LA Leather Pride - Release!
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 in DownTown LA where Colin MacDougall was best of five men competing. First Runner-up was Mr. Bullet Leather Justin The Stork Hauser and Second Runner-up was Mr. Cochando Leather Yair Lopez. Carlos Zavala received the Bob Tomasino Brotherhood Award. Jeremy Ronceros excelled as the emcee LA Leather Bear Carlos Zavala received the Brotherhood Award. Jeremy Ronceros excelled as the emcee.
Other events included a motorcycle ride-in introduction of Mr. LA Leather contestants, La La Land Classical Music concert at United Church of Christ MCC in the Valley on Monday night; meet and greet at WeHo910 on Thursday night; Assembly, a formal Leather Social at Rough Trade on Friday night, March 24, Mr. LA Leather on Saturday night March 25, and the Off Sunset Festival on Sunday, March 26 at Santa Monica Blvd. and Hoover Street - all of this plus several unofficial events . The two largest sponsors were The Fight Magazine and Ben Orson Leather.
The Off Sunset Festival would have been hard-pressed to have better weather. It is likely that this year's version had the biggest crowd ever. The Eagle had the longest line I've ever seen at a Leather event. Of Sunset closed LA Leather Pride as a winner. There will be a full article with a gallery of approximately 100 photos posted in a few days. When we post it we will also post a link to our coverage right here on Hump Day.
https://losangelesleatherpride.com/
https://www.offsunsetfestival.com
Bullet Bar's 40th and 25th Anniversary
The Bullet Bar in North Hollywood, CA will celebrate 40 years of being named the Bullet Bar and 25 years under the ownership of Michael Lara on Friday, May 5. Before it became the Bullet it was the Officers Quarters. This will be a huge party and you don't want to miss it. A lot has transpired in those 20 years in the greater Leather community at large. Plenty has changed in the San Fernando Valley which is where Burbank is. All those moons ago there were about 50 LGBT bars in The Valley and many were Leather and/or were Leather friendly. These were peeling off in droves during the early years of AIDS.
Leather bars that I can remember were the Hayloft, Driveshaft, Jobsite, Renegade, Rawhide. We just lost Oil Can Harry's which was dance, but very Leather friendly. In fact, they had a contestant in most of the Mr. Los Angeles Leather contests. Bar owner Michael Lara has received some pretty big honors for his long record of community service. There are apparently only two LGBT bars in The Valley now.We know that the address has had a bar there going back to the early 1970s including the Hanged Man, The Junction, The Signal, Officers Club before it became the Bullet.
Michael shared ownership with Daddy Bob Allen when they took over 25 years ago. Several years later, Daddy Bob sold his interest to Lara who was then the sole owner. Daddy Bob brought a crock pot of his own chili recipe on Sundays. I know guys who drove up from Long Beach for it. Alex Kitay had a long-going karaoke show on Mondays. Just these two facts let you know the Bullet Bar was also a neighborhood establishment with a list of loyal patrons. Make sure to be at the celebration because it is going to be huge.
Dr. Larry's 75th Birthday Bash
By Dave Rhodes
91 Leatherfolk descended upon the Dr. Lawrence and William Burden household in Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs, CA on Saturday night, March 18 to celebrate Dr. Larry's 75th Birthday. A museum-quality gallery of photos, awards and honorifics, Leather items and memorabilia was organized and presented on walls and tables in their home. Click on the link below to see more along with a gallery of over 50 photos from the life of this amazing Leatherman.
https://theleatherjournal.com/news/dr-larry-s-75th-birthday-bash
Sanctuary LAX back in action
Sanctuary Studios LAX is now open and running fine with an Avatar Club Los Angeles play party in mid March which drew about 100 attendees and word of mouth from the play party is that the new Sanctuary is top notch. The official grand opening will be in late April. The studio's new location offers a spacious and fully equipped facility for BDSM and fetish enthusiasts. The new location, easily accessible from the 110 and 105 freeways, features a variety of rooms that cater to different kinks and fetishes. The Sanctuary is fully air-conditioned and heated, and equipped with a full range of BDSM furniture and equipment, including bondage beds, St. Andrew's crosses, and spanking benches.
Sanctuary Studios LAX has a long and rich history in the Los Angeles BDSM community. The studio was originally founded in 1999 as Sanctuary in association with Omega’s Lair, a private dungeon space in Reseda, CA. In 2001, Sanctuary opened its doors to the Los Angeles Leather. Fetish and BDSM communities. Sanctuary quickly became a hub for the BDSM community in Los Angeles, hosting events, parties, and educational workshops and making Sanctuary a safe and inclusive space. Oh, and there will be tons of parking.
