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Pauley PerretteThe It Gets Better Premiere Charity Event on Friday Feb 1, 2013, was all that I expected it to be and more.  The performance will peel back the layers of even the stone strong and stable soul. While it was a star studded event, with the likes of Dave Koz, Paulie Perrette, Richard Simmons, Greg Louganis, and countless others including Dan Savage and IML 2007 Mike Gerle in the audience, the true stars of the night were on stage. With artfully executed performances, by the talented cast that were highlighted by the angelic voice of Drew Tablak and the haunting accompaniment by a pianist who I believe was Morten Kier. Mario Mosely and his sultry voice nailed the depth of Drag Queen Tootsie Rawls, bringing to life a serious diva, while aptly revealing "his" true self bit by bit throughout the performance.

On behalf of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF), Jim Fleckenstein and Susan Wright attended the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) Annual Conference the weekend of June 8-10 in Austin, Texas. The NCSF booth in the Exhibit Hall featured free copies of NCSF’s newly refreshed guide: “What Psychology Professionals Should Know About Polyamory.” 150 copies were given away to professional service providers courtesy of a grant by Alan of Polyamory in the News. The interest was so high, that supplies ran out before the end of the conference.
“This year we saw a significant increase in interest about alternative sexuality at the NCSF booth,” said Susan Wright, NCSF Spokesperson. “The therapists, counselors and sex educators were asking for more information about kinky people. We are providing a real service by supplying this much-needed education at conferences like AASECT.”
The NCSF exhibit gave away hundreds of brochures about NCSF projects such as the Kink Aware Professionals free referral list, the DSM Revision project to depathologize BDSM, the Consent Counts project to decriminalize BDSM, and NELA’s Is it S/M or Abuse? brochure. Two brochures intended for kinky people were also popular giveaways as illustrations of the difficulties our underserved population faces: Finding a Kink Aware Therapist and Finding Kink Aware Medical Care.
Jim Fleckenstein was the lead presenter on Re-Defining Fidelity in Committed Relationships: How to Negotiate Non-Exclusivity Successfully, a workshop designed to provide participants with a more complete understanding of the appropriateness of negotiated non-exclusivity as a relationship choice for their clients.
Susan Wright was the presenter on Violence and Discrimination Against BDSM Practitioners, a workshop presenting survey data from the BDSM community on the impact of persecution against kinky people.
NCSF also organized the AASECT Alt Sex Special Interest Group munch that took place Friday evening on the patio of the Hyatt Regency Austin. Over twenty-five AASECT members attended to further discuss issues raised in the Alt Sex SIG meeting that took place on Friday afternoon at the conference. It was an informative meeting that offered excellent networking opportunities for the professional service providers.

25th Anniversary Dinner San Diego

Mr. and Ms San Diego Leather 2012 Aaron Duke and Wish are hosting a dinner honoring The Leather Journal's 25 years of service at the Village Kitchen, 4853 Newport Avenue, San Diego, CA 92107 on Thursday, February 14 with cocktails starting at 6 PM and dinner at 7 PM.

There will be a table of memorabilia from The Leather Journal's coverage of San Diego events over the years, including the first San Diego Leatherfest in 1989, contests and other activities.

All proceeds collected will go to benefit the Leather Cares Fund and the Leather Foundation.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here

June wedding bells in CA?  The Supreme Court of the United States will in deed hear Prop 8's ban on same-sex marriage.  The arguments could be heard as soon as March however, the decisions will most likely be announced in late June according to the following AP article out of DC.

AP DEC 7, 2012

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will take up California's ban on same-sex marriage, a case that could give the justices the chance to rule on whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals.

The justices said Friday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that struck down the state's gay marriage ban, though on narrow grounds. The San Francisco-based appeals court said the state could not take away the same-sex marriage right that had been granted by California's Supreme Court.

The court also will decide whether Congress can deprive legally married gay couples of federal benefits otherwise available to married people. A provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act limits a range of health and pension benefits, as well as favorable tax treatment, to heterosexual couples.

The cases probably will be argued in March, with decisions expected by late June.

On November 7th the morning after Question 6 was passed in the "Free State" of Maryland by a 52.4% of voters, giving same sex couples the right to marry Justin B. Terry-Smith proposed for a second time to his husband.

The Leather Archives and Museum announced plans  to launch a Capital Campaign to acquire sdditional space.

When I started the Leather Archives with my friend Tony DeBlase over twenty years ago, we knew the Leather community needed a place for its history to be preserved and available. The LA&M moved from my basement to a storefront and then to a 10,000 square foot building that the community has claimed as its own.
As the treasure trove of materials at the Leather Archives continues to grow, we continually find ourselves needing more space. To meet this growing need for additional space in years to come, we have included a capital campaign in our five year strategic plan.

