An Election-Year Fantasy

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #133, June 30, 2000)

“The reason we have [the International Mr. Leather] contest is not to establish a national leader. It’s not about choosing Bill Clinton — it’s about choosing Vanna White.”

—Tony Mills, International Mr. Leather 1998, as quoted in POZ Magazine

Fair enough, Mr. Mills—although:

If we chose International Mr. Leather (IML) like we choose the president:

• The Leather Journal would have more than enough advertising revenue from all the political ads. They could go back to being a magazine—a four-color glossy magazine. And they could publish weekly.

• Some of that advertising revenue would probably spill over to local publications as well. (What am I bid for the page opposite my column? I know the strings to pull to make sure you get it.)

• There would be only two candidates for International Mr. Leather, from the two major political parties: the Old Guard and the New Guard.

• Each leather voter would register to vote at their local leather bar, which would also be the polling place.

• International Mr. Leather would not be elected on a strict majority vote. The majority winner at each leather bar would get all of that bar’s electoral votes; some bars would be worth more than others. Each bar would then send a representative to the Leather Leadership Conference to formally cast that bar’s electoral votes and determine the new International Mr. Leather.

On the other hand, if we chose the President like we choose IML:

• It would be called the American Mr. President (AMP) contest. In spite of the efforts of Geraldine Ferraro and Liddy Dole, there would probably be no corresponding Ms. title.

• There would be no more four-year terms. The American Mr. President winner would be in office for only a year, and there would be no repeat titleholders. If he had something he wanted to accomplish, he would have to be snappy about it.

• There would be more than two candidates from which to choose. Bored with Gore? Don’t like Dubya? AMP would have room for Ralph Nader, Pat Buchanan, Ross Perot, Bill Bradley, John McCain . . . and even Jesse Ventura. Guaranteed variety—something for everyone’s taste.

• American Mr. President would be chosen each year in Chicago by a panel of judges. The American Mr. President contest (except for the interviews with the judges) would be televised on all the major networks so that all Americans could be inspired and entertained by the event, which is all it seems the majority of today’s American public wants. They would no longer be able to vote for the president, but many if not most Americans don’t vote now. (At least the American Mr. President contest would be televised—this year the major networks aren’t even bothering to televise the Republican and Democratic conventions. Instead they are leaving that chore to CNN.)

• The American Mr. President judging panel, nine wise elders of the community (otherwise known as the Supreme Court), would be entrusted with the task of choosing the man to lead the nation for the next year. The Supreme Court would be chosen every year as well, with no repeat judges. (Who would choose the Supreme Court each year? Well, whoever chooses the judges for IML seems to be doing a good job; let’s leave it to them.)

• The fact that the selection of American Mr. President would rest with only nine people would mean that polls and focus groups will be unnecessary, and there would be no huge expenditures for advertising. Which would mean no huge advertising budgets. Which would mean no fundraising, no fundraising scandals, no PACs or lobbyists. The American Mr. President candidates would be judged not by how much money they raised, or whether they said what they thought people wanted to hear. They would instead be judged on their character and record of service to their community.

• The position of Vice President would be replaced by the position of President’s Boy. He would be responsible for presiding over the Senate as well as White House bootblacking and other duties.

• During the contest each candidate would take a question at random from the audience and would have 90 seconds to answer the question before the microphone was turned off. Think about that while you’re watching the summer’s presidential debates.

• The winner of the American Mr. President contest would receive no compensation, only a travel fund. His reward for being American Mr. President would be the places he’d go, the people he’d meet, and the knowledge that he was able to be of service to his country.

• There would be one slight difference between International Mr. Leather and American Mr. President: The IML “physique” segment (also known as the “jock walk”) would have to be replaced with something else (a leather jock would not be flattering attire for most presidential candidates). And the American people know just what to replace it with, too. Since nowadays the #1-rated cable television shows all feature wrestling, that’s obviously what the public wants. Why not replace the jock walk with a presidential-candidate wrestling match? (The fact that Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura would be a shoo-in for this category has absolutely nothing to do with this suggestion.)

