Eue (back) and Minnesota Drummerboy 1998 david (front) as they compete in the Great Lakes Mr. Drummer/Drummerboy contest this weekend in Columbus, Ohio.

Mr. Minnesota Leather Contest Returns to Club Metro

Remember last year’s Tom of Finland bash at the Gay 90s? The advice from this column at the time was “Yes, it’s at the 90s—go anyway.” Here we go again.

After several tense encounters between Club Metro and various leather event organizers (most notably the unpleasantness connected with the recent Mr. Minnesota Fantasy contest), many in the community are asking why anyone would hold another leather contest there. Here’s why, according to Mr. Minnesota Leather contest producer Colin Spriestersbach: An abundance of upcoming leather contests, combined with a shortage of suitable venues for those contests, required schedules to be adjusted and compromises to be made. (These same circumstances have also persuaded Spriestersbach to put his proposed American Leathermaster contest on hold.) In the opinion of the contest’s organizers and other interested members of the community, the reasons to hold it at Club Metro outweighed the reasons not to hold it there.

Spriestersbach emphasized several points when I talked with him recently:

• The management of Club Metro is cooperating with contest organizers and is eager to have us back. According to Spriestersbach, leather functions were never banned at Club Metro, and any rumors to that effect are false. (Personally, I never heard any of those rumors.)

• In the aftermath of the Mr. Minnesota Fantasy contest debacle, both contest organizers and Club Metro management agreed that the problem happened because of miscommunication. All those involved with this contest will, I’m sure, take great pains to make sure such miscommunications don’t happen again.

• These contests include a charity fundraising component, as do many other leather community events; at this contest Spriestersbach expects to present checks for over $3,000 to various charities, representing money raised at some of this summer’s events.

This is an instance in which you get to vote with your feet, folks, but it’s not just a referendum on what you think of Club Metro. If you’re uncomfortable going to Club Metro, ask yourself if your discomfort is great enough to keep you from supporting the contest, the contestants, the new titleholder who will be selected and the charities for which money will be raised. That’s what you’re really voting on.

No Sex, Please, It’s An Election Year

Part of the Mr. Minnesota Leather Contest weekend is the “Trash III” party on Friday night at the Metro. Those attending will be free to drink, dance and be trashy—up to a point, of course, after which the nice bouncer will ask you to kindly re-button your fly. Don’t blame him, and don’t blame the bar management. Blame it on election year politics.

The Twin Towns are a nice place to live and are reasonably accepting of “people like us.” But laws and public policy in both Minneapolis and St. Paul are extremely hostile to sex and/or nudity in public spaces, and the fact that this is an election year means efforts at enforcing such bans are redoubled. X-rated videos are no longer allowed to be shown in leather bars. There’s a greater police presence at the Mississippi river flats in both Minneapolis and St. Paul and at Twin Lake in Minneapolis. Backroom-type activity in bars is not tolerated. (It’s not just the Twin Cities, by the way—it’s even affecting places like New York City, where mayor Rudy Giuliani recently closed down many sex-related businesses or forced them to move.)

Hypermoralistic politicans love to decry the scandalous, evil activities which are going on RIGHT IN OUR VERY MIDST. If we give them incidents to publicly fume about we’re playing into their hands. So—at least until the election is over and things settle down again—dance, party, have fun, meet people, but try to maintain some sense of decorum (at least in public, anyway).

Upcoming Leather Events

Mr. Minnesota Leather Contest Weekend

Four days of Labor-Day-weekend party brought to you by Minnesota Leather Productions in partnership with The Black Guard, Sober Leather, and ISCIC. Weekend package is $40 and includes a souvenir T-shirt as well as admission to all the weekend’s events—available at Rainbow Road and at Friday’s event. Portion of proceeds goes to Sexual Violence Center. (If you want to compete call for information and an application.)

“Trash III” Meet & Greet Dance Party
Friday, Sept. 4, 9 pm-close, Club Metro Underground, St. Paul
$7 at the door includes first drink free.

Decadent Bus Bar Tour
Saturday, Sept. 5, Minnesota Bar & Grill. Cocktails at 7 pm, bus departs at 8 pm.
$15 at the door includes drink tickets for all bars visited and admission to Champagne Party (below).

Champagne Party
Saturday, Sept. 5, 11 pm-close, Minnesota Bar & Grill (2nd level)
$5 at the door includes champagne toast at midnight.

Daddy’s Tea Dance
Sunday, Sept. 6, 4-8 pm, The Town House, St. Paul
Special surprises and shuttle bus service to the contest for those who bought weekend packages. No admission charge.