Sanctuary LAX keeps the LAX as a trademark and is located at 13012 Athens Way, Los Angeles, CA 90061; the nearest cross street is El Segundo Blvd. at Figueroa Street.
Empire City MC 12th Annual Motorcycle Weekend
Friday May 25-30 Empire City Motorcycle Club will host their 12th Annual Motorcycle Weekend to New York City, Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. All the bike club debauchery one could hope for and more. Three breakfasts, a Saturday night buffet dinner and accommodations included. Motorcycle only, meaning no four-wheeled vehicles. The campground will have shared accommodations, washrooms, linens and towel provided. Go to http://www.empirecitymc.com/ for more details and to register.
CLAW in Cleveland
CLAW will be at a new hotel, The Renaissance, in Cleveland, OH the weekend of April 6-9, Easter Weekend which is completely booked full. Open the link below to find overflow hotels. CLAW has so many events that it impossible to attend all of them. That's because several events are going on at the same time most of the time. We recommend the Bondage Beautiful on Friday night. The big Leather Formal dinner on Saturday night is a must. There will be a hundred or so Skills and Education workshops and classes. A cigar lounge is definitely in the mix as are silent auctions, speed dating, drag queen bingo, play parties, dances, club-sponsored socials.
SigMa alive and well in Washington, DC
On Saturday, March 4, SigMa hosted a presentation and demo on flogging at the Green Lantern, located at 1335 Green Court, NW, Washington, DC. The event is free and open to the public. This flogging presentation and demo is the latest of regular, first Saturday of each month at 5 PM SigMa hosts BDSM educational events at the Green Lantern. SigMa is a male BDSM/Kink/Fetish organization operating within the District of Columbia. One must be 18+ to attend events, and 21+ to become a member.
https://www.facebook.com/SigMaDC
Oedipus Motorcycle Club Coronation and 65th Anniversary
By Andre Rigden
The Oedipus Motorcycle Club installed new officers during their 90th Coronation of Oedipus Rex and Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, March 11 at a private residence in the Glassell Park district in Northeast Los Angeles. The Oedipus Motorcycle Club crowned Greg Brown as the new Oedipus Rex XC, club president. The slate of officers is complete with Regent Howard Ferguson. Thesaurus Jeff Emery, Digitus Maximus Alex Loera, and Legatus Andre Rigden. The afternoon was one of merriment, feasting, drinking and entertainment.
OMC hosts a monthly motorcycle ride open to all riders the last weekend of the month. Sign up for ride e-mail details at https://www.oedipusmcla.com and follow them on Facebook. The club will also be hosting GSR (Gay Sportbike Riders) weekend May 4-7. The weekend of riding is hosted in different places with great motorcycle roads in California each year. This year Oedipus MC's lodging will be in Idyllwild, CA.
The Oedipus Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles was formed in 1958 for the purpose of providing a safe and comfortable environment for motorcyclists in the gay community. Our focus is on motorcycling and motorcycling related events. Oedipus provides support for local gay community events that involve motorcycling and motorcyclists. Oedipus members and officers are dedicated to the preservation of the time-honored history and traditions of this great organization. All riders are welcome on our rides and to our events.
On Guard Cigar Salon at Smokeout
By Race Bannon
So excited to announce that we will do a live taping of On Guard Cigar Salon at Smokeout in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 8 from 3-5 PM on the lawn next to pool. Watch a live taping of the popular OnGuardSalon.com podcast and join the conversation. Smokeout will be at the Tuscany Suites Hotel.
The men of On Guard Cigar Salon will offer their take on questions from the audience. The show's format is typically free-flowing and conversational, but some of the possible topics to be discussed are: Where did our gay male spaces go? What do you wish the next queer generation knew about the older generation? What changes do you see happening today in the queer Leather community, both good and bad? Audience participation is encouraged, but not necessary.
There will be an audience section for those who wish to watch without being visible on video (you can still ask questions from off camera). Please bring a towel or blanket to sit on if you don’t have a lawn chair.
https://www.youtube.com/onguardcigarsalon
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1485223168228920/
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Golden Dildeaux Awards - voting in progress
The Golden Dildeaux Awards Launch Party was at the SF Eagle on March 12 with nominations open for the 2023 awards. Nominations are closed and the voting has begun and voting continues until April 30 and the Golden Dildeaux Awards 2023 will be presented at the SF Eagle on Saturday, April 22 at 6 PM.
The Golden Dildeaux Awards were founded and produced by Bay Area Reporter columnist Mr. Marcus Hernandez before being taken over by the Golden Gate Guards which folded recently. The GDAs are now run by the San Francisco Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District.
