Leatherati

News to Abuse: Rubber: Gear and Kink - 2 More for KC - Power Exchange Summit

Leathermen's Discussion Group

Rick Holte and Seven Mitchell, the coordinators of Rubbermen of San Francisco, join us for a discussion and demonstration of rubber as gear and as kink:

• Kinds of rubber and how to buy it
• The care and feeding of rubber and how to store it
• Tears, repairs, and how do I get this on? 
• Playing with rubber 
• Rubber bondage!

This Leathermen's Discussion Group is on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at the Mr S. Playspace, 385A Eighth Street and starts promptly at 7:30 p.m.  Doors open at 7:00 and close at 8:00 pm.

Leather, gear or fetish wear, even nudity always encouraged, never required.  No admission charge.  Open to all adults.  Most LDG programs are video-recorded.  Ample seating is provided out of camera range.

2 more screenings for Kink Crusaders 

The London Premiere of KC will be at  at the Riverside Studios on Thursday, February 16th 9:20pm.  Director Mike Skiff, Editor Dorjan Williams and IML 2003 titleholder John Pendal are scheduled to attend.

The screening is part of the Deep Desires and Broken Dreams gay film celebration more info at http://www.sydneyleatherpride.org/cgi-bin/cart/newevents.cgi?display=78

Plus an afterparty at The Hoist!

The New Zealand premiere of Kink Crusaders for Bears On Screen - Bear New Zealand Week 2012 is set for Thursday, February 16th - doors open at 6pm, film starts at 6:30pm at the Rialto Cinemas Newmarket, Auckland  Check out the website for details - http://www.number8films.com/film-nights.htm

Bear New Zealand Week is New Zealand's premiere Bear week and runs from Feb 12th-19th

The Power eXchange Summit

This brand new event takes place June 1 - 3, 2012 in Columbus, OH.  The event is brought to us by the authors of the highly acclaimed Living M/s and sponsored by Adventures in Sexuality.  The weekend is targeting the quickly growing subculture of total power exchange relationships.

More info on how you can be a part of this first-ever event is available at www.powerexchangesummit.org

IML 2012 Judges Announced

Chuck Renslow and the Board of Directors of International Mr. Leather are pleased to announce the Judges and Tally Masters for International Mr. Leather 2012.

The Judges for the 34th International Mr. Leather competition are:

• Eric Guttierez, Annecy, France – International Mr. Leather 2011
• Brian Conway, Denver, CO – Co-Owner/Producer, Thunder in The Mountain
• Jaak Evert, Tartu, Estonia – Club President, LMC Estonia
• David Hughes, New York, NY – Founding President, NY boys of Leather and Mr. East Coast Rubber, 2005
• Richard Hunter, San Francisco, CA – Owner, Mr. S Leather
• Steve Ranger, Washington, DC – President, Centaur Motorcycle Club and Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather, 2005
• Ira Smith, Fort Lauderdale, FL – Renowned Erotic Artist and Founding Member of the Leather Masked Ball
• Dave Watt, Kalamazoo, MI – Creator of the Mr. Friendly HIV Awareness Campaign and Mr. Michigan Leather, 2009
• Andrea Zanin, Toronto, Canada – Erotic Author and Blogger a.k.a “Sex Geek”

The Tally Masters for IML 2012 are:

• George Brown, Grand Rapids, MI – Mr. Cellblock Leatherman, 2005
• Paul Cantrell, Chicago, IL – President, Chicago Hellfire Club

International Mr. Leather 2012 will be held Friday, May 25 through Monday, May 28, 2012 (Memorial Day Weekend) in Chicago. The Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 East Wacker Drive, is the official host hotel for IML 2012.

Check out the website for weekend information, ticketing, hotel reservations. 

 

Interview with Mike Skiff - Director "Kink Crusaders"

We had a chance to catch up with Mike Skiff of Third Rail Media about his IML documentary Kink Crusaders and other projects.

Kink Crusaders has been getting great play at film festivals around the world and in fact was shown at Out On Film in Atlanta this past weekend as well as the Portland Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.  

Upcoming showings of the film are scheduled for Tampa and Albuquerque on October 8 and the Los Angeles premiere on October 14th as a part of the CineKink festival.

Check out Mike's interview after the jump

News to Abuse: Internet Killed the Leather Scene - IML Tix Sale - Beyond Vanilla

How The Internet Killed (Or Maybe Just Changed) Dallas' Leather Scene

A pretty intersting article from the Dallas Observer that dives into the BDSM/Leather scene in Dallas.  The article sends you away with few hard conclusions but still manages to entertainingly illuminate some of the changes the local Dallas community is dealing with, if not exactly embracing.

It's written for an audience that may not be substantially "in the know" so you hard corers out there may find it a bit tame and charming.  Still, in all, it a very fair reporting on the scene and definitely worth a ready.  Read the full article after the jump.

IML Ticket Sale

The IML 34th anniversary weekend package sale is being extended.

Buy your tickets now for IML 2012 and save up to 20%. IML producers tell us this sale will not be extended indefinitely, so act fast!

IML staff also report that hotel reservations will be accepted soon. Check www.imrl.com for info. 