1999 Mr. Minnesota Leather Contest and Show
Sunday, Sept. 6, Doors open 8 pm, Club Metro Underground, St. Paul
This is what it’s all been building up to. $18 at the door.

Victory Brunch
Monday, Sept. 7, 2-6 pm, Brass Rail
Brunch and drink specials, no cover.

Mark Your Calendar . . .

Sept. 18-20: Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest Weekend. Friday is the return of “Bare As You Dare” at The Saloon from 6:30-9:30 pm; it’s “Bat Night” with the first 10 in the door getting a complimentary slapper. On Saturday there will be pre- and post-contest parties at times and locations to be announced; the contest will be at the University Film Society at Bell Museum Auditorium on the U of M Campus. Bus service between venues will be available. A Survivor’s Brunch on Sunday (hosted by Gary and Michael, catered by Joy, and with limited attendance of 50 people) will lead into an informal wind-down at The Tank that evening. Weekend Package is $30 with brunch or $20 without; events (except the brunch) are also available separately. Call Deb or Renee for further event or contestant information. Winner competes in International Ms. Leather Contest in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 1999.

October 16-18: Pantheon of Leather presents the Mr. & Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather contest, “your local pansexual fetish contest.” Call for event or contestant information.

Friday, August 14, 1998

Fred Phelps Hates SM, Too

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #84, August 14, 1998)

In the recent cable-TV presentation of “More Tales of the City,” the inclusion of film clips of Anita Bryant discussing homosexuals took me back to my younger days. It was either 1978 or 1979 and Ms. Bryant, who at the time was still a spokesperson for Florida oranges, visited the Twin Cities for the opening of a fruit warehouse on Kasota Avenue. I was among the many people who picketed her appearance there—and who made sure we drank only California orange juice and lemonade that summer.

How times have changed. Anita Bryant, whose supposed attitude about homosexuals was “Love the sinner, hate the sin,” has become Fred Phelps, a hatemonger (and proud of it) whose message is summarized in the title of his website: www.godhatesfags.com.

Fags, however, aren’t all that God hates, according to Phelps. Bryant’s public personna was too demure and polite to allow her to discuss some of the grittier topics that are included on Phelps’ website, such as his ostensibly documented claims that 33% of gay men are into fisting, 29% are into golden showers and 17% are into scat. (By the way, those numbers seem a bit inflated when compared to the actual number of red, yellow and brown hankies I see in peoples’ pockets.) All of these activities are considered totally depraved by God aka Phelps. God also hates exhibitionism, fetishism, all forms of sadomasochism, bondage, crossdressing, voyeurism—and the list goes on. God evidently hates anyone who does any of these things, even if they happen to be straight. And God certainly hates baby-killers (the majority of whom, I’m sure, are straight). Apparently, to paraphrase Bryant’s orange juice commercials: “Hatred—it’s not just for homosexuals anymore.”

How does one respond to such hatred? Is it better to not dignify it with a response, to dismiss it rather than gratify the ego of the hatemonger by responding? Will ignoring it make it go away? Perhaps a case could be made for this viewpoint, but a case can also be made for the famous quotation that “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” The GLBT community, the leather/SM community, and humanity in general all need to be aware of what the Fred Phelpses of the world are saying and doing. As I read Phelps’ website, the thought occurred to me that if one changed every occurrence of the word “fag” to the word “Jew,” that’s probably what Hitler’s website would have looked like if he’d had one. Phelps supposedly disavows the use of physical violence, but his words could certainly incite hate crimes to be committed by others who have no such inhibitions.

I had another thought about Phelps’ website: A lot has been written about pornography on the World Wide Web and its effect on children, but a hate-filled website like this one seems to me truly obscene.

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It was recently brought to my attention that I have been a bit lax in a matter of protocol. A recent edition of this column referred to “Mr. Minnesota Drummerboy,” which is an oxymoron. A boy is never addressed as “Mr.” My apologies for the error. Now, for the record, here’s how it works: We have Mr. Minnesota Leather 1998 Roger Gregg and his boy, david (note that a boy’s name is not capitalized), whose title is Minnesota Drummerboy 1998. (The “D” on Drummerboy is capitalized, because “Drummer” is the proper name of a magazine.)

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Congratulations to new International Ms. Leather 1998 Megan DeJarlais of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She won the title July 18 in Atlanta. For the full story, check out www.theleatherjournal.com/sashbash.htm.

