(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #128, April 21, 2000)
This issue’s column is not just for the leather/SM community, and it’s not just for guys. It’s for anyone—of any gender—who uses poppers. For the uninitiated, the name “poppers” refers to any of several nitrite chemicals which cause a “rush” when inhaled. Amyl nitrate is the oldest and was first developed for relief from angina (heart pain). It is a clear golden liquid usually sold in a cloth-covered glass capsule; when the capsule is crushed (or popped, which is where “poppers” comes from), the liquid soaks into the cloth and the vapors are inhaled. Since 1979 amyl nitrate has been legally available only with a doctor’s prescription.
Why do poppers do what they do? They’re vasodilators, which means they cause blood vessels to enlarge and make the heart beat faster, sending large amounts of blood and oxygen rushing through the heart and brain. That euphoric “rush” feeling comes on quickly and only lasts a few minutes. Poppers also relax smooth muscle tissue, and some people use them during anal sex to relax their anal sphincter.
When amyl nitrate became a controlled substance, recreational users switched to butyl nitrate or one of several other related nitrite chemicals. These are sold in small brown glass bottles under such names as “Rush,” “Locker Room,” “Aroma of Man” or “Pig Sweat.” These chemicals get around controlled-substances laws by clever labeling—you’re not buying an inhaled stimulant, you’re buying something else like “liquid incense,” a “room odorizer,” “video head cleaner,” or the latest ruse: “polish remover.” That allows it to be sold even though both buyer and seller know that it won’t be used as an Airwick substitute and that you haven’t had polish on your nails since Halloween in 1987.
But “room odorizers” don’t require, and therefore don’t get, the kind of warning labels that would have to be attached if everyone could be upfront about what was being sold, and the way in which it was being used. This column does not advocate drug abuse, but it also doesn’t advocate ignorance, so here’s what those warning labels would say if they could:
“Contents are Highly Flammable. Do not use around open flame.” Movie buffs may remember that movie film was originally nitrate-based and had a penchant for bursting into flames for no apparent reason. Nitrates are also used in dynamite and other explosives. Poppers, which are also nitrates, evaporate very quickly and the vapors are very flammable. So if you’re using poppers, don’t have candles or incense burning at the same time, no matter how romantic it is. Don’t use poppers in a basement dungeon that’s right next to the furnace or water heater. Don’t smoke tobacco, marijuana, or anything else while you’re using poppers. And, for heaven’s sake, don’t use them during a fireplay or hot-wax scene.
“Do not allow contact with skin. If contact occurs, wash off immediately. Do not swallow or inject.” Most people uncap the bottle of poppers and put it up to their nose to inhale the vapors, while other people inhale the vapors through their mouth. Either way, be careful not to spill the liquid or let it splash out of the bottle—it can cause a nasty chemical burn on skin and can do even worse damage on mucous membranes like the inside of your nose or mouth. It’s very toxic, so if it gets in your mouth, don’t swallow it, and don’t use it as an injectable drug.
“May cause headache, flushing of the face, decreased blood pressure, increased pulse rate, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, fainting, slowed perception of time, coldness of the skin and swelling of the nasal passages. Long-term effects may include a rash around the nose, mouth, or cheeks. Discontinue use if any of these symptoms occur.
“Also discontinue use if the desired results are not achieved. Tolerance may build up over time, with heavy use putting a strain on the heart, possibly leading to circulatory collapse and death.
“Poppers increase pressure within the eyeball and therefore should not be used by anyone with glaucoma. Do not use poppers if you suffer from heart problems, high or low blood pressure, anemia, or breathing problems. There are some indications that poppers inhibit the immune system and should not be used by people with suppressed immune systems, but this has not been conclusively demonstrated.
“Do not use Viagra in combination with poppers (or with other prescription nitrate-based heart drugs). The combination can cause a fatal drop in blood pressure.” On the Web I found a letter to physicians from Pfizer, the makers of Viagra, discussing this issue. Here’s what it says: “Although we have not specifically studied this, we believe that nitrates that are inhaled for recreational use (including amyl nitrate/nitrite or “poppers” and others) will have the same effect [as has been observed with prescription nitrite drugs] when combined with Viagra.” And this warning doesn’t apply only to men—the letter goes on to say “In addition, although Viagra is only FDA approved for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction, we are aware that women have started taking it, either on their own or via an off-label prescription from a physician. Therefore, although the scenarios described above would be more likely to occur in men, if such off-label use continues, they could also occur in women.” One final ironic note: Poppers may have a reputation for enhancing orgasm, but because they dilate blood vessels and decrease blood pressure they can actually be the cause of the “erectile dysfunction” that the Viagra is supposed to fix.
Finally, here’s what the 1999 Minnesota Statutes say about poppers (chapter 609.684): In Subdivision 1 both amyl nitrate and butyl nitrate are defined as “toxic substances,” and Subdivision 3 says “A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who uses or possesses any toxic substance with the intent of inducing intoxication, excitement, or stupefaction of the central nervous system, except under the direction and supervision of a medical doctor. A person is guilty of a misdemeanor who intentionally aids another in violation of this subdivision.” So in case the dungeon is ever raided, just remember this alibi: “But Officer, I was only doing my nails!”
Mark Your Calendar and Make Your Reservations
Knights of Leather Tournament 12 Run. May 19-21.
International Mr. Leather Contest, Chicago. May 26-29 (Memorial Day Weekend). FFI: www.imrl.com or (800) 545-6753.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Sunday, April 23
Atons Stuff Your Basket Party
6-10 pm, The Saloon
$50 bar tab for the winner of the best basket contest. Door prizes, free food and 75-cent tap beer & soda. FFI: www.atons.com.
Saturday, April 29
Atons Road Trip/Bar Night: Kansas City
At the new Dixie Belle bar
Travel to Kansas City with the Atons and check out the Dixie Belle’s new location. FFI: www.atons.com.
Friday, April 21, 2000
Friday, April 7, 2000
Trust, Consent, Intimacy—and Rape
(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #127, April 7, 2000)
Regular readers of this column, and anyone who’s hung around the leather/SM scene for any length of time, knows the community’s motto regarding SM sex is “safe, sane, consensual.” Today let’s talk about the third part of that mantra—the dynamics of consensuality and nonconsensuality.
Consent is not just for those in the SM community. All sex and all intimacy is based on consent, and that consent is based on trust. In an SM setting, if trust is violated and non-consensual things happen, it’s no longer “safe, sane, consensual” SM—it crosses the line and becomes abuse, or even rape. Intimacy implies vulnerability, and SM is an experience of both hyper-intimacy and hyper-vulnerability. Abusers and rapists take advantage of that vulnerability.
Consent, Trust, and Communication
Consent comes from trust, and trust is maintained through communication. Good communication is essential to any kind of scene or intimacy. Communication is necessary before a scene starts to establish consent on the part of all participants, and to define everyone’s boundaries. Communication is also necessary during the scene to keep it on track.
The leather/SM community has evolved a form of communication known as the “safeword”—when any participant in a scene speaks a safeword, the action instantly stops. Participants in a scene can agree on whatever safewords they want to use, but one of the most universal safeword schemes is modeled on traffic light colors: “green” means everything is okay, keep going; “yellow” means slow down a bit or lighten up; and “red” means stop everything right now. In addition, it’s usually a good idea to keep in mind the ultimate safewords: “No” means NO, and “Stop” means STOP.
Safewords are one way of communicating during a scene, but they aren’t the only way. Communication during a scene may take many forms: verbal, physical gestures, eye contact, or body language, to name a few. Obviously, if a bottom is blindfolded and gagged, the top won’t be able to get any information from their eyes and the bottom’s voice won’t be able to be used for much more than muffled moans. If the bottom is in bondage and completely immobilized they can’t gesture very effectively. Fit the safeword to the scene, remembering that it may not always be a spoken “word.”
Once a safeword has been established, take it seriously. Don’t use it if you don’t mean it. Don’t use it in a confusing manner—don’t say “red” and giggle, for instance. If you hear your partner use a safeword, the safest thing to do is bring the action to a halt immediately. Then check in with your partner and see what’s going on. Maybe the action will start up again, maybe it won’t. But don’t take chances.
