2003

2003

The Leather Journal

Copy Coming Very Soon; but "not now, I'm in the middle of a Rothschild'."

Clubs

Hot Ash: DC Smoke Roundup took place during Mid Atlantic Leather Weekend in Washington, DC.
The Men of Discipline Corps hosted Esprit de Corps 2003 in Dallas.
The Portland Uniform Weekend, sponsored by Andy Mangels and In Uniform On-line, celebrated its 11th Anniversary in Portland, OR.
Icon Detroit held their 10th Anniversary at the Detroit Eagle.
Las Vegas, NV had a new Leather organization, the Las Vegas League of Gentlemen (LV L/G), modeled after and loosely associated with the San Diego League of Gentlemen. The Las Vegas League of Gentlemen had it’s first meeting on February 12 at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
The Corps Of Men Making A Noticeable Difference Motorcycle Club (COMMAND) of Maryland celebrated their 15th Anniversary with an in-town run, Tire Tracks, Broken Hearts, and the Mr. Maryland Leather 2003 contest.
My Vicious Valentine: Roman Rampage took place the weekend of February 14-16 in the Chicagoland Area.
The Inter-Club Fund (ICF) of San Francisco named longtime ICF member and awards committee cochair Dennis Silva as their Man of the Year at the 37th Annual ICF Awards Banquet. For the first time a Woman of the Year was named with the honor going to Jane Randall of the Alameda Leather Corps.
The Windy City Boys Troop began hosting a series of classes titled Leather 101 Nights at the Cell Block in Chicago.
On February 21 approximately 200 people packed Gauntlet II in Los Angeles to attend the Second Annual Los Angeles boys of Leather boy/boi auction which raised over $3,000. $2,800 of this went directly to PAWS LA.
The 15 Association of San Francisco held its 23rd Anniversary. A formal banquet at the Hyatt Hotel on Friday night got things started.
The Warriors Motorcycle Club celebrated their 34th Anniversary on February 22 in North Hollywood.
The Blue Max CC of St. Louis, MO held Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves at the Radisson Hotel Downtown the last weekend of the month.
The Lords of Leather, the nation’s only Leather Mardi Gras krewe, held its Bal Masque  at the St. Bernard Civic Center in Chalmette, LA. The Houston Council of Clubs is gearing up for the 30th Annual Let Us Entertain You Weekend (LUEY), March 6-9.
A new organization named the Women's Educational Board (WEB) was recently formed in central Texas. WEB's goal was to be a resource clearinghouse for women new to the Leather/BDSM lifestyle or to the central Texas area.
The Seattle Men in Leather announced their new slate of officers including president Dave Lewis, membership chair Jeff Henness, secretary Jim Drew and board member at-large David Weeks. The treasurer was Tom Swanton, New board members at-large were Rolf Christiansen, Duane Johnson, Bill Manning and Gene Romaine. Woody Woodruff was named the Seattle Men in Leather Man of the Year.
St. Louis Leather and Lace donated $3,077 to the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) from funds raised at Beat Me in St. Louis  VII.
Trident: City of Angels played host to Trident: International's 30th Anniversary the weekend of April 25-27 and the theme was Whoreray For Hollywood. About 50 Leatherfolk representing several Trident Halls across the United States and Canada were in attendance.
The Alameda County Leather Corps hosted Bear Weekend in Hayward, CA.
The KC Pioneers hosted their anniversary run, Trails End XXVIII: The Re-Run, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, MO. Demonstrations and workshops were provided by KC Leather University.
The National Leather Association-International recently accepted NLA: Kentucky into the fold of its many Chapters.
Trident: City of Angels played host to Trident: International's 30th Anniversary and the theme was Whoreray For Hollywood.
The Beach Cities Bears hosted their annual spring dance at Pistons in Long Beach.
The Tradesmen LLC held Truckstop style at the Sheraton Airport Plaza Hotel and The Charlotte Eagle in Charlotte, NC.
The Regiment of the Black and Tans Spring Maneuvers XXVIII was held in Los Angeles.
The California Cyclemen Motorcycle Club held their landmark 25th Anniversary Run in San Diego at the Inn Suites Hotel.
The Promethean Guard of New Jersey gathered at Connexions in Boonton, NJ to celebrate their Fourth Anniversary.
The San Diego Boys of Leather hosted Boyfest 2003 and celebrated their Second Anniversary.
The Leather Expo tent at the Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride was organized by Mr. Long Beach Leather Bear 2003 Dan O’Leary. Mr. Pistons Leather 2003 Kurt Pierce organized two trucks for the parade, one with all of the California Leather titleholders. The LA Boys of Leather headed the Leather contingent.
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom recently held a raffle for a Trip for Two to the 25th Anniversary of the International Mr. Leather Contest which over $2,700. Jack Rinella sold the winning ticket to Lynn Schornick of Waukegan, IL.
The seven most active riders in the Cavaliers Motorcycle Club met to formally organize the group at a founders’ meeting in New Orleans.
There is a new Leather organization in the Twin Cities named the Minnesota Storm Patrol.
Behind The Scenes sponsored Leather Spirit Weekend in the Pocono Mountains, PA.
The Los Angeles Leather Coalition gave $1,200 checks to each Being Alive LA, LA Youth Supportive Services, and The Van Ness Recovery House.
The Knights of Leather of Minneapolis hosted Tournament XV with Little Dungeon on the Prairie as its theme with seminars, panel discussions with fully-equipped dungeons, open round-the-clock. The Key West Wreckers celebrated their 10th Anniversary with Ship Wreck X.
The Puck Building in NYC was packed with over 1,000 people of every orientation and kink for the 20th Annual Leather Pride Night Auction on June 14. Jo Arnone, LPN’s veteran auctioneer, presided over items that were auctioned, including Leather and latex fetish clothing, art and literature, unique toys and equipment, Broadway theater tickets, and much more. Approximately $20,000 being raised.
The Los Angeles Leather community gathered together and participated in Los Angeles gay and lesbian pride festivities the weekend of June 21-22. The LA Leather Coalition, with the help of the Christopher Street West committee, produced a successful Second Annual Erotic City Expo on Saturday and Sunday and nine Leather community units marched together in the pride parade on Sunday.
San Francisco's Gay and Lesbian Pride Weekend drew over 500,000 to its two-day  festival and Sunday parade the weekend of June 27-29. There was a big Leather visibility  including the Leather Contingent which was the largest in the parade, the Phoenix Uniform Club's Leather Uniform Ball on Friday night, The 15 Association play party on Saturday night, the Dyke March which had Leather visibility on Saturday around dusk, Folsom Fringe hosted by smOdyssey in San Jose, the Fifth Annual Pride Brunch organized by Mr. San Francisco Leather 1996 Gary Virginia and Empress Donna Sachet and a Leather Alley section in the pride festival.
