These were the Pantheon of Leather Award recipients who were in Dallas to accept their honors. Photo by Dave Rhodes

Welcome to Dave Rhodes' Hump Day - Wednesday, September 6, 2017. This column will appear here every Wednesday on TheLeatherJournal.com

Pantheon of Leather Awards
The Pantheon of Leather Awards were held on Thursday night, August 31 at the DoubleTree Near the Galleria in Dallas, TX during ILSLb ICBB. Christopher Edwards was the emcee and IML 2009 Jeffrey Payne played Vannah. 10 of the 30 recipients were there to receive their honors, with some stuck because of Hurricane Harry. 175 attended. Man of the Year was Thib Guicherd-Callin and Woman if the Year was Patty Patty. Full story on Friday, September 8.

Donnell B. Doyle July 26,1948-September 3, 2017
Avatar Club Los Angeles President Don Doyle passed away at 7AM on September 3. Don was a member of Avatar almost since it began in 1982 and an Associate Member of he Chicago Hellfire Club. See photo below.

Second Annual Just Add Water
The Second Annual Just Add Water on August 26 hosted by Divergent Pigs in Massachusetts managed to raise in excess of $30,000 in meds and funds for our charity and others like it. Mama from California was on hand. We received a thank you note from them regarding their Pantheon of Leather President's Award, "Thank you once again for selecting us for the President's Award in 2017." Jeph and Kevin Barry. See photo below.

ILSLb ICBB 2017 results
The results are in. International Leather Sir 2017 is Major Ty from the Florida Region, International Leatherboy 2017 is boy Kaz from the Great Lakes Region and International Community Bootblack 2017 is boy John Urso from the Atlantic States Region. The contests were emceed by none other than Pantheon of Leather Man of the Year Thib Guicherd-Callin the weekend of August 31 - September 3 at the DoubleTree Near the Galleria in Dallas, TX. Full story up by Saturday, September 10. See photo below.

Shelley Denton has passed
Just got word that past American Leatherwoman Shelley Denton has passed. Waiting on details.

LeatherWalk XXVI in San Francisco
The 26th annual LeatherWalk takes place on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th, 2017. On-site registration and check in begins at 10 AM at 440 Castro. Please check in at the bar, drop off last-minute donations, and get a collectible LeatherWalk pin. Entertainment starts at 11:30 AM at Jane Warner Plaza, 17th and Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114. The Walk itself plans to start moving at 12 PM from the front of Castro Theatre. The walk features Master of Ceremonies Sister Roma with performances by some of San Francisco's most amazing vocal and drag talent. Stops include Oasis (Stop #1), Powerhouse (Stop #2), Mr. S Leather [Stop #3], Lone Star (NEW) [Stop #4), The Stud) (Stop #6) and the SF Eagle (final stop, closing beer bust). Folsom Street Events presents LeatherWalk as the official kick-off for San Francisco's Leather Week which culminates one week later with the Folsom Street Fair. https://www.classy.org/san-francisco/events/leatherwalk-2017/e131804 See photo below.

Northwest Leather Celebration
Northwest Leather Celebration informed us that the Northwest Master/slave Contest and Northwest Bootblack Contest will be held May 3-6 in Sacramento, CA. Note that this is two weeks earlier and those who want to attend Northwest Leather Celebration and DomCon: Los Angeles can do so. The NWLC Education Program will include over 50 classes. http://www.NorthwestLeatherCelebration.com

Mister International Rubber XXI
MIR (Mister International Rubber) will be held the weekend of November 3-7 at the Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL. https://mirubber.com/

CineKink Call for Entries
CineKink, "the kinky film festival," is seeking works that celebrate and explore a wide diversity of sexuality for its 2018 season. Scheduled for its 15th annual appearance in March 2018, the specially-curated CineKink NYC will feature a short film competition, audience choice awards, a "Bring It!" adult entertainment showcase/contest, a gala kick-off event and a sexy closing-night party. A national tour will follow, showcasing favorites from the NYC festival selections. http://cinekink.dphoto.com/#/album/e1b98i

SeanWolfG Free Concert at Oil Can Harry's
This is a full-length concert of Gay Country Western Music with guest Don Mike on vocals, David Eccles on bass, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar and Dennis Willis on mandolin, banjo, electric guitar, and violin. Colin Deane. Wednesday, September 27, 8-11 PM at Oil Can Harry's Los Angeles, 11502 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. See photo below.