Why does communication in a scene break down? 1) At least one person stops sending clear communications and instead starts sending confusing signals and mixed messages. Or they may stop communicating altogether. 2) At least one person stops paying attention to the signals the other person is sending. Whether I am top or bottom in a scene, it behooves me to send clear communications and to pay close attention to what my partner is telling me. A breakdown in communication interferes with the safe, sane, consensual nature of a scene and opens the door to an abusive situation.
Staying Out Of Trouble
Obviously, no one wants to find themselves in an abusive or rape situation, but it’s not always possible to detect an abuser beforehand. They may wear leather and practice SM, or they may not. Abusers may be someone you’ve never met before but find very attractive, they may be someone you think you know well, or they may be a well-known community leader. They may be sweet—except when they’re drunk or high. Or they may not need a chemical assist to bring out their abusive qualities. As I’ve said before in this column, a jerk wearing leather is still a jerk. Trust your gut—if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
Also as I’ve said before in this column, it never hurts to check references. If you’re considering doing something with someone, but you’re a beginner and people tell you this person plays pretty hard, maybe it’s not a good match. What seems like a hard blow to you may only be their warming-up strokes.
When things go wrong
Okay, you’ve set up the scene beforehand—you’ve both agreed on what you expect, what your limits are, what each of you will and will not do. And then the scene starts, and something goes horribly wrong. You as bottom forbade the top to do something; now, in spite of your screams of protest, it’s happening anyway. Rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse—call it what you will, it’s happening to you. What do you do?
Or, say you’re topping someone and suddenly they freak. Things they agreed to before are now not okay. They may become violent. They may turn on you and start attacking you.
What do you do? You do what’s necessary to survive. Depending on the situation, you resist, you submit, you escape, you attract help, or you incapacitate your assailant. Follow your instincts, and know that if you survive, you made the right choice.
If you’re the top, you have the power and also the responsibility to bring the scene to a grinding halt, and to do whatever is necessary for the physical and psychological well-being of the bottom—as long as doing so doesn’t threaten your own physical and psychological well-being. If the bottom is attacking you, see the previous paragraph.
According to Scott Bartell, LICSW with Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis, “Your physical and spiritual survival justifies doing whatever you need to do in a sexual-abuse situation. Your actions may need to be passive-aggressive, duplicitous, or even violent. You need to get out of the situation, and then get professional help for trauma survival.” Both your body and psyche have been assaulted and both need attention. Get medical care if necessary, and be honest with medical personnel about what happened and how it happened. And seek out a GLBT and kink-friendly counseling resource—you will need to do a lot of emotional processing to come to terms with what you’ve been through.
Leather Justice
Do you press charges? Do you name your abuser so they don’t do this to someone else? These are tricky questions, fraught with all sorts of uncertainties. The community depends on checking references and self-policing because we know from past experience that police and the judicial system tend not to be terribly sympathetic or understanding toward SM-related issues. But even in the leather/SM community, sometimes it’s the same as with heterosexual date-rape accusations: it’s your word against theirs. Since smear campaigns and witch-hunts are not unheard of, other people may take your accusations with a degree of skepticism until they’ve heard both sides of the argument.
Generally, though, when a community member doesn’t play by the rules, the word gets around—but unfortunately it usually takes a few people getting hurt before the message hits home and sticks. In the case of serious accusations, impromptu leather/SM community “courts” have been convened to hear the complaints and decide what action should be taken, up to and including censure and banishment from the community. At the very least, someone who is accused of non-consensual or abusive behavior will be under increased scrutiny by the rest of the community. They may eventually clear their name and reputation, or they may prove there were grounds for the original accusations. Or they may move, and the cycle may start all over again in another city’s leather/SM community.
One final point: these problems are not by any means exclusive to the leather/SM community or to any geographical area. All the concepts discussed here can be applied to other communities as well. It is an unfortunate fact that assault, abuse and rape happen in all communities—and all communities, leather/SM included, firmly state that assault, abuse and rape are not acceptable behaviors.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, April 8
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
Saturday, April 15
Bizarre Bazaar & Silent Auction presented by MSDB
11 AM-6 PM (Auction until 5 PM), 501 First Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Discover all things erotic and exotic at the Bazaar! Buy or sell clothing, adornments, collectibles, toys, furniture . . . anything related to BDSM, fetish, leather, kink, and similar lifestyles. Music by Psycick Slutz. Silent Auction: All proceeds will go to a local charity benefiting the GLBT community. Successful bidders will be announced between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Kink and fetish attire welcome but your costume (or lack thereof) must be street legal. $4 in advance, $5 at the door. Advance tickets at Dreamhaven (912 West Lake St., Mpls.), Rainbow Road (109 West Grant St., Mpls.) or by mail using ticket order form from website. Presented by Minnesota Stocks, Debentures and Bonds (MSDB), a local pansexual BDSM/fetish group. For more information, including vendor and silent-auction donation details, visit www.msdb-mn.org.
Regular readers of this column, and anyone who’s hung around the leather/SM scene for any length of time, knows the community’s motto regarding SM sex is “safe, sane, consensual.” Today let’s talk about the third part of that mantra—the dynamics of consensuality and nonconsensuality.
Consent is not just for those in the SM community. All sex and all intimacy is based on consent, and that consent is based on trust. In an SM setting, if trust is violated and non-consensual things happen, it’s no longer “safe, sane, consensual” SM—it crosses the line and becomes abuse, or even rape. Intimacy implies vulnerability, and SM is an experience of both hyper-intimacy and hyper-vulnerability. Abusers and rapists take advantage of that vulnerability.
Consent, Trust, and Communication
Consent comes from trust, and trust is maintained through communication. Good communication is essential to any kind of scene or intimacy. Communication is necessary before a scene starts to establish consent on the part of all participants, and to define everyone’s boundaries. Communication is also necessary during the scene to keep it on track.
The leather/SM community has evolved a form of communication known as the “safeword”—when any participant in a scene speaks a safeword, the action instantly stops. Participants in a scene can agree on whatever safewords they want to use, but one of the most universal safeword schemes is modeled on traffic light colors: “green” means everything is okay, keep going; “yellow” means slow down a bit or lighten up; and “red” means stop everything right now. In addition, it’s usually a good idea to keep in mind the ultimate safewords: “No” means NO, and “Stop” means STOP.
Safewords are one way of communicating during a scene, but they aren’t the only way. Communication during a scene may take many forms: verbal, physical gestures, eye contact, or body language, to name a few. Obviously, if a bottom is blindfolded and gagged, the top won’t be able to get any information from their eyes and the bottom’s voice won’t be able to be used for much more than muffled moans. If the bottom is in bondage and completely immobilized they can’t gesture very effectively. Fit the safeword to the scene, remembering that it may not always be a spoken “word.”
Once a safeword has been established, take it seriously. Don’t use it if you don’t mean it. Don’t use it in a confusing manner—don’t say “red” and giggle, for instance. If you hear your partner use a safeword, the safest thing to do is bring the action to a halt immediately. Then check in with your partner and see what’s going on. Maybe the action will start up again, maybe it won’t. But don’t take chances.
Why does communication in a scene break down? 1) At least one person stops sending clear communications and instead starts sending confusing signals and mixed messages. Or they may stop communicating altogether. 2) At least one person stops paying attention to the signals the other person is sending. Whether I am top or bottom in a scene, it behooves me to send clear communications and to pay close attention to what my partner is telling me. A breakdown in communication interferes with the safe, sane, consensual nature of a scene and opens the door to an abusive situation.
Staying Out Of Trouble
Obviously, no one wants to find themselves in an abusive or rape situation, but it’s not always possible to detect an abuser beforehand. They may wear leather and practice SM, or they may not. Abusers may be someone you’ve never met before but find very attractive, they may be someone you think you know well, or they may be a well-known community leader. They may be sweet—except when they’re drunk or high. Or they may not need a chemical assist to bring out their abusive qualities. As I’ve said before in this column, a jerk wearing leather is still a jerk. Trust your gut—if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.
Also as I’ve said before in this column, it never hurts to check references. If you’re considering doing something with someone, but you’re a beginner and people tell you this person plays pretty hard, maybe it’s not a good match. What seems like a hard blow to you may only be their warming-up strokes.