Now, on a serious note: This is an election year, and it’s an important one. Here’s what IML Founder and Executive Producer Chuck Renslow said from the stage of the recent International Mr. Leather contest:

“The next political party will most likely appoint judges to our Supreme Court. We must use our power to make sure that the next court is attuned to our needs.” Renslow expanded further on this theme the next day: “Right now I believe there are 23 federal judge vacancies open . . . I’m just worried that if we get an extremely conservative Congress, or a president who’s from the religious right, they’re going to appoint judges to that court—and I don’t mean just the Supreme Court, I mean district courts and any federal court—and the religious right is out, as I said last night, to annihilate us. . . . They’ve tried it in Washington, they’ve tried it in other places, and it hasn’t worked because they don’t have the power behind them. But if they ever get the power behind them, they will succeed. And I think it’s up to us to make damn sure that they don’t succeed.”

How do we do that? We vote. We vote intelligently. We pay attention to the candidates. We support candidates who support us, and we don’t support candidates who don’t support us. And we mobilize others to vote intelligently, too.

At times it’s tempting to say that none of it matters anyway because it’s “only politics,” and to tune it out. But we as a community can’t afford to do that this year.

Register Now for Atons Gopher XIV Run

Friday through Sunday, July 21-23, The Atons of Minneapolis present their Gopher XIV Run: The Legend of Paul Bunyan. The men of Paul’s lumber camp, deep in the Northwoods, invite you to join them for a celebration of summer. Live the life of a lumberjack or loggerjill for a weekend. Huge meals, gargantuan games, and stupendous parties (not to mention their infamous dungeon). For more information and a downloadable application form visit www.atons.com/events.htm. Or call the Atons HotLine or e-mail runinfo@atons.com.

Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)

Atons Leather/Levi Night
Saturday, July 8, Nora’s (3118 W. Lake St., Mpls.)
Presented by the Atons, open to all. Join other leatherfolk for dinner on the patio. Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.

GLBT Pride, Leather Pride: Not Yet Obsolete

(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #132, June 16, 2000)

Because GLBT Pride is celebrated in the Twin Cities at the same time as Minnesota’s Leather Pride celebration, this is the time of year when I can be doubly proud—or maybe it’s Pride to the second power. But where did these pride celebrations come from, why are they necessary, and where are they going? Have they served their purpose? Is Pride becoming obsolete?

One thing that tends to make members of a minority band together as a group, and feel pride in that group identity, is the experience of being faced with oppression. History is filled with examples: The ancient Egyptians enslaved and oppressed the Jews, and before long—Exodus, Moses parting the Red Sea and leading the children of Israel to freedom. Early Christians were oppressed by both the Jews and the Romans. In more modern times, the Nazis hated the Jews so much that they tried to completely eradicate them.

Every American immigrant group in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century—Irish, Germans, Scandinavians, Jews, Italians, Poles, Chinese, and so on—experienced some measure of oppression from the mostly WASP society of the time. Blacks were freed from slavery after the Civil War but still found themselves victims of massive oppression, which led to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s ( out of which came both the Women’s Lib and Gay Lib movements of the 1970’s).

What happened to all these groups and movements? Christians went from being a hated minority to, for much of the world anyway, the (sometimes hateful) majority. The experience of the Jews in the Nazi concentration camps led to Zionism and a new Jewish identity, along with a determination to never forget what happened and to never let it happen again.

The Ellis Island immigrant groups of yesteryear have pretty much assimilated into the fabric of American society and have become today’s white Europeans at the top of the food chain. They are occasionally proud (as in “On St. Patrick’s Day, everybody’s Irish”) and for the most part are not too oppressed, unless one counts their fear of losing their dominant status to today’s immigrant groups—Hmong, Hispanics, East Indians, and people from the middle east, to name a few.

The civil rights movement of the 1960’s brought major positive changes for African-Americans, or at least for some of them. But there’s still much that needs to be done to improve their lot, and they’ll still be celebrating Juneteenth this year.

Whatever happened to Gay Lib? The movement broadened to include bisexuals and transgendered people along with gay men and lesbians and became the GLBT movement. At the same time, a gay men’s leather/SM community started coalescing; this community later broadened to include kinky lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people, and even heterosexuals.

Neither GLBT people nor kinky people are geographic or ethnic nations—they are (sometimes overlapping) minority subsets of every society that has ever existed, and probably that ever will exist. But both communities, and the members of these communities, have experienced (and continue to experience) the same processes of oppression and liberation as the ethnic groups described above.