The Tarheel Leather Club of Greensboro held Stars and Stripes: Lucky XIII the weekend out in the North Carolina woods.
The Los Angeles Boys of Leather held their first Stars and Stripes boy/boi Gathering during July Fourth Weekend.
The Crescent City Outlaws of New Orleans, LA raised over $300 during their AIDS benefit in the form of a Leather Prom at their home bar Cowpokes in the Faubourg Marigny.
The New York Renegades were at it again with their 11th Annual Run which featured plenty of kink and play at a rustic retreat in Delaware Valley, PA.
The Highwaymen TNT of Washington, DC announced that the 2003 Mid Atlantic Leather Sir and Leatherboy winners Mike Mitchell and Garry Lynch.
The Palm Springs boys of Leather organization was founded.
Oregon Leather Pride Week ran from Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 10 in Portland, OR and featured  the Fourth Annual Leather, Feathers and Fur Fetish Ball, Uniform and Buzz Cuts Party,  a concert by Mark Weigle and Maria Webster, Leather Family Barbecue, Leather and Lace Show and the Mr. and  Ms Oregon State Leather Contest.
The Lexington Lyons Leather/Levi Club presented $500 to the GLSO Pride Center in Lexington and celebrated its Fifth Anniversary.
FLAG’s (Fits Like A Glove) Anniversary Weekend took place in Boston.
The 16th Annual Awesome August Party Weekend, hosted by Dale Jag to benefit PSLOD, was held in Palm Springs and Cathedral City.
The Sacramento Valley Leathermen and friends spent a day at the California State Fair.
The Washington, DC Chapter of the Defenders Leather Levi Club held its first Leather Flea Market at Titan’s Bar.
The Third Annual Leather/Levi Weekend (LLW) was at Saratoga Springs Resort in Lake County, CA.
A coalition of African-American D/s and BDSM lifestylers held the first Black BEAT (Black Expressions, Alternative Tastes), in Washington, DC.
SM Dykes Manchester hosted the UK’s first International Women’s SM Conference during Europride.
The Denver Wrangler was the venue of choice when the Rocky Mountaineers Motorcycle Club was  joined by 50-60 of their closest friends and supporters to celebrate their 35th Anniversary.
Spearhead Toronto held Round-Up 2003 which included cocktail parties, a banquet and awards at a private campground outside Toronto.
The Satyrs Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles held their 42nd Annual Badger Flat Run over Labor Day Weekend in the mountains near Yosemite National Park northeast of Fresno.
The Cowtown Leathermen of Fort Worth, celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a formal dinner on the patio of the Corral Club with their 20th Anniversary Run at the Texas Conference of Clubs land site in Cameron.
The Sixth Annual Butch Revue took place at The Hole in San Diego, CA with proceeds going to produce the Ms San Diego Leather contest in November.
The Dallas boys of Leather and The Leather Network hosted Boy Pride Weekend in Dallas.
The third national conference for the younger generation of the BDSM community was held in New York City.
The Sacramento Valley Leathermen celebrated their Sixth Anniversary at The Bolt in Sacramento.
smOdyssey hosted Folsom Fringe 2003 Odyssey Island: Buccaneers at the Beverly Heritage Hotel in San Jose, CA and at San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair.
The First Community Forum on Asians and Leathersex, sponsored by kinky GAM and the Pacific Islander Wellness Center took place at the Women's Building in San Francisco.
The Golden Gate Guards hosted their 17th Annual Bike Run to Camp Mendocino. The title/theme of the run was MOOOO en ROUGE. The Knights d’ Orleans celebrated their 29th Anniversary in grand style in New Orleans with the medieval theme, Knights of Olde.
Wicked Womyn 2003, a Women’s SM Conference, was held in Seattle, WA with some 350-500 in attendance.
Avatar Club Los Angeles installed its executive board  for 2003-04. They were: president Dr. Lawrence Burden, vice president Bert Simon, treasurer Mike Van Horn, secretary Jeff Wacha, board members Mark Burstein, Daniel Morales, Alexei Romanoff and president emeritus David. The installation dinner was themed The Speakeasy which depicted the 1930’s Mafia era.
The Men of Onyx presented Onyx Blackout VIII: Behind the Eight Ball at the Cell Block in Chicago.
The Tom of Finland Foundation presented its 2003 Cultural Icon Award to artist, author, and filmmaker Clive Barker at the Foundation’s annual Awards Banquet.
The Orange Coast Leather Assembly (OCLA) hosted its Sampler weekend in the desert after a short hiatus.
The Denver Wrangler was the venue of choice when the Rocky Mountaineers Motorcycle Club was  joined by 50-60 of their closest friends and supporters to celebrate their 35th Anniversary.
Together in Leather was a new event dedicated to celebrating Leather relationships and featured over 40 workshops.
NLA: Dallas presented Beyond Vanilla XIII in Dallas with the keynote speaker and guest presenter being International Master 2000 Steve Sampson.
smOdyssey was snubbed when funds raised at their FolsomFringe were rejected by the Bay Area Breast Cancer Network. "What has really confused us is this same director sent us a thank you note thanking us for our donation last year" said Allie who was the smOdyssey treasurer.
The Chicago Leather Club presented a panel discussion on the meaning of Safe, Sane and  Consensual, and how it is used as the Leather community motto at the Leather Archives and Museum.
The Nevada Women of Leather presented two workshops featuring, Whip Master Bob and Ms Olympus Leather 2003 Bootpig.
Threshold, Southern California's largest SM organization with about 600 members, hosted their annual Bizarre Bazaar at Nob Hill in Panorama City.
The Latin Leather Club was formed in San Francisco.
The Most Holy Redeemer Community Room, the Golden Gate Guards celebrated their 17th Anniversary. The Golden Gate Guards donated more than $4,700 to such organizations as the Inter-Club Fund of San Francisco, AIDS Emergency Fund, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, the AIDS Visual Impairment Support Services Project at the Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Pets Are Wonderful Support and the Night Ministry.
The 23rd Annual Arizona Fellowship Run was hosted in Phoenix by the Arizona Rangers.
The Leather Knights of Dallas, TX announced their new slate of officers for 2004. They are: president boy Josh Stark, vice-president Wayne Davis, secretary Bruce McCurley, treasurer Kevin Dillingham, fundraising coordinator Jim Forrester, community liaison Kevin Reichenstein and historian John Payne.
The Washington, DC Chapter of the Defenders Leather Levi Club raised over $10,000 during 2003 and gave it back to several area charities as part of the celebration of their 12th Anniversary.