Upcoming Leather Events

Mr. Minnesota Drummer Fundraiser Weekend

Friday Fundraiser and Beer Bash
Friday, August 14, 9 pm-close, The Town House, St. Paul
If you haven’t experienced a Friday night leather event at The Town House, you’re missing out—come to this one. There will be door prizes. There won’t be a cover charge.

Saturday, August 15: Event to be announced—watch for it!

Sunday: Mr. Minnesota Drummer/Minnesota Drummerboy Send-Off
Sunday, August 16, 6-9:30 pm, The Saloon
Come wish Mr. Minnesota Drummer and Minnesota Drummerboy good luck as they represent us at the Great Lakes Mr. Drummer Contest in Columbus, Ohio August 28-30 (see below). Special guests to be announced. $5 at the door.

International Mr. Fantasy Weekend
August 21-23, Omaha, Nebraska
The ultimate Field Trip: a Fantasy Bus will be traveling from Minneapolis to Omaha for Fantasy Weekend. Roundtrip fare is $45 and seating is limited, so call right away if you’re interested. And you’ll need hotel and weekend package reservations. FFI write Fantasy Productions, Boystown, NE. The Radisson Redick is the host hotel; call to reserve your room.

Ms. Minnesota Leather 24-hour “Run”
Saturday, August 22, 11 am to Sunday, August 23, 11 am, Taylor’s Falls area
This fundraiser for the Ms. Minnesota Leather contest promises “24 hours of midsummer’s night fun.” Prepayment of $15 to $25 (sliding scale) includes food. Camp on the grounds, or just come for the day. Open to men and women. Info: call or write for registration form.

Mark Your Calendar . . .

August 28-30: Great Lakes Mr. Drummer/Drummerboy Contest, Columbus, Ohio. Be there to support Mr. Minnesota Drummer 1998 Mike Vintean and Minnesota Drummerboy 1998 david as they represent our community. A full weekend of events is planned, including a Black Toga party and a Tough Customer party. For further information contact Boy Toy Productions at boytoyprod@iwaynet.net, or Columbus, OH. Host hotel is the Courtyard Marriott–Downtown (special rates when you mention Great Lakes Drummer).

Friday, July 31, 1998

Viagra + Poppers = “Potent”ially fatal

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #83, July 31, 1998)

Have you experimented with Viagra yet, or are you thinking about it? Do you use poppers? Be aware: mixing the two can kill you. The mainstream media doesn’t seem to be mentioning this fact, so I will.

I first read about Viagra in USA Today, in an article that was written from a totally heterosexist point of view. Men were interviewed, along with their wives, and everyone agreed that Viagra was a far better method for dealing with impotence than shots, splints, and urethral pellets. Gay men, and the thought that they too might want to experience this miracle, were not even mentioned in the article. Nevertheless, I know at least one gentleman who experimented with Viagra at this year’s International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. He was favorably impressed (and that’s putting it mildly).

Shortly thereafter the warnings started appearing in the media. Yes, Viagra was miraculous, BUT . . . it could have some side-effects, such as headache, flushing, and a bizarre vision problem in which everything appears blue. (Ironically, the Viagra pill is colored blue—one wonders if this is coincidence or macabre humor on the part of the drug manufacturer.)

Then came the REALLY bad news: To date there have been at least sixteen deaths attributed to Viagra, three of them caused by the interaction of Viagra with nitroglycerine heart pills. Media reports cautioned that mixing Viagra with certain heart medications containing nitrates could lead to a potentially fatal drop in blood pressure. So, the reports said, if you’re an older gentleman on heart medication, Viagra is not for you. The news reports did not mention that older gentlemen on heart medication are not the only men exposed to nitrates these days, and therefore potentially at risk. Informational inserts packaged with Viagra also warn against taking the drug in combination with nitrates.

Poppers are nitrates, folks. Real poppers are amyl nitrate; butyl nitrate is another chemical that many gay men inhale to enhance sexual pleasure. They’re called poppers because amyl nitrate for medical purposes used to be supplied in glass capsules which were held under the nose and crushed (or “popped”), thus allowing the vapors to be released and inhaled. Popper use as a sexual stimulant has been ubiquitous in the men’s leather community and in other areas of the gay male community for many years.

