International Ms. Leather 2014 - April 24-27

As part of my package for winning Ms. SF Leather, I was lucky enough to receive a free pass to attend International Ms. Leather (IMsL) 2014, which was held April 24-27 in San Jose, CA.

At this event, IMsL (International Ms. Leather) and IMsBB (International Ms. Bootblack) are selected.  It's in effect a pageant, but it's so much more. IMsL is a four-day BDSM convention, with educational workshops, bootblacking, large events in the ballroom every evening, including the contest on Saturday night, a hospitality suite hosted by various clubs and organizations throughout the event, and 24-hour play spaces for all genders. I consider IMsL to be a woman-centered event that is open to everyone, with the majority of attendees somewhere on the queer spectrum. I have attended IMsL for six of the last seven years, pretty much since the event started being held in the Bay Area, and I have always had a great time. 

In the past, I volunteered for IMsL many of the years I have attended. Whether I had a formal role, such as assisting the education chief (as I did twice), or just working a shift here and there, volunteering was a good way to feel useful at the event, to meet people, and to reduce the cost of attending.  As the current Ms. SF Leather, I had a free package and did not *need* to volunteer.  So, since I am planning to compete in the event next year, and expect to be very busy, I decided to dedicate this weekend as much as possible to the pursuit of FUN. Other than representing my title in the titleholders' parade, I had only one real obligation, which was to assist with the hospitality suite on Saturday afternoon that The Exiles and Ms SF Leather organizations co-hosted, so there was plenty of time for fun! Here's some of what I did over the weekend...

• Thursday.  Attended the Thursday evening Seduction event, and then went to the play space, where I had an appointment. What happens in the play space stays in the play space! Sorry, but you just had to be there.
• Friday. Hung out with friends. Went to class. Visited the hospitality suite. Attended the opening ceremonies, where I carried the Union Jack in the parade of flags of countries represented at the event, and represented my title in my sash.  Went back to the play space, where I had another appointment. Went back up to the hospitality suite, where a party was going on. Enjoyed the party, spent time talking with old friends and meeting new ones. Ran into a friend there, and we went down to the play space for some more fun.
• Saturday. Took some time out from IMsL to go to services at the local synagogue. Got back in time to assist with the Exiles and Ms SF Leather hospitality suite. Had my picture taken with IMsL 1999, Pam Meyer.
  
  Later, I went to the contest, got photographed with IMsL 2007, Lauren Ide, 
  
  and watched the contestants' speeches and fantasies.  Here I am with IMsBB 2014 (and Oregon State Bootblack 2013) Dara, right after the winners were announced,
  
  and here I am with IMsL 2014 (and Ms. Leather Toronto 2013) Patty, later on at an informal party for the winners and all the contestants. 

• Sunday. Attended the keynote brunch.  Here I am there with Ms SF Leather 2012, and first runner-up for IMsL 2014, Nerine Mechanique.
  
  Originally, renowned trans activist Kate Bornstein was scheduled to deliver the keynote, and to be one of the contest judges, but because of health issues she could not attend. Author, storyteller and educator S. Bear Bergman was drafted in her place.  His speech was wonderful. (I am sure he was a great judge as well! I say this because the winners are both doing great jobs as I write this.) Later that day I managed to get back into the play space with a friend. Then, during the evening, I went to Bawdy Storytelling to hear people tell funny and sexy true stories.  This time the (curated) Bawdy Stories were joined by a Bawdy Slam where you could put your name in a hat to tell a story.  I almost hurt myself laughing at Laura Antoniou's hilarious story about a porn slam, and then as part of the Bawdy Slam I got to tell my own true story entitled "Turkey is not a Vegetable".  I also got to buy signed copies of Laura Antoniou's book "The Killer Wore Leather" and several of S. Bear Bergman's books. I went back into the play space with my wife, who made time in her busy schedule to hang out with me. Finally, she and I sat in the hospitality suite and chilled out with some of our friends until it was time to go to sleep.
• Monday.  Had to leave!  Sad face.  Can't wait until next year!