Leather Titles

Stephen Blackwell, who founded the LA Boys Of Leather was named Gauntlet II Mr. Leather in Los Angeles.
The Southwest Leather Sir and Leatherboy regional sponsors hosted a Spaghetti Dinner Show on January 10 at Apollo's in Phoenix.
Robert Green was tops among three contestants and thus became Mr. Regiment 2003 at Pistons in Long Beach. A large crowd gathered at Pistons in Long Beach to see Dan O’Leary from Long Beach become Mr. Long Beach Leather Bear 2003, a contest sponsored by Beach Cities Bears.
The American Leather Family 2002 presented Adopt A Boy Night 18 at the DC Eagle in Washington, DC.
Alvin York, representing the Harbor Room of Milwaukee, WI, went home with the coveted Mr. Mid Atlantic Leather title, produced by the Centaur Motorcycle Club, at Nations in Washington, DC on Sunday, January 19 in front of about 1,200 Leatherfolk.
Glenn Belcher became Mr. Padlock Leather 2003 at the Padlock in Phoenix.
A large and enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Suncoast Resort in St. Petersburg Florida to see Donald Dotson of St. Petersburg become Mr. Suncoast Eagle 2003.
Lori and Shayne were named San Francisco Dyke boi and Dyke Grrl in front of over 200 Leatherfolk at Studio Z in San Francisco.
Chris Woods was named Faultline Mr. Leather at the Faultline bar in Los Angeles, CA.
Gannon Gray emerged as the winner of the Mr. LA Leather Bear 2003 Contest at the Faultline in Los Angeles in front of around 250 Leatherfolk. The contest was sponsored by Bears LA.
Glen Tanking won the title of Mr. Daddy’s Leather 2003 after a close contest on Thursday, February 13.
Dawn "Shameless" Perna and Shane Linden were chosen Heart of America Leatherwoman 2003 and Heart of America Leatherman 2003 at the DB Warehouse in Kansas City, MO.
Chicago's Adrian Williams claimed the title of Cell Block/Male Hide Leathers’ Leatherman 2003 from a field of five candidates  in a close contest in front of a packed house at Cell Block on February 15.
Four men vied for the Mr. Bullet Leather 2003 title and when the dust settled in North Hollywood, CA Shawn Smith was the winner.
Just before a big snow storm arrived Jim Kiley-Zufelt was named Mr. Philadelphia Leather 2003 and Jennifer “Baby Girl" was chosen Ms Philadelphia Leather 2003.
On Sunday night, February 16 Robert was named Mr. Olympus Leather 2003 and Bootpig won the Ms Olympus Leather 2003 title on the Great Stage at a nearly-full Chicago Eagle. The Ms runner-up was Debbie Fox and the Mr. runner-up was Sir Kenneth Griffyn Morgan, both from Nevada.
COMMAND, MC held it’s 15th Anniversary weekend, culminating with the Mr. Maryland Leather 2003 Contest which was won by Eric Kuzminski.
Mr. South Plains Leather 2003 was Joe Beach from Austin and the runner-up was Chris Beck from Dallas. Four knowledgeable men vied at the Dallas Eagle for the Mr. title while one woman, Miss Julia from Oklahoma City, OK, earned the needed to get 70 percent of the possible points to win.
Three contestant teams battled for the International Masters and Slaves Contest in the Atrium at the Radisson on Saturday night. Bert Cutler and nadine from Phoenix, AZ were named the winners.
On February 28 the Knights of Malta: Yosemite Chapter of Fresno, CA staged three contests. The new titleholders were Central California Leatherboy Ric Acunia, Miss Central California Leather Amber and Ms Central California Leather Beth Abate.
San Francisco Leather Daddy’s Boy XX Will Bruner raised $850 and collected about 200 pounds of canned food for Project Open Hand.
Four men vied for the Mr. Edge Leather 2003 title and when the dust settled Frank Vasconcellos of Hayward was declared the winner in San Francisco.
Rob Roberts became Mr. Sister Leather 2003 at Gauntlet II in Los Angeles.
Gregg White was named Mr. Minneapolis Eagle 2003.
Mr. Powerhouse 2003 Troy Anicete took the honors as 25th Mr. San Francisco Leather at the Eagle Tavern.
Mr. Ashram West Leather 2003 was Terry Demby at the Faultline in Los Angeles.
Sam Bacon was chosen as Mr. San Diego Leather 2003 in front of a large crowd at Club Montage. The contest was the highlight of San Diego Leather Pride Week.
Dana Booker and Geri Farley won the Pennsylvania American Leatherman and Leatherwoman titles in Harrisburg.
Paul Thranhardt was chosen North Florida Leather Sir and boy kerwin was appointed North Florida Leatherboy at The Imperial in Jacksonville.
Mr. Toolshed 2003 Dennis Cramer presented an Erotic Art Exhibit at the Toolshed on St. Patrick's Day weekend in Palm Springs.
The fourth edition of the Mr. LA Leather Contest was nothing less than spectacular as Stephen Blackwell was named Mr. LA Leather at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles in front of over 750 Leatherfolk.
Richard Grey became North Carolina Leather Sir and Michael Waugh was named North Carolina Leatherboy at the Charlotte Eagle.
Panther was named Washington State Ms Leather 2003 and Mark Nunley was selected Washington State Mr. Leather in Seattle. The Leather Emerald Awards were held with Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt of San Francisco, CA being named the recipient of the National Emerald Award.
The first Las Vegas Eagle Leather Contest was won by Jay Groth and the Las Vegas Eagle Leatherboy title was nabbed by boy frank in Las Vegas, NV. The contest was produced by Grand Master Beau.
Ms World Leather 2002 Karen McGee had HIV and the Homeless as her contest platform. She is probably best-known for A Leather Day of Caring held in April. The international Leather community was asked to raise funds and/or provide services for homeless PWAs. Accounts came in making the total collected over $57,000.
California ran the table at American Brotherhood Weekend at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC when Bill Mitchell of San Diego was named American Leatherman 2003, the American Leatherwoman 2003 title was awarded to sheryl dee from San Diego and Boy Jeff of San Francisco became American Leatherboy the weekend of April 25-27.
San Francisco Leather Dyke Daddy 2003 was J Kimball and Dyke Diva 2003 was Sh’diva Black.
Joseph Brumley was named Padlock Leatherboy 2003 at the Padlock Leather Sir and Leatherboy Contest in Phoenix.
Dallas Leather Sir Norm Ashton and Oklahoma Leatherboy boy marc were selected South Central Leather Sir and South Central Leatherboy at the Dallas Eagle.
John Pendal, sponsored by the Hoist in London, UK was named the winner of the International Mr. Leather 2003 Contest at the Congress Theater in Chicago in front of approximately 2,500 Leatherfolk who were celebrating the 25th Anniversary of IML. During the 25th Anniversary of International Mr. Leather Weekend, many groups and organizations raised funds for the Leather Archives and Museum. International Mr. Leather itself raised $17,257 from vendor fair entry donations.
Tom Stice announced the transfer of ownership of the International Master/slave contest to Mark Frazier and International Master/slave 2001 Jim and Marsha.
Pennsylvania Leather Sir 2003 was Douglas Lindsey and Pennsylvania Leatherboy 2003 was Brian “Grunt” Mottin at the Pittsburgh Eagle.
Jae Januze became the new Rocky Mountain Ms Leather 2002 -2003, finishing out the title year originally won by Rhonda Norton at Thunder in the Mountains 2002 in Denver.
The International Deaf Leather and Deaf Bear and Cub Organization held its contest at Orlando Marriott Downtown Hotel. The winners were International Mr. Deaf Leather 2003 Juan Zazueta and International Ms Deaf Leather 2003 Reneta Millet.
Bob Forbes from Syracuse was announced the winner of the Northeast Leather Sir 2003 title and boy andy fischman achieved enough points to become Northeast Leatherboy at The Slide Bar in the East Village in New York.
Colorado Leather Sir 2003 was Rich Valdez and Colorado Leatherboy 2003 was ruben gomez.
The first Mama's Leatherman contest was held at the Loading Dock in San Francisco and was won by Keith Folger.
Sebastien Fontaine of Montreal, Quebec was named Eastern Canada Leather boy at the Black Eagle in Toronto.
Brian Williams of Sacramento was chose Sacramento Leather Sir and Arturo Crespo of Sacramento was chosen Sacramento Leatherboy at The Bolt.
Bill Morse of Chicago, IL became Illinois Leather Sir at the Cell Block in Chicago.
Mr. Ebony Leather Contest Cain Berlinger producer presented Chuck Renslow of the Leather and Archives and Museum  a check for $1,000 from funds raised during the Mr. Ebony Leather 2003 Contest held during IML in May.
The Arizona Leather Sir and Leatherboy Contest was held at Charlie's in Phoenix with Jeffers Huesing being awarded the Arizona Leather Sir 2003 title and Duane Mantey being named Arizona Leatherboy 2003.
