Leather Lens: Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014

(Published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #484, December 19, 2013)

Jason Little captured the sash at the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014 contest, which took place at the Minneapolis Eagle complex Nov. 15-17. This year’s Mr. Minneapolis Eagle contest was the largest and best-attended in the event’s history and attracted an unprecedented number of out-of-town visitors.

The weekend started with a Greet-the-Meat party Friday evening in the Minneapolis Eagle. On Saturday afternoon the contestants had their private interviews with the judges, while other weekend attendees enjoyed a Kink U session discussing “Kink on a Budget.”

As Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014, Jason Little will represent The Minneapolis Eagle and Minnesota’s leather community in the 35th annual International Mr. Leather competition (<www.imrl.com>), May 23-26, 2014 (Memorial Day weekend) in Chicago.

The contestants in the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014 contest. Left to right: Ivan E. Nuñez, Jason Little (Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014), Tim Hotchkin (first runner-up) and Bernd Geels.

Ivan E. Nuñez during the contest’s traditional Keg Walk segment.

Tim Hotchkin during the Keg Walk.

Bernd Geels during the Question-and-Answer portion of the contest.

Jason Little during the Erotic Fantasy portion of the contest.

Seen at the pre-contest party are three out-of-town guest judges for this year’s contest. Left to right are Andy Cross (Mr. San Francisco Leather 2013 and International Mr. Leather 2013); Nick Zuko (Mr. Chicago Leather 2013); and Thib Guicherd-Callin (Mr. Santa Clara County Leather 2012 and first runner-up for International Mr. Leather 2013). Other judges were Daddy Don (International Puppy Trainer 2012); Derek Harley (Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2012); Ryan Brown (Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2013); Tommy Rosengren; and Lady Carol.

Jason Little, the new Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014, waves to the crowd as his predecessor, Ryan Brown, watches from the wings.

Interview with Andy Cross, International Mr. Leather 2013

Andy Cross, International Mr. Leather 2013. 

(Published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #482, November 21, 2013)

Andy Cross, the current International Mr. Leather (IML) titleholder, will be in Minneapolis this weekend as one of the judges of the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014 contest. I recently called him in San Francisco and asked a few questions.

Did you have any childhood inklings that leather might someday be an interest of yours? My first memory of leather—and it has stuck with me all these years, so it’s pretty formidable, I guess—is when my uncle, my father’s brother, came to visit us one time. He was a motorcycle guy and came in wearing chaps and a leather jacket. I wasn’t so much attracted to him as attracted to the leather. I remember, he let me wear his jacket, and I thought it was the coolest thing. I loved the smell of it. There was just something that was inherently manly and sexy about the leather for some reason. And it’s been a turn-on ever since.

What went through your mind when your name was called as International Mr. Leather 2013? It was so great because I wasn’t expecting it at all. And I think the thing that meant the most to me was that there were a lot of San Francisco people in the audience, some of the guys who had helped me prepare.

How has your title year been so far? It’s been busy, but it’s been fantastic. It’s definitely been the ride of my life. I’ve met so many people and seen so many cool things.

One of the most rewarding things is that I’ve had the opportunity to visit communities and tell them what other communities do. For instance, one of my very first trips was to Des Moines, and they have a really large young leather community there—which is fantastic! Then I go to another community, and in talking to them they say that they don’t have the young leather community. I have the opportunity to spread the fire, so to speak, and say Des Moines does this, and it attracted all these young people.

And I get to visit cool places. I was in Alaska a few weeks ago. I’m going to Europe in a few months. I was in Texas a few days ago. And I’m going to Los Angeles on Thursday.

And you’re coming to Minneapolis to be one of the judges for this year’s Mr. Minneapolis Eagle Contest. I am. I’m looking forward to it.

What other contests have you judged as IML? I’ve judged Mr. Michigan Leather, and I just judged the Mr. Third Coast Leather contest in Houston. Next week I judge the Mr. Regiment Leather contest in L.A. I have a lot of contests coming up in November, and also in January and February.

As you judge the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle contest, what will you be looking for? I’ll be looking for someone that I want to talk to. Especially in an interview, I’m not necessarily looking at the content of their answers or what their opinions on certain things are, because everyone has their own opinions. I’m looking to see if they’re genuinely a nice guy, and if I approached them in a bar or at a party, would I want to talk to them? Would I want to hear what the leather community is like in Minneapolis if they were telling me? That’s really the most important thing that I look for.

What do you want to accomplish during your title year? That was actually one of my questions during the IML interview. The question actually was, fast-forward a year and you’re IML—what would you want to be remembered for? And my answer was kind of what I already said, being a conduit of information between regions or communities. I mean, that’s how we grow as a community, and that’s how we change, and I think growing and changing is essential.

Have you thought about what you want to do after your title year is over? Sleep in at least for one weekend! But other than that, like I said before, I’m having the ride of my life, and I love it right now. So I guess I’ll have to cross that bridge when it comes.