Some of us who have been around awhile may have found that age has taken a toll on certain of our abilities, sexually speaking. Even men who don’t have erectile function problems may be tempted to use Viagra by anecdotal reports that the pill enhances performance for all men. (Medical science says this is not so—that if you don’t have a problem for Viagra to fix, you won’t notice any difference with or without the pill. But that’s not what I keep hearing through the grapevine.) Viagra and poppers may seem like a natural combo—Viagra to get things rolling, and poppers to enhance things once the action has started. In reality, such a combination could be deadly. So, if you decide to try Viagra, lock up the poppers. If you just can’t have sex without poppers, don’t experiment with Viagra.

There’s been another development on the Viagra front: currently appearing in the gay press (but again, not in mainstream media that I’ve seen) are questions about interactions between Viagra and frequently-prescribed AIDS medications. There are concerns that one class of AIDS drug could increase the concentration of Viagra in the bloodstream, potentially leading to toxicity, while another class of AIDS drug may decrease the concentration in the bloodstream, rendering the Viagra ineffective. If you’re on the AIDS cocktail, that means you have another reason to approach Viagra with caution.

Remember, Viagra is a prescription drug. If you think it’s for you, talk to your doctor about it first.

Upcoming Leather Events


Pantheon of Leather Fundraiser and Beer Bust
Friday, July 31, 8 pm-close, The Town House
Presented by Renee Indehar, Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather, and B.D. Chambers, Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather. Bootblacking will be available and entertainment will include “Top 10 Things You Don’t Do in a Dungeon.” Change from last issue’s listing: There is now no cover charge at the door for this event.

Beer Bust and Bondage Bingo
Friday, August 7, 8 pm-close, The Town House
What’s “bondage bingo”? You’ll have to come find out. A fundraiser for the Ms. Minnesota Leather Contest—call for more information.

Ms. Minnesota Leather Brunch
Sunday, August 9, Legends Café (825 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis)
An informational and social breakfast event. Contest representatives will be at Legends for most of the morning starting at, say, 9 am. Come have breakfast, ask questions about the contest or other topics, or just hang out.

Mr. Minnesota Drummer Fundraiser Weekend


Friday Fundraiser and Beer Bash
Friday, August 14, 9 pm-close, The Town House, St. Paul
If you haven’t experienced a Friday night leather event at The Town House, you’re missing out—come to this one. There will be door prizes. There won’t be a cover charge.

Saturday, August 15: Event to be announced—watch for it!

Sunday: Mr. Minnesota Drummer/Minnesota Drummerboy Send-Off
Sunday, August 16, 6-9:30 pm, The Saloon
Come wish Mr. Minnesota Drummer and Minnesota Drummerboy good luck as they represent us at the Great Lakes Mr. Drummer Contest in Columbus, Ohio August 28-30. Special guests to be announced. $5 at the door.

International Mr. Fantasy Weekend
August 21-23, Omaha, Nebraska
The ultimate Field Trip: a Fantasy Bus will be traveling from Minneapolis to Omaha for Fantasy Weekend. Roundtrip fare is $45 and seating is limited, so call right away if you’re interested. And you’ll need hotel and weekend package reservations. FFI write Fantasy Productions, Boystown, NE. The Radisson Redick is the host hotel; call to reserve your room.

Ms. Minnesota Leather 24-hour “Run”
Saturday, August 22, 11 am to Sunday, August 23, 11 am, Taylor’s Falls area
This fundraiser for the Ms. Minnesota Leather contest promises “24 hours of midsummer’s night fun.” Prepayment of $15 to $25 (sliding scale) includes food. Camp on the grounds, or just come for the day. Open to men and women. Info: call or write for registration form.

Mark Your Calendar . . .

October 16-18: Mr./Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Contest Weekend. In addition to the contest there will be workshops, parties, and a Leather Community Service Awards ceremony, nominations for which are now being sought. The awards are given for commendable service to the leather/SM/fetish community. If you didn’t get a nomination form in the mail, or call if you want a contestant application.

Friday, July 17, 1998

Minnesota Leather Pride 1998 in review

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #82, July 17, 1998)

PHOTO: Street flags

PHOTO CREDIT: Sherman Ford

The 1998 Minnesota Leather Pride celebration, held on the same weekend as the Twin Cities Festival of Pride, was expanded from the single Sunday event of previous years. This year’s celebration covered the entire weekend with events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and all events drew a good crowd in spite of some major storms moving through the Twin Cities area.

Friday evening’s drenching rains didn’t dampen the spirits of those at The Town House for the Leather Pride Kickoff. The dance floor was active, inspired by DJ Jim’s mix of swing, disco and country/western music. The people-watching was great, the air was festive, and folks seems to be enjoying the party. The TH is becoming a popular venue for leather events, with more scheduled there in the coming months.