When things go wrong
Okay, you’ve set up the scene beforehand—you’ve both agreed on what you expect, what your limits are, what each of you will and will not do. And then the scene starts, and something goes horribly wrong. You as bottom forbade the top to do something; now, in spite of your screams of protest, it’s happening anyway. Rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse—call it what you will, it’s happening to you. What do you do?
Or, say you’re topping someone and suddenly they freak. Things they agreed to before are now not okay. They may become violent. They may turn on you and start attacking you.
What do you do? You do what’s necessary to survive. Depending on the situation, you resist, you submit, you escape, you attract help, or you incapacitate your assailant. Follow your instincts, and know that if you survive, you made the right choice.
If you’re the top, you have the power and also the responsibility to bring the scene to a grinding halt, and to do whatever is necessary for the physical and psychological well-being of the bottom—as long as doing so doesn’t threaten your own physical and psychological well-being. If the bottom is attacking you, see the previous paragraph.
According to Scott Bartell, LICSW with Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis, “Your physical and spiritual survival justifies doing whatever you need to do in a sexual-abuse situation. Your actions may need to be passive-aggressive, duplicitous, or even violent. You need to get out of the situation, and then get professional help for trauma survival.” Both your body and psyche have been assaulted and both need attention. Get medical care if necessary, and be honest with medical personnel about what happened and how it happened. And seek out a GLBT and kink-friendly counseling resource—you will need to do a lot of emotional processing to come to terms with what you’ve been through.
Leather Justice
Do you press charges? Do you name your abuser so they don’t do this to someone else? These are tricky questions, fraught with all sorts of uncertainties. The community depends on checking references and self-policing because we know from past experience that police and the judicial system tend not to be terribly sympathetic or understanding toward SM-related issues. But even in the leather/SM community, sometimes it’s the same as with heterosexual date-rape accusations: it’s your word against theirs. Since smear campaigns and witch-hunts are not unheard of, other people may take your accusations with a degree of skepticism until they’ve heard both sides of the argument.
Generally, though, when a community member doesn’t play by the rules, the word gets around—but unfortunately it usually takes a few people getting hurt before the message hits home and sticks. In the case of serious accusations, impromptu leather/SM community “courts” have been convened to hear the complaints and decide what action should be taken, up to and including censure and banishment from the community. At the very least, someone who is accused of non-consensual or abusive behavior will be under increased scrutiny by the rest of the community. They may eventually clear their name and reputation, or they may prove there were grounds for the original accusations. Or they may move, and the cycle may start all over again in another city’s leather/SM community.
One final point: these problems are not by any means exclusive to the leather/SM community or to any geographical area. All the concepts discussed here can be applied to other communities as well. It is an unfortunate fact that assault, abuse and rape happen in all communities—and all communities, leather/SM included, firmly state that assault, abuse and rape are not acceptable behaviors.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, April 8
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
Saturday, April 15
Bizarre Bazaar & Silent Auction presented by MSDB
11 AM-6 PM (Auction until 5 PM), 501 First Ave. NE, Minneapolis
Discover all things erotic and exotic at the Bazaar! Buy or sell clothing, adornments, collectibles, toys, furniture . . . anything related to BDSM, fetish, leather, kink, and similar lifestyles. Music by Psycick Slutz. Silent Auction: All proceeds will go to a local charity benefiting the GLBT community. Successful bidders will be announced between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Kink and fetish attire welcome but your costume (or lack thereof) must be street legal. $4 in advance, $5 at the door. Advance tickets at Dreamhaven (912 West Lake St., Mpls.), Rainbow Road (109 West Grant St., Mpls.) or by mail using ticket order form from website. Presented by Minnesota Stocks, Debentures and Bonds (MSDB), a local pansexual BDSM/fetish group. For more information, including vendor and silent-auction donation details, visit www.msdb-mn.org.
Friday, March 24, 2000
David Coral wins Mr. Olympus Leather 2000 title
(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #126, March 24, 2000)
PHOTO: Left, Mr. Olympus Leather 2000 David Coral; right, Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 Joni.
It happened in New Orleans: Minnesota became home to yet another major leather titleholder. On Saturday, Feb. 26 Minneapolis resident David Coral (aka Jazz Thomas) won the men’s sash in the Mr./Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 contest. At the same time Cori Ander, Ms. Olympus Leather 1999 and also a Minneapolis resident, ended her title year and awarded a sash to her successor: Joni, the new Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 and a well-known member of the Atlanta fetish community. The Olympus Leather contest and titles differentiate themselves by representing and celebrating pansexual SM play.
Saturday night’s contest featured seven contestants (four for the Mr. title and three for the Ms.) and some very impressive and entertaining fantasy presentations. Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Hannah Miyamoto presented the first fantasy of the evening, a vampire-leatherdyke seduction scene based on a Mexican legend. Ms. Florida Olympus Leather Lady Cat’s fantasy took place on a plantation, and Joni’s breathtakingly sizzling and steamy fantasy started with corsetry and climaxed with flogging and fireplay.
The funniest fantasy of the evening belonged to Mr. Louisiana Olympus Leather Mark Anthony, who presented a boot-camp scene in which he turned the tables on his drill sergeant (who didn’t resist all that much). Mr. Georgia Olympus Leather boy kyle’s fantasy was a humorous portrayal of an office worker whose sole knowledge of SM practices came from surfing the internet after business hours.
Mr. Florida Olympus Leather Allen Grim’s paint-by-flogger fantasy held the crowd spellbound. After warming up Maryland Mr. Drummer Paul Bohli’s bare backside with a flogger, Grim covered Bohli’s back with black paint and pressed a blank canvas to it. Then he dipped three floggers in blue, white and red paint and flogged the paint onto Bohli, pressing the canvas to Bohli’s back after each color. (The four colors are the colors of the leather-pride flag.) The canvas was later auctioned off, with the proceeds going to charity. Grim will be at this year’s International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago and will be happy to make the same kind of painting of your backside.
David Coral’s fantasy was a 1940’s-era Havana nightclub dream sequence (choreographed to Santana’s “Smooth”) that featured rip-away clothing, hot-wax play and clothespin “zippers” for a finale. In addition to playing the main character Coral also directed a relatively large cast, all of whom performed exceptionally; the fantasy’s movement, staging, lighting and sound work were impeccable. This should come as no surprise: Coral is a professional actor who was last seen as Guildenstern in Theatre in the Round’s recent production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
The Olympus Leather contest was part of the tenth annual Pantheon of Leather weekend held at Le Petit Theatre, located in the French Quarter in the heart of New Orleans. Each year Pantheon of Leather presents awards to leatherfolk around the world for distinguished community service and contributions to the leather/SM/fetish community and culture. This year 30 awards were handed out at the awards ceremony on Friday, Feb. 25—and, unlike last year, many of the award recipients were there in person to receive them. (Attendance in general for this year’s Pantheon/Olympus weekend was up 33% compared to last year’s event.)
Todd Leek is new Mr. Mpls. Eagle 2000
On Sunday, Feb. 27 (the same weekend that Pantheon/Olympus was happening in New Orleans) the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2000 contest was held in Minneapolis. The evening’s emcee was Minneapolis Eagle co-owner Greg Norton; judging the contest were International Mr. Leather 1997 Kevin Cwayna, Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather 1998 B.D. Chambers, and Minneapolis Eagle co-owner Ed Hopkins. From a field of five contestants the judges selected Lonnell Callum as second runner-up, Robert Chatlos as first runner-up, and Todd Leek as the new Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2000. Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 1999 Tim Forte was on hand to make a stepdown speech and present the sash to his successor.
The contest was structured along the lines of the International Mr. Leather contest. Contestants were interviewed privately by the judges before the contest; onstage judging events included a “keg walk” (the contestants traveled from one end of the bar to the other and back with an empty keg on their shoulder), an erotic reading, a 90-second speech on a leather topic, and answering a question on ageism.
Leek will go on to compete in the International Mr. Leather contest, taking place Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.