Vote at https://gda.ggguards.org/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1161838141180974/
Easter Berlin Leather Fetish Week 50
April 4-10 will be Easter Berlin Leather Fetish Week in Berlin, Germany. Chock full of "sehr heiss" events all week, the highlight will be the Easter Berlin Festival April 6-10 at Nollendorfplatz and the Mr. Leather Berlin contest on April 9. Entrance into the Festival is free. Included will be a BLUF meet and greet, live music, gearheads, puppy show and games, live show, rubber meet and greet, and deejays Mu-Delta and Brent Nicholls. Oh, and the contest.
Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert fetes long time member
By Rob Cole
The Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert presented a plaque recognizing Rheo Bruneo as a lifetime Honorary Member of the Order at their monthly meeting on March 1. Rheo has been a steadfast member, providing guidance, support and help to the organization since it was founded nearly 30 years ago. Rheo has also been an asset for the Leather, fetish and kink community at large during that time.
Leather Mart at Eagle NYC
The Eagle NYC will host a Leather Mart on Sunday, April 30 starting at 11 AM. The Leather Mart will lead into Sunday Beer Blast and the monthly BLUF social at Eagle NYC. Eagle NYC is located at 554 West 28 Street, New York, NY 10001.
ShipMates present Daddy Christmas check
By Rodney Burger
On February 19, the ShipMates Club of Baltimore presented a check in the amount of $2,565 to Baltimore Safe Haven, which has been providing services to at-risk TLGBQIA people in Baltimore City since 2018. The funds were raised during the club’s annual ShipMates’ Daddy Christmas event held at the Baltimore Eagle on December 3rd. The event featured a silent auction, Jell-o shots, a raffle for a wagon of cheer, and pictures with International Mr. Leather Bear 2019 Ali Lopez, who filled in for Santa. ShipMates Daddy Christmas 2023 will be held on Saturday, December 2 at the Baltimore Eagle.
2023 International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack names keynote speaker
IMsLBB announced that Cecelia Tan will be their keynote speaker. Cecilia Tan is "simply one of the most important writers, editors, and innovators in contemporary American erotic literature," according to Susie Bright. Cecilia Tan is the founder of Circlet Press, and 2010 Inductee into the Saints & Sinners Hall of Fame for GLBT writers. International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack) will be held April; 20-23 at the Holiday Inn Piscataway - Somerset in Piscataway, NJ - a complete hotel takeover. In fact, the host hotel is sold out. While they have no connection to IMsLBB, the Embassy Suites by Hilton Piscataway Somerset is just across the parking lot.
Not everyone is able or ready to attend this in-person event, so IMsLBB 2023 will be a hybrid in person and virtual event. Join globally for scintillating and educational kinky camaraderie right from the comfort of your favorite chill spot. Classes and all main stage events will be streamed live, and all non-interactive content will be available to watch around the clock. This goes for in person attendees as well, as your ticket will also unlock the event streaming pages on
NCSF - KAP Survey
Please tell the NCSF what it means to you to be a Kink and Polyamory Aware Professional. Help NCSF to provide resources to educate professionals, as well as resources to better serve you. If you’re a professional providing services (e.g. psychologist, massage therapist, realtor, spiritual advisor), we’re interested in your knowledge and attitudes toward relationships and sexuality topics. Research is largely missing professionals’ attitudes or training related to some marginalized topics related to relationships and sexuality. Findings from this study may help us to better provide education and outreach for other professionals such as yourself.
Complete a 15-minute survey and be entered into a random drawing to receive one of 5 $100, 6 $50, or 8 $25 Amazon e-gift cards (drawing will be held on April 15). Find the survey at: https://uncc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_40LKy5tDG221nFA.
The NCSF is the advocacy organization for the kink and consensual non-monogamy communities. Founded in 1997, NCSF is a coalition of nearly 160 groups, businesses and private practices that serve kink and CNM practitioners. The NCSF Foundation is a charitable organization that funds research and education.
https://ncsfreedom.org/key-programs-2/consent-counts/
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Ms. SF Eagle
The Ms. SF Eagle contest will be held at the SF Eagle in San Francisco, CA on Saturday, May 6 beginning at 6 PM. There will be a meet and greet on Friday night at the SF Eagle. Ms. SF Eagle 2020 Tammy LG lghatter, who works at the SF Eagle, will pass the title to the 2023 winner.
