International Mr. Leather

International Mr. Leather (IML) is a multi-day conference and competition celebrating the leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM communities. Established in 1979, IML is held annually in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, drawing thousands of contestants and spectators from around the world. As of 2024, over 2,100 contestants from 27 countries have competed.

Events include speakers, socials, themed dance parties and a leather market. IML contestants qualify for the competition either by winning a feeder competition of a bar and/or local or regional leather contest, or by being sponsored by a leather-related bar, business, club, or organization.[Ref 1]

IML organizers also produce the International Mr. Bootblack competition.

History

IML is regarded as the world’s oldest continuously operating international leather and fetish event, leading to the nickname “the granddaddy of all leather events.” The forerunner of the competition was the 1970s “Mr. Gold Coast” contest held at Chicago’s Gold Coast leather bar, owned by Chuck Renslow and Dom Orejudos. The “Mr. Gold Coast” contest became one of the bar’s most popular promotions causing the need to locate the competition to a larger venue in 1979, upon which the title was changed to International Mr. Leather.[Ref 2]

The inaugural IML competition took place May 18-20, 1979. The event was advertised as “a weekend you won’t want to miss” featuring “some of the world’s hottest men, representing leather bars and clubs across America and Europe” competing to win prizes worth $5,000 ($21,662 in 2024), including a motorcycle. Spectators could purchase a weekend package for $25 ($108.00 in 2024) that included a shirt designed Etienne (Orejudos), tickets to parties and events, and coupons for local shops and bathhouses. Standalone tickets to the contest were priced at $10. David Kloss won the first contest; Durk Dehner and Jesse Capello were first and second runners-up. Tom of Finland volunteered to judge the contest, but had to drop out for health reasons (he later judged the 1983 contest).

Orejudos designed the contest’s “wingman logo” as well as much of its promotional materials.

In 1980, IML introduced the Black and Blue Ball. By 1984, attendance had increased from 300 to 1,500.

The leather pride flag was designed by Tony DeBlase, and he first presented the design at IML 11 on May 28, 1989. The flag was incorporated into the design of the sash awarded to contest winners.

The International Bootblack Competition was added to the IML program in 1993. In 1998, the coed competition was spun off into two separate competitions: International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB), produced by IML, and International Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB), produced by International Ms. Leather.

Since 2009, IML proceeds have been placed in a trust to benefit the Leather Archives and Museum (LA&M).[Ref 3] LA&M, which Renslow and Deblase co-founded, is the custodian of IML records and artwork.

In 2009, prior to the widespread availability of PrEP, IML forbade from its vendor market “any entity which promotes barebacking or distributes/sells any merchandise tending to promote or advocate barebacking.”[Ref 4] However, IML did not consistently enforce the policy and in 2019 announced that it would repeal it.

The Congress Plaza Hotel has hosted IML guests and festivities every year since 2015, but the contest itself has often been hosted at offsite venues such as the Auditorium Theater.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant shutdowns and cancellations of large gatherings throughout the world, in-person IML events in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled. IML resumed in May 2022.

Rules and requirements

Eligibility

As of 2024, to qualify for IML, prospective contestants must:

Present as male and be 21 years of age or older.

Win a preliminary contest or receive a primary sponsor.

Preliminary contest is defined as a bar, local, or regional leather contest that awards its winner entry into IML.

Primary sponsor is defined as “a bar, business, club or organization that specializes in the levi/leather, uniform, SM, western, gear or related lifestyles.

Submit an application and registration fee.

Contest Criteria

Preliminary round

Contest finalists are selected following:

A preliminary interview with each of the nine judges, up to 8 minutes in length, are held in private (60% of the preliminary score).

Stage presence and personality at a Saturday “Pecs and Personality” event (40% of the preliminary score).

The judge’s highest and lowest scores for each contestant on each criterion are dropped, and the contestant’s remaining seven scores are tallied to determine the 20 contestants with the highest combined scores to proceed as finalists at the Sunday IML contest event. The only time that the dropped scores are included in the tally is when there is a tie for the 20th place; the contestants in question have their dropped scores included in the tally but if the stalemate continues then each of the nine judges must vote for only one of the two contestants. Preliminary judging scores are not carried forward. There are also two tally masters.[Ref 5]

Final round

Each of the 20 finalists is judged at the Sunday IML contest on a scale from 0 to 100 in the following order:

Leather image (up to 40 points).