If you have read this far, you will have seen that I spent a lot of time in the play space. What I didn't mention directly is how much I enjoyed a whole weekend of being in the company of old friends and new, talking, eating together, hanging out by the pool, schmoozing, cruising, catching up, swapping stories, and just being together, in community. I feel at home at IMsL. I feel like I am with my tribe. 

My thanks to the producers and staff who put this event together. This year we had new producers, and from my point of view as an attendee, they really hit the ground running. I am looking forward to a fantastic IMsL 2015. 

This was just a brief report on the event.  As I alluded to earlier, for some things you just have to be there. So, be there! Mark your calendars for April 9-12, 2015. Don't miss it!

Title activities report - March/April 2014: Purim, leather contests, Golden Dildeaux Awards

The first thing that happened in March was the Mr SF Leather contest. I already blogged about that here, so let's move on ...

• March 8 - International Women's day and the birthday of one of my exes...  My wife Marilyn and I went to Black Saturday at the Powerhouse, to see my new sash husband Scott "Big Red" Farrell.  I failed to take any pictures, but please trust that we had fun! We also learned to avoid parking in Dore Alley at night, because of frequent car break-ins there.  I am not saying anything about our car having loads of broken glass or anything, but I can attest to the fact that the local cops know where the all-night car wash and vacuum is located. Also, when going to the Powerhouse, I now park on 10th Street, where it's also really safe to walk. Bonus!
• March 15 - Purim at Beth Israel Judea synagogue in San Francisco. My synagogue, B'nai Emunah (BE), colalborated with BIJ and two other congregations for a big Purim celebration. Purim is the Jewish festival where you are supposed to get dressed up in costume, and also to get drunk (if appropriate for you, of course). When my rabbi found out I was the current Ms SF Leather, he suggested I dress as that for Purim, so I did. The outfit was certainly quite a conversation-starter! Here's a picture of me and my wife and her kids, all dressed up for the event.
  
   
•  March 21-23 - Washington State Mr/Ms Leather Organization's annual contest for the Washington State Mr. and Ms. Leather and the new title of Washington State Bootblack. The contest meet and greet was held on Friday evening at Doghouse Leathers, a community-owned leather and toy store in the Capitol Hill district of Seattle. I got to meet the judges, contestants, and current titleholders, and to see some old friends. What a great evening! Then on Saturday evening, after spending the day walking Capitol Hill with old friends, it was time for the contest, held at The Cuff, a friendly gay bar with a stage in back, conveniently located right around the corner from Doghouse Leathers. Here are a couple of pics of me with Danelle, outgoing WA State Ms. Leather,
  
  
  
  
  and Stormy and Bill, current Mr. and Ms. Oregon State Leather. I like making new friends! The next day there was an awards brunch where the community and visitors got to mingle and where the new titleholders were officially introduced and given their regalia. Here's a picture of Becca Bee, WA State Bootblack, Tris Esclave, WA State Ms. Leather, and Erik Taylor, WA State Mr. Leather, with their sashes and vests on at the same time, which we are promised we will never see again! (A word to the wise - you usually only wear one at a time. But they just got them that minute, so they had them on together, on purpose.) Congratulations to all the titleholders!
  
  
  I had a fantastic time visiting Seattle. I received a very warm welcome, I met some really great people, I got to see some old friends too, and I can't wait to go back for another visit!
• March 29 - Mr. LA Leather contest. I went down just for the one night.  I decided to do this in  support of my gorgeous sash husband on his road to IML, but I was really glad I did because I had a great time.  Here I am with Big Red,
  
  and here I am with Big Red and the super handsome and all around good guy Eric Paul Leue, the new Mr. LA Leather 2014. Did I just mention handsome?  Congratulations to Eric - who is already doing a great job.
  