Beyond Vanilla XXI

The National Leather Association-Dallas presents Beyond Vanilla XXI.

Beyond Vanilla is their annual Leather/Fetish/BDSM event featuring 2 days of workshops and lectures, play parties and entertainment.

It all takes place at the Sterling Hotel in Dallas, Texas form September 30 - October 2, 2011.  Get more info on the Beyond Vanilla website.

Chuck Renslow on Discrimination Towards Leather Community

Mike Skiff from Third Rail Media shared an interview he did with IML founder and executive producer Chuck Renslow on the subject of discrimination towards leather folk from both the mainstream and the LGBT communities.

Check it out after the jump

"Kink Crusaders" Snubbed by SoCal LGBT Film Festivals

If you live in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Austin or Houston, the award-winning Leather documentary Kink Crusaders has – or will – screen at an LGBT film festival in your city.

If you are a citizen of Canada, Germany, Denmark, Whales, Scotland, or Australia, Kink Crusaders will have invaded your country in 2011.

But if you live in the Los Angeles area (home to several past IML winners, high profile community organizations and well-known leather people) forget trying to see Kink Crusaders at your local LGBT film festivals.

Both Outfest and Long Beach Q Film Festival have recently snubbed Kink Crusaders.

The documentary, which looks at the International Mr. Leather competition and it’s evolution, as well as how the leather community has confronted AIDS, intolerance and criminalization of personal sexual freedom, features scenes of LA area gay pride marches and leather competitions.

Plus, it was produced and directed by LA-based Third Rail Media long time supporters of our leather scene.

News to Abuse: Hotlanta Gear - IML Tix Sale - Kink Crusader Calendar

Hotlanta Gear

The Hotlanta Rubber Group is changing its name to the Hotlanta Rubber and Gear Club.  Oh, any by the way, they're going to need a new club logo now so if you're juices are flowing send em some ideas and grab some of your 15 minutes of fame.
 
Be sure to bring your Gearhead friends with you to their club nights the fourth Friday of each month at the Atlanta Eagle and pack the Eagle with rubber, sports, military, and any other type of play gear that makes you hard and gets you off!

More info on the website www.hotlantarubber.com

More News to Abuse after the jump

IML 33 - Chuck Renslow Contest Speech

The IML Producers asked Leatherati to post this speech from the opening ceremonies of the IML 33 contest finals. Unfortunately most of this inspirational speech from IML Executive Producer and Founder Chuck Renslow didn't get delivered that night due to time considerations. So here it is in its entirety

Good evening and welcome. Welcome to the International Mr. Leather Contest and welcome to the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. Isn't this place amazing?

Speaking about amazing, I sure hope your all having an amazing time here in Chicago as we etch a little more IML history into the city. And what an amazing time to be in this city. We have a new Mayor of Chicago. Rohm Emanuel took his oath of office just two weeks ago about 100 feet above us in Millennium Park. The President of the United States just opened his re-election campaign office directly across the street in the Prudential Building.

Woof Camp 2011 Wrap Up

Woof Camp 2011, the free annual puppy party held at International Mr. Leather in Chicago, IL, is over for another year! All weekend long, people kept stopping by and telling Scott Douglas (owner of SquarePeg Toys and sponsor of Woof Camp) and myself, how this was the best Woof Camp yet and how much fun they had! In a few weeks you can visit the WoofCamp.com website to see photos of what occurred at this year's Woof Camp 2011 or visit Woof Camp's Official Photographer Rich Stadtmiller's website at http://bit.ly/imy74O .

The two session pup party was held this year on Saturday night, May 28th , instead of the usual Friday night, and was even more heavily attended than in past years. The private session was from 9pm-10pm (when only canines and Handlers/Trainers were allowed into the event space) and the public session was from 10pm-Midnight. The three-hour event was a great success with over 85 pups/canines, 52 Handlers/Trainers and more

Pantheon of Leather Awards Recipients

The recipients of the Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards XXI Regional Awards were announced during a press conference on the Leather Market stage at International Mr. Leather at the Hyatt Regency Chicago Hotel on Saturday afternoon, May 28.

The Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards Show will be held on stage at the Sanctuary Studios LAX in Los Angeles, CA on Friday night, August 5 in Los Angeles, CA.

Complete information for registration and reserving rooms at the host Hilton LAX Hotel and the Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards and the International Mr. and Ms Olympus Leather 2011 Contest is available at www.internationalolympusleather.com 

2011 Regional Award Recipients

• International Award Jaco Lourens from South Africa
• Canadian Award, Master Tony Palazzo
• Florida Regional Award, Matt Wol
• Mid Atlantic Regional Award, Brandon Riley
• Midwest Regional Award, Charlie Schoenherr
• Great Lakes Regional Award, David Watt
• New England Regional Award Danny Winters
• Northeast Regional Award, Bruce-Michael Gelbert
• Northwest Regional Award, Andy Mangels
• Northern California Regional Award, Roger Hunt and Lance Holman
• Rocky Mountain Regional Award, Leigha Fleming
• South Central Regional Award, Dan Perry
• Southeast Regional Award, Thomas Smith
• Southern California Regional Award, Richard Denton