Presentation skills that include a contestant speech (up to 40 points).

Physical appearance (up to 20 points).

The highest and lowest scores for each finalist are dropped, the remaining seven scores are added together, and the top three scores designate the second runner-up, first runner-up, and winner, International Mr. Leather. A tie for the title is resolved by adding to the tally the dropped scores of the two contestants; if the stalemate continues then each of the nine judges must vote for only one of the contestants in question.

Participating countries and territories

Twenty-seven countries spanning six continents have officially fielded one or more contestants to compete at IML as of 2024. As of 2022, 44 U.S. states have fielded contestants, as have Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The only U.S. states that have not fielded a contestant as of 2022 are Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

^A Some IML contestants emigrated from countries that have not officially sent contestants to IML (or had not as of the time they competed). For instance, Venezuela-born Gary Iriza (Mr. Palm Springs Leather) won IML 30 in 2008, more than a decade before Venezuela officially sent a contestant (Mr. Leather Venezuela) in 2019.

^B Wins by contestants with international or nonnational preliminary titles (e.g. Mister Leather Europe, Mr. Gay Naturists International Leather) are attributed to the winner’s country of residence.

Winners

As of 2024, 44 contestants representing eight countries have won IML: United States (36), Germany (2), Australia (1), Belgium (1), Canada (1), France (1), Netherlands (1), and United Kingdom (1).

The following is a table of IML contest winners.[Ref 6][Ref 7] Note that winner’s city as used in the table variously refers to the preliminary title host city or winner’s city of residence.

^C In cases of regional, international, or non-geographic preliminary titles (Mr Midwest Leather, Mr SECC Leather, Leathermen of Color, Mr Leather Europe, etc.), participation is attributed to the contestant’s country, state, and/or territory of residence.

Milestones

In 1984 Ron Moore became the first black man to win International Mr. Leather. In 1997, his sister Genelle Moore won International Ms. Leather, which made them the first siblings to hold international leather titles.

In 2010, Tyler McCormick became the first openly transgender man, the first wheelchair user, and the first person from New Mexico to win International Mr. Leather.

The 2012 contest featured two weddings as well as the contest’s first pair of married contestants competing against each other.

In 2019, Jack Thompson became the first openly transgender person of color to win International Mr. Leather. His win also marked the first time black men won consecutive International Mr. Leather titles.

Preliminary contests and sponsors

As of 2024, five preliminary contests have produced multiple IML winners. Mr. Texas Leather holds the most wins per preliminary contest (3) as of 2024. San Francisco holds the record of the most IML wins per city (7) as of 2024.

International Mr. Bootblack

The International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB) Competition runs throughout the IML weekend. Contestants are given a location in the IML Leather Market at which they perform bootblacking services. Weekend ticket package holders (as well as judges, contestants, and vendors) are each provided with a bootblack ballot which is redeemable for one shine by the bootblack of the voter’s choice. Bootblacks are free to shine the boots of any person, regardless of whether that person has a ballot, although it is made clear that the ballots are the means by which the winner will be determined. Tipping is not required, but is quite common.

The bootblack contestants work during the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of IML during the time that the Leather Market is open, a total of approximately 20 hours over three days. In previous years, the bootblacks were allowed to shine boots and collect tickets at all times during the weekend. Since 2001, the bootblack contestants have established a gentlemen’s agreement at the start of the weekend that they will not shine boots or accept ballots except during the established competition hours. This agreement was conceived to give the contestants the freedom to take time to enjoy the weekend without feeling the pressure to always be bootblacking.

At its inception in 1993, the competition was called the International Bootblack Competition, and both men and women were allowed to compete. In 1998, it was announced that the competition would be changed to the International Mr. Bootblack Competition and that a separate competition solely for women would be held at International Ms. Leather. This change was made largely because it was commonly held that women had a significant disadvantage competing for ballots from IML’s predominantly gay male attendees, who may favor bootblacks who they find attractive. Since 1999, competitors for IMrBB are restricted to persons over the age of 21 who present as male.

The winner of the International Mr. Bootblack Competition is announced (along with the first and second runners-up and the winner of the Brotherhood Award, on which the IMrBB competitors vote and which is roughly analogous to the Miss Congeniality Award from various traditional beauty contests) at the Sunday contest, immediately following the announcement of the top 20 IML finalists.