1995
The Leather Journal
Mr. Southwest Drummer Bob Michaels from Las Vegas went out into the Desert to have the photo taken of him that was on the Issue #66 cover.
Panther LLC hosted Prowl VI in Atlanta and Otter was there. Andy Mangels attended the American Uniform Association's 17th Annual Review in Chicago.  Brent Sweer went to Milwaukee to cover the Castaways MC 15th anniversary.  Susan Wright wrote a tribute to the late David Weinbaum. In The Wearin' O' The Hides Daddy Bob dealt with one of those life history Christmas cards while the new kid on the block was The Tannin' O' The Hides by phideaux. Only with The Leather Journal a short while, some of phideaux's zingers were unmatchable! Luke Owens reviewed several books and videos.
Doomed Rabbit Cookbook: Recipes From the Leather Community and Friends author and Mr. Seattle Leather Aubrey Hart Sparks appears on the cover of Issue #67 with his dog. Photo by Luke Owens.
Feature articles: "The pen is mightier than the sword." Truer words have never been spoken. A journalistic World War III broke out over a local Los Angeles columnist's article about "fat, misshapen judges..." The wounds from this battle cut deep on both sides and it was years still before all the wounds healed. Centaur MC's Leather Weekend in Washington, DC got a well-deserved six pages of coverage. Otter covered the Rodeo Riders of Chicago's Rodeo XIX. Daddy Bob went to a home repair center and the result was "Tool Box Review" in The Wearin' O' The Hides. phydeaux' Tannin' O' The Hides was "Amo, Amas, Amat..." Bob Reite's Leather On Line reviewed "The Big Boys: CompuServe, America On Line, Prodigy and Imagination!" SM and the Law is an old stand by when it comes to topics for Leather convention workshops. Attorney Anne Bergstedt gave readers "The Law, SM, and You."
Dave Rhodes took the Issue #68 cover photo of Mr. Southeast Leather 1994 Darryl Flick during Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend.
LeatherFest Los Angeles: The Kinkiest Place On Earth featured workshops and was covered. Does the thought of Tony DeBlase coming after you wearing a chef's uniform and wielding a long spatula frighten you? It was one of several photos from Portland Uniform Weekend III turned in by Andy Mangels. Joseph Bean and Michel de la Roche recounted The 15 Association's first 15 years. Otter was at Tri-Cen XI hosted by Philadelphians MC.  Phydeaux's "What is a Master" in Tannin' O' The Hides had to be one of the most precious pieces to grace the pages of The Leather Journal. VASM (Vancouver Activists in SM) member and club newsletter, Scene,  editor Bruce Armstrong added How To..., A Beginner's Survival Guide To SM.
The new International Master and Slave Jack and Tom Stice were the covermen of Issue #69.
Feature articles: Pantheon of Leather found a new home in The Big Easy - New Orleans. Will Pettite from Los Angeles won the International Mr. Bear Contest in San Francisco. Four pages of bears were in this edition. Brent Sweer went to Black Frost XVIII hosted by the Black Guard in Minneapolis, MN. The Copperstate Leathermen held Leatherfest XI in Phoenix. Leather Master - Key West sponsored Enigma. Brian Bramblett won Mr. Portland Leather. "So Many Men" was The Wearin' O' The Hides theme while phideaux told about his Pantheon of Leather V experience in The Tannin' O' The Hides.
International Mr. Leather 1994 Jeff Tucker wearing one of his "Better Together" buttons was on the cover of Issue #70.
Feature articles: Dave Rhodes interviewd Jeff Tucker who spent his year as IML promoting "Better Together" as a theme for community unity. Nearly 1,000 Leathertfolk attended NLA: San Diego's Leatherfest VII in March. Jeff Tucker went to Australian Mardi Gras in Sydney and brought back an interesting batch of photos. Dave Rhodes covered Teddy Bear Club of Virginia's Vernal Arrousal at the Radisson Hotel in Richmond. Don Thompson sent in photos of several prelims leading into the Mr. San Francisco Leather Contest. ICON Detroit sent photos of their second anniversary. Conductors LLC of Nashville, TN held Track XIII and Otter was there to cover it. The Boys Will Be Boys cartoon by Martin debuted.
International Mr. Leather 1994 Jose Granda was the Issue #71 coverman photographed by Dave Rhodes.
Feature articles: Otter was in St. Louis, MO again for a Blue Max CC run. This time it was Fools Rush In which drew 120 individuals and 17 clubs. An up and coming event in Upstate New York was the Stars MC first Leather weekend East Meets West.   Lee Lambert covered the Los Angeles Gay Rodeo. In The Wearin' O' The Hides Daddy Bob asked, "Have you ever waited in line for anything at the DMV? There are people in those lines who are raising families who never leave the building...."
Larry Everett was the new International Mr. Leather and he was the cover man for Issue #72.
Feature articles: Larry Everett from Collinsville, Oklahoma was named International Mr. Leather at the Congress Theatre. MS Panther's Leder Am Rhein run in Cologne, Germany had interesting photos. A popular run named Ship Wreck was developing in South Florida was hosted by the Key West Wreckers. Otter attended their Shipwreck II. jay wagner reported from Toronto and the combined Tom's Men Look-Alike Contest and CUIR Next Door photo party was a success. NLA: Austin held Texas Leather Pride IV at the beginning of May.  Chock full of workshops and demonstrations presented by the nation's top names were the big draw at Atlanta S/M Solidarity's Spring In The South: Emergence at the end of April.
Mr. National Leather Association 1993 Mark Frazier of Dallas, TX was on the cover of Issue #73.
Feature articles: Photo reproduction was better throughout this edition for some unexplained reason. The coverage of the Leather/SM/Fetish community's participation in greater gay and lesbian pride events was very thorough. Lee Lambert participated in the Athena Womens MC joint run with other women's bike clubs to several pride parades in the state of California including Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco. Bob Fifield and Brent Sweer covered the Phoenix Uniform Club's Annual Uniform and Leather Ball in San Francisco.