Excelsior MC - 48th Annual Fire Island Leather Weekend, Lord of the Cockring
Excelsior MC will hold their 48th Annual Fire Island Leather Weekend, Lord of the Cockring in Cherry Grove, Fire Island, NY, May 19-21for a weekend of fun, comradery, and Leather. The walk to the Belvedere Guest House may not be as far as Mordor, but with heavy luggage in tow, the journey could be perilous nonetheless. Saturday night will feature the Mr. Fire Island Leather Contest. Do you think you have what it takes to be the next Mr. Fire Island Leather? The call of adventure awaits for no one, so contestants take your moment on stage, and seek out your destiny! Application details to follow. The Grove Hotel is offering a 10 percent discount for the duration of the run. Type in the words “Leather Weekend” in the “Request/Remark” section before finalizing your reservation. For additional details please go to https://www.grovehotel.com
West Coast Rubber
The Mr. West Coast Rubber 2023 will be on the line with a trip to Chicago in November to compete for the Mr. International Rubber title at stake. The contest will be the weekend of April 14-16 in San Diego, CA. The meet and greet will on Friday at 7 PM at AWOL. The contest will be at The Merrow at 6 PM followed by a men's private play party and Sunday's victory party will be at Pecs. Mr. International Rubber 2020 Preston Wexx will be the emcee and the judges will be Colden Lamb, Jody Mitchell, Pup Yoshi and Gus Norris. Joel Royal and Matthew Jensen of PIGS - Perverted Interracial Guys.
https://www.facebook.com/realpigs/
Fetish Men San Diego presented Furry Pet Play
Fetish Men San Diego presented Furry Pet Play during their FMSD Discussion on Wednesday, March 15. Have you ever wanted to explore your animal side? Then you were in luck as FMSD hosted a discussion on furry play and pet play, exploring the overlaps and differences between the Leather community, pet play community, and furry community.
Three great speakers lined up to share their experience and expertise including Luck Sirius, who has been in the furry community for five years and is a music producer/ DJ and graphic artist; Fox Moulder, who has been an active member in FMSD for over five years and is making his own custom fur suit; and Pup Templar, who’s been a fur since 2006 and is an event host in the LA metro area.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/129619403750866
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Links to all Dave Rhodes' Hump Days going back to August 9, 2017
http://www.theleatherjournal.com/op-ed/item/2132-links-to-all-dave-rhodes-hump-day-posts
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Conductors Leather/Levi Club - Track XLI
The Conductors Levi/Leather Club will host Track XLI - Southern Baptist Revival the weekend of April 21-23 at Whispering Pines near Nashville, TN. Get in your Sunday best for this fun and irreverent weekend of Leather club debauchery including games, socials, cocktails, great meals and more sins than one righteous person can imagine.
The Conductors is Nashville's Leather/Levi club, a group of people in Nashville's gay community who share a common interest in Leather, boots, vests, and chaps. They host a monthly club night at the Stirrup, as well as other events whose primary purpose is to raise funds for their PWA Charity account. This charity fund provides direct assistance to clients of Nashville CARES and Comprehensive Cares.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/453256188037068/
https://conductorsnet.godaddysites.com/
Austin Kink Weekend
Austin Kink Weekend is growing by leaps and bounds during its second year of existence with 600 tickets of the 700 weekend passes sold two months in advance. A total of 1,000 kinksters are expected to attend events. AKW is going to be held April 22-23 in the capital of Texas at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown.
One key element of Austin Kink Weekend is the Mr. and Ms. Lonestar Leather contest for which we have the slate of judges. They are Briar Wood, Kaprese Andre, Randy Surratt, Daddie Danger, IML 2022 Gael Leung Chong, Duke, and Evert Leerson.
Austin Kink Weekend is chock full of events including kink classes at the host hotel, meet and greet and cigar social at Sir Rat Leather, vendor market, Sunday night tea dance with LA's renowned DJ Brian Novy, keynote speech, pup contest, ONYX social, two days of classes, the Lonestar Leather and Texas Leather contests, and a main Saturday night dungeon party.
https://www.austinkinkweekend.com
Ottawa Knights - April Showers
Join us on April 15th for “April Showers” at T’s All Welcoming Pub! Hosted by the Ottawa Knights, this Leather event starts at 9 PM and is open to all members of the LGBTQIA community. No Leather is required - just come ready for a fun social evening of drinks, dancing and debauchery. All genders and identities are welcome. Don’t forget - the kitchen is open from 4-8 PM for those who want to grab a bite before the party starts. There's No Cover and Coat Check available.