International Ms Leather 2003 was Tammie Nelson from Greenwood, IN and International Ms Bootblack 2003 was slaveboi eddie from Culver City, CA. The contest was held at Club Joy in Omaha, NE on Saturday night, July 19 in front of about 250 cheering Leatherfolk. First runner-up to Tammie Nelson was Ms Tri State Leather 2002 Ruby from Ohio and second runner-up was Jennifer Morgan from Philadelphia, PA.
Palm Springs Leatherboy 2003 was Randy Bruner and here were no Leather Sir contestants.
The first West Coast Pup and Trainer Contest took place at Gauntlet II in Los Angeles with Patch winning the Pup title and Shawn nabbing the Trainer sash.
The Leather Dyke Family Charity Events (LDF) announced the formation of a board of directors to manage current and future LDF titleholders and events.
Peter Fiske was named San Francisco Leather Daddy XXI at the Eagle Tavern in front of about 350 cheering spectators. Almost 200 Leatherfolk were in the ballroom of the Ramada Hotel on Market Street in San Francisco to see California Leatherman Master Jammer, California  Leatherwoman Evan and California Leatherboy Jack Garcia win their titles.
Sacramento Leather Sir Brian Williams and Sacramento Leatherboy Arturo Crespo captured the 2003 Northern California Leather Sir/boy competition in Guerneville. Roger Hunt was runner-up and later assumed the Leatherboy title.
The 10th Annual Mr. Oneida Leather Contest was held at the Camp Oneida Campground in New Milford, PA and when it was all over Mike Hanger walked away with the sash.
Earl Coffman was chosen the become Mr. Oregon State Leather and Alycyn Britton was named Ms Oregon State Leather.
Goddess Lakshimi from Detroit, MI won the Ms World Leather 2003 title in front of almost 300 Leatherfolk at the Radisson Dallas Hotel in Dallas, TX on Sunday afternoon, August 10. Millarca from Oak Park, IL was the runner-up. Seven women competed.
Chris Reynolds from Las Vegas, NV was named Southwest Leather Sir 2003 and Duane Mantey won the Southwest Leatherboy title in front of about 150 Leatherfolk at the Hotel in Phoenix, AZ on Saturday night, August 2.
Great Lakes Leatherboy 2003 was Titusboy, Great Lakes Leather Sir 2003 was Bill Morse, Great Lakes Ms Leather Pride 2003 was Katie Kat, Great Lakes Master 2003 was Mistress Constance Coleman, Great Lakes slave 2003 was slave drew and Great Lakes Bootblack 2003 was izzy at the Great Lakes Leather Alliance Weekend which also included over 24 workshops, three dungeons, a poolside Dom/slave auction, a cookout hosted by the Midwest Bearpack and a dessert table hosted by the Indiana Falcons.
In a stunning production at Neighbors in Seattle, Eric Bonesteel was chosen Northwest Leather Sir 2003 and boy Larry Ryan was chosen Northwest Leatherboy 2003.
The Southern California Leather Sir contest was held at the Hole in San Diego and the winners were Leather Sir Mike Russell from San Diego and Leatherboy randy from Palm Springs.
The Great Plains Leatherboy Contest was held at Magnolia’s Bar in St. Louis, and boy Cody smith was chosen to be the first Great Plains Leatherboy. There were no Leather Sir contestants.
Tim Lott, sponsored by the Phoenix, was the winner of the Mr. Louisiana Leather 2004 contest held at the Barn at Cowpokes in New Orleans.
Ross Katzman was named Mr. Harbor Room Leather at that Milwaukee bar.
Winning the title of Mr. Upper-Ohio Valley Leather 2004 was Bob Madaras.
The winners of the International Puppy and Trainer 2003 Contest held in Houston, were Shawn and patch. Master Steve Sampson’s slave pug received the LeatherDOG Person of the Year Award.
Big Daddy Carl was named Mr. Las Vegas Leather 2003 and Steve Hagen was titled Las Vegas Leatherboy 2003 poolside at the Blue Moon Resort in Las Vegas, NV in front of 100 Leatherfolk.
Tim Weaver was chosen Heart of America Leatherboy 2004 and Todd Altheiser became Mr. Dixie Belle Leather 2004 at the DB Warehouse in Kansas City, MO.
Julian Marshburn was named Mr. San Francisco Leather 2004 in a fully-packed ballroom at the Ramada Plaza on Market Street.
David Richardson became Mr. Austin Leather 2004.
The Atlantic Canadian Leather community gathered in Halifax for Leather Dome: Mr. Atlantic Canada 2004 Contest Weekend where Randall Perry of Charlottetown, PEI was announced as Mr. Atlantic Canada Leather 2004.
pup Fifi and her trainer Mistress Simone were named Great Lakes Puppy and Trainer at the Cell Block in Chicago. Saad (pronounced Sa-ad) from Sweden, a Baghdad-born Iraqi that fled to Sweden in 1991 after the Desert Storm war in Iraq, was named Mr. Leather Europe competition in Hamburg.
Toni from New Orleans, LA was chosen to be Ms Gulf States Olympus Leather 2003 at the Emerald City Bar in Pensacola, FL.
Jack Robinson of Apex, NC was named Southeast Bootblack 2004, Southeast Master/slave title was won by Master Rickford and slave kimmie of King, NC.
The second go around with the International Leather Sir and Leatherboy Contest was impressive with Southern California Mr. Leather Mike Russell from San Diego taking the Leather Sir 2003 title while Great Lakes Leatherboy Rick "Titusboy" Mansfield from Cincinnati was named Leatherboy 2003 at the Suncoast Resort in St. Petersburg, FL.
The Knights of Malta: Yosemite Chapter hosted the Mr. Central California Leather 2003 Contest at the North Tower Circle in Fresno, CA which was won by Dan Hogue.
Slavegirl Moira was named Beyond Vanilla Bootblack at the Holiday Inn Select Hotel in Dallas.
Major of Albuquerque was awarded New Mexico Mr. Leather 2004 and Lori Campbell walked away as New Mexico Ms. Leather 2004.
James Taylor was named Mr. Connecticut Leather 2003 at Indigo/Market in New Haven, CT in front of about 125 cheering spectator at a contest produced by the Hartford Colts MC.
Chris Vincent, from Las Vegas, NV, became the first man west of Chicago to win the Mr. International Rubber title at the Cell Block in Chicago.
Mr. Leather Ottawa-Outaouais 2004 was Steven Hould.
The biggest Mr. Florida Leather Contest Weekend yet was held Fort Lauderdale, culminating in Fernan Royo of Fort Lauderdale winning the title at the Fort Lauderdale Eagle.
The second Mr. Kansas Leather and Kansas boy Leather contest was held in Wichita with Kerry Ellison being chosen Mr. Kansas Leather and Terry Brown chosen Kansas Leatherboy.
Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2004 was Jack Beneville. The contest was part of Palm Springs Leather Pride with 750 Leatherfolk attending the Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert events.
The inaugural Mr. and Ms Kentucky Olympus was held in Louisville with Scot S. being named Mr. Kentucky Olympus Leather and Lillian Hannah named Ms. Kentucky Olympus Leather.
Rob Kohl was acclaimed as Mr. BC Leather 2003 in Vancouver, Canada. The Pittsburgh Eagle and Three Rivers Leather Club held the first Mr. Pittsburgh Eagle Leather competition with Mike Natale of nearby Greensburg, PA winning.
Alley Cat was named Mr. Detroit Eagle 2004.
Karen Yew as named Ms San Diego Leather at the newly renovated GLBT Center in San Diego.
Jim Drew won the Seattle Leather Daddy Leather Daddy title and Rusty Jones winning the Daddy's boy title at the Cuff Complex in a contest produced by the Seattle Men in Leather.
Eric Edelstein became Mr. North Coast Leather 2003 at the Russian River.
James Quiroga from Lancaster, CA won the Mr. Pistons Leather 2003 title at Pistons in Long Beach in front of 200 Leatherfolk.
Khol and Sage were the winners of the Mr. and Ms Santa Clara County Leather titles at Waves in San Jose.
The Mid States Leather Contest saw Hallie from Steubenville, OH win the Ms Mid States Leather 2004 title and Jim Nelson from Indianapolis capture the Mr. Mid States Leather 2004 title at the Center in Cincinnati.
Pegasus Productions produced the Second Annual Texas Leather Family Weekend which included the Texas Leatherman and Texas Leatherboy 2004 Contest in Houston with proceeds benefiting The Colt 45's.
The Second Annual Southwest Leather Conference, held at the Holiday Inn at Arizona State University in Tempe was a success as Master Z and slaveboy  tony were named Southwest Master and slave 2004 and a series of inspiring workshops and seminars pleased about 100 Leatherfolk in attendance.
Remi Collette who is Mr. Leather Zelda’s 2004 became the new Mr. Leatherman Toronto and Mr. Black Eagle 2004 Alan Anderson was  named Mr. Leather Fellowship 2004 on Saturday night, November 29 at Kool Haus in Toronto, Canada.
The Mr. Belfast Leather 2004 Contest was won by Colin Blair at the Custom House Bar in Belfast, Ireland.

