(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #214, August 8, 2003)
Leatherwomen and leathermen from everywhere recently converged on Omaha, Neb. for the combined 2003 International Ms Leather/International Ms Bootblack weekend. Producers Amy Marie and Megan Meek-DeJarlais, assisted by their very talented Bare Images Productions staff, crammed a lot into the weekend. Besides the two contests there were nine workshops, a weekend-long vendor fair, a video premiere on Sunday evening (featuring our own Miss Richfield 1981), and parties, receptions and gatherings galore. Host hotel was the Redick Plaza in downtown Omaha.
Each contestant for both International Ms Leather (IMsL) and International Ms Bootblack (IMsBB) brought a basket of leather-related merchandise that was donated by, and reflective of, their local leather community. On Friday evening, July 18, these baskets were auctioned off in an orgy of fun and fundraising. $1900 was raised for the IMsL travel fund and $2200 for the IMsBB travel fund.
On Saturday, July 19, the bootblack contestants set up shop at the vendor fair and did as many bootshines as they could, knowing that the bootblack who shined the greatest number of boots would be declared the winner. Saturday evening the IMsL contest and show was held at Club Joy in downtown Omaha. In addition to the IMsL contest’s speech and leather fantasy judging segments, the audience also heard from representatives of many other leather organizations such as the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, the Leather Archives and Museum, and the LA boys of Leather.
After moving step-aside speeches from IMsL 2002 Russ Cosgrove and IMsBB 2002 Kari LaVecchia, the new titleholders were announced: IMsBB 2003 is slaveboi eddie, with runner-up honors going to Katie Whelp. IMsL 2003 is Tammie Nelson, with Ruby as first runner-up and Jennifer Morgan as second runner-up.
New IMsL Tammie Nelson is from a Greenwood, Ind. and is a technical sales representative for an automotive-finishes company; new IMsBB slaveboi eddie is a school teacher and mathematician who, in her own words, “specializes in hyperbolic and non-Euclidian geometry.” eddie is from Culver City, Calif.
For more information visit the IMsL website at <www.imsl.org>.
PHOTO: P7181002 or P7181003 (choose one)
IMsL contestant introduction, Friday night: Left to right: Ruby, from Cincinnati, Ohio, sponsored by Tri-State Leather Contest; Jennifer Morgan, from Philadelphia, Pa., sponsored by The Bike Stop; Jae Januze, from Lakewood, Colo., sponsored by Thunder in the Mountains; Tammie Nelson, from Greenwood (Indianapolis), Ind., sponsored by Kendra McClain/Great Lakes Leather Alliance; and Flower, Ms Leather Nebraska 2002.
PHOTO: P7181007
IMsBB contestant introduction, Friday night: Left to right: Katie Whelp, from Philadelphia, Pa., sponsored by The Bike Stop; slaveboi eddie, from Culver City, Calif., sponsored by LA boys of Leather and Bill Mitchell, American Leatherman 2003; ember, from Plano, Tex., sponsored by NLA Dallas; and boi joe (aka Kathryn Hunter), from Toronto, Ont., Canada, sponsored by Mr. Leatherman Toronto Competition, Inc.
PHOTO: P7181043
Basket auction, Friday night: Some very talented “Vannas” helped display the merchandise in the baskets as they were being auctioned off. Here Steve LaViolette, Mr. Atlantic Canada Leather 2002, displays some of the merchandise from one of the baskets: leather wrist restraints, a beer stein and some wicked-looking knives.
PHOTO: P7194023 The new titleholders, Saturday night: Left, IMsL 2003 Tammie Nelson; right, IMsBB 2003 slaveboi eddie.
GLBT Bikers: Twin City Riders Is Looking For You!
The Twin City Riders, the GLBT motorcycle club that started up at the end of last season, is still in the process of formation and reminds you that they are still looking for members. All interested bikers, whether sport or cruiser bike owners, can visit the group’s website at <groups.yahoo.com/group/TwinCityRiders> and join the group there. The club suggests that when you join you choose to “receive all group e-mails,” which will facilitate group communication. Interested bikers without internet access can call for more information. Once the group has a significant number of interested members, a meeting will be planned to discuss a formal group name, goals, and plans for future rides.
A similar group, the Minnesota Gay Sportbike Riders, already exists specifically for sport bike (crotch rocket) owners. That group’s web site is <groups.yahoo.com/group/MNGSR>.
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