Oppression results from being hated, either by others or by oneself. To the extent I feel hated by others for being my kinky GLBT self, I am oppressed by them. To the extent I let them teach me to hate myself, what I am, and what I stand for, I oppress myself. Pride can be the first step out of such oppression, either for an individual or for a group. But this first step can be derailed by anger and hatred and a wish for vengeance against one’s oppressors. This is one of the justifications people use for fighting wars. It’s also why some gay people call heterosexuals “breeders.” These are both examples of how anger prolongs and intensifies oppression.

But if we are able to forgive those who formerly oppressed us, we no longer have to hate them. We focus instead on our gains—we make the mental shift from victims of oppression to survivors of oppression to victors over oppression. We are proud of our victory, and we savor it for awhile. Then life moves on, and our victory becomes a part of us—but only a part, a memory.

If part of my self-identity has been as part of an oppressed minority and I no longer feel oppressed, do I still feel like I belong to that group? If an entire group is so successful fighting oppression that none of the group feels oppressed, what’s left to unite the group? Does pride in belonging to that group become obsolete?

Maybe—but I don’t believe that either the GLBT community or the leather/SM community has yet reached that point. Both GLBT Pride and Leather Pride exist right now because enough people see a need for them and are willing to support, plan, and participate in them.

Yes, the nature of Pride celebrations is changing. The children of the immigrants who came through Ellis Island tended to be more assimilated into the dominant culture and therefore identified less as an oppressed group; the same thing is happening today with the children of Hmong and Hispanic immigrants. And so it is with the GLBT community; younger people who are coming out now weren’t even alive when the Stonewall riots happened—it’s history-book stuff to them. They have come of age in a time when there has been more openness and less oppression. Likewise, people who live in large urban areas, where life is good and there’s an atmosphere of acceptance, tend to forget that there are plenty of small towns where it’s not like that.

For all these reasons it makes sense that Pride celebrations have evolved from political demonstrations into “the gay State Fair.” Some people have almost entirely lost touch with the notion of oppression. They won’t be at Pride, or at least not this year—not until another Mathew Shepard or Billy Jack Gaither touches their lives. Then they’ll understand that, as long as there are hate crimes, there will be a need for public statements of pride.

As we continue to fight oppression we must also take care not to blindly oppress others, either in our own or in other communities. Some people find drag kings and queens and those in the leather/SM community an embarrassment and an inconvenience. They’re trying to fit in with the mainline, majority heterosexual community. Their argument is, “We’re just like you.” And then here come the drag kings and queens and the leather contingent in the pride parade, the Moral Majority’s cameras spring into action, and acceptance/assimilation is set back another few notches. Darn those people anyway.

Or maybe it’s leathermen (who constitute the vast majority of the GLBT leather/SM community) being insensitive to leatherwomen, or leather transpeople, or heterosexuals. Maybe it’s kinky heterosexuals being uncomfortable with gay men. Or maybe it’s the gay men, lesbians, and heterosexuals not knowing what to do with those bisexual boundary-crossers.

We still need pride. But we don’t need the kind of pride that fosters an attitude of superiority, which leads to rudeness, inconsiderateness, anger or hate. How much better to feel the kind of pride that unites us—the kind we want to share and to pass on to others as a gift, so they also can be proud of who they are.

WEB EXTRA: International Mr. Leather Contest 2000

PHOTO: Contest producer Chuck Renslow (left) congratulates International Mr. Leather 2000 Mike Taylor of Cincinnati (right).

Mike Taylor, Mr. Heartland Leather 2000, was recently chosen International Mr. Leather 2000, winning over a field of 62 contestants from 7 countries. Scott Bloom, Mr. Pistons Leather 2000 from Long Beach, CA was selected first runner-up; Mr. Boston Leather 2000 Bob “Puppy” Pedder took second runner-up honors. For complete coverage of IML 2000 visit the Lavender Magazine website.

Leather Pride Events

GRAPHIC: The Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag will be available at all Minnesota Leather Pride events. Buy one for $5 (or $4 if you’re wearing this year’s Twin Cities Festival of Pride button) and get reduced admission to other Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 events.

This year’s Minnesota Leather Pride celebration features a full slate of events. Starting things off is the Daddy’s Day Picnic with porn star Drew Damon at The Saloon, 6-10 PM—show up and be one of the first to buy your collectible Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 Dogtag.