  
• Sometimes you have to work as well as party.  On April 5th, I attended another meeting of the San Francisco Pride Leather Contingent. The SF Eagle leather bar kindly let us meet on its pleasant patio. The meetings of the Leather Contingent are open, and any interested community member may attend.  Local folks, hit me up for info by emailing me via this blog. As I write, Pride is finished for 2014, but the meetings will start up again early in 2015 and I for one plan to stay involved.
• April 12 - another Black Saturday at the Powerhouse. Still no pictures!  What's with that?  Sorry.I had a great time though. The Powerhouse is a really friendly bar and I am glad to have had an excuse to get to visit there a bit more often. 
• April 13 - meeting with Liza and Jody, my contest producers and the reason I have this title, and other folks on their team.  The contest is in October and we have to do a bit of planning and logistics.  It was great to spend time with my producers, of whom I don't see as much as I would like.  Not that they are absent or anything.  I just really like them.
• April 18 - program of The Exiles: whips, with Zemis. The Exiles is my home club, and does BDSM education for women and everyone whose gender self-identification is other than male. I always enjoy going to our programs.  There is education, you can get cheap safe sex supplies, and there are other kinky women (and genderqueers, etc) to talk to.  How bad could that be?
• April 19 - the Golden Dildeaux Awards, sponsored by the Golden Gate Guards.  The Golden Dildeaux are humorous penis-shaped awards given out each year.  The Golden Dildeaux raise funds to benefit the AIDS Emergency Fund.  The awards were started in 1972 by the late Marcus Hernandez and were later taken over by the Golden Gate Guards.  The Golden Dildeaux are literally awards you can buy.  Anyone can nominate someone for one or more of the awards, and then anyone can vote for their favorite nominee.  It costs a dollar per vote, and you can vote with as many dollars as you like.  Remember, it's for a good cause! I was nominated in two categories: "Iron Lady" (not Margaret Thatcher, but best butch) and "The Great Beauty" (hottest current titleholder), and I came away with both.  Remember, you can buy these awards, otherwise do you think I would have beaten IML 2013 Andy Cross?  I am not that vain.  Here I am with my awards and a fellow happy winner.
  
  
• April 24-27. International Ms. Leather 2014. If I tried to describe everything that happened here, I would be writing all night. For now, suffice it to say that this was a really great weekend event - no, I mean REALLY GREAT!! I might do a report about it on "that other social networking site", but don't count on it - some things you just have to experience in person.

See you again soon for another episode of my travels. Thanks for reading!

Leather Alliance Weekend and Mr SF Leather Contest 2014

So, it's July.  Why am I reporting on an event that happened at the beginning of March?  Apparently, I have been too busy to write about my activities. To those of you who have been waiting for my posts, my sincere apologies.  I am making a big effort to get caught up, so let's see how that goes.

Feb 28 through Mar 2 was the SF Bay Area Leather Alliance weekend. On Friday we had a meet and greet at Mr. S Leather followed by a roast of outgoing Mr SF Leather Andy Cross at the BeatBox. Here I am at the meet and greet with my fellow judges, contest staff and contestants.

... and here I am at the BeatBox with some other leatherwomen (left to right: Rio Spooner, co-coordinator of The Exiles; me; my wife Marilyn; and Beth Bicoastal, my first runner-up. Thanks to Rich Stadtmiller for the great pictures!

Saturday was a busy day with interviews during the afternoon and the contest in the evening. There were five contestants: Scott "Big Red" Farrell representing Legion of Sin MC; Gage Fisher, Mr. Eagle SF; Jay Hall, Mr. SF Sober Leather; Stephan Ferris, Mr. Edge; Nile Eckhoff, Mr. Daddy's Barbershop; and Will Victoria, Mr. Powerhouse. Here is a great photo that was taken backstage by Desmond Perrotto.

Each of the contestants had a lot to offer and I am sure would have represented the title and the Bay Area kink community well, each in his own way.  But there can only be one winner. Big Red was declared the new Mr. SF Leather, and Gage was first runner-up.  Congratulations to all the contestants! Here I am with my new sash husband.

On Sunday, there was an awards brunch, where many awards were given out for the best events of the year and to honor community member achievements.  We honored two community members who had passed too soon by giving them posthumous lifetime achievement awards, and we honored the living with "man and woman of the year" and other awards.  See the Leather Alliance website for more details.

I promise to blog more very soon. Remember to subscribe to get the updates as soon as I post them. And please send feedback! Thanks for reading.