Kink U Debuts, and Twin Cities Leather Adds Latte

(Published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #480, October 24, 2013)

The leather/BDSM/fetish community strongly believes in education. In that spirit, a day-long educational event called Kink U Minneapolis was presented on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Minneapolis Eagle/Bolt Underground.

The day was divided into five segments. The first, a demonstration and workshop on bodily-impact play, was presented by Jazz Thomas, assisted by Kyle Truss, Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2013. That workshop was followed by a panel discussion of Master/slave and Dominant/submissive relationships. In addition to Thomas and Truss, panel members were Randy Ingram; Bud Lile; Jayson Glynn, Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2011; and Slavepup Axel, International Puppy 2013, visiting from Washington, D.C. The discussion was moderated by Ryan Brown, Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2013.  During this segment lunch was provided by Twin Cities Leather.

The remaining three demonstration/workshops of the day were rope and bondage, presented by Creg; electrical play, presented by Sir M; and flogging, presented by Randy Ingram and Bud Lile.

At the conclusion of the day’s demonstrations and workshops, the crowd moved to an evening barbecue hosted by Twin Cities Leather and held at the company’s new retail space (see below). Then it was back to the Minneapolis Eagle for a special Gear Night which incorporated the launch of the North Star Kennel Club, a new Twin Cities club for (human) pups and their handlers.

Kink U Minneapolis was produced locally by Ryan Brown and Jason Zahlen and regionally by Titans of the Midwest (<www.titansofthemidwest.org>), a regional organization focused on kink education. (Other Kink U seminars have been presented in Cincinnati, Des Moines and Kansas City.) Event sponsors included the Minneapolis Eagle/Bolt Bar, Twin Cities Leather, and the Atons of Minneapolis and the Knights of Leather who provided presenters.

More Kink U workshops are being planned as part of the upcoming Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2014 contest weekend. That contest takes place Saturday evening, November 16, when Ryan Brown will sash his successor. One of this year's judges will be a special guest: Andy Cross, the current International Mr. Leather. If you want to compete, email 2012mme@gmail.com for an application.

______

Local fetish-gear merchant Twin Cities Leather, formerly located in the Loring Park area,  has moved to a new location at 2717 Hennepin Ave. S., just north of Uptown in Minneapolis. With the new location comes a new name: Twin Cities Leather & Latte. Yes, the leather shop will be combined with a coffeehouse and community meeting space—a place to meet, eat, caffeinate and shop for gear and accessories. As far as the owners know, there is nothing like this anywhere else.

In the spirit of Twin Cities Leather’s mission and motto of "Community First," the owners have created a space that will be welcoming to everyone in the neighborhood and beyond.  The interior features blue and gray walls with white woodwork and red accents, and light streams through the many windows. In nice weather, a front terrace and a back deck and yard provide plenty of outdoor seating. A wheelchair ramp makes the space accessible and welcoming to everyone.

Twin Cities Leather has always sought to provide the highest quality in both merchandise and service, and they are applying the same philosophy to the beverages they serve. Coffee will be supplied by locally-based Roastery 7 Artisan Coffee, and one of the offerings will be “a unique Leather & Latte coffee/espresso blend.”

Twin Cities Leather & Latte wants to be a gathering place, a supplier of community needs (apparel and other goods), a good neighbor in their urban neighborhood, and a visible and proud manifestation of the Twin Cities kink community. That community appears ready to support this kind of business, as evidenced by the fact that a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com raised 40% more than its goal.

Find out more at Facebook.com (search for “Twin Cities Leather & Latte”) or call them at (612) 756-9TCL (756-9825)—one number for either the store or the coffeehouse. By the time you read this they should be open for business, so stop by and check them out. And watch for their Grand Opening festivities.

Leather Literature Review: Sexual Outsiders by David Ortmann and Richard Sprott

(Published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #478, September 26, 2013)

When your humble columnist was getting into leather (many, many years ago), the go-to book for newly minted gay leathermen was Larry Townsend’s The Leatherman’s Handbook. This book was, to say the least, enlightening. But I would not have wanted to show it to my therapist at the time, to say nothing of my parents or other family members.

My, how times have changed. Sexual Outsiders: Understanding BDSM Sexualities and Communities is a great new resource suitable for multiple audiences including those curious about or newly into leather, BDSM, fetish and kink—and, perhaps, their therapists and loved ones as well. For all these readers, authors David M. Ortmann and Richard A. Sprott have written a book that is a modern, reasoned, evenhanded introduction to the alternative sexual worlds of leather, BDSM, fetish and kink.

Ortmann and Sprott have a wealth of expertise to share. Ortmann is a psychotherapist and sex therapist in private practice, and much of the book consists of fascinating personal stories of some of his patients. In many instances, these stories are presented in the patient’s own words.