The action moves to the Minneapolis Eagle on Friday and Saturday evenings (June 23-24). Sunday afternoon (June 25) at the Eagle is the Leather Pride barbecue and beer bust—see the Out & About Calendar for complete details. Also on Saturday and Sunday, be sure to stop by the Leather Community booth at the Festival of Pride in Loring Park. On Sunday the community is invited to help carry the giant Leather Pride flag at the beginning of the Pride Parade (assemble at 10 AM on 3rd Street South between Hennepin and Nicollet—parade steps off at 11 AM).

The new Trident Minnesota leather club has also planned events for Thursday through Sunday (June 22-25); for more information visit their website at www.crosswinds.net/~tridentmn or e-mail them at tridentmn@hotmail.com.

Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)

Daddy’s Day at The Saloon
Sunday, June 18, 6-10 PM, The Saloon
The kickoff event for Minnesota Leather Pride 2000. Special appearance by porn star Drew Damon. Also free food and 75-cent tap beer and sodas, bootblack on duty, and spanking for the asking. $5 (or $3 with Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag) includes a shot.

Scorch Fireball at The Minneapolis Eagle
Friday, June 23, 9 PM-closing, The Minneapolis Eagle
$5 cover ($3 with Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag).

Scorch Fireball at the Minneapolis Eagle
Saturday, June 24, 9 PM-closing, The Minneapolis Eagle
Leather barber Vince will be doing buzzcuts and bootblacking will be available. $7 cover ($5 with Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag).

Twin Cities Pride Parade: Help Carry the Giant Leather Flag
Sunday, June 25, assemble at 10 AM, parade steps off at 11 AM. Assemble at 3rd Street South between Hennepin and Nicollet Avenues
Leather barber Vince will be doing buzzcuts and bootblacking will be available. $7 cover ($5 with Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag).

Scorch Fireball & Minnesota Leather Pride Celebration
Sunday, June 25, The Minneapolis Eagle. Minnesota Leather Pride Celebration 4-9 PM, Scorch Fireball continues until closing
Bootblacking will be available. All-you-can-eat barbecue $6 ($5 with Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag), Beer Bust $7 (a great regular value). No cover with Minnesota Leather Pride 2000 dogtag; $5 cover without one.

Web Extra: IML Contests Speak Out About Leather and Domestic Abuse

(Leather Life column published on Lavender Magazine website, Issue #132, June 16, 2000)

PHOTO: 2016A.JPG Jeff Wacha

PHOTO: GEAR.JPG Lance Gear

PHOTO CREDIT: Titan Media

First it was IML 1998 Tony Mills speaking about being a survivor of domestic violence. Now two contestants from this year’s IML contest, Jeff Wacha of Los Angeles and Lance Gear of San Francisco, are on record as being domestic abuse survivors. Here are portions of their IML speeches:

Jeff Wacha: “I’d like to share with you just a few things that I’ve learned in the past year . . . I’ve learned that no matter how much you love someone, once they raise their hand against you in anger, you can never truly feel safe with them again. In my case it wasn’t a hand, it was a length of pipe that left me unconscious and with a concussion. There are other means—there’s verbal, there’s physical, and there’s mental. But it’s the same end result: You need to get out.”

Lance Gear: “I want to talk to you tonight about a subject that’s really close to my heart. I used to have a boyfriend who liked to hit me. Now, in our community, we can play a little rough sometimes, but hopefully we always remember that safe, sane, and consensual is our creed. But I am not talking about consensual activity here, and there was certainly nothing sane about it. And I’m here tonight to ask you to please, know enough to know the difference. And most importantly, if you find yourself in one of these relationships, love yourself enough to get the hell out. I stand here before you tonight, not as a victim, but as a survivor. And you know that little song, “If they could see me now”? Well, if he could see me now.

“You know, we as a community have a responsibility here too. If your blood brother or sister was being beaten and you knew about it, you would do something. Look around. These are your brothers and sisters. You need to do something. Do not wait until it’s too late if you know something is going on. Do it now, I beg of you.”

(A profile of IML 1998 Tony Mills that includes “Ties That Bind,” his article about domestic violence, is available on the web at www.thebody.com/poz/people/11_99/profile.html.)

Web Extra: Joseph Bean Asks “Make the Effort” for the Leather Archives & Museum

(Leather Life column published on Lavender Magazine website, Issue #132, June 16, 2000)

Here are highlights of the speech by Joseph Bean, Executive Director of the Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) at the IML 2000 contest.