Furry International Mr. Drummer 1994 Keith Hunt from Denver was the coverman of Issue #74.
Feature articles: International Ms Leather on the stage of the Bismark Hotel's theater in Chicago, IL on Saturday night, July 22.
The Mr. Drummer regionals were heating up for the finals in September. A list of regions and winners in this issue. Susan Wright and Richard Canter gave us coverage of the 12th Annual Pride Night in New York City that netted $12,000 for three beneficiaries. 500 Leatherfolk bid on 100 auction items at the Octagon. Then there was the roast for the King of Chrome Jose Ucles at the Edge in Washington, DC.
The first International Mr. Fantasy was J.D. Buchert from Dallas, TX. He is the Issue #75 coverman photographed by Bruce Thompson and Brenda Steele.
Feature articles: One of the most in-depth articles ever to appear in The Leather Journal was Kevin Shancady's interview, The Ringleader: The Story of Roland Jaggard and Operation Spanner. This was the beginning of coverage of the Spanner Case in North America. Fantasy weekend in Omaha became the next International Contest. Four pages cover the event in Omaha. The Last Frontier MC of Anchorage, AK held their Black and Blue Ball. Avatar of Los Angeles rented out Hollywood Moguls for their greatly expanded and highly successful Exploratorium VII. If you like sweat then Southern Decadence is where to be during Labor Day Weekend. The first Daddy's Home! column by Lee Lambert appeared. In The Wearin' O' The Hides Daddy Bob asks/pleads, "Is it November yet?" In The Tannin' O' The Hides phideaux describes The Ultimate SM Pet.
David WW Walker became the second man from Colorado to win the International Mr. Drummer title in as many years and was on his edition's cover.
Feature articles: Rarely does a contestant speech hit the right chord as that delivered by Ron Aure during IML. Several people wrote about it. We printed it verbatim by popular demand. Dave Rhodes' editorial saluted Drummer Magazine on its 20th anniversary, 12 pages were dedicated to San Francisco Leather Pride of which six went to the awesome Folsom Street Fair. Longtime TLJ supporter Uwe Langer sent coverage of MSC Hamburg's 20th anniversary in Germany. Daddy Bob and his lover George went to Europe and Fortress Europe, June 1992 was the result in The Wearin' O' The Hides. What's Wrong With This Picture? phideaux asks in The Tannin' O' The Hides.
The Leather Journal's Lifetime Achievement Award 1995 winner Viola Johnson is the coverwoman complete with vampire teeth.
Feature articles: Dave Rhodes got the chance to talk to Viola Johnson while they were on the boat cruise at Texas Leather Pride IV. Among the gifts handed out in Dave Rhodes' "Annual Christmas List" were: to "Audrey Joseph - 10 smoke machines; to Sean Martin - a date Jean Claude Van Damme;" and more. Living In Leather celebrated its 10th anniversary in Portland, OR.
Andy Mangels covered the AUA 18th International Uniform Review that was held in Portland, OR. The Lady Green column made its first appearance with a Hanky Code for hets.
Issue #78 coverman Antonio Sanchez from Madrid, Spain won the Mr. Europe Leather and Mr. Europe Drummer titles in one weekend in Amsterdam.
Feature articles: Luke Owens resigned as assistant editor of The Leather Journal and was replaced by Bob Fifield at the beginning of Issue #79. Fifield had already been serving as office manager. Luke moved to San Francisco. Dave Rhodes first trip to Europe brought back many memories including Motor Sport Amsterdam's 25th anniversary and the ECMC Annual General Meeting. Coverage of Daddy Flo and Ron Hendon's Olympus win in Atlanta appeared. Lee Lambert's Daddy's Home! column was about The Ghosts of New Year's Past. Lisa Weiszmiller became The Leather Journal office manager.
Clubs
Spearhed raised $600 and donated 600 toys to the Woodgreen Community Centre in Toronto.
Panther L/L of Atlanta, GA distributed $2,500 to five AIDS-related charities.
Menamore held Lion's Pride VI in Wilmington, NC.
Omikron of Indianapolis, IN hosted Omikron 500 - Lap II.
The 15 Association's 15th anniversary was celebrated in San Francisco.
Luke Owens took over MAST (Masters and Slaves Together).
VASM honored its founding father George Whiting at a ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The National Leather Association: International closed its San Francisco headquarters on Folsom Street in San Francisco.
The OCLA'S (Orange Coast Leather Assembly) SM Sampler VI in Palm Springs drew 100 Leatherfolk.
NLA: San Diego seceded from the National Leather Association: International and evolved into Club X.
The Northern California Leather Association of the Deaf, as part of the Deaf Lesbian and Gay Awards Night, honored Daniel Sonnenfeld with the Leadership Award in San Francisco.
LeatherFest Los Angeles installed new officers. The organization disbanded a few months later.
Columbia University withdrew its recognition of Conversio Virium, a pansexual Leather/SM/fetish discussion group, but the organization later regained recognition at the university which lies near the northern tip of Manhattan in New York City.
Another summer brought another Spanner Mart auction by The 15 Association that raised $7,248 at the Women's Building in San Francisco.
The Run to Badger Flat hosted by Satyrs MC of Los Angeles was cancelled in 1995 and was to be resumed in 1996.
Delta International held its first run in Pennsylvania named Delta '95.
Motown was the site of ICON Detroit's Toga, Jockstrap and Underwear Parties in August.
Living In Leather celebrated its 10th anniversary in Portland, OR. An Anne Rice theme dinner was so popular that the theme dinner format was promised for the next year.  Mark Frazier was announced as male cochair. Viola Johnson and Larry Townsend were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Chapter of the Year was NLA: Austin.