Mark Your Calendar: The Bizarre Bazaar
Discover all things erotic and exotic at the Bizarre Bazaar, presented in Minneapolis April 15 by Minnesota Stocks Debentures and Bonds (MSDB), a local pansexual BDSM/fetish group. Buy or sell clothing, adornments, collectibles, toys, furniture . . . anything related to BDSM, fetish, leather, kink, and similar lifestyles. There will be vendor displays and a silent auction benefiting a local charity (donations of auction items welcomed). For more details visit the MDSB website: www.mdsb-mn.org.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, April 8
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
PHOTO: Left, Mr. Olympus Leather 2000 David Coral; right, Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 Joni.
It happened in New Orleans: Minnesota became home to yet another major leather titleholder. On Saturday, Feb. 26 Minneapolis resident David Coral (aka Jazz Thomas) won the men’s sash in the Mr./Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 contest. At the same time Cori Ander, Ms. Olympus Leather 1999 and also a Minneapolis resident, ended her title year and awarded a sash to her successor: Joni, the new Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 and a well-known member of the Atlanta fetish community. The Olympus Leather contest and titles differentiate themselves by representing and celebrating pansexual SM play.
Saturday night’s contest featured seven contestants (four for the Mr. title and three for the Ms.) and some very impressive and entertaining fantasy presentations. Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather Hannah Miyamoto presented the first fantasy of the evening, a vampire-leatherdyke seduction scene based on a Mexican legend. Ms. Florida Olympus Leather Lady Cat’s fantasy took place on a plantation, and Joni’s breathtakingly sizzling and steamy fantasy started with corsetry and climaxed with flogging and fireplay.
The funniest fantasy of the evening belonged to Mr. Louisiana Olympus Leather Mark Anthony, who presented a boot-camp scene in which he turned the tables on his drill sergeant (who didn’t resist all that much). Mr. Georgia Olympus Leather boy kyle’s fantasy was a humorous portrayal of an office worker whose sole knowledge of SM practices came from surfing the internet after business hours.
Mr. Florida Olympus Leather Allen Grim’s paint-by-flogger fantasy held the crowd spellbound. After warming up Maryland Mr. Drummer Paul Bohli’s bare backside with a flogger, Grim covered Bohli’s back with black paint and pressed a blank canvas to it. Then he dipped three floggers in blue, white and red paint and flogged the paint onto Bohli, pressing the canvas to Bohli’s back after each color. (The four colors are the colors of the leather-pride flag.) The canvas was later auctioned off, with the proceeds going to charity. Grim will be at this year’s International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago and will be happy to make the same kind of painting of your backside.
David Coral’s fantasy was a 1940’s-era Havana nightclub dream sequence (choreographed to Santana’s “Smooth”) that featured rip-away clothing, hot-wax play and clothespin “zippers” for a finale. In addition to playing the main character Coral also directed a relatively large cast, all of whom performed exceptionally; the fantasy’s movement, staging, lighting and sound work were impeccable. This should come as no surprise: Coral is a professional actor who was last seen as Guildenstern in Theatre in the Round’s recent production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
The Olympus Leather contest was part of the tenth annual Pantheon of Leather weekend held at Le Petit Theatre, located in the French Quarter in the heart of New Orleans. Each year Pantheon of Leather presents awards to leatherfolk around the world for distinguished community service and contributions to the leather/SM/fetish community and culture. This year 30 awards were handed out at the awards ceremony on Friday, Feb. 25—and, unlike last year, many of the award recipients were there in person to receive them. (Attendance in general for this year’s Pantheon/Olympus weekend was up 33% compared to last year’s event.)
Todd Leek is new Mr. Mpls. Eagle 2000
On Sunday, Feb. 27 (the same weekend that Pantheon/Olympus was happening in New Orleans) the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2000 contest was held in Minneapolis. The evening’s emcee was Minneapolis Eagle co-owner Greg Norton; judging the contest were International Mr. Leather 1997 Kevin Cwayna, Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather 1998 B.D. Chambers, and Minneapolis Eagle co-owner Ed Hopkins. From a field of five contestants the judges selected Lonnell Callum as second runner-up, Robert Chatlos as first runner-up, and Todd Leek as the new Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2000. Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 1999 Tim Forte was on hand to make a stepdown speech and present the sash to his successor.
The contest was structured along the lines of the International Mr. Leather contest. Contestants were interviewed privately by the judges before the contest; onstage judging events included a “keg walk” (the contestants traveled from one end of the bar to the other and back with an empty keg on their shoulder), an erotic reading, a 90-second speech on a leather topic, and answering a question on ageism.
Leek will go on to compete in the International Mr. Leather contest, taking place Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.
Mark Your Calendar: The Bizarre Bazaar
Discover all things erotic and exotic at the Bizarre Bazaar, presented in Minneapolis April 15 by Minnesota Stocks Debentures and Bonds (MSDB), a local pansexual BDSM/fetish group. Buy or sell clothing, adornments, collectibles, toys, furniture . . . anything related to BDSM, fetish, leather, kink, and similar lifestyles. There will be vendor displays and a silent auction benefiting a local charity (donations of auction items welcomed). For more details visit the MDSB website: www.mdsb-mn.org.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, April 8
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
Friday, March 10, 2000
“When Pigs Fly” Soars
(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #125, March 10, 2000)
PHOTO: P1010046
PHOTO CAPTION: In a scene from When Pigs Fly, Ursus Torrente (with Richard Tscholl) asks the musical question “Why do they say I’m not all man?”
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010052, 053
PHOTO CAPTION: Ralph Schmidt, in a number from The Black Guard’s production of When Pigs Fly, shows why “Bigger is Better.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010058
PHOTO CAPTION: Some outrageous costumes from the When Pigs Fly finale: center, Carl Gscheidmeier wears a costume made of giftwrap; left, Bruce Gohr wears a gown made of black plastic trash bags; just behind Carl you can see part of the costume made of plastic soda bottles and disposable picnicware.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010059, 060, 061
PHOTO CAPTION: The closing tableau from The Black Guard’s production of When Pigs Fly.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010036, 037
PHOTO CAPTION: The “Wear Your Vanity With Pride” number from When Pigs Fly. Left to right: Mike Delorme, Carl Gscheidmeier, Richard Tscholl.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTO: P1010033
PHOTO CAPTION: From The Black Guard production of When Pigs Fly: Four playing cards sing “If You Want To Win At Love, You’ve Got To Stay In The Game.” Left to right: Mike Delorme, Colin Spriestersbach, Ursus Torrente, Bruce Gohr.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTO: P1010032
PHOTO CAPTION: Howard Crabtree (George Jones) listens to Miss Roundhole (Richard Tscholl) explain why he should forget the theater and take up “watch repair, plumbing, garden supplies or chicken farming” instead.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTO: P1010030
PHOTO CAPTION: Carl Gscheidmeier, left, and George Jones in a patriotic moment from The Black Guard’s production of When Pigs Fly.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
Howard Crabtree, one of the most flamboyant and outrageous theatrical costume designers ever, was brought back to spectacular life in the person of George Jones during The Black Guard’s recent production of When Pigs Fly. The high point of this year’s Black Frost run, the show was a good-natured, campy, over-the-top romp that was a triumphant follow-up to last year’s Black Frost Wizard of Oz show. Crabtree succumbed to AIDS complications shortly before When Pigs Fly opened in New York several years ago, but I’m sure he was right there with the rest of us on Feb. 19 at the Mall of America’s Camp Snoopy Playhouse enjoying The Black Guard’s production of his show.
The Black Guard actually presented a melding of two shows by Howard Crabtree, When Pigs Fly and Whoop-Dee-Doo. Since Crabtree was first and foremost a costume designer, the most distinctive feature of his shows is the huge number of truly amazing costumes. Unfortunately, there aren’t many theater companies that will tackle one of Crabtree’s shows for that very reason—they don’t have the resources to create all those costumes. For this production, The Black Guard tracked down and borrowed some of Crabtree’s original costumes that haven’t been seen on stage since the New York productions; they also obtained costumes from Normandale Community College and The Guthrie Theater. Many costumes were made by Black Guard members themselves, working from drawings or photographs of the New York productions, and some of the costumes were made in Florida.