“We have gone from representing about nine countries when I spoke to you last year to more than 30 this year. How many countries really have enough of a leather community to be contributing to a museum? Apparently, right now the number is about 30.

“And you guys are making them do it. We keep getting letters from people saying, ‘Someone from Ohio wrote to me, I’m here in Morocco, and I thought you’d like this.’ It happens, it happens all the time and it’s because of you.”

Last year Bean showed a picture of a building that could be a home for the Archives—“This year it’s a reality. Without you none of it would have ever happened. No government institution, no foundation, no public reservoir of money has been involved. Every penny that has made the Leather Archives & Museum happen has come out of the pockets of leatherfolk . . . .

“We mean it when we say we’re here, we’re here to stay, and you’ve gotta get used to us. The neighborhood we have moved into was an orthodox Jewish neighborhood not that long ago. And hey, we moved into their synagogue. They’ve not just gotten used to us, they’ve gotten to depend upon us, to help them with the gangs, with the drugs, with the appearance of the neighborhood—the point is, we have become good neighbors . . . .

“I’m dreaming of paying off the mortgage in 2004, which means you’re stuck with me for about four more years . . . We have the building, but that means we have a mortgage. And if we can pay it off in August, 2004—that’s not that far away, guys. Remember, I first dreamed of us owning a building in December, 1997. That was yesterday, barely. I announced the capital campaign to buy a building in January, 1998, imagining that it would take you guys ten years to buy us a building. Well, it took you less than a year and a half. You’d think that the geniuses of finance would live on Wall Street. Instead we live on Leather Street, U.S.A. . . .

“Let me make this real simple. If we pay off the mortgage by the refinance date in August 2004, you the community will save $813,000. That’s worth the effort. Make the effort.”

IML Producer Chuck Renslow says “VOTE!”

(Leather Life column published on Lavender Magazine website, Issue #132, June 16, 2000)

PHOTO: 1032A.JPG

Here’s what IML Founder and Executive Producer Chuck Renslow said as he welcomed the leather community to the IML 2000 contest on Sunday night:

“Here in the States we have an important election coming up. The next political party will most likely appoint judges to our Supreme Court. We must use our power to make sure that the next court is attuned to our needs. Believe me, the Republican religious right would love to see us annihilated. That’s not going to happen! You, me, all of us, we can make a difference. Get out in your communities and work. Don’t just listen to what I’m saying tonight and let it go in one ear and out the other—get back out there and work, because we can do it. Support the candidates of your choice. We are a force to be reckoned with—let’s use that power. And this applies to our friends from other countries, too: support those who support you. I can assure you, if we get out there and work, get our friends to work, and go back to our communities, we will succeed. The power of leather will triumph, I promise you!

“And incidentally, while you’re out there doing all this, don’t forget to have fun, because that’s what life is all about.”

Renslow expanded further on this theme at the IML Winners’ Press Conference on Monday:

“Right now I believe there are 23 federal judge vacancies open. Of course, the present administration won’t put a very conservative judge in there, and the present Congress won’t approve a judge unless he is conservative. They’re caught in a bind, and that’s got to change. I’m just worried that if we get an extremely conservative Congress, or a president who’s from the religious right, they’re going to appoint judges to that court—and I don’t mean just the Supreme Court, I mean district courts and any federal court—and the religious right is out, as I said last night, to annihilate us. There’s absolutely no question about that. They want to squash us. They’ve tried it in Washington, they’ve tried it in other places, and it hasn’t worked because they don’t have the power behind them. But if they ever get the power behind them, they will succeed. And I think it’s up to us to make damn sure that they don’t succeed?”

How do we do that? “Vote. Go back to your communities and get the people out to vote. As I’ve seen it, and I think AIDS has proved it, the first line of defense in public relations or doing anything in the entire gay community, has been the leather community, I think we’ve established that very well. I think there’s no reason why we can’t do the same here. Go back to our communities, get ’em going. Get people in line. If every person in this room gets three people’s minds changed, and those three people get three people, logarithmic progression—we’ll win. That’s how we do it. Too many times people say, “Oh, yeah, we gotta do that!” Then they go out to the gay bar and get drunk. That we cannot do. We’ve got to actively say ‘Yes, we’re going to go out and do it.’”

