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

Flash Back Gallery - IML IMBB, Part II

There are so many photos of IML IMBB-related activities that we could not reasonably post them in two parts, so our International Mr. Leather and International Mr. Bootblack galleries will be expanded to three sections. We only can touch the surface of Leather's premier convention.

Scroll down to the Flash Back Gallery to see photos, from each year and a link to IML IMBB where you can find out more about IML IMBB which will be held in Chicago in November.

Flash Back Gallery - IML IMBB, Part I of II

We take you back through Chicago, International Mr. Leather and International Mr. Bootblack. Our photo files on IML are huge. There is so much we have to do it in two segments. We only can touch the surface of Leather's premier convention.

Scroll down to the Flash Back Gallery to see photos, from each year and a link to IML IMBB where you can find out more about IML IMBB which will be held in Chicago in November.

Tom of Finland - 100th Anniversary

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Fotografiska in collaboration with Tom of Finland Foundation produced The Darkroom, an exciting study in artist Tom of Finland’s life and work process. The exhibition, curated by Berndt Arell, travels from Stockholm to New York in time for Tom of Finland’s 101st birthday, May 8. The Darkroom exhibits April 30 - August 29. The exhibition consists of photographic portraits which served as reference images for his famed homoerotic drawings. These photographs were confined to Tom of Finland’s home studio and darkroom, displaying them elsewhere would have risked a prison sentence, as homosexuality was criminalized and classified as a mental disorder in his native Finland at the time of this work. Even after a century of Tom of Finland’s birth, there are forces today trying to relegate homosexual desire into dark closets.

As part of the Tom of Finland 101 celebration is a new special edition of Tom's fully-illustrated biography, Tom of Finland: The Official Life and Work of a Gay Hero, by F. Valentine Hooven, III. Take a course in how Tuoko Laaksonen became Tom of Finland, the iconic and groundbreaking, internationally renowned artist and experience his positive portrayal of confident gay men with a section devoted to The Darkroom.

https://www.tomoffinland.org/events/tom-of-finland-the-darkroom-2/

https://www.tomoffinland.org

Dave Rhodes had the opportunity to catch CLAW co-founder Bob Miller about the same time CLAW would have been held in Cleveland, OH had it not been for the pandemic. Bob now lives in Desert Hot Springs, CA. Here's what we found out...

Flash Back Gallery - CLAW

From the day Bob Miller and Dennis McMahon met and decided to do something different by producing an event that was "0-percent contest and 100-percent fun," CLAW, Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend was destined to become a hit in the American Rust Belt. Now it is a well-oiled event that draws a few thousand Leatherfolk at the end of April every year. They have over 600 volunteers which is more than the total attendance at other major events.

Scroll down to Flash Back Gallery to see photos, from each year and a link to CLAW where you can find out more about CLAW LA which will be held in Los Angeles in November.

Flash Back Gallery - Tom of Finland Events

This week, we focus on events held in Los Angeles at the Tom of Finland House and Tom-related activities in Los Angeles, CA. These 67 photos should captivate your mind and stir your sexual energy - Tom would have it no other way.

Scroll down to Flash Back Gallery to see photo from each year and a link to the Tom of Finland Foundation.

Flash Back Gallery - Smokeout

Smokeout Las Vegas has given the entertainment capital a terrific event for close to two decades and is hosted by the Desert Brotherhood Motorcycle Club and LUC Las Vegas and has been at the Alexis Park Resort the whole time. Now it is moving to the Tuscany Suites Resort and Casino the weekend of August 25-30.

Scroll down to Flash Back Gallery to see photo from each year and a link to Smokeout 2021 for registration and hotel reservations.

Flash Back Gallery - International Olympus Leather

International Olympus Leather was founded in 1996 by The Leather Journal with its first contest being held at the Landmark Hotel in Metairie, LA where Daddy Flo and Ron Hendon became the first International Olympus Leather titleholders. Since then, the contest has been held in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Diego and Chicago. Dave Rhodes sold the contest to Vonn Tramel in 2016. Scroll down to see photo from each year.

Flash Back Gallery - Pantheon of Leather

The Leather Journal began giving community service awards in 1988 and formed the Pantheon of Leather Awards show in late January, 1991 in Los Angles and Circus Dance Club. Pantheon of Leather has made its way around the USA with visits in Orland, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles again, Atlanta and Dallas. 2020 was on hiatus due to the Pandemic and a new date is still undecided.