Saturday evening’s event at the Minnesota Bar & Grill was supposed to be a cookout/picnic on the rooftop deck, but tornado warnings and rain forced the party to move indoors to the MNBar’s second-story pool-table room. This caused some confusion initially because moving the event indoors meant the food had to be cooked in the downstairs kitchen and shuttled upstairs. With the cooperation of the MNBar’s kitchen staff and the help of several mem bers of Sober Leather, the details finally were worked out and everyone had a good time. (And the view of the Minneapolis skyline was impressive, whether from the deck or indoors.) The community should try an event like this again—maybe next time the weather will cooperate.

Sunday’s weather, unlike that of the two preceding days, was glorious—plenty of sun and moderate temperatures. It was perfect weather for the Twin Cities Festival of Pride Parade. For the first time, the leather contingent was toward the front of the parade in one group. Community members helped carry two huge flags (one rainbow, one leather pride) that measured 50’x75’ each and looked mightily impressive moving down Hennepin Avenue toward Loring Park. This was followed by an impressive two-part leather float. DJ Bubba, on the first trailer, mixed a pulsing, throbbing soundtrack for the leather segment of the parade. Leather titleholders and club officers were on the second part of the float, manning a mortar that shot leather-flag-colored streamers into the air at strategic points along the parade route.

The crowd watching the parade was quite impressed—especially one little four-year-old girl I heard about who was greatly amused by the fact she could see peoples’ butts, in this case the leather-framed bare butts that certain folks on the leather float displayed. (Her mother was taking it all in stride: “Yes, dear, those are butts.”)

When it was all over, and the parade reached the park, the two huge flags had collected many pounds of change, thrown there by spectators along the parade route. (That’s pounds as in weight, not as in British currency.) I heard several people voicing the same thing I was feeling: “This was fun—let’s go back and do it again!”

After marching in the parade (and stopping by the leather community booth at the Pride Festival in the park) community members headed for Sunday’s leather pride event at Tropix. I stopped to check out the Rock The Avenue block party on my way to the Tropix event, and I saw many other leathermen there as well. Later in the evening the party moved to the 19 Bar’s back patio. There must have been some budding interior designers in the group, because the patio furniture was promptly rearranged so that it was more to the crowd’s liking, with the umbrellas over the patio tables softening the harsh light from the single bare lightbulb. Thus, in a dimly-lit blaze of glory, ended another year’s Leather Pride celebration.

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Welcome to everyone attending the Atons’ Gopher Broke, Lucky 13 run this weekend, and a special welcome to you if you’re from out of town. Have a great and safe weekend. Here’s wishing you need lots of lube and almost no insect repellent.

Upcoming Leather Events

S.L.A.M. Presents “Come Roast Your Meat” Barbecue
Saturday, July 25, 4 pm-whenever, 1865 Englewood Ave., St. Paul
Mr. Minnesota Leather Roger and Mr. Minnesota Drummerboy David present a fundraiser for S.L.A.M. (Sober Leather Association of Minnesota). Featured will be demonstrations, play spaces, and refreshments. S.L.A.M.’s motto in connection with this event: “Drug and alcohol free, but we still know how to party.” Tickets $10, available from Sober Leather members or e-mail Soberlthr@aol.com.

Mr. Minnesota Fantasy: “Off To International” Fundraiser
Sunday, July 26, 6-9 pm, The Saloon
Presented by Mr. Minnesota Fantasy 1998 Ken Flanagan, who will be competing in the International Mr. Fantasy Competition in Omaha (August 21-23). Come wish him luck as he represents Minnesota (and, we hope, wows the crowd in Omaha). Food, drink specials, raffles, auction, special entertainment “and a whole lot of party.” $5 donation at the door.

Olympus Leather Minnesota Fundraiser and Beer Bust
Friday, July 31, 8 pm-close, The Town House
Presented by Renee Indehar, Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather, and B.D. Chambers, Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather. Bootblacking will be available and entertainment will include “Top 10 Things You Don’t Do in a Dungeon.” $5 at the door.

Mark Your Calendar . . .

Saturday, August 8: Emperor & Empress Ball (Imperial Court)

August 14-16: Minnesota Mr. Drummer/Drummerboy Fundraiser Weekend and Send-Off. Details next issue—it will be BIG.

August 21-23: International Mr. Fantasy Weekend, Omaha, Nebraska. It’s not too early to make those hotel and weekend package reservations. FFI write Fantasy Productions, Boystown, NE. The Radisson Redick is the host hotel; call to reserve your room.