The costumes were amazing enough that they could have carried the show, but fortunately they didn’t have to. I saw When Pigs Fly in New York, so I already knew the script and songs were good. (The show was conceived by Crabtree and Mark Waldrop; sketches and lyrics are by Waldrop with music by Dick Gallagher.) Costumes, script, songs, choreography, and great performances by every cast member combined to make a very entertaining evening.
The Black Guard spent six months creating this production, and it was obvious as I was watching it that a lot of time and love had gone into it. (The production was dedicated to the memories of both Crabtree and Scott Darst.) Even though most of the songs were lip-synched, cast members still had to learn the songs to be able to lip-synch them; they also had to learn the dialogue, choreography (from the original shows via videotape), and the sheer backstage logistics of entrances, exits and costume changes.
The show’s basic premise is that Howard (played by George Jones) is trying to put on a show and meets obstacle after obstacle—a temperamental star (played by co-director Carl Gscheidmeier), props not working, bills not paid, and the ever-present spectre of his high-school teacher Miss Roundhole (Richard Tscholl) telling him that show business is not a suitable career and that he should instead take up “a) watch repair, b) plumbing, c) selling garden supplies or d) chicken farming.”
In spite of these threatened setbacks, Howard and the rest of the company managed to present over 25 witty song-and-dance numbers touching on gay issues relating from relationships to politics. “(If You Want To Win At Love) You’ve Got To Stay In The Game” features four chorusboys dressed as playing cards, while “Stuck On You” has three chorusboys dressed as bees buzzing around a giant No-Pest Strip. “Wear Your Vanity With Pride” contrasts the eighteenth-century European ideal of beauty, and the torments of powdered wigs and arsenic-whitened skin, with today’s gym-body ideal of gay male beauty (which includes its own torments). Politics were the subject of “You Can’t Take The Color Out of Colorado” and tongue-in-cheek torch song tributes by Colin Spriestersbach to Newt Gingrich, Strom Thurmond and Rush Limbaugh.
“You Are My Idol” paid homage to show-biz divas, starting with Mike Delorme playing a jungle savage impersonating Carol Channing, and continuing with Steve Burroughs as Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (shades of last year’s show!); producer and co-director Steve Katz as Barbra Streisand; George Jones as Mae West; Steve Bame as Bette Davis; special guest star Ava Monet as Marilyn Monroe; and finally with Gscheidmeier as an older Judy Garland singing “The Magic of Me.”
Rounding out the high-energy cast were Ursus Torrente, Ralph Schmidt and Bruce Gohr. According to co-director Gscheidmeier, “None of us are professional actors—it’s all for fun.” And what fun it was! True, there were a few rough edges present, such as the occasional forgotten line or late entrance, but they were handled with such grace and good humor that they only made the production more endearing.
Take a bow, everyone, and see you next year.
College Students Flock to “Radical Sex” Seminar
Also on Feb. 19, your humble columnist was one of four panelists presenting a “Coming to Terms with Radical Sex” seminar at the Midwestern Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender College Conference 2000. College students from throughout the midwest came to the campus of St. Cloud State College in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for a weekend of workshops, discussions, and keynote speakers dealing with GLBT movement activism on campus and how it relates to other social-justice movements.
The “Radical Sex” seminar dealt with leather/SM and also with polyamory. The other panelists were Ms. Minnesota Leather Mario, transsexual-polyamorous activity Aaron Lichtov, and Dennis, a St. Cloud-area leatherman. (The seminar’s moderator was Jeff Ringer.) I am proud to say that this was the best-attended break-out seminar of its time period, and maybe of the whole conference—the room was packed to capacity. Each panel member spoke for five to ten minutes, and then it was question-and-answer time. When it was over, a lot of good information had been exchanged, and hopefully many young minds had been opened to some interesting possibilities. If this is a representative sampling of the interest in “radical sex” among the younger generation, the future is looking very bright indeed.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, March 11
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
Friday, March 17
Atons Club Colors Wearing of the Green Party
7:30-10:30 PM, The Minneapolis Eagle
PHOTO: P1010046
PHOTO CAPTION: In a scene from When Pigs Fly, Ursus Torrente (with Richard Tscholl) asks the musical question “Why do they say I’m not all man?”
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010052, 053
PHOTO CAPTION: Ralph Schmidt, in a number from The Black Guard’s production of When Pigs Fly, shows why “Bigger is Better.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010058
PHOTO CAPTION: Some outrageous costumes from the When Pigs Fly finale: center, Carl Gscheidmeier wears a costume made of giftwrap; left, Bruce Gohr wears a gown made of black plastic trash bags; just behind Carl you can see part of the costume made of plastic soda bottles and disposable picnicware.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010059, 060, 061
PHOTO CAPTION: The closing tableau from The Black Guard’s production of When Pigs Fly.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTOS: P1010036, 037
PHOTO CAPTION: The “Wear Your Vanity With Pride” number from When Pigs Fly. Left to right: Mike Delorme, Carl Gscheidmeier, Richard Tscholl.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTO: P1010033
PHOTO CAPTION: From The Black Guard production of When Pigs Fly: Four playing cards sing “If You Want To Win At Love, You’ve Got To Stay In The Game.” Left to right: Mike Delorme, Colin Spriestersbach, Ursus Torrente, Bruce Gohr.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTO: P1010032
PHOTO CAPTION: Howard Crabtree (George Jones) listens to Miss Roundhole (Richard Tscholl) explain why he should forget the theater and take up “watch repair, plumbing, garden supplies or chicken farming” instead.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
PHOTO: P1010030
PHOTO CAPTION: Carl Gscheidmeier, left, and George Jones in a patriotic moment from The Black Guard’s production of When Pigs Fly.
PHOTO CREDIT: Don Wilson
Howard Crabtree, one of the most flamboyant and outrageous theatrical costume designers ever, was brought back to spectacular life in the person of George Jones during The Black Guard’s recent production of When Pigs Fly. The high point of this year’s Black Frost run, the show was a good-natured, campy, over-the-top romp that was a triumphant follow-up to last year’s Black Frost Wizard of Oz show. Crabtree succumbed to AIDS complications shortly before When Pigs Fly opened in New York several years ago, but I’m sure he was right there with the rest of us on Feb. 19 at the Mall of America’s Camp Snoopy Playhouse enjoying The Black Guard’s production of his show.
The Black Guard actually presented a melding of two shows by Howard Crabtree, When Pigs Fly and Whoop-Dee-Doo. Since Crabtree was first and foremost a costume designer, the most distinctive feature of his shows is the huge number of truly amazing costumes. Unfortunately, there aren’t many theater companies that will tackle one of Crabtree’s shows for that very reason—they don’t have the resources to create all those costumes. For this production, The Black Guard tracked down and borrowed some of Crabtree’s original costumes that haven’t been seen on stage since the New York productions; they also obtained costumes from Normandale Community College and The Guthrie Theater. Many costumes were made by Black Guard members themselves, working from drawings or photographs of the New York productions, and some of the costumes were made in Florida.
The costumes were amazing enough that they could have carried the show, but fortunately they didn’t have to. I saw When Pigs Fly in New York, so I already knew the script and songs were good. (The show was conceived by Crabtree and Mark Waldrop; sketches and lyrics are by Waldrop with music by Dick Gallagher.) Costumes, script, songs, choreography, and great performances by every cast member combined to make a very entertaining evening.
The Black Guard spent six months creating this production, and it was obvious as I was watching it that a lot of time and love had gone into it. (The production was dedicated to the memories of both Crabtree and Scott Darst.) Even though most of the songs were lip-synched, cast members still had to learn the songs to be able to lip-synch them; they also had to learn the dialogue, choreography (from the original shows via videotape), and the sheer backstage logistics of entrances, exits and costume changes.
The show’s basic premise is that Howard (played by George Jones) is trying to put on a show and meets obstacle after obstacle—a temperamental star (played by co-director Carl Gscheidmeier), props not working, bills not paid, and the ever-present spectre of his high-school teacher Miss Roundhole (Richard Tscholl) telling him that show business is not a suitable career and that he should instead take up “a) watch repair, b) plumbing, c) selling garden supplies or d) chicken farming.”