News and Politics

The Leather Archives and Museum received a check in the amount of $5,679.56 from the Leather Literary Project.
Hundreds of pounds of donated clothing rolled in during the Leather community kickoff party for the Fifth Annual Together, Miracles Will Happen clothing drive at Daddy's as Leather and Imperial Court titleholders gathered to launch the month-long clothing drive that benefited the St. Anthony Foundation of San Francisco.
The search for hot meat to grace the pages of the 2004 SOMA Bare Chest Calendar began with the Mr. January Contest. The Calendar benefits the AIDS Emergency Fund.
Instigator Magazine made its debut to the Leather community at Mid Atlantic Leather..
Men descended upon R Place for a fundraiser benefiting the People of Color Against AIDS Network (POCAAN) in Seattle.
The Second Annual CLAW (Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend) took place in Cleveland and was a huge success with over $15,000 raised for charity The primary beneficiaries were the LGBT Center in Cleveland and the Leather Archives and Museum.
The Georgia Supreme Court struck down a 170 year-old law that made it a crime for unmarried people to have sex. The January ruling came in the case of a 16 year-old boy discovered having sex with his girlfriend in the bedroom of her home. The young woman’s mother made the discovery. "Our opinion simply affirms that ... the government may not reach into the bedroom of a private residence and criminalize the private, noncommercial, consensual sexual acts of two persons legally capable of consenting to those acts,” Chief Justice Norman Fletcher wrote.
The Second Annual CLAW (Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend) took place January 24-26 in Cleveland, OH and was a huge success with 400 in attendance and over $15,000 being raised, triple the amount collected in 2002. The primary beneficiaries were the LGBT Center in Cleveland and the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago.
An Evening With Daddy, a fund raiser for the AIDS Emergency Fund produced by SF Leather Daddy XX Tony Koester, was a celebration of Daddy Alan Selby’s 74th birthday on February 7 in San Francisco.
34 individuals, clubs, businesses and organizations were honored at the Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards Show at the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago, IL. The major awards and winners were: Man of the Year, Randal Kinnear and Scott Parker; Woman of the Year, Fetish Diva Midori; Lifetime Achievement Award, Judy Tallwing McCarthy; Community Choice (Man), Tom Stice; Community Choice (Woman), Annie Romano-Blas and Forbearer, Cynthia Slater. The Awards Show opened with To Those Who Have Served in the military, police and fire departments in the U.S. and friendly countries. Kay Hallanger led the presentation of colors.
The South Plains Leather Fest weekend saw an estimated 800 Leatherfolk descend upon the Radisson Hotel in Dallas for a weekend of workshops, dungeon parties, vendors, the Mr. and Ms South Plains Leather 2003 Contest and the International Masters and Slaves 2003 Contest.
Daddy’s hosts the second annual party to honor the Bay Area nominees for Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards. The party poked gentle fun at the awards with a few “special” awards of its own: “Our Hidden Treasure Award,” The “Most Likely To Have Nominated Themselves” Award, The “Lake Michigan Award” (popular with tourists in the summer; hard all winter) and The “Weather Channel” Award (least likely to know just how cold Chicago is in February).
Known as the Queen of Mean, New York hotelier Leona Helmsley was ordered to pay former Park Lane Hotel manager Charles Bell $11,200,000. "He claimed that she 'made him feel like dirt' and called him by a gay slur before firing him. She claimed that he threw rude parties and gave his friends too many discounts, most notoriously one weekend when a group of them paraded through the lobby dressed in Leather on the way to the Black Party, a gay men’s bash at Roseland." said the New York Times.
The Third Annual Breast Cancer Dinner at the San Francisco Zoo and hosted by Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt and producer Mark Paladini raised $9,000 for the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.
Mr. Palm Springs Daddy Bear 1999 Edward Espindola Mr. Tool Shed Leather and Dennis Cramer hosted fundraising events in Palm Springs in March that raised $2,500 for charity, including a teddy bear pool party at Chaps Inn.
Trial By Fire, the latest CD by Robert Lloyd Anderson debuted in March.
Doug Harris hosted A final gathering of friends and family at the home at The Sanctuary Of The Dark Angel on Saturday, March 22. Attendees were asked to bring a brief statement or small memento of their time at the Sanctuary over the last 10 years which were acknowledged and placed inside a sealed repository for a future time.
Popular Toolshed bartender Mel Dylak suffered a series of strokes while on vacation and is hospitalized in early March. The Palm Springs bar put together a fund raiser to help Mel with his medical expenses and the result was donations of $5,600.
Governor Kenny Guinn has appointed Robert Texter, aka Grand Master Beau, as an Ambassador to the Silver State of Nevada.
On March 14 the Leather Rose was visited by City of Chicago Revenue agents; these agents were seeking evidence that there was a Public Place of  Amusement, one of the issues for which the Leather Rose was previously cited. The LRA was founded in 2002  as a nonprofit organization to qualify for an exemption under the Chicago PPA ordinance. City of Chicago Revenue officers repeatedly attempted to gain admission to the LRA through the payment of a single evening fee. The agents did not shut the club down; although they did leave a citation for the PPA.
The Lure, which made a major positive impact on the Leather community in New York and nation wide, closed in early April.
An Easter Basket Auction at Daddy's in San Francisco raised $3,000 for the programs of the Stop AIDS Project. Lenny Broberg did an amazing job as the auctioneer while Snatch and Donna Sachet kept things lively with their performances.
Winners of each of the 22 Golden Dildeaux Awards were announced at the Eagle Tavern in San Francisco.
Tribal Fire 2003: The Journey Continues took place the weekend of April 4-6 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Edmond which is a suburb of Oklahoma City. Tribal Fire was sponsored by NLA: Oklahoma City. Tribal Fire drew about 200 registrants.
Grey Rose Productions of San Diego, CA made it known that their IML 2001 Video has been nominated for a 2003 Gayvn Award which is the adult entertainment industry's version of the Oscars.
