Marcus Bareala may have been the last contestant at number 54, but he was first when his name was announced as the winner of the International Mr. Leather 2023, or IML 45, title on Sunday night, May 28 at the popular and convenient Auditorium on Sunday night, May 28. Marcus entered as Mr. Eagle LA Leather and was full of excitement and energy as he jumped around on stage. Before him were first runner-up Chris Gonzalez and second runner-up Matthew Moody. After a brief photo session on stage, the winning trio was whisked off
The Leather Journal's IML 2023 Contestants Preview
Welcome to The Leather Journal's International Mr. Leather 2023, or IML 45 Class, Contestants Preview. We are happy to say that we received biographies and photos of all the 54 men who will be competing this year. That is 54 of 54 or a perfect game and is the first time we did this. Every year we had at least four missing and the norm was five or six. The contestants’ order of appearance
Release! LA Leather Pride 2023
LA Leather Pride - Release! was held March 19-26 at several venues all over Los Angeles. The main event was the Mr. LA Leather 2023 contest on Saturday night, March 25 at the Catwalk Club in Downtown LA where Colin MacDougall was best of six men competing. First Runner-up was
By Rodney Burger and Gallery photos by Rodney Burger, Michael Fowler, Todd Wolfstryker, Mufasa, Jeffrey Wayne, Ivan Nunez, Roberto Cuero and Lewis Curtis
Mr. Pittsburgh Leather Bear 2023 Daniel “Dan Bear” DeLuca, a salon owner and dancer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was selected Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2023 during the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend presented in Washington, DC on January 12th – 15th. Mr. Connecticut Leather 2023 Trell Walters was selected first runner-up and the title of second runner-up was awarded to Chad Alan, first runner-up to Mr. DC Eagle 2018.
IML 44 Class and IMBB 30 Class
IML and IMBB 2022
Gael Leung Chong Wo was named International Mr. Leather 2022 and Alistair Leather Hiraeth was chosen to be International Mr. Bootblack 2022 at the Arie Crown Theater at McCormick Place on Sunday night, May 29. For the full schedule and registration options go to the IML IMBB web site. Note - there have been some changes, so it might worth it to take a look.
Both winners were truly international
Mr. Leather Belgium 2020-21 Gael Leung Chong Wo was tops among 60 men vying for International Mr. Leather 2022 and Alistair Leather Hiraeth bested two others to become International Mr. Bootblack 2022 at the Arie Crown Theatre in McCormick Place along Lake Michigan in Chicago, IL on Sunday night, May 29.
IML Class of 2019.
IML IMBB 2022 Contestants Preview
It has been a long time waiting, but the day is coming when a new International Mr. Leather and International Mr. Bootblack will be sashed, and that will be on Sunday night, May 29 at the Auditorium in Chicago, IL. The following is The Leather Journal's annual IML and IMBB Preview of contestants. This will be online and not in the print edition. New this year, each contestant was provided the opportunity to include a link to their web site and/or social media page so readers can find out more than they can from a 100-175 word bio. Thank you to IML IMBB Contestant Coordinator Jeff Tucker for his help with this.
The Renslow Charitable Foundation, owners and producers of the International Mr. Leather and International Mr. Bootblack contest, announced on June 9, that both contests were cancelled and the contest will be held during Memorial Day weekend in 2022.
The press release stated, "....We clearly understand that things are beginning to return to some new sense of normal. However, as we look to this November as well as May 2022, we must also consider many factors in making event decisions....That said, we have decided to cancel (IML and IMBB) 2021 events....The specific key factors behind this decision include a shortened weekend program and a space-compressed vendor market with reduced hours, the financial impact to our guests in possibly atending two IML weekends six months apart, the shorter title year for the winners who have waited patiently for their moment to compete and a necessary consideration for any potential reimstatement of large gathering restrictions."
The complete press release can be found at http://www.imrl.com
Compiled by Dave Rhodes, Dr. Larry and William Burden
It is no secret that there were 71 International Mr. Leather 2018 or IML 40 contestants - your preference - 19 of them came from outside the United States, it is known that significant changes were being made in the International Mr. Bootblack contest and that IML founder Chuck Renslow would be remembered with class. What was to-be-determined was the winners of the contests.
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