 NLA: Dallas held Beyond Vanilla VII.
Females Investigating Sexual Terrain (FIST) from Baltimore, MD hosted Camp FIST.
The Chamber has big first anniversary bash in Atlanta, GA.
A documentary on the Tarheel Leather Club of Greensboro, NC, TLC: A Year With a Leather Club by Randy Riddle premiered at New York City's Lesbian and Gay Community Center.
The phone scam artist was back according to Trident: Baltimore president Allen Grim.
The Trident Knights, Spartans LLC and Leather/Levi Brigade hosted the Palmetto Adventure in Spartanburg, SC.
The Gryphons of Dayton, OH held Parthenon II - The Leather Odyssey.
Leather Titles
Spartan MC member Joe Morris from the Nation's capital was named Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather.
Will Pettite became Mr. Southern California Bear.
Raymond Citron was named Mr. DC Eagle.
Led by Northwest Mr. Drummer Al D Sowers, several titleholders raised $900 through an auction for Rise-N-Shine Foundation and the Building Blocks For Children Foundation in Seattle.
Lance Bray resigned his Mr. Indiana Leather 1994 title. The sash was picked up by first runner-up Michael Cooper.
Southern California Masters and Slaves Contest was won by Mark Malan and Matthew Pogue.
Chris Reynolds of Las Vegas, NV won new Mr. Silver State Drummer and Aaron from Reno was named Silver State Drummer Boy in Las Vegas.
The night before in Reno Judy R. was picked Ms Silver State Leather and Lee Zirkle became Mr. Silver State Leather.
Renfied won the Mr. Nebraska Leather title again and Miss Amanda became Ms Nebraska Leather.
Rick LaPray was selected Mr. Seattle Leather.
Jack and Tom Stice from Atlanta, GA won the International Masters and Slaves Contest at Pantheon of Leather.
Will Pettite from Los Angeles won the International Mr. Bear Contest in San Francisco.
Ron Ankeny was named Mr. Ohio Valley Leather.
Mr. NLA 1994 Don Bastian led the way in raising $4,500 for Gay Lines Calgary.
Michael Prater of Richmond, VA won the Mr. Southeast Leather sash.
The new Washington State Mr. Leather was Raymond Lebrun.
Al Reese was named Mr. San Diego Leather.
Frank DiPasquale won the Mr. Floyd's Leather title.
Christian White won the Mr. Ft. Lauderdale Eagle Contest.
The Mr. Empire State Contest in Albany was won by Rick Gonyo.
Mr. San Francisco Leather was won by Wolf Marisol.
Mr. San Diego Leather was taken by Daniel Greene.
Mr. Rocky Mountain Leather nabbed by Kevin Shancady.
Mr. Philadelphia Leather was snagged by Wolf Klumpf.
Suzette Dyanick was named Ms Philadelphia Leather.
Andy Borden won Mr. New York Leather.
Buddy LaRue became Mr. New Mexico Leather.
Lady Willow won the Ms New Mexico Leather title.
It was announced that the Mr. Leatherman Toronto Competition would return in November after a two-year hiatus.
Daddy Flo won the North Florida Ms Leather title.
Jim Maciel became Mr. Brig Leather.
Wally Diamond became Mr. 121 Leatherman in Hamilton, Ontario.
Bill McBean was the first Mr. Black Eagle Leather in Toronto.
Ms Leather Toronto was Jo Ryan who was first runner-up the year before.
Dallas' Jackson Myars won he Mr. Texas Leather Pride title.
Larry Everett from Collinsville, Oklahoma was named International Mr. Leather. 50 men vied for the sash of all Leather sashes at the Congress Theatre. The staff and upwardy mobile yuppie clientele at the Hyatt Regency Hotel were in for a real consciousness raising weekend. Tim Cousins won the International Bootblack Contest. The hometown party began to upstage the IML contest with its big production numbers.
Wisconsin Daddy was Jim Mierzwa and Wisconsin Daddy's Boy was Jeff Hardin.
Ed Moore won the Mr. DC Drummer Contest.
Denise Johns won the first Ms Florida Leather title.
 Ms Philadelphia Leather 1995 Susan Dyanick and Ms Baltimore Eagle 1993 Megan DeJarlais exchanged vows in Philadelphia, PA.
"The contest moved to Chicago, but the title remained in California" exclaimed one person from San Francisco after pat baillie of San Jose, CA was named International Ms Leather on the stage of the Bismark Hotel's theater in Chicago, IL on Saturday night, July 22. This was Amy Marie Meek's first production of the weekend and it was the first time that it was held outside San Francisco. Amy's goal was to move the event to a new city each summer. A vendor fair and other events were added making it a weekend full of fun.
Mr. Drummer regional winners ncluded: Mr. Desert Plains Drummer Jim Gau of Omaha, NE (Great Plains and Southwest were combined this year); Mr. Gulf Coast Drummer John Benevides of Houston, TX; Mr. Southeast Drummer Rico Ware of Atlanta, GA, Southeast Drummer Boy Patrick Langone; Mr. Mid-Atlantic Drummer Ed Ryder; Mr. Great Lakes Drummer Alvin Robinson of Madison, WI, Great Lakes Drummer Boy was troy; Mr. Northeast Drummer Adam Colt of New York City; Rocky Mountain Mr. Drummer David WW Walker of Colorado Springs, CO, Rocky Mountain drummer Boy Kevin McGraw of Denver, CO; and Mr. Southern California Drummer Joe Spina of Los Angeles, CA, Southern California Drummer Boy; Mr. Florida Drummer Ray Castro of Jacksonville, FL.
The new International Mr. Deaf Leather was David Cowan from Indianapolis, IN. The contest was held in Montreal, Quebec.
Four titles were divied out in Hayward, CA: Mr. and Ms Alameda County Leather were Kenneth E. Meyer and Kristi Lee "Thumper" Cox, Mr. Alameda County Drummer Roger Clark Luttrell and Ms Alameda County Cheeks and Chaps Yvonne Driver.
Cornelius Conboy became San Francisco Leather Daddy XIII.
Cosponsored by Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 1995 Joe Morris and Mr. Southeast Leather 1993 Darryl Flick, the first East Coast Title Holders' Conference was held in Richmond, VA.
Derek DiPiero won the Mr. Pride In Leather title in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Roy Perry and Trevelyan Anderson won the Mr. and Ms Alaska Leather titles.