A panel of Southern District of New York judges including Circuit Judge Robert D. Sack, District Judges Richard M. Berman and Gerard E. Lynch unanimously agreed that Barbara Nitke and the NCSF must be given an opportunity to prove that the Communications Decency Act (CDA) is overbroad, banning speech that is protected. The judges agreed that “local community standards” may threaten speech whose value is not understood as “serious” by an audience unfamiliar with alternative lifestyles.
The Seventh Annual Leather Leadership Conference: Forging Links: Strengthening Ourselves was held April 11-13 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Patrick Califia presented the keynote speech.
Boy's Training Camp V was held in Dallas and included an all-intense weekend of training for those identifying as a submissive Leatherboy.
The Bullet in North Hollywood, CA celebrated its Fifth Anniversary on Friday night, May 3.
Gauntlet II celebrated its 19th Anniversary along with a send off party to IML for Mr. LA Leather 2003 Stephen Blackwell on May 9 in Los Angeles.
The Tom of Finland Foundation presented its Third Annual NYC Erotic Arts Festival at the Lesbian and Gay Center in New York, NY.
Folsom Fair North Productions presented Folsom Fair North on July 20 with the beneficiaries being the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) and 519 Church Street Community Centre.
Although there had been a heat wave hit California just before the weekend, it was perfect for the Dore Alley Street Fair in San Francisco.
International Mr. Leather 1979 David Kloss and Mr. Leather Fellowship Toronto 2001 Remi Collette were legally married at Toronto City Hall at noon on Friday, July 11, 2003.
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom named Eden Sarfaty as its executive director.
Great Lakes Leather Alliance Weekend which also included over 24 workshops, three dungeons, a poolside Dom/slave auction, a cookout hosted by the Midwest Bearpack, several Leather contests and a dessert table hosted by the Indiana Falcons.
Calamus Communities became a 92 unit resort retirement facility in the heart of downtown Phoenix. This facility consisted of one bedroom and studio apartments geared towards the special needs of the gay and lesbian retiree and was founded by Vern Johnson.
After Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt had her car broken into during Labor Weekend in San Francisco, CA with over $2,000 of Leather and personal stolen. Among the stolen items was her famous red and black corset that she loves so much. The corset turned up in a thrift shop nearby only a few days later.
The Second Annual Southern California Leather Gathering was held in the East Shore Picnic Area of Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas.
The Cell Block's Celebrity Guest Bartenders fundraising and awareness campaign for The Center On Halsted, Chicago’s new GLBT Community Center saw over 40 community celebrities serve as guest bartenders at the Cell Block, serving drinks on Sunday afternoons. All tips received by guest bartenders were donated to the Center with $4,330.50.
American Leatherman 2002 Rich "RTB" Trevino and his partner New England Mr. Drummer 2000 Daniel J. Rabone teamed up with Gay Coffees, to offer Grind, Wet and Enjoy, a fundraising campaign throughout North America to benefit the Leather Archives and Museum and the Gay Mens Domestic Violence Project.
International Ms Leather 2003 Tammie Nelson and Midwest Ursine Indiana editor John Schmitt have started the Protect our Past and Future Fund.
The weekend of August 22-24 was a special one at Saratoga Springs Resort in Lake County as 244 Leather/Levi men and women gathered together for Leather Levi Weekend III. Leather Levi Weekend was established to encourage those interested in any of the facets that make up the greater Leather community by proving them a weekend where they could sample a bit of everything, and to do so at their own pace in a safe and Leather-positive atmosphere.
Whipmaster Robert Dante of Southern California set the Guinness World Record for Fastest Whip in the World by cracking 203 times in one minute, using a Mike Murphy six-foot bullwhip.
CineKink NYC featured a specially selected program of films and videos that explore and celebrate a wide diversity of alternative sexuality. In addition to screenings, plans for the event also include a short film competition, presentations, parties and a gala kickoff fundraiser.
The Tool Shed bar of Palm Springs celebrated its 10th Anniversary.
The Ninth Annual Tom of Finland Foundation Erotic Art Weekend took place in West Hollywood's Plummer Park.
Leather University's Dungeon 801 weekend was held in Fort Lauderdale with an enrollment of 200 people from five countries on three continents.
The Board of Directors of Folsom Street  Events distributed $246,000 to the designated beneficiaries for Up Your Alley (Dore Alley Fair) and Folsom Street Fair XX at  a gathering at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown San Francisco.
Tramps provided a dinner with a family style atmosphere for Santa Saturday West which took place at the Free Zone in Las Vegas in late November. Santa Saturday West raised slightly over $1,000 to spend on the children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
The welcome mat was out no longer for Gay tourists in parts of Louisiana and Maryland. In the name of protecting “Christian family values,” two Leather conferences were yanked, including the “Fetish in the Fall” festival in Kenner and the Black Rose convention in Ocean Park.
The Woodhull Freedom Foundation (WFF) and the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) jointly conducted an open forum regarding the opposition against educational and social conferences at the Radisson Hotel in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Mr. Palm Springs Daddy Bear in 1999 Edward Espindola produced a Thanksgiving Food Drive for the Desert AIDS Project Food Bank at the Barracks that netted over $2,200. In addition, approximately $700 worth of food that was donated.
The Tool Shed’s Annual Christmas Stocking Program, which benefited clients of the AIDS Assistance Program completed its 2003 donation and sponsorship drive in Palm Springs with over $7,000 being raised in cash contributions which was used to fill 400 stockings, 40 were for children.
The Fifth Annual 12 Days of Christmas smashed previous records raising  $6,004 for charities. Even amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, folks packed the Hippo in Baltimore, MD to attend the Hooker and Boys production. 2003's show  dubbed It’s Gonna be a White Trash Christmas, Hon! opened with a hillbilly portrayal of I’m Dreaming of a White Trash Christmas.