In spite of these threatened setbacks, Howard and the rest of the company managed to present over 25 witty song-and-dance numbers touching on gay issues relating from relationships to politics. “(If You Want To Win At Love) You’ve Got To Stay In The Game” features four chorusboys dressed as playing cards, while “Stuck On You” has three chorusboys dressed as bees buzzing around a giant No-Pest Strip. “Wear Your Vanity With Pride” contrasts the eighteenth-century European ideal of beauty, and the torments of powdered wigs and arsenic-whitened skin, with today’s gym-body ideal of gay male beauty (which includes its own torments). Politics were the subject of “You Can’t Take The Color Out of Colorado” and tongue-in-cheek torch song tributes by Colin Spriestersbach to Newt Gingrich, Strom Thurmond and Rush Limbaugh.
“You Are My Idol” paid homage to show-biz divas, starting with Mike Delorme playing a jungle savage impersonating Carol Channing, and continuing with Steve Burroughs as Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (shades of last year’s show!); producer and co-director Steve Katz as Barbra Streisand; George Jones as Mae West; Steve Bame as Bette Davis; special guest star Ava Monet as Marilyn Monroe; and finally with Gscheidmeier as an older Judy Garland singing “The Magic of Me.”
Rounding out the high-energy cast were Ursus Torrente, Ralph Schmidt and Bruce Gohr. According to co-director Gscheidmeier, “None of us are professional actors—it’s all for fun.” And what fun it was! True, there were a few rough edges present, such as the occasional forgotten line or late entrance, but they were handled with such grace and good humor that they only made the production more endearing.
Take a bow, everyone, and see you next year.
College Students Flock to “Radical Sex” Seminar
Also on Feb. 19, your humble columnist was one of four panelists presenting a “Coming to Terms with Radical Sex” seminar at the Midwestern Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender College Conference 2000. College students from throughout the midwest came to the campus of St. Cloud State College in St. Cloud, Minnesota, for a weekend of workshops, discussions, and keynote speakers dealing with GLBT movement activism on campus and how it relates to other social-justice movements.
The “Radical Sex” seminar dealt with leather/SM and also with polyamory. The other panelists were Ms. Minnesota Leather Mario, transsexual-polyamorous activity Aaron Lichtov, and Dennis, a St. Cloud-area leatherman. (The seminar’s moderator was Jeff Ringer.) I am proud to say that this was the best-attended break-out seminar of its time period, and maybe of the whole conference—the room was packed to capacity. Each panel member spoke for five to ten minutes, and then it was question-and-answer time. When it was over, a lot of good information had been exchanged, and hopefully many young minds had been opened to some interesting possibilities. If this is a representative sampling of the interest in “radical sex” among the younger generation, the future is looking very bright indeed.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, March 11
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
Friday, March 17
Atons Club Colors Wearing of the Green Party
7:30-10:30 PM, The Minneapolis Eagle
Tuesday, March 7, 2000
Speechless No More
(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #203, March 7, 2003)
This year’s Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards were presented Feb. 15 in the auditorium of the Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago. Your humble columnist was surprised (to the point of speechlessness) to be the recipient of one of this year’s President’s Awards.
I should, I suppose, first explain why I was so surprised. Every year Pantheon of Leather presents awards in a number of categories (this year it was 28) for which nominations are sought: Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Couple/Club/Club Event/Business of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, etc. as well as several regional award categories. The recipients of the awards are then chosen either by a selection panel of the previous year’s award winners, or (for the Community Choice awards) by write-in voting from the entire community, or (for the Lifetime Achievement award) by consensus of the members of the Pantheon of Leather Board. I was one of twelve nominees for this year’s Midwest Regional Award (which went to Larry Manion, who is very active both locally in St. Louis and on the national scene as well).
Recipients of the President’s Awards, however, are chosen by the president of the Pantheon of Leather board; generally, three awards are presented each year. Since no nominations are involved, there is no advance notice of the possibility of receiving the award. Dave Rhodes, publisher of The Leather Journal and current Pantheon of Leather board president, explained that the President’s Award might be given to people who are overlooked in the nomination process, people who are nominated year after year but miss winning the award by a few voting points, or “sometimes we just feel it’s the right time for them to get [the award]. It’s kind of a wild card.”
I didn’t know Rhodes was referring to me when he said, “Some of the overlooked people in the [Pantheon] awards are journalists . . . . This man has been important for many years out there. There has not been any scandal in his reporting. He’s there in his region and has done some things nationally. He’s also held one of the Drummer titles, I believe in 1994-95.” When he mentioned the Drummer title it suddenly dawned on me that he might be talking about me, but I was still stunned when he announced my name as the recipient of the third President’s Award.
I walked up to the stage and was handed the award, made of very nice (and very heavy) crystal. Then I was handed the microphone. I’m sure my face looked about as blank as a TV test pattern as I so eloquently said, after a long pause during which I could think of absolutely nothing to say: “I’m speechless. Thank you!”
Well, hindsight is always 20/20, and all that. If I had not been so completely surprised, here’s what I would have said on the stage at Pantheon (and I’m absolutely sure there wouldn’t have been a dry eye in the house by the time I finished):
“I have many people to thank. First of all: The only reason I’m able to write what I write is because of the efforts of all those who have gone before me—many of whom are in this auditorium right now, and many more of whom are represented in the museum’s galleries downstairs. Among these people would be, of course, Dave Rhodes.
“Secondly, the only reason anyone gets to read what I’ve written is because of the efforts of the publisher, editor and staff of Lavender Magazine, which has been my literary home for eight years now, and because of Joe Gallagher’s commitment to Leatherpage.com, which steers readers to my column on Lavender’s web page.
“Finally, thank you to all of you, the members of this vibrant community, who keep supplying me with events and ideas to write about.”
Mr./Ms Olympus Leather Contest 2003
Also part of the Pantheon weekend was the 2003 Mr./Ms. Olympus Leather Contest—Sunday evening, Feb. 16, in the auditorium at the Chicago Eagle. Five female contestants and four male contestants competed. Highlights of the evening:
• During her fantasy performance Ms. Illinois Olympus Leather 2003 Miss Charlotte did an actual real-life onstage piercing of contestant Daddy Carl’s nipple. During his subsequent onstage question-and-answer session Daddy Carl noted that he had to make a change to his contest application: “I DO have a piercing.”
• The two Las Vegas contestants, Ms. Nevada Leather 2002 Debbie Fox and Mr. Nevada Leather 2002 Sir Kenneth Griffin Morgan, appeared in each other’s entertaining but startlingly similar fantasies, both to musical accompaniment by Tom Lehrer. Fox’s fantasy was a nicely choreographed “Masochism Tango,” while Morgan’s was the equally perverse “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.” And both finished the evening as runners-up in their contest.
• Ms. Gulf States Olympus Leather Angel Melly (from Birmingham, Ala.) spent the weekend wearing a halo that appeared to be made out of a white feather boa. One of her onstage questions: Suppose she was traveling on business and the airline lost her luggage, leaving her with only a polo shirt, khakis and loafers. Would she still go to the local leather bar? Her instant response: “You’re damn skippy I would, because somebody would be cutting ’em off with a knife!”
• At the conclusion of the evening the new Olympus Leather titleholders were announced: Mr. Olympus Leather 2003, from Daphne, Ala., is Mr. Gulf States Olympus Leather 2003 Robert. Ms. Olympus Leather 2003, from Tempe, Ariz., is Bootpig. Earlier in the evening Bootpig had been asked if she would tell her family and coworkers if she won; she replied, “I would tell everybody except my mother, who still thinks I’m a virgin.”
Full details of the Olympus Leather contest, as well as photos and a complete list of this year’s Pantheon of Leather award winners, will be in an upcoming edition of The Leather Journal and will also be available at www.theleatherjournal.com.
Friday, February 25, 2000
Two Passings
(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #124, February 25, 2000)
PHOTO: Scott Darst
PHOTO CREDIT: Ed Yort
PHOTO: Morrie Bender
PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Hinton
It saddens me to report that the Twin Cities leather community recently suffered the loss of two members, Scott Darst and Morrie Bender. (While Bender had lived in Chicago for the last several years, he was for many years an active member of the Twin Cities leather community and still maintained many friendships here.) Both will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by many, including your humble columnist.