Mitch Pierce won the Mr. Louisiana Leather Contest sponsored by the Lords of Leather in New Orleans.
Paul Dunn was named Mr. Bear Toronto.
Steve Crouse won the San Francisco Leather Daddy's Boy Contest.
David WW Walker, the second Denver/Greg Lowe sponsored contestant in as many years, was International Mr. Drummer and Pup from Los Angeles became International Drummer Boy.
International Mr. Drummer 1992 Woody Bebout was presented the Felton T. Day Memorial Award in St. Louis, MO by the St. Louis Pride Committee.
David Hoffenbacker and Stacey became the last Mr. and Ms National Leather Association titleholders.
The new Mr. Leather Colorado was Craig Mercer.
Kevin Burke became Mr. Eagle New York.
Mr. Upstate Leather was Larry Gazzilli.
Ms and Mr. New Mexico Leatherfest were Shannon McAlexander an Tristan-Tyler.
Raymond Lebrun resigned the Washington State Mr. Leather title.
Ron Hendon and Daddy Flo won the Mr. and Ms Southeast Olympus Leather Contest in Atlanta, GA.
Duncan MacLachlan was named Mr. Leatherman Toronto and Tony DeCosta was Mr. Fellowship in Toronto.
Kevin Roche was renamed Mr. Southbay/San Jose Leather and Miranda von Stockhausen became Ms Southbay/San Jose Leather.
Beau Baker was Mr. Palm Springs Leather.
Daddy Flo and Ron Hendon were winners at South East Olympus in Atlanta
Bryian Pimental and Mistress Morgana won the Great Plains Olympus titles in Denver.
Ms San Diego Leather was Deni.
C.O.M.M.A.N.D.s' anniversary featured the Mr. Maryland Leather Contest won by Greg Satorie.
Mike Garety was chosen Mr. Connecticut Leather.  Seattle Leather Daddy and Daddy's Boy were Eric Bonsteel and Dan "Puppy" Daniels.
News and Politics
The Washington State Legislature pronounced February 4 as Aubrey Hart Sparks Day.
The Leather Rack in Washington, DC was sold to Jim McGlade by Dick Cogan.
LeatherFest Los Angeles: The Kinkiest Place On Earth featured workshops, two dungeon parties, a vendor fair and community service awards. Durk Dehner, founder of the Tom of Finland Foundation, was named Man of the Year, Crystal Cross was Woman of the Year and author Larry Townsend received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Through both years of planning and preparation the organizers were told by some of the area's "big names" that it would never happen - 700 people attended! Some of those responsible for this event were: Ben Cable-McCarthey, GL Leyner, Phil Ross, Bob Fifield, Matt McMahan, Lee Lambert, Donnie and Le Rice, Dave Rhodes, Luke Owens, Scott Nelson.
An Oklahoma lawmaker introduced a discrimination bill in his state while the Oregon Citizens Alliance was preparing another hate campaign in Oregon. Meanwhile the people of Topeka, KS were over Reverend Fred Phelps.
Pantheon of Leather found a new home in The Big Easy - New Orleans. Don Thompson and Kay Hallanger emceed. The awards and their winners were: Man of the Year, Lenny Broberg; Woman of the Year, Donna Shrout; Readers Choice (Women), Sallee Mallard Huber and Amy Marie Meek; Readers Choice (Men) Mark Frazier; Lifetime Achievement, Viola Johnson; Forebearer, Marcus Hernandez.
The Citizens Alliance of Washington made another effort to establish a Fourth Reich there.
Mr. B in Amsterdam released a detailed warning about the dangers of using Crisco for play.
The Barracks hosted the first Gay Biker Weekend in Daytona Beach, FL.
Freeze and Sleeze III was held in Indianapolis, IN and honored its late founders Ed Tobin and David Hawn.
The U.S. Senate voted to ban cyber porn.
Movie star Carol Channing presented her famous Diamond Award to San Francisco Eagle manager Bob Bowling.
Jo Leroux was the first woman to win Wally Sherwood's 10th annual Wally Look-Alike Contest in San Francisco that has raised nearly $17,000 for charity during that span.
Iran's parliament banned the sale of seedless watermelons in an effort stop the spread of homosexuality in that country.
The Bear History Project was announced by Professor Les Wright of Mount Ida College outside Boston.
Philip Turner raised $7,000 for the AIDS Emergency Fund with a Leather Extravaganza in San Francisco.
The first Toronto Leatherball was held at Boots and the Kurbash.
$6,000 was raised at the Fetish and Fantasy Ball presented by Don Thompson and founded by Alan Selby. No one was competing for a sash in this pansexual staged expression of art.
It was long awaited and it finally happened! The Leather Archives an Museum held its grand opening in Chicago on November 3.
Tom of Finland held a Members Weekend in Los Angeles.
Ruling that the consent of a bottom was irrelevant, a Canada judge used a Spanner Precedent in ruling that a top was guilty of assault.
Books and Publications
It took six-and-a-half years for Sean Martin to compile it, but his new book, Doc & Raider: Caught on Tape was premiered at Badlands in Toronto.
Boudoir Noir Magazine of Toronto announced the Shirley Solomon of The Shirley Show in Toronto was the recipient of their Crusader Award.
Taste of Latex published its first issue.
GRUF (GReat Ushaven Faces) Magazine held a dance and party to kickoff its first issue in Toronto.
Boudoir Noir Magazine from Toronto, Ontario was refused entry into Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons.
Toronto Star columnist Donna Laframbois was the recipient of Boudoir Noir Magazine's Crusader Award in Toronto, Ontario.
Metropoiltan Slave Magazine was the brainchild of John Birch in Chicago.
Internet
The Leather Journal went on-line.
NLA: Friends became an online service for members and friends.
New on the Scene