Books and Publications

The publisher of O, an adult fetish magazine lost a lawsuit that claimed that television star and self-improvement guru Oprah Winfrey’s publication, also named O was tarnishing his trademark, a New York court ruled in February German publisher Brockmeyer’s magazine have rarely appeared in the United States since 1995.
Tim Brough of Vulcan America fame and author of numerous short erotic Leather/SM/Fetish stories came out with a book containing 17 of his hottest stories titled Black Gloves White Magic.
Daedalus Publishing announced a new work by the former publisher of Drummer Magazine and San Francisco Leather columnist Robert Davolt titled Painfully Obvious: An Irreverent and Unauthorized Manual For SM/Leather.

Internet

The New York, New Jersey, Connecticut Jewish BDSM Match was a new E-mail group dedicated to Jewish Dom/mes, subs, Tops, bottoms, and those that love them.

New on the Scene

Black BEAT (Black Expressions, Alternative Tastes), Washington, DC;  Black Gloves White Magic by Brough, Louisville, KY
Calamus Communities, Phoenix, AZ; Cavaliers Motorcycle Club, New Orleans, LA; Community Forum on Asians and Leathersex, kinky GAM and the Pacific Islander Wellness Center, San Francisco, CA; Folsom Fair North Productions, Folsom Fair North, Toronto, Canada; Instigator Magazine, Los Angeles, CA; Las Vegas League of Gentlemen, Las Vegas, NV; Latin Leather Club, San Francisco, CA; Leather Girl Network, San Diego, CA; LeatherPost.com, Redwood City, CA; New York, New Jersey, Connecticut Jewish BDSM Match; Mama's Leatherman Contest, San Francisco, CA; Midwest Bound Magazine, Wichita, KS; Minnesota Storm Patrol, Minneapolis, MN; National Leather Association: Kentucky, Lexington, KY; Palm Springs boys of Leather, Palm Springs, CA; Together in Leather, North Carolina; Women's Educational Board (WEB), Central Texas; West Coast Pup and Trainer Contest, Los Angeles, CA

Milestones

45 Years: Oedipus Motorcycle Club, Los Angeles, CA
35 Years: Rocky Mountaineers Motorcycle Club, Denver, CO; Spartan Motorcycle Club, Alexandria; Texas Riders Motorcycle Club, Houston, TX
30 Years: Bucks Motorcycle Club, Langhorne, PA; Gateway Motorcycle Club, St. Louis, MO; Let Us Entertain You Weekend (LUEY), Houston Council of Clubs, Houston, TX; Regiment of the Black and Tans, Los Angeles, CA; Trident: International, Detroit .
25 Years: California Cyclemen Motorcycle Club, 25th Anniversary Run, San Diego, CA; Centurions, Columbus, OH; Highwaymen TNT, Washington, DC; International Mr. Leather Contest, Chicago, IL; Mr. San Francisco Leather Contest, San Francisco, CA; Pocono Warriors, Rahway, NJ; Reading Railmen, Reading, PA
20 Years: Avatar Club of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; Centaur Motorcycle Club, Washington, DC; Cowtown Leathermen, 20th Anniversary Run, Fort Worth, TX; Folsom Street Fair, SMMILE, San Francisco, CA; Leather Pride Night Auction, New York, NY
15 Years: Arizona Power Exchange (APEX), Phoenix, AZ; Atlanta SM Solidarity, Spring In The South XV, Atlanta, GA; Corps Of Men Making A Noticeable Difference Motorcycle Club (COMMAND), Baltimore, MD; The 15 Association, Boot Camp XV, San Francisco, CA; Knights of Leather, Tournament XV, Minneapolis, MN; Leather Pride Flag, Tony DeBlase; NY Renegades, New York, NY; Panther L/L, Prowl XV, Atlanta, GA; Seattle Leather Daddy/Boy/Grand Daddy Contest, Seattle Men in Leather, Seattle, WA; Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA; Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Association (TULSA), Oklahoma Mr. Leather Contest, Tulsa, OK
10 Years: Icon Detroit, Detroit, MI; Key West Wreckers and Ship Wreck X, Key West, FL; Tool Shed Bar, Palm Springs, CA
Knight Hawks of Virginia, Norfolk, VA; Leather Knights, Camelot X, Dallas, TX; Potomac Motorcycle Club, Washington, DC; Suncoast Motorcycle Club, St. Petersburg, FL; Trident Knights, Charleston, SC
Five Years: Boy's Training Camp V, Dallas, TX; Bullet Bar, North Hollywood, CA; Leather Tribe, Leather Nation: Volume V, The Leather Journal, Los Angeles, CA; Lexington Lyons Leather/Levi Club, Lexington, KY; Radical And Wicked Women (RAWW), Los Angeles, CA; Men of Discipline, Washington, DC; Minotaurs Motorcycle Club, Concord, NH; NLA: New Orleans, New Orleans, LA; Suncoast Eagle, St. Petersburg, FL; TIES, Minneapolis, MN, Thunder in the Mountains, Denver, CO; 12 Days of Christmas, Hooker and Boys, Baltimore, MD

Gone, But Not Forgotten

The Lure, a bar which made a major positive impact on the Leather community in New York and nation wide, closed in early April.

The Rochester Rams reported that Derek Hasley Stevenson, a longtime member of the Ottawa Knights passed on in 2002. Derek was a member of the Knights for 13 years, serving as president and secretary as well as being on every one of the club's committees during that time span. He assisted with the Mr. Leather Ottawa-Hull Contest since 1992.

Richard Chatterton,  beloved member of the Leather tribe and respected leader of the San Diego community,  died early in the morning,  Monday, January 27, 2003, at age 34. He was born June 8, 1968.  Richard served as an effective and proud ambassador of the Leather community to the wider world. with the same integrity and pride that he had served his country in the US Navy. He was posthumously presented the Southern California Regional Pantheon of Leather. He served as Chair of Club X San Diego.