Scott Allan Darst
Scott Darst, a long-time member of the Twin Cities leather community, was born on April 5, 1964 and passed away January 29, 2000. He is survived by his mother, Zona Paine; his brothers, Tom and Dan; and his sisters, Sheri and Therisa.
A memorial service held in Cannon Falls, Minnesota on Friday, February 4 was attended by a large and diverse group of relatives, co-workers (Scott was an employee of Hennepin County) and friends, including many in leather. Scott was remembered as kind and caring, creative, funny, hard-working and good with people. As a co-worker stated, Scott found happiness in “sharing himself with the universe.” Special music was provided by Scott’s roommate Richard, who played guitar and sang a song that Scott had always loved and had asked him to sing at his funeral—“except,” as Richard put it, “it wasn’t supposed to be so soon.”
For many years Scott was a member of the Black Guard of Minneapolis, so it was fitting that on Sunday, February 6, the Guard held their own memorial gathering at The Brass Rail in downtown Minneapolis. The evening included the showing of a videotape of Scott’s performances in various Black Frost run shows through the years, and the gathering concluded with a Black Guard tradition: an emotional singing of ABBA’s “The Way Old Friends Do.”
Morrie Bender
(The following was written by Morrie’s partner, Kevin Hinton.)
Morrie Bender was born in Minneapolis on February 18, 1947 and died peacefully in his sleep on January 3, 2000 at his home in Oak Park, IL. Born and “reared” in Minneapolis, MN, Morrie’s early career was in law enforcement where he specialized in Polygraph exam techniques, leading to many years as director of security and stop-loss management for Rainbow Food Stores. Morrie became best known as bartender and bouncer for the Gay 90’s in Minneapolis where he suggested, planned, opened, promoted, and tended bar for the Men’s Room leather bar. He spent many years lovingly caring for both of his parents through long illnesses. The last eight years of his life were spent in Oak Park with his partner, Kevin Hinton, who remains eternally grateful for the opportunity to share Morrie’s path and learn first-hand his lessons of unconditional love and giving of yourself. Morrie always believed “What goes around, comes around,” so he shared his good fortune and kind spirit with the world every day. Morrie served on the Board of Directors for Community Response, Inc., an Oak Park-based AIDS service organization serving the west side of Chicago and 22 suburbs. He served a two-year term as President of M.A.F.I.A. (Mid-America Fists In Action) where his leadership is still recognized as a turning point in the club’s 25-year history. He touched many lives and will be remembered for his humor, caring, and his love for animals. (OK, OK. He was also a big, handsome, sexy man with a charming smile and a playful spirit!)
He is survived and is missed by Kevin and his family who “adopted” Morrie as another son, brother, and uncle; sister Sandra Taylor and brother Jerry of Los Angeles, brother Michael of Minneapolis; and all of his club brothers across the country who are also his family. A moving memorial service for Morrie was held on January 8, attended by 175. A gathering to celebrate Morrie’s life in the gay/leather/fetish community was held on Saturday, February 5 at Touché, a leather bar in Chicago.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, February 26
Leather/Levi Night in Duluth/Superior
9 pm-closing, The Main Club, Superior WI
Part of The Main Club’s old anniversary weekend. Wear your spurs and get 25 cents off your drinks.
Saturday, March 11
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
PHOTO: Scott Darst
PHOTO CREDIT: Ed Yort
PHOTO: Morrie Bender
PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Hinton
It saddens me to report that the Twin Cities leather community recently suffered the loss of two members, Scott Darst and Morrie Bender. (While Bender had lived in Chicago for the last several years, he was for many years an active member of the Twin Cities leather community and still maintained many friendships here.) Both will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by many, including your humble columnist.
Scott Allan Darst
Scott Darst, a long-time member of the Twin Cities leather community, was born on April 5, 1964 and passed away January 29, 2000. He is survived by his mother, Zona Paine; his brothers, Tom and Dan; and his sisters, Sheri and Therisa.
A memorial service held in Cannon Falls, Minnesota on Friday, February 4 was attended by a large and diverse group of relatives, co-workers (Scott was an employee of Hennepin County) and friends, including many in leather. Scott was remembered as kind and caring, creative, funny, hard-working and good with people. As a co-worker stated, Scott found happiness in “sharing himself with the universe.” Special music was provided by Scott’s roommate Richard, who played guitar and sang a song that Scott had always loved and had asked him to sing at his funeral—“except,” as Richard put it, “it wasn’t supposed to be so soon.”
For many years Scott was a member of the Black Guard of Minneapolis, so it was fitting that on Sunday, February 6, the Guard held their own memorial gathering at The Brass Rail in downtown Minneapolis. The evening included the showing of a videotape of Scott’s performances in various Black Frost run shows through the years, and the gathering concluded with a Black Guard tradition: an emotional singing of ABBA’s “The Way Old Friends Do.”
Morrie Bender
(The following was written by Morrie’s partner, Kevin Hinton.)
Morrie Bender was born in Minneapolis on February 18, 1947 and died peacefully in his sleep on January 3, 2000 at his home in Oak Park, IL. Born and “reared” in Minneapolis, MN, Morrie’s early career was in law enforcement where he specialized in Polygraph exam techniques, leading to many years as director of security and stop-loss management for Rainbow Food Stores. Morrie became best known as bartender and bouncer for the Gay 90’s in Minneapolis where he suggested, planned, opened, promoted, and tended bar for the Men’s Room leather bar. He spent many years lovingly caring for both of his parents through long illnesses. The last eight years of his life were spent in Oak Park with his partner, Kevin Hinton, who remains eternally grateful for the opportunity to share Morrie’s path and learn first-hand his lessons of unconditional love and giving of yourself. Morrie always believed “What goes around, comes around,” so he shared his good fortune and kind spirit with the world every day. Morrie served on the Board of Directors for Community Response, Inc., an Oak Park-based AIDS service organization serving the west side of Chicago and 22 suburbs. He served a two-year term as President of M.A.F.I.A. (Mid-America Fists In Action) where his leadership is still recognized as a turning point in the club’s 25-year history. He touched many lives and will be remembered for his humor, caring, and his love for animals. (OK, OK. He was also a big, handsome, sexy man with a charming smile and a playful spirit!)
He is survived and is missed by Kevin and his family who “adopted” Morrie as another son, brother, and uncle; sister Sandra Taylor and brother Jerry of Los Angeles, brother Michael of Minneapolis; and all of his club brothers across the country who are also his family. A moving memorial service for Morrie was held on January 8, attended by 175. A gathering to celebrate Morrie’s life in the gay/leather/fetish community was held on Saturday, February 5 at Touché, a leather bar in Chicago.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, February 26
Leather/Levi Night in Duluth/Superior
9 pm-closing, The Main Club, Superior WI
Part of The Main Club’s old anniversary weekend. Wear your spurs and get 25 cents off your drinks.
Saturday, March 11
Atons Leather/Levi Night
Location and time to be determined
Call the Atons HotLine for more information and to make reservations. Information is also available at the club’s website: www.atons.com.
Friday, February 11, 2000
Notable Locals Nominated for Pantheon of Leather Awards
(Leather Life column published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #123, February 11, 2000)
Welcome Black Frost Attendees
A special welcome to folks from out of town visiting for Black Frost 23/”When Pigs Fly,” which happens Feb. 18-20 (see details below and in the Calendar). Have a safe, enjoyable weekend!
PHOTO: P.J. Knight, nominated for Woman of the Year
GRAPHIC: T.I.E.S. (Tremendously Intense Erotic Sensations), nominated for Club of the Year
GRAPHIC: The Minneapolis Eagle, nominated for Business of the Year
PHOTO: Joshua and Thomas Smith, nominated for Couple of the Year (formerly of the Twin Cities, now of Palm Springs, CA)
PHOTO: Cori Ander, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
PHOTO: Sam Carlisle, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
PHOTO: Gary O’Neill, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
PHOTO: Joshua Smith, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
Representing Minnesota in the 2000 Olympus Leather Contest:
PHOTO: David Coral, Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather 2000
PHOTO: Mistress Hannah, Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather 2000
The Twin Cities leather community received a record number of nominations for this year’s Pantheon of Leather community service awards. There were a total of eight local nominations: P.J. Knight for Woman of the Year; T.I.E.S. for Club of the Year; The Minneapolis Eagle for Business of the Year; Thomas and Joshua Smith for Couple of the Year; and Cori Ander, Sam Carlisle, Gary O’Neill and Joshua Smith for the Midwest Regional Award. The award winners will be announced at this year’s tenth-anniversary Pantheon of Leather award ceremonies on the evening of Friday, Feb. 25 in New Orleans. Awards will be presented this year in 22 categories.