Sprott is a research psychologist and the executive director of the Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities (CARAS), an organization dedicated to furthering scientific investigation and scholarly analysis of understudied sexualities. And indeed, the book makes the very clear point that leather, BDSM, fetish and kink are woefully understudied, and that the many gaps in society’s understanding of these alternative sexualities have many negative consequences.

The authors use the personal stories in the book to illustrate the tremendous variety of people who make up the leather/BDSM/fetish/kink community, as well as to show how that community works. A large part of Ortmann’s and Sprott’s message is that this community has, in fact, developed around these alternative sexualities. This community is large, widespread and sophisticated—and a tremendously valuable resource for its members. Several times throughout the book, the authors stress the undesirability of trying to do BDSM in isolation and the desirability of participating in this community as a way of enhancing one’s kink journey.

Sexual Outsiders is written to appeal to several different audiences:

• The book could serve as a good basic introduction to leather, BDSM, fetish and kink for people new to, or curious about, these alternative sexualities.

• It could serve the same purpose for therapists and other health professionals responsible for the care and treatment of kinky people.

• Readers who do not identify as kinky, but who have a family member or friend who does, will find answers to many of the questions they may have.

• Finally, longtime members of the leather/BDSM/fetish community will enjoy reading the personal stories of the people profiled in the book, and will find the authors’ commentary throughout the book thought-provoking.

(Here’s a private tip for longtime community members: As you read this book, try to put yourself in the position of someone new to the community, or even outside the community. Your empathy, as well as your appreciation for what the authors have created, will increase greatly.)

Because the book is addressed to so many different audiences, however, some readers might encounter challenges. Although the authors’ writing style is generally approachable, readers who are not therapists or mental-health professionals may be put off by instances of therapist-speak sprinkled throughout the text. Similarly, readers not acquainted with the basics of Freudian, or especially Jungian, psychology may occasionally feel out of their depth.

But these are, in the end, minor quibbles. In Sexual Outsiders Ortmann and Sprott have created a worthwhile addition to the leather/BDSM/fetish/kink community’s canon of literature about itself, as well as a useful contribution to the scholarly and academic literature about alternative sexualities.

(Sexual Outsiders: Understanding BDSM Sexualities and Communities by David M. Ortmann and Richard A. Sprott. 173 pp. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.)

Hardy Haberman Discusses Leather Traditions and Protocols

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Pride in Pictures

(Published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #474, August 1, 2013)

Issue 474 was the 2013 Pride in Pictures edition. I submitted some photos but no captions or cutlines.

Knights of Leather Celebrate 25th-Anniversary Tournament

(Published in Lavender Magazine, Issue #472, July 4, 2013)

Members of the Knights of Leather.

The Knights of Leather recently held their silver-anniversary Tournament 25 run. In keeping with this anniversary the theme of the run was, simply, “Silver.”

The Knights Tournament run is modeled on medieval tournaments, a weekend of games, rituals, camaraderie, a formal banquet—and rustic, rough-hewn, candle-lit dungeons in the woods. This year’s run was held the weekend of May 31-June 2 and was sold out, with more than 100 people in attendance. Those 100 people included representatives of 10 clubs, organizations, and groups. In addition to Minnesota, attendees came from North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Texas.

Many members of another Twin Cities club, the Atons of Minneapolis, attended this year’s Tournament as a show of support and solidarity with the Knights. The Atons, who last year celebrated their 40th anniversary, played a part years ago in helping the Knights of Leather form as a club.

Founded in 1985 in the Twin Cities as a club exclusively for leatherwomen, the Knights were reconstituted in 2000 as a pansexual leather club. Although there were clubs for leatherwomen on both coasts, The Knights of Leather was the first club for leatherwomen in the Midwest.

In attendance at Tournament 25 was PJ Knight, the club’s first pledge (or “squire”) and now the most senior member of the club. On Friday evening Knight hosted “Tournament 101,” an orientation session and tour of the grounds for those who had never before attended Tournament. Later on Friday evening, the traditional ceremony of remembrance was held around the campfire.

On Saturday afternoon PJ Knight and your humble columnist were two members of a five-member panel sharing their memories concerning local and national leather history. In addition, available all weekend in the main lodge were notebooks, photo albums, and scrapbooks documenting the history of both the Knights of Leather and Minnesota’s GLBT and leather communities.

Eight other educational seminars and workshops were presented on Saturday as well. Topics included switching, tops playing with tops, slave positions, pet play and “rope scenes for all.”

In keeping with the weekend’s “Silver” theme, both decor and guest attire for Saturday evening’s formal banquet were filled with glittery, shiny, silvery, sparkly things. The pre-banquet cocktail hour was hosted by The Atons of Minneapolis.

So what comes after 25? Next year the Knights will present Tournament 26, the theme of which was announced during the Tournament 25 weekend as “Alphabet Soup: Kink from A to Z.” For more information about Tournament 26 and the Knights of Leather, visit <http://www.knightsofleather.com>.