NLA: Russian River, Guerneville, CA; Men of Discipline, New York, NY; Black Eagle, bar, Toronto, Ontario; Red Earth Bears, Oklahoma City, OK; FLAG (Fits Like A Glove), North Dartmouth, MA; The Smoke Exchange, New York, NY; Tyger Tyger, London, UK; Mecs En Caoutchouc, Dammarie Les Lys, France; Trident: Baltimore, Baltimore, MD; The Eros Group, Cincinnati, OH; Womanlink, Berkeley, CA; South Texas Leather Men, Corpus Christi, TX; Dragon Leather Club, Columbus, OH; Knight Cruisers, Lexington, KY; Common Bond, Cambridge, MA; Bound and Determined, Hadly, MA; Women's Leather Network, Los Angeles, CA; Seattle Kink Network, Seattle, WA; West Florida Growlers, Tampa Bay, FL; NLA: Online, Cyberspace, Earth; Alameda County Leather Corps, Oakland, CA; Cogent Warriors, San Francisco, CA; People Exchanging Power, Norcross, GA; Atlanta Power Exchange, Atlanta, GA; D&S Society, Towson, MD; Bergenfield Bears, New York, NY; Olympia Leather/SM Group, Olympia, WA; Sober, Safe, Sane, and Consensual Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Collars, Seattle, WA; Brew City Bears, Milwaukee, WI; Women's Welcoming Committee, Seattle, WA; South Sound S&M Leatherfolk, Olympia, WA; No Safeword Writer's Group, Seattle, WA; Coastal Sentinels, Savannah, GA; ONYX/Chicago, Chicago, IL; LEO (Leather Engineers of Omaha), Omaha, NE; Dedicated and Safe, Chicago, IL; Megelesia, Montreal, Quebec
Milestones
30 Years: Sixty Nine Club, London, UK
25 Years: Entre Nous, Boston, MA
20 Years: Trail's End run, Kansas City Pioneers, Kansas City, MO; Excelsior MC, New York, NY; Rochester Rams, Rochester, NY; Iron Guard BC, New York; Drummer Magazine, San Francisco, CA; MSC Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Ottawa Knights, Ottawa, Ontario; FFA - CAC, Washington, DC
15 Years: The 15 Association, San Francisco, CA
10 Years: Hartford Colts, Hartford, CT; Wally Look-Alike Contest, San Francisco, CA; Living In Leather X, National Leather Association: International; TDA - Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Five Years: Pantheon of Leather V, The Leather Journal; Betty Page Social Club, Toronto, Ontario; Stars and Stripes In Leather V run and Fifth Anniversary, Tarheel Leather Club, Greensboro, NC; Mirage V run, Capital City Riders, Austin, TX; Bound By Serenity V run, LSM Round Up, San Francisco, CA; Harbor City Bears, Sydney, Australia; Vulcan America Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; Delta International, Chicago, IL
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Tuff Stuff co-owner Reverend Dale Autry McKissack, Phoenix, AZ.
Gay Christianity author John Boswell, New Haven, CT.
Mr. Indiana Leather 1992 Ed Tobin, Indianapolis, IN.
Great Lakes Drummer Boy 1992 David Hawn, Indianapolis, IN.
International Mr. Leather 1987 Tom Karasch, Hamburg, Germany died in Amsterdam.
MHR AIDS Support Group cofounder Johnnie A. Garcia, San Francisco, CA.
Leather activists Matt McMahan, Los Angeles, CA.
Mr. Florida Leather 1993 Robert Gall, Daytona Beach, FL.
C-Space, Seattle, WA disbanded.
Ozbears, Sydney, Australia disbanded.
The Leather Journal's first Woman of the Year, Seattle Gay News photo editor Cookie Andrews-Hunt, Seattle, WA.
Erotic video star Chris Burns, San Diego, CA.
Seattle Men in Leather charter member and business partner of the late Lee Willis, Bill Robbins, Seattle, WA.
Cofounder of Leather Fest Los Angeles and editor of Fetish Magazine, Gary L. Leyner.
Spanner defendant Colin Laskey, United Kingdom.
Doomed Rabbit Cookbook cover illustrator Michael Max, Seattle, WA.
Mr. Leatherman Toronto 1991 John Thatcher, Toronto, Ontario.
AIDS and Leather activist Gary Cheatham, San Diego, CA.
Rocky Mountain Regional Award 1994 winner, Mr. Southwest Drummer 1991 and multi-office holder for the Motorcyclemen of New Mexico Pat Sanchez, Belen, NM.
Mr. Leather New Orleans and South Central Regional Award 1995 winner Jamie Esposito, New Orleans, LA.
AIDS and Leather activist Edward Toms, St. Petersburg, FL.
Erotic illustrator Pablo Urda, New York, NY.
Lost Angels, Washington, DC disbanded.
Cascade Bears, Portland, OR disbanded.
NLA cochair, Windy City Bondage Club founder and Leather Activist Albert Kraus, Chicago, IL.
International Bootblack 1993 David Morgan, Baltimore, MD.
IML Contest technical advisor William Scott Albiez, Chicago, IL.
Opened: Daddy's, bar, San Francisco, CA.
Opened: Black Body, rubber apparel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Leather activist and Update Leather columnist Richard Reynolds, San Diego, CA.
Wayne's Leatherack sole proprietor, The Leather Journal's Publisher's Award 1993 winner and Leather activist Wayne Griffin, Los Angeles, CA.
1996
The Leather Journal
One of the most beloved titleholders on the East Coast, Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 1995 Joe Morris was the coverman for Issue #79. Photo by Dave Rhodes.
Feature articles: The interesting Felix Jones, founder of Europe's Leather Scene was interviewed by Dave Rhodes. Lady Green's column was A Primer on Anal Play. Bob Fifield reviewed Dossie Easton's The Bottoming Book  Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns by Phillip Miller and Molly Devon and Metropolitan Slave Anthology II by JEB and Sleazemaster. Mauro Montoya won the Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest MAL got eight pages of coverage. Bah, Humbug was the theme of The Wearin' O' The Hides.
San Francisco Leather Daddy VIII, The Leather Journal's 1996 Lifetime Achievement Award winner and perennial Pantheon of Leather emcee Don Thompson was the coverman for Issue #80.
Feature articles: Pantheon of Leather was held in New Orleans. Jill Carter wrote a special article on her 23 years in the Leather community and Living In Leather. With computers in Mind, phydeaux's The Tannin' O' The Hides was titled, The New Sadism.
The first Mr. and Ms Olympus Leather winners were Ron Hendon and Daddy Flo. They are on the cover of Issue #81.
