CLAW LA - Leather Getaway, in its sophomore year, was held November 23-27 at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles and had many of the regular CLAW-like events added several new ones. New events included Digital Silent Auctions, Strip Bingo and Leather Celebrity X's and O's.
CLAW mainstays such as Skills and Educational Classes, International Leather Family Dinner and other theme meals, Bound and Beautiful, a mosh pit for puppies and their handlers, Hercules play parties by Avatar, Kinky Kabaret, Leather Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, CLAW After Dark parties, Leather Mart, Speed Dating, CLAW Body Spa, Hotel California Party which welcomed early birds to CLAW LA on Wednesday night, ABUniverse events, Cigar socials and events, Payasos LA special activities such as CLAW After Dark Jungle and Clown Phucker, Parade of Club Colors and more
One reason CLAW has been so successful since its beginning in January 2002 to now could be found in Executive Director Bob Miller's welcome letter in the CLAW printed program, ".... We are happy here because we have learned - and continue to learn - that our passion for Leather, fetish, kink and BDSM is healthy and normal, and shared by many other terrific People. We didn't learn it from a book or even from someone's explanation. We learned it for ourselves from each other. Few things in life come to us that way."
The new Leather Celebrity X's and O's game show was based on the famous network television Hollywood Squares. CLAW producers had a three-level set made with three celebrities on each level making a vertical tic tac toe stand. One-hour shows began at 6 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Each show had two contestants. Most of the questions were Leather/kink related. All three nights were well-attended, the crowds loved it and it will receive positive word of mouth. Among the celebrities filling the squares were Guy Baldwin, Angel Rincon, Jet Pup, Colton Stenke, Joe Gallagher, Mistress Cyan, Ralph Bruneau, Gary Wasdin, Al Parso-York, Lucinda Rear, Marc Bellenger, Peter Fiske, Dave Rhodes, Race Bannon, Rob Bienvenu, Michael Lara, Gabriel Green, Hunter and Charlie, Matthew Black, Pup Cazden and a host of others.
CLAW After Dark on Friday and Saturday nights housed the Rex Art Exhibition, Payasos Lounge, Ride the Mobile Dick, Just For Fans Content Creation in the Pasadena Ballroom which covered 8,000 square feet with plenty of play equipment. Friday has Encuerado Leather Latin Night and Saturday featured Jungle and Clownfucker. Music was provided by DJ Leo Iriarte.
Themed meals included Thanksgiving Leather Dinner on Thursday afternoon, Friday Breakfast Mindfucking Mindfully Seminsr by Sir Ezra, BLUF Dinner on Friday night, International Leather Family Dinner on Saturday night which featured a keynote speech by Guy Baldwin, Hall of Fame Brunch, Sunday Supper Buffet. All were in the San Diego Room.
The Bonaventure is not an easy place to navigate, but the layout for events seemed to be improved from last year. All events were cordoned off on three floors inside and on the fourth-floor pool deck. Many liked being able to traverse the area without having to mingle much with the muggles. Attendance was comparable to last year. The evening events in the lower Pasadena Ballroom, including a Payasos party and Bondage Beautiful drew large crowds. The Hercules play parties in well-equipped dungeons were busy every day and night they were open.
There were classes and workshops including: Ass Play/Sex - Body Touch Exploration, Fisting Fundamentals, Introduction to Tantra; Bondage - Cowboy Rope Bondage, Mummification, Sensual Rope Bondage; Community - 2,500 Years of Self Sucking, AI The New Cybersex, Asian Caucus, Blue Movie Reading and Signing, Dungeon Monitoring, Guy Baldwin Q&A, Leather History and Traditions, Publish Your Own Kink Stories, Walking Tour of Downtown Los Angeles; Fetish - Beginning Electro, Tickle Torture Playshop, Violet Wand Introduction, Wet Science; Gear - Leather Care and High Shine; Power Dynamics - Advanced Negotiation, Dynamics of a BDSM Scene, Mindfucking Mindfully, Pushing Limits, Diaper Up, Role Play Your Alter Ego; SM - Heavy Metal Torture, Impact Play Hands On, Ball Stretching 101, Single Tail Whips, Spanking and a shit load of others. The classes were on the first floor in one section which had about 10 rooms making their access one of the easiest parts of the weekend.