In recent years, largely because of coordination of the contest by David Hawks, International Mr. Bootblack 2000, the Bootblack Competition has begun to develop adjunct activities. An IMrBB party is held in a hotel function room on Saturday night, offering food, music, and a silent auction, the proceeds of which go to the travel fund of the winner. Likewise, during the competition hours in the Leather Market, volunteers man a table to answer questions and sell IMrBB Travel Fund pins, which also adds to the travel fund. These sources of revenue have provided the various contestants with significantly more money to aid their travel to distant events during their title years. The money is controlled by the contest coordinator, and any access to the funds must be accompanied by proof of the travel outlay.[Ref 10]

Starting in 2013, the IMrBB contest has implemented a judging system to select the winner. Contestants are evaluated by a panel of judges on the basis of their technical bootblacking skills, how they present themselves on stage and in public and what they say in an interview with the judges. Ballot voting still makes up a percentage of the contestant’s total score.[Ref 11]

IMrBB winners

The following is a table of IMrBB contest winners:[Ref 12]

Cultural impact & legacy

According to the Chicago Reader in 2024, “IML has endured as an institution that serves the LGBTQ+ community by fundraising for grassroots groups as well as providing opportunities to gather and exchange goods, information, and kinship.” IML has also improved the visibility and popularity of leather culture; past IML contestants and attendees have founded leather organizations, competitions, and businesses around the world, including National Leather Association International.

IML proceeds have been placed in a trust to benefit the Leather Archives & Museum. The Leather Archives & Museum’s photos, videos, and oral histories chronicling IML (and International Ms. Leather) were featured in a 2015 documentary by Christina Court, titled High Shine: 15 Years of International Ms Bootblack.

Recognition

In 1995, “Chuck Renslow – IML” was one of the recipients of the International Deaf Leather Recognition Award.

In 1999 IML received the Business of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.

In 2007 and 2012 IML received the Large Event of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.

In 2010 IML was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.

In 2018, IML was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame during Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend 2018.

On May 25, 2018, the Chicago City Council voted to honorarily designate a stretch of Clark Street in Uptown (between Winnemac Avenue and Ainslie Avenue) as “Chuck Renslow Way”; the city unveiled the new street sign during the anniversary of IML.

See also

International Ms. Leather

Leather competitions

LGBT culture

MIR contest

Mr Gay World

Mister Leather Europe

Footnotes

^ Bean, Joseph W. (2004). International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions. International Mr. Leather, Inc. and The Leather Archives and Museum (1st ed.). Las Vegas: Nazca Plains. ISBN 1-887895-38-8.

^ Davolt, Robert (2003). Painfully Obvious: An Irreverent & Unauthorized Manual for Leather/SM. cover design by Steve Diet Goedde. Los Angeles: Daedalus Publishing. p. 212. ISBN 1-881943-19-4.

^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. “Contestant Application” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2005-12-21.

^ “Leather Archives & Museum Announcement”. Twitter. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2009-09-04.

^ “IML Makes History”. Will Clark World. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-09-04.

^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. “Official IML Scoring Procedure”. Archived from the original on 2005-12-22. Retrieved 2005-12-21.

^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. “IML 2004”. Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2005-12-18.

^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. (2005-05-30). Michael Egdes Named International Mr. Leather 2005 Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago. (Microsoft Word). Press release. Archived from the original on 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2005-12-19.

^ “International Mr. Leather – Bootblack Contest”. Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2006-04-14.

^ “International Mr. Leather – Past Bootblack Winners”. Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2006-04-14.

^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. (2007-05-27). Mikel Gerle Named International Mr. Leather 2007. (Microsoft Word). Press release. Archived from the original on 2007-07-21. Retrieved 2007-05-30.

^ “International Mr. Bootblack 2013 Press Release” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-02-08.

^ Source for 1979 to 2003: Bean, Joseph W. (2004). International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions. International Mr. Leather, Inc. and The Leather Archives and Museum (1st ed.). Las Vegas: Nazca Plains. ISBN 1-887895-38-8.

^ Source for 2004 to 2008: “International Mr. Leather – History”. Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-03-15.

References

External links

Official website

IML Winners

International Mr. Leather 1996: Joe Gallagher

International Mr. Leather 2003: John Pendal

International Mr. Leather 2004: Jason Hendrix

International Mr. Leather 2005: Michael Egdes

International Mr. Leather 2007: Mikel Gerle

International Mr. Leather 2008: Gary Iriza

International Mr. Leather 2009: Jeffrey Payne