James "Jim" Kane died on Wednesday, February 12, 2003 from complications of strokes, at the age of 75. Jim was a founding member and officer of the Rocky Mountaineers Motorcycle Club. Following the reorganization of the Janus Society in San Francisco, Jim became a board member there, and also a regularly contributing faculty member for Janus educational programs. Cynthia Slater, the founder of the Janus Society, became Jim Kane's tenant in an apartment building he owned with his slave, Ike Barnes. Photos of Jim's basement dungeon appeared in a Drummer Magazine photo-essay called, Dungeons of San Francisco.

Alameda County Leather Corps (ACLC) member Roger Luttrell passed away on February 17, 2003. He was a creative force and talent in the Bay Area, designing costumes for the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, distributing baskets for the Godfather Fund at Highland Hospital and building sets for the Alameda County Leather Corps. Roger served as ACLC president and was named the club's Member of the Year in 1999.

1970 - March 13, 2003

Beloved American Leatherboy 2001, Bryan “Pup” Mullikin departed this life Thursday, March 13, 2003 at his home in Chicago. He was 33 years old. Bryan died of an accidental drug overdose. He served as president of the DC Boys of Leather for two years.

Daddy Caspian, Texas Leatherman 2003, passed away peacefully at home at 4:50 AM May 23, 2003 with his Leather Family by his side.

Perry Morris, co-owner and proprietor of Ringold Alley, San Diego’s Leather store and tailor, died on Friday, August 1. His idea to host Leather/Fetish nights at Wolfs became an instant success, simply from the credibility that he lent to these events.

Susan Kaplan, 56, passed away on July 6, 2003. Kaplan was an active member of Congregation Or Chadash. Sue did volunteer work for over 10 years with Leather United, Dedicated and Safe, CDG, and organizations, including International Mr. Leather, for which she served as transportation co-coordinator for the last three years. A volunteer for the Chicagoland AIDS Walk in the early years, Sue was instrumental in galvanizing the Leather community’s assistance for the event.

Christopher Smith, 29, died early Sunday morning, August 10, 2003.  An accomplished musician and composer, Christopher was born in New Jersey on November 20, 1973. Raised in Marin, he attended Marin Academy and studied music composition at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson in upstate New York.

Greg Ammell passed away Sunday, July 27, 2003 while on vacation in San Juan Puerto Rico. Greg, originally from Pittsburgh, was a former Mr. Cleveland Leather, a founding member of Stallions, and also a founding member of New Age in Leather (NAIL). Greg was one of the co-proprietors, with David Laws, of Law’s Leather and owner of the Tool Shed/Crossover bar in Cleveland.

Dale Dissinger from Cincinnati, OH passed away. Dale founded and owned Acme Toy Company which was primarily electric play and was an associate member of the Chicago Hellfire Club.

Born in 1914, Felix Jones passed in the morning of August 27 at age 87. His birthday would have been September 7. His partner Jim was with him as he passed. Felix was once Tom of Finland’s agent in England and was founder of SNC London and cofounder of RMC London. Felix was a founder of the Leatherscene in the 1940s and 50s in both Europe and America. Larry Townsend's Leatherman's Handbook was dedicated to Felix in a group of a few men who inspired Larry. He served in World War II as an Army officer and afterwards worked many years in the City of London. Felix was an honorary member of The 15 Association of San Francisco and SNC/London as well as RMC.

Charles Lamar died is his home on Friday August 29,2002 of natural causes. Charles was a member emeritus of the Atons of Minneapolis.

A memorial service for Kerry Migues was held on Thursday, September 15 at St. Mark’s on North Rampart Street in New Orleans, LA. Migues was winner of the first Wally Look-Alike Contest benefiting local AIDS groups.

Henry  “Drake” Jakubowski died of congestive heart failure on Sunday, October 26, 2003. Henry was very well known in the Leather/Fetish community as Drake. He was a master body piercer. Drake was a long time volunteer with the Buddy Program of AIDS Project Hartford, and a former board member. He was an active player and supporter of Delta and several other Leather/Fetish organizations. He worked closely with Roy of Leather Harvest.

Chuck Lance passed away near New Orleans, LA during the fall. He held the Mr. Louisiana Leather 2000 title and was a bar manager at the Phoenix in New Orleans. Chuck was also on the Pantheon of Leather board of directors. He was a very gracious host to visitors of his home town and was loved by the Leather community in New Orleans.

The oldest (a member since 1980) and one of the dearest members and the longest standing member of the Fraternal Committee of The 15 Association passed away on December 13. Fred Vasalanic suffered a stroke and was hospitalized on December 7. He was attended by his friend Larry Blake. Fred suffered a massive stroke from which he could not recovered.

Rev. John J. Lysogorski, 53, of Latham, N.Y. died Saturday, November 15, 2003 at Albany Medical Center Hospital embraced by his family. He worked as chaplain at Albany Medical Center and became the head of Pastoral Care for Catholic Charities Diocesan AIDS Services. Father John was a board member of the Capital Regions NAMES Project and Support Ministries. He was the chairperson of the Schenectady Damien Center Task Force and the Troy Area AIDS Collation. He was an active participant of the Ryan White HIV Care Network. Father John was also a member of the National Association of Priest Pilots and STARS Motorcycle Club

Rodney Jordan-ross; made his transition on Saturday, December 6  following treatment for Lymphoma. He served the HIV/AIDS community across Northern California as cochair of the Mendocino Community Health Center Community Advisory Board; and as a member of the Mountain Counties Aids Consortium in Northeast California.  He received honors for his service at the HIV Drop-In Center in Clearlake, CA.

The Leather Community mourned the passing of Howard Fleming of Gouverneur, NY who died on Monday, November 24, 2003 after a short but courageous battle against lung cancer. Howard, 56 years old, was a native of Lyons Falls, NY,  and was a veteran of the Armed Services of the United States. Howard was a member of the American Legion. Howard was a charter member of the Utica Tri’s, MC of Utica, NY, treasurer of ABLE Productions (American Brotherhood Weekend Contests). He was an associate member of the Rochester Rams and the Ottawa Knights.

Dave Lewis, President of Seattle Men in Leather, passed away of an apparent heart attack on Sunday, December 14, 2003. Dave was a charter member of Seattle Men in Leather, joining in October of 1989.  That same month, Dave won the title of Seattle Leather Daddy 1990. Dave also served on the SML steering committee, as president of Generic Leather Productions of Washington, on the board of Outdoor Adventurers Club.

On Monday, December 15, 2003, Master Dean Walradt passed away with family at his side in Dallas. Dean Walradt received the President's Award at Pantheon of Leather in 1995 and the South Central Regional Award. Dean was the founder of the National Leather Association: Houston and served as one of its first cochairs and president and secretary from. Dean was instrumental in bringing NLA: International’s Living in Leather (LIL) VIII to Houston.  In 1997 he joined NLA: Dallas and served as cochair from 1999 to 2001. After the successful LIL VIII, Dean was named director for LIL IX. in Toronto, Canada. He directed the conference for its 10th Anniversary in Portland, OR where he received NLA: I's Order of Merit. The NLA named Dean Man of the Year 2001. Leathernetwork.com, Leather by Boots: Dallas, boy’s Training Camp, Master’s Retreat, and the multitude of projects and events that Dean was associated with continued as part of his legacy to the community.