Web Extra: IML 2000 Weekend Emcees

(Leather Life column published on Lavender Magazine website, Issue #132, June 16, 2000)

PHOTO: 2036.JPG IML 2000 co-emcees Tom Stice, left, and Frank Nowicki, right.

Frank Nowicki

Frank Nowicki has made a career emceeing national, regional and local leather contests. Not counting his appearance as a past IML contestant, this year was Nowicki’s sixth appearance on the IML stage. He has also emceed the International Ms. Leather and International Mr. Drummer contests.

Tom Stice

Making his inaugural appearance on the IML stage was co-host Tom Stice, who holds the titles of Southeast Drummer 1998 and International slave 1995. He was Pantheon of Leather Readers’ Choice Man of the Year, and received the Southeast Region Award in 1998. He has facilitated a variety of workshops at leather events across the country and served on the executive committee for Southeast LeatherFest for the past five years. Tom owns and co-produces the International Master and slave contest, Southeast Drummer and Drummerboy, and the Ms. Leather Pride contest. He takes great pride in having been the recipient of the Atlanta Eagle’s community service award this year.

Web Extra: IML 2000 Judges

(Leather Life column published on Lavender Magazine website, Issue #132, June 16, 2000)

PHOTO: 2062.JPG The IML 2000 judges, from left: Marcus Hernandez, Llaugher Valentin, Jim Dohr, David Kloss, Amy Marie Meek, Eduardo Bettega Curial, Woody Bebout, Bruce Chopnik, and Thom Dombkowski.

Thom Dombkowski, IML Chief Judge

Co-founder of Chicago House, the Midwest’s first residency program for people living with AIDS, Thom went on to become a Program Director for the Chicago Department of Public Health, a position from which he retired in early 1999. He has spent the past year enjoying world travel visiting Great Britain, Argentina, Egypt, Antarctica, Texas, California and Washington, DC. For 20 years, he has served IML in a variety of roles including Charity Liaison, Press Coordinator, Judge Coordinator, Tallymaster, and, for the ninth year, is IML’s Chief Judge.

Bruce Chopnik, International Mr. Leather 1999

Bruce, from Denver, Colorado, was on the other side of the Judges’ table last year. He has since spent an active year as IML 1999 encouraging individuality/spirituality and growth within the gay and lesbian community at a local and national level, promoting education and awareness to gay youth, and establishing better and new community relationships between the gay community and corporate America. Bruce, the producer of the Rocky Mountain Leather 1999 Contest, has been officially honored or recognized by the following organizations for support and dedication to their causes: Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire, Human Rights Campaign Fund, Colorado AIDS Project, Mayor’s Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board, Colorado Gay Rodeo Association, Colorado Tavern Guide Association, Alexander Foundation, Colorado Legal Initiative (Amendment Two), Denver Gay and Lesbian Community Center, and LambdaCOM.

Woody Bebout, International Mr. Drummer 1991

In the words of Thom Dombkowski: “As 1991 International Mr. Drummer, he is the most eloquent man to ever hold a leather title anywhere in the world.” Woody holds the titles of International Mr. Drummer 1991-1992, Mr. St. Louis Leather Pride 1990, and Mr. Great Plains Drummer 1991. Woody has been active in numerous community and civic activities, including service as a Board member and President of St. Louis Effort for AIDS and the St. Louis Ryan White Title I Planning Council. His work on behalf of persons living with HIV and AIDS in the St. Louis area includes being a founding member of Food Outreach, which provides food and nutritional supplements, and being a current member of the Board of Directors of Doorways, an interfaith organization offering housing and housing assistance. He is an active parishioner and member of the vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Louis. Woody is a partner in a St. Louis law firm, where he has practiced for the past sixteen years in the areas of commercial and business litigation. Woody rides a 1999 Honda Valkyrie and would like to tour the western U.S. and Canada in 2001. Housing opportunities are greatly appreciated!

Eduardo Bettega Curial, Owner, Argos Bar, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Eduardo is a driving force within the gay scene of Amsterdam. Since coming to Holland from his native Brazil, Eduardo turned from training for the diplomatic corps and began actively promoting gay events for the community. Easily recognizable by his swarthy looks and friendly manner, Eduardo was Tom’s Man IML in 1996. This is his second time on the judging panel for International Mr. Leather.