Feature articles: About 1,200 Leatherfolk attended Eulenspiegel's 25th anniversary in New York City in mid-February. Eight inches of snow did not stop people. Covered by Susan Wright, the event had numerous workshops, a vendor fair, staged demonstration and a fashion show. The International Bear Rendezvous was taking place about 3,00 miles away on he same weekend in San Francisco. There were plenty of uniformed men in Andy Mangels' coverage of Portland Uniform Weekend IV. The Motorcycle Awards in San Francisco under the auspices of the Inter Club Fund saw the first woman to be honored as Person of the Year. Jill Carter's The Bitch of Psychological Twist was a hit. Reacting positively to Daddy Bob's Fortress Europe, June 1992 several issues before, Malcom Richard Smith submitted The SM Experience in London and New York: Some Notes For The Unsuspecting Visitor.
The first American Leatherboy, Kevin McGraw from Denver, CO, was photographed by Dave Rhodes at Leatherfest VIII in San Diego for the cover of Issue #82.
Feature articles: Six pages of coverage went to Leatherfest VIII in San Diego produced by Club X (formerly NLA: San Diego).
One of the biggest annual Leather pride celebrations is  The Border Riders MC celebrated their 26th anniversary and the Seattle Men in Leather held their seventh anniversary on Sunday afternoon. Say Good  Night George was Daddy Bob's tribute to his late lover in The Wearin' O' The Hides.
The Issue #83 coverwoman was International Ms Leather 1995 pat baillie.
Feature articles: Dave Rhodes interviewed International Ms Leather pat baillie and International Mr. Leather Larry Everett. Texas Leather Pride in Austin was another weekend full of hot Leatherfolk as NLA: Austin celebrated their fifth run..This edition covered lots of IML and IMsL preliminaries. A big fundraiser for Mr. Minnesota Leather Michael DeLeon drew people from all over the U.S. to Minneapolis. Jill Carter wrote a special called Say Hello to Simon.
The energetic Joe Gallagher from New York City is the coverman of Issue #84 photographed by Dave Rhodes.
Feature articles: A full 10 pages of coverage went to the International Mr. Leather Contest. Atlanta S/M Solidarity presented a successful Spring In The South weekend. E.T. Phone Home was the theme for The Wearin' O' The Hides and The Tannin' O' The Hides featured Sex and Shopping. Jill Carter wrote Sheltered, Sane and Consensual.
The Lords of Leather and the banner they presented at Pantheon of Leather were on the cover.
Feature articles: Coverage of some of the gay and lesbian pride festivities around the United States and Canada appeared. The Leather Journal covered the International Masters and Slaves Contest and Southeast Leatherfest in Atlanta. Miss Bunnie turned in some great photos of the annual Dyke March LA/SF. Lolita and Susan Wright teamed together to cover Leather Pride Night in New York. Brent Sweer traveled to the Midwest and when he returned to LA he brought photos of Nimbus 19th Anniversary: Are You Being Served? from Douglas Dunes, MI. jay wagner reported that the new Ms Toronto Leather was Gill. The 15 Association's Boot Camp run was covered by Dave Rhodes. Dave Rhodes toured the Leather Archives and Museum at IML in May. A photospread reveals what one might encounter when the visit the Museum.
Florida Mr. Drummer 1995 and 1996 Ray Castro and Ed Ivey were the Issue #86 covermen photographed by Dave Rhodes.
Jill Carter became International Ms Leather.
Pacific Coast Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles held their memorable 25th anniversary in the hills above LA and Ira Moore was there. Sarah Humble gave a full report on Leather participation in Baltimore's gay and lesbian pride festivities. A new photo section appearing at the back of The Leather Journal, Out and About..., included photos of gay and lesbian pride events. jay wagner reported that Leatherball II in Toronto was wild. Out and About... had several additional photos from Southern Decadence.
Rex Hopson got the new International Mr. Fantasy Kevin Watson away from the University of New Mexico long enough to get a photo of him for the cover of Issue #87 with a good Southwestern background.
Over 1,000 Leathermen and Leatherwomen invaded the Big Easy (New Orleans) for Southern Decadence which was held Labor Day Weekend.  A weekend of bar parties and Mardi Gras-style partying (except even less clothing was the norm). 
  Otter sent coverage of Flight 1: Myths and Legends sponsored by the Louisville Knightwings. Dave Rhodes used the Texas Leather Pride Boat Ride for another interview; this time talking to NLA: cochair K.T. Chase.
Mr. Leatherman Toronto 1996 Duncan MacLachlan was on the Issue #88 cover and was photographed by Pierre Peloquin.
Feature articles: A full 15 pages covered the events that took place during San Francisco's Leather Pride Week. There was virtually no room to move in the late afternoon during the Folsom Street Fair as the Fair drew its largest crowd ever. The Fetish and Fantasy Ball was moved from Thursday night to Friday night and split the crowd 50/50 with the roast for Mr. Drummer 1995 David WW Walker at the SF Eagle. One particularly hot booth during the Folsom Street Fair was that of the Golden Gate Wrestling Club which performed wrestling demos throughout the day.
Living In Leather in Portland, OR brought 600 people to the Pacific Northwest. Ira Moore attended the Names Project Memorial Quilt Display in Washington, DC. Dave Rhodes wrote a detailed personal experience of Inferno XXV from the beginning of Session B to the end.
Mr. Vulcan Rubber 1997 Rich Villagracia was photographed at the Metropolitan Slave Correctional Institute in Chicago by Dave Rhodes and appeared on the cover of Issue #89.
Feature articles: The first Mr. Vulcan Rubber Contest since 1994 kept the Cell Block busy in Chicago the first weekend in November. The Chicago Hellfire Club held Associates Weekend the same time making this the second busiest Leather weekend of the year in Chicago. A list of the 376 nominees for the Pantheon of Leather Community Service Awards was published. Sweatin' Bullets sponsored by the Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert and several pages of photos in the story and in Out and About... reveal that there are a lot of hot men in the desert. Bearman sent photo coverage of the Ft. Lauderdale Leather Guild's Leather University: Dungeon 101. Vern Stewart covered Centaur MC's Olympia XIV run..