Pennsmen Celebrate 45 + 1 Years
By Rodney Burger
Historically, Leather clubs host large events for milestone anniversaries. Unfortunately, the pandemic derailed lots of plans. As a result, over the weekend of February 24th-26th the Pennsmen, Inc held their 46th Anniversary weekend at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This fun-filled gathering included lots of cocktail parties, instructional classes, and the 200th meeting of the Atlantic Motorcycle Coordinating Council, an umbrella organization for many of the Leather clubs in the New England and Mid-Atlantic area.
I arrived early and had time to run over to the Brownstone Lounge, the home bar of the Pennsmen, for happy hour. You can find the Pennsmen at this friendly bar on the first Saturday of each month. After a few beverages, I was ready to return to the hotel for the opening cocktail party hosted by New York's Empire City Motorcycle Club.
After a buffet brunch, the Philadelphians presented eye-opener cocktails. The morning concluded with the AMCC meeting. In the afternoon, MX Maryland Leather 2023 Finn gave an outstanding presentation on violet wands and electrical play with much attention given to safety and aftercare. Daddypup Tripp discussed knives and sensations and Mr. New Jersey Leather 2015 Thomas Fincannon demonstrated rope bondage and suspension, with lots of knot tying hands-on instruction. There was also a pet mosh. The Potomac MC, who showed that they really know how to throw a cocktail party during MAL, did it again with a mid-afternoon cocktail party complete with sturdy plastic cups printed with the club’s logo and specialty cocktails like the “George Santos.” (I did not trust the ingredients list!)
Afternoon sessions included Pennsmen Brian with sounds and catheters, ShipMate Sir Angelo and Pennsmen Luke with impact play, Command MC’s Mark with electro-stimulations, and Potomac MC’s Justin with watersports.
On Saturday night a formal leather banquet was held with pre-dinner cocktails sponsored by AMCC Treasurer Paul Rose and after dinner cocktails hosted by the Long Island Ravens. There was also a play space suite with dungeon equipment available all weekend, bootblacks on duty, and representatives from Alder Health Services offering STI testing and information. Sunday closed the weekend with a brunch.
Robert L “Bob" Guenther
By Rik Newton Treadway
Robert L “Bob" Guenther passed away on July 11, 2022 at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Montgomery County, Maryland. He was 76.
Bob was born in California but grew up in Hawaii, a state that always held a special place in his heart. He graduated from Punahou High School in Honolulu in 1962. Four years later he was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree by Michigan State University in (what at that time was the brand new field of) Computer Science. His expertise was programming mainframe computers. Bob spent 20 years with IBM in Kingston, NY, then moved to Montgomery Village, MD, to work for AT&T until he retired in 2009.
Bob loved to travel and read, especially science fiction. He was also a classical music afficionado and an accomplished pianist and organist. He enjoyed playing the organ so much that he purchased a vintage pipe organ with the intention of installing it in his house – only to later determine that was not feasible.
He was a member and generous supporter of, and held leadership positions in, a number of LGBTQ organizations, including SigMa and Brother Help Thyself in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. Additionally, Bob was Mr. Maryland Leather in 2000 and competed in the Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest in 2001.
Bob is survived by his brother, David (Nancy Nickerson) Guenther, a niece, Lisa (Justin) Wade, and two grandnephews, Rowan and Taron. He was preceded in death by his parents, E. Lynn and Dorothy Guenther.
Donna "Uncle Eddie" Moran
By Delaenya
I have known for the past five years that this day was on the horizon. Yet I still find mustering the words difficult. Our friend, Donna Moran aka Eddie, has said goodbye to her physical body at 6:55 AM, PST on Monday February 27, 2023. Her suffering from cancer has ended and she is at peace.
Eddie was a high school math teacher living in Glendora, California. She also worked with the Renaissance Pleasure Faire and was International Ms. Bootblack 2003. She left explicit instructions for what is to become of her now. She will be cremated and memorial services will be announced in the coming weeks
Ted Abbond
By John Higgins
It is with deep sorrow that I have to tell you that Ted died early last Wednesday morning, March 22, at the Veterans' hospital in North Las Vegas, NV. He had a sudden stroke and a massive heart attack from which he did not recover.
I spoke to him only five hours beforehand. It seems strange that I will never have the opportunity again. The Tedder, as he was known, was an Associate member of the Chicago Hellfire Club and The 15 Association of San Francisco, a member of Delta and a lover of all things trains.
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A Blast from The Past
IMsL and IMsBB winners 20 years ago
International Ms Leather 2003 Tammy Nelson and International Ms Bootblack 2003 Donna Moran won the titles 20 years ago in the 97 degree heat at The Max in Omaha, Nebraska. Donna passed away recently in her native Southern California.
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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