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Some of the 51 presenters were Andrew Pan, Joe Gallagher, Colton Stenke, Slave Phil, Isabella Mahan, Race Bannon, Piglet, Anne O. Nomis, Gordon Morris, Rick Boehle, Tigger, Rostom Mesli, Dave Rhodes, Joel Royal, Bob Miller, Boy Scotty, Beau Geste and Dr. Carlton, Rob Bienvenu, Ty Dehner, Donal, Mistress Cyan, Drew Lighthouse, Peter Fiske and Al Parso York, James Frost, Richard Drago, Doggo Oso, Alex McGeorge and Nicky, Tre Allen and Chad, Sir Ezra, Texbearjoe, Slave Phil, Shibari Sean, Nuclear Nerd, Jon Wright, Stephan Ferris, and many others. The classes were organized by Master Az.
What Research on Leather and Kink is Needed Today? was a community and academic leaders panel discussion which included Bob Miller, Rob Bienvenu, Bryce Westlake, Anne O. Nomis, Ted Gideonse and Race Bannon. Audience members were encouraged to participate in the discussion about what research addressing Leather, BDSM and kink is important and ought to be a focus of research today.
The Leather Hall of Fame Induction and brunch featured the addition of The 15 Association from San Francisco, GMSMA (Gay Male SM Activists) from New York, and the erotic artist Rex to the Hall on Sunday afternoon. The emcees were Race Bannon and Rostom Mesli. One of the silent auctions consisted of Rex numbered prints which bore NFC chips to certify their authenticity.
The Vendor Mart was open Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the California Ballroom on the second floor and had more than 30 vendors - for profit and non-profit. Among vendors were Ben Orson Leather, CLAW Silent Auction, Tom of Finland Store, Mama Leather, Jet Pup, PIG Solvents, Leather Daddy Skin, Leather Archives & Museum, LA Leather Coalition lounge section designed by Michael Lara of the Bullet Bar, Peter Fiske Whips, The Kink Shop, Leather Stock, Cell Block 13, CLAW Rexwerks Store, Pig Load, Shirtlifter, Mile High Mommy, Rough Trade Gear, Cockeye Kink, Dart-Tech Studios, Horse Market, Leather Daddy Skin, ABUniverse, Chain Male and many others. There were three bootblack stands and a barber chair in the vendor market which were busy most the weekend.
The Pool Deck on the fourth floor had several cigar and pipe socials, the Damn Daddy DILF Tea Dance on Sunday.
The ABU Playground by ABUniverse was in the Beverly Room. Events included Saturday morning Cartoons & Cereal Bar, open play, Story Time and Padded Pets Social.
Onsite Vaccination for COVID 19 and monkeypox was provided by Fulgent Mobile Vaccine and Mercy Pharmacy.
The Legacy Master Sponsors were Square Peg Toys, Recon and Mr. S Leather; the Master Sponsors were Ben Orson Leather, PIGSolvents and ABuniverse; and Sustaining Sponsors were Leather Stallion Saloon, Cybersocket, Eagle LA, La Mensch, Darklands, Torso, Leather Daddy Skin, LA Leather Coalition, HorseMarketSF, Bullet Bar, Avatar Club Los Angeles, Jim Neuman, Chicago Hellfire Club, DomCon, Jim Support, Payasos and Mr. Michigan Leather.
CLAW will be at the Renaissance Cleveland April 6-9. Note that this is Easter Weekend and is the first full weekend of April, not the last weekend of that month. Click on the link below for more.
Link to CLAW LA 2021 story https://theleatherjournal.com/news/claw-2021-in-los-angeles
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CLAW LA - Leather Getaway 2022 Gallery
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The Leather Journal was founded in May, 1987. The Leather community was hungry for news magazine that covered clubs, organizations and events. TLJ has successfully met that need for 34 years. We have adapted to change more than once and when the Internet came about we were there by adding www.TheLeatherJournal.com
