International Mister Leather

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International Mister Leather (IML) is an international conference and contest of leathermen and leatherwomen held annually since 1979 in Chicago, Illinois.

IML's forerunner was the 1970s "Mr. Gold Coast" bar contest held at Chicago's Gold Coast leather bar, owned by Chuck Renslow and his then-partner, Dom Orejudos. As the "Mr. Gold Coast" contest became one of the bar's most popular promotions, it expanded to a larger venue in 1979. Along with the change of venue came a change in name to International Mr. Leather.^[1]

IML is an independent contest in that there is no contract or formal connection with feeder contests.^[2] To qualify, IML contestants must either be the winner of a bar, local or regional leather contest or be sponsored by a leather bar, business, club, or organization.^[3]

Over the years, a whole conference and another contest, the International Mister Bootblack Competition, have arisen around the IML contest.

Leather

La bandera de orgullo leather, tambien utilizada por las subculturas aficionadas a los fetichismos sexuales y al BDSM.

Un grupo leather en una marcha de orgullo gay en San Francisco.

La subcultura leather (del inglés “cuero”) comprende prácticas e indumentos que se organizan con un fin sexual o erótico. Una de las maneras en las que el grupo se distingue de las culturas sexuales convencionales es mediante el uso de indumentos de color negro y artículos de cuero.

Aunque la cultura leather es más visible en la comunidad gay y se la suele asociar con hombres gays, en realidad se manifiesta de muchas maneras en el mundo gay, lésbico, bisexual, y heterosexual. Muchas personas asocian la cultura leather con prácticas de bondage, disciplina, dominación, sumisión y sadomasoquismo. Pero para otros, usar indumentos de cuero de color negro es simplemente una moda erótica que realza la masculinidad del portador o reclama el poder sexual; la afición por las motocicletas y la independencia; y/o una erotización o fetichización en torno al cuero y otros productos de la cultura leather.

Las mujeres y la cultura leather [editar]

En el comienzo, pocas mujeres lesbianas y pocos heterosexules participaron de la cultura leather. Pat Califia, una activista lesbianas que participó de la cultura leather de San Francisco, fue la primera en definir la subcultura leather lésbica. En 1978, Califia fundó uno de los primeros grupos S/M lésbicos, Samois. Con el paso de los años, Califia se convirtió en una escritora prolífica de literatura erótica lésbica BDSM y de guías sexuales.

My Speech

Gary Iriza
IML Speech

In 1987 Chuck Renslow said, “This is a celebration known as International Mr. Leather – a celebration of life and love.” Today, on the 30th anniversary of IML, we are once again celebrating our life and our love.
Let’s be glad, because celebrations like this are not accepted everywhere in the world. For example, in my home country of Venezuela, homosexuality and HIV are taboo.
In the United Kingdom, The Spanner Trust still fights for our rights. (PAUSE)
Sadly, in many countries, including the U.S., some people believe homosexuality is a free ride to hell.
And the list goes on . . . (solemnly)
What can we do to eliminate this awful ignorance? We all must:
First – Understand our history and not repeat mistakes.
Second – Harness the two awesome, awesome powers that we have – the youth and the established. “Old guard, you teach us; New guard, you reach us.”
Third and above all – we all must stand together, and stay together, as tight as a metal cock ring and bound in unity. (PAUSE)
Brothers and Sisters, would you please stand with me?
Thank you!
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