Then, on Saturday evening, Feb. 26, David Coral and Mistress Hannah will represent Minnesota in the Mr. and Ms. Olympus Leather contest. Cori Ander, who brought the national Ms.Olympus Leather title home to Minnesota last year, will be on the judging panel to help select her successor; also on the judging panel will be Mr. International Rubber 1999 Thomas Smith, a former Twin Cities resident currently living in Palm Springs, CA.
Pantheon of Leather is a non-profit organization; the president is Dave Rhodes, who is also editor and publisher of The Leather Journal and theleatherjournal.com, “a news magazine reporting news as it relates to all aspects of the Leather community.” For more information, including updated announcements of Pantheon award and Olympus Leather contest winners, visit www.theleatherjournal.com.
Black Guard’s Black Frost 23 features production of “When Pigs Fly”
The Black Guard has made a name for themselves over the years by producing raucous run shows. How to follow last year’s Wizard of Oz? This year they’re doing something new in the history of leather club run shows: they’re doing a production of an actual show, direct from the New York stage.
When Pigs Fly, the show the Black Guard is staging in conjunction with their 23rd annual Black Frost run, is “a gleefully over-the-top musical revue with catchy, upbeat music” (Variety) and a “hog heaven of silliness” (Associated Press). When Pigs Fly features 20 musical numbers and over 150 costume changes. (The Black Guard has been in rehearsal for the show since the beginning of October.) The show’s creator, Howard Crabtree, was a legendary theatrical costume designer and “out” gay man who unfortunately died just days before the show’s New York opening—but what a legacy he left!
The Black Guard’s charitable organization of Because We Care will perform the show Saturday night, Feb. 19 at the Mall of America’s Camp Snoopy Playhouse Theater. Doors open at 6:45 PM, dinner is at 7 PM and the show follows at 8 PM. Dinner/show price is $40; proceeds will be going to AIDS charities. Call to make your reservation.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, February 12
Atons Leather/Levi Night and Officer Installation
7 PM, Backstage@Bravo, 900 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
Drinks and 28th Annual Club Officers’ Installation at 7 PM in the Blue Room (upstairs). Dinner following installation, about 8:15 PM, on the first floor. Please call the Atons HotLine to make reservations.
Friday, February 18
Atons Club Colors Night
7:30-10:30 PM, The Minneapolis Eagle
The saga of Paul Bunyan continues in anticipation of the Atons’ Bunyan-themed Gopher XIV run happening in July. Drink specials and door prizes. $3 at the door.
Saturday, February 19
The Black Guard presents When Pigs Fly
Doors open 6:45 PM, dinner at 7 PM, show at 8 PM, Camp Snoopy Playhouse Theater, Mall of America
Part of Black Frost 23 run events, this dinner and show is open to everyone, not just run participants. Proceeds to AIDS charities. $40 includes dinner and show.
Saturday, February 26
Leather/Levi Night in Duluth/Superior
9 pm-closing, The Main Club, Superior WI
Part of The Main Club’s old anniversary weekend. Wear your spurs and get 25 cents off your drinks.
Welcome Black Frost Attendees
A special welcome to folks from out of town visiting for Black Frost 23/”When Pigs Fly,” which happens Feb. 18-20 (see details below and in the Calendar). Have a safe, enjoyable weekend!
PHOTO: P.J. Knight, nominated for Woman of the Year
GRAPHIC: T.I.E.S. (Tremendously Intense Erotic Sensations), nominated for Club of the Year
GRAPHIC: The Minneapolis Eagle, nominated for Business of the Year
PHOTO: Joshua and Thomas Smith, nominated for Couple of the Year (formerly of the Twin Cities, now of Palm Springs, CA)
PHOTO: Cori Ander, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
PHOTO: Sam Carlisle, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
PHOTO: Gary O’Neill, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
PHOTO: Joshua Smith, nominated for Midwest Regional Award
Representing Minnesota in the 2000 Olympus Leather Contest:
PHOTO: David Coral, Mr. Minnesota Olympus Leather 2000
PHOTO: Mistress Hannah, Ms. Minnesota Olympus Leather 2000
The Twin Cities leather community received a record number of nominations for this year’s Pantheon of Leather community service awards. There were a total of eight local nominations: P.J. Knight for Woman of the Year; T.I.E.S. for Club of the Year; The Minneapolis Eagle for Business of the Year; Thomas and Joshua Smith for Couple of the Year; and Cori Ander, Sam Carlisle, Gary O’Neill and Joshua Smith for the Midwest Regional Award. The award winners will be announced at this year’s tenth-anniversary Pantheon of Leather award ceremonies on the evening of Friday, Feb. 25 in New Orleans. Awards will be presented this year in 22 categories.
Then, on Saturday evening, Feb. 26, David Coral and Mistress Hannah will represent Minnesota in the Mr. and Ms. Olympus Leather contest. Cori Ander, who brought the national Ms.Olympus Leather title home to Minnesota last year, will be on the judging panel to help select her successor; also on the judging panel will be Mr. International Rubber 1999 Thomas Smith, a former Twin Cities resident currently living in Palm Springs, CA.
Pantheon of Leather is a non-profit organization; the president is Dave Rhodes, who is also editor and publisher of The Leather Journal and theleatherjournal.com, “a news magazine reporting news as it relates to all aspects of the Leather community.” For more information, including updated announcements of Pantheon award and Olympus Leather contest winners, visit www.theleatherjournal.com.
Black Guard’s Black Frost 23 features production of “When Pigs Fly”
The Black Guard has made a name for themselves over the years by producing raucous run shows. How to follow last year’s Wizard of Oz? This year they’re doing something new in the history of leather club run shows: they’re doing a production of an actual show, direct from the New York stage.
When Pigs Fly, the show the Black Guard is staging in conjunction with their 23rd annual Black Frost run, is “a gleefully over-the-top musical revue with catchy, upbeat music” (Variety) and a “hog heaven of silliness” (Associated Press). When Pigs Fly features 20 musical numbers and over 150 costume changes. (The Black Guard has been in rehearsal for the show since the beginning of October.) The show’s creator, Howard Crabtree, was a legendary theatrical costume designer and “out” gay man who unfortunately died just days before the show’s New York opening—but what a legacy he left!
The Black Guard’s charitable organization of Because We Care will perform the show Saturday night, Feb. 19 at the Mall of America’s Camp Snoopy Playhouse Theater. Doors open at 6:45 PM, dinner is at 7 PM and the show follows at 8 PM. Dinner/show price is $40; proceeds will be going to AIDS charities. Call to make your reservation.
Upcoming Leather Events (for Calendar section)
Saturday, February 12
Atons Leather/Levi Night and Officer Installation
7 PM, Backstage@Bravo, 900 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.
Drinks and 28th Annual Club Officers’ Installation at 7 PM in the Blue Room (upstairs). Dinner following installation, about 8:15 PM, on the first floor. Please call the Atons HotLine to make reservations.
Friday, February 18
Atons Club Colors Night
7:30-10:30 PM, The Minneapolis Eagle
The saga of Paul Bunyan continues in anticipation of the Atons’ Bunyan-themed Gopher XIV run happening in July. Drink specials and door prizes. $3 at the door.
Saturday, February 19
The Black Guard presents When Pigs Fly
Doors open 6:45 PM, dinner at 7 PM, show at 8 PM, Camp Snoopy Playhouse Theater, Mall of America
Part of Black Frost 23 run events, this dinner and show is open to everyone, not just run participants. Proceeds to AIDS charities. $40 includes dinner and show.
Saturday, February 26
Leather/Levi Night in Duluth/Superior
9 pm-closing, The Main Club, Superior WI
Part of The Main Club’s old anniversary weekend. Wear your spurs and get 25 cents off your drinks.
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