Lambda Literary Awards nominations open
Lambda Literary is proud to announce the opening of the submissions period for the annual Lambda Literary Awards (Lammys). Entering their 30th year, the Lammys honor books in more than 20 genres ranging from literary fiction and poetry to speculative fiction, graphic novels and memoir. Finalists will be announced in March 2018 and winners at the 30th Annual Lambda Literary Awards gala on Monday, June 4 at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. https://www.lambdaliterary.org/

Avatar Boot Camp: The Art of Flogging
This class will discuss the different types of floggers, how to choose a flogger that fits one's style and needs, different ways to throw floggers, how to create a flogging scene, safety tips, and how to care for one's floggers. Avatar Club Los Angeles' Boot Camp: The Art of Flogging 12-3 PM. Hot Wax follows at 6 PM on Saturday, September 30 in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA. Registration must be paid in advance. Class size is limited. https://www.facebook.com/Avatarclubla/

Let's Kick ASS Palm Springs
The New Mr. CCBC Leather 2018 Jax Kelly held a fundraiser at the Tool Shed on September 5 in Palm Springs, CA. Through the generosity of their Massage Night masseurs and the vendors who donated raffle prizes we raised a lot of money for Let's Kick ASS Palm Springs. See photo below.

San Francisco Bare Chest Men's Calendar 2018
The San Francisco Bare Chest Men's Calendar 2018 will be available during the Folsom Street Fair on Sunday, September 24. It's been out there already, but Folsom is a great time to meet the men and get your Calendar wish will benefit the Positive Resources Center. http://www.barechest.org/ See photo below.

How you can help make Dave Rhodes' Hump Day better - no, the best. If you come up with a date and basic information on a new event, please send us the date and a short detail or two. This is designed for the web site and less so for print, so there is no 45 days-in-advance deadline. Example: If your event is happening on August 27, make sure I have it by Monday afternoon, August 21. Make sure to add your events to the Leather Community Calendar by clicking on Calendar above - follow the directions.

If you had a contest or club run over the weekend - send us the names of the winners and a photo and a brief bit about it. We have it by mid-Monday and it will appear on Wednesday. Your events hotel room block opens - that is news. Send the link and a brief. Someone passes, let us know - photo please if available, but do not let lack of an immediate photo stop you from sending. This is news shorts.

We're getting more photos - join the club. Send yours to us. If a news item comes in which we feel should also be a larger article we will contact you about it. Send to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Photos need to be jpg format.

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Avatar Club Los Angeles President Don Doyle who passed away on September 3 at home with his partner Gary at his side, presents a bar patch to the ONE Archives during Avatar's 33rd Anniversary in 2016. Photo by Dave Rhodes

Sandy "Mama" Reinhardt was on hand as Jeph and Kevin Barry raised $33,000 in August. Photo supplied by Jeph and Kevin.

International Leatherboy 2017 boy Kaz, International Leather Sir 2017 Major Ty and International Community Bootblack 2017 boy John Urso after their wins in Dallas on Saturday night, September 2. Photo by Dave Rhodes

From Dore Alley in July, Peter Fiske and friend. San Francisco LeatherWalk will kick off San Francisco's Leather Pride this month. Photo by Dave Rhodes

Leather kinksters SeanWolfG will give a free Country music concert at Oil Can Harry's in Studio City, CA.

Mr. CCBC Leather 2018 Jax Kelly held  Massage Night where he and friends raised a lot of money for Let's Kick ASS Palm Springs. Photo supplied by Jax Kelly

The San Francisco Bare Chest Men's Calendar 2018 will be available during the Folsom Street Fair on Sunday, September 24. Photo by Dave Rhodes

Mr. LA Leather 2015 Jeffrey Erdman is a buddy rider at the Satrys MC's Badger Flat Run over Labor Day Weekend. Photo supplied by Jeffrey Erdman

Two women all Leathered up for Dore Alley in July. Photo by Dave Rhodes

And oh, yes, there were puppies at Dore Alley/Up Your Alley in San Francisco, CA  in July. Photo by Dave Rhodes