Jim Dohr, Chicago Leatherman

Jim has been a member of Chicago’s leather community since the late 1970s. He was instrumental in putting IML on the leather map during its formative years by serving as Weekend Coordinator and Associate Producer from 1980 through 1984. Jim was also the General Manager of the legendary Gold Coast, Chicago’s premier leather bar, from 1983 through 1985. Jim is currently a Public Health Administrator with the Chicago Department of Public Health division of STD/HIV/AIDS Public Policy and Programs. Additionally, he can be seen weekends on his knees giving good “customer service” at Male Hide’s Leather Cell at the Cell Block.

David Kloss, International Mr. Leather 1979

Thom Dombkowski introduced him as “the owner of the first red hanky ever created, the first International Mr. Leather and still the best-looking one of them all.” David Kloss, from San Francisco, was the first IML, reason enough to include him in this illustrious panel of judges. But in the intervening years David has distinguished himself not only as an exemplary and representative international titleholder, but also as a tireless and very personally involved advocate in all areas of AIDS treatment and prevention. David’s work career in the oil industry, was, like that of so many others, interrupted by AIDS, and he went on disability in 1991. He then began volunteering with community and AIDS organizations and, over the years, David has co-hosted numerous events and served in many capacities including: Administrator, board member and treasurer for the Assistance Fund of Houston; board member and treasurer of the HIV Wellness Center of Austin; volunteer for “Under One Roof” in San Francisco. David’s leather involvements include co-sponsorship of “Nights in Black Leather” (another AIDS fundraiser) and service as a Board Member for SMMILE in San Francisco (an umbrella group that works with organizations producing the Folsom Street Fair, Dore Alley Fair and the “South of Market Bare Chest Calendar” — which last year alone raised $215,000). David has extensive connections with the national leather community, served as Mr. San Francisco Leather in 1979, the very first IML, a judge for IML in 1980 and again in 1998. The loss of five partners and MANY friends, along with the fact that he, too, has been HIV+ for many years, has caused David to channel life in a manner geared and focused to help others who are living with AIDS. He and his partner, Gerald Pennington, live very happily in San Francisco.

Amy Marie Meek, Owner, Bare Images Productions

Amy Marie Meek, owner of Bare Images Production, Inc., is also the Executive Producer of the International Ms. Leather Contest Weekend, and holds the titles of International Ms. Leather 1993 and Ms. Leather Nebraska 1992. A long-time resident of Omaha, Nebraska, Amy has been an activist for many years. Among her contributions to our community are: serving on the steering committee for the 1993 March on Washington; being the first female judge for International Mr. Leather; founding the Omaha Players Club; presenting hordes of educational presentations, and winning the Reader’s Choice Pantheon Award in 1995. Despite having recently doubled her household (including humans, pets AND wardrobe), Amy is happy at home surfing eBay, taking care of IMsL, and planning for a future that includes a wedding and childcare. Amy is thrilled that the participation at each year’s International Ms. Leather grows larger and more diverse, and she invites all to join “Kinky” in Toronto in July 2000 as IMsL “goes International”!

Llaugher Valentin, Washington, DC

Long-time leather activist, Master Logger is a member of the Leather Community in body, mind, spirit and soul. A member of the Centaur Motorcycle Club, Logger is a staunch advocate of deaf leatherfolk and other leatherfolk with disabilities. Logger is a father to three children, Daddy to many boys, owner of several slaves and one Eunuch, and valued friend and mentor to many. He is also a piercer, interpreter, translator, government employee and all around OK guy.

Marcus Hernandez, IML Judge Emeritus

Hernandez, judging for his 20th year, was San Francisco’s First Emperor, a founding member of AIDS Emergency Fund and Operation Concern. Marcus is an award-winning leather columnist for the Bay Area Reporter. He was introduced by Chief Judge Thom Dombkowski thusly: “I really think it was Marcus that suggested to God in the first place that he actually create the cow so we could enjoy leather. And he was also a close personal friend of the serpent.”

Next Year’s Judges

Next year’s judges for IML 2001 are Thom Dombkowski, Marcus Hernandez, Washington DC community activist Jack McGeorge, president of GMSMA (New York’s Gay Male S/M Activists) Bob Pesche, American Leatherman 1997 Jim Raymond, the first International Mr. Deaf Leather Philip Corey, Australian leatherman Laurie Lane, and International Ms. Leather 1996 Jill Carter.