Dave Rhodes photographed Slave Master Mike McDade during Sweatin' Bullets in Palm Springs for the Issue #90 cover.
Clubs
NLA: Houston played a major role in a Toys For Tots drive that collected more than 1,500 toys and $500 for Community Visions, Inc.
ICON Detroit held their Leather Carnival 1995.
Avatar in Los Angeles split $1,000 equally between the Los Angeles Youth Support Services and Eagles Center from funds raised at a beer bust.
Tsarus of Memphis, TN named Bill Andrews and Matthew Presley as men of the Year.
Sandia Leather presented New Mexico on Fire: Leather '96 in Albuquerque, NM.
Avatar held their 13th anniversary shindig in Los Angeles, CA.
Trident International celebrated its 23rd anniversary in Los Angeles, CA.
GUMMI, SM Gays and the Sadie Masie clubs in London, UK were able to resume holding meetings after three months over problems with the government.
NLA: Houston's Spring Iniquity V featured workshops and parties.
Leather United - Chicago presented Freeze and Sleeze IV in Indianapolis, IN.
Greta Schwerdtfegger returned for a second year as president of the board of Generic Leather Productions in Seattle, WA.
NLA: Los Angeles raised more than $1,000 for the Houghton Defense Fund.
Winners in the Leather/Levi Lexicon's Northern California Leather Awards were: Outstanding Leather Man Keith Truitt, Outstanding Leather Woman Audrey Joseph, Under-Recognized Leather Supporter Jacqui Jewels, Leather Business Hole in the Wall Saloon and Organization Golden Gate Guards.
The New Orleans Bears drew over 100 to their Southern Decadence parties.
If you had to pick one club to host a cocktail party to represent the Leather community it might have to be hosted by the Knights d' Orleans.
NLA: Dallas held Beyond Vanilla.
Avatar's Exploratorium drew another big crowd to Hollywood Moguls where the temperature was just as hot as the Leatherfolk attending.
The NLA: International announced the beginning of a Legal Project that would compile data on past cases, cases pending and legal procedure in the future relating to Leather.
Living In Leather in Portland, OR brought 600 people to the Pacific Northwest. About 60 workshops and 27 vendors gave attendees plenty to do in the daytime. Friday night's Opening Ceremonies was filled with speeches and a State of the NLA by cochairs K.T. Chase and Mark Frazier. The Lifetime Achievement Award winners were Jo Arnone from New York and Bob Flanagan (deceased) from Los Angeles. Saturday night's entertainment had mostly dominatrixes leading men on leashes. There was one gay men's fantasy performed by Master Ward and Boy Eitel from Atlanta.
Sweatin' Bullets sponsored by the Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert, Wolfs Den, Cathedral City Boys Club and American Airlines raised $3,000 for the Desert AIDS Project.
Spearhead collected over toys in their annual Toys For Tots drive that weekend.
Leather Titles
 Mauro Montoya won the Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest, the snow was piled high and much of Washington, DC for Centaur MC's Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend. The weather was freezing, but the brotherhood was warm. A larger vendor fair a la IML gave people a chance to shop.
In Toronto the new Mr. Barn Leather was Derek Stringfellow.
Hobbit became Ms Washington State Leather.
Mr. Detroit Eagle was Michael Weems.
Mr. and Ms South Central Olympus Leather were Dirk Nettles and Elizabeth Ann, both from Houston.
Raymond Hall was Mr. DC Eagle.
The first Mr. and Ms Olympus Leather was Ron Hendon and Daddy Flo.
Jim Bowling was chosen Mr. Ohio Valley Leather.
Mr. Southern California Bear was Steve Blanscet.
Lee Zirkle added the Mr. Silver State Drummer title to his collection.
The new Mr. Oklahoma Leather was Arlen Spitler.
Beth Elliott and Koko won the Dyke Mommy and Dyke Daddy titles in San Francisco.
Mr. Brother Help Thyself was Kevin Smith.
Scott Capocci-Smithson won the Seattle Mr. Leather contest which saw $1,000 for the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment and the Michael Desroiser Memorial Pet Support Network and another $1,400 for the Pride Foundation.
Generic Leather Productions in Seattle divied out $4,000 between four charities of which $1,200 went to Seattle's Pride Foundation.
$1,000 raised at Toronto's Black Eagle garnered $1,000 for the Triangle Youth Program and the Mr. Leatherman Toronto Competition.
Ginni became Ms Gulf Coast Leather.
Steve Blanscet from Long Beach was chosen International Mr. Bear at International Bear Rendezvous in San Francisco, CA. Over $10,000 raised during the weekend was donated to STOP IDS Project, Operation Concern/18th Street Services and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).
 Ms NLA: Portland received second degree burns during a staged fire fantasy at Erotica IV in Portland.
The Washington State Mr. Leather Contest was won by Vincent Sharkey.
Edward Bryan was named Mr. Michigan Leather.
Barry Burns became Mr. Portland Leather.
International Ms Leather pat baillie started a national drive named Exposing Ourselves to Women's Health Care.
Mr. P's Leather in Washington, DC was Ron Carl.
Mr. Leatherbike Week in Daytona Beach, FL was David "Slakker" Merrill.
Gary Virginia won the first Mr. Daddy's Leather Contest and Gary Strickland was named Mr. Edge Leather in San Francisco, CA.
The new Mr. and Ms Silver State Leather were Arthur "Chip" Gillespie and Julie "Lynn" Maher.
Kurt Edwards won the Empire State Leather Contest sponsored by Stars MC during their Leather Pride weekend in Albany, NY.
Mikki "Mixmaster" Avis was named Ms Colorado Leather Pride and Kent Epperson was chosen Rocky Mountain Mr. Leather in Denver, CO.
The new Mr. Kentucky Leather was Stephen Tracey.
Gary Virginia took the Mr. San Francisco Leather sash.
Kristi Barkan was selected Ms Philadelphia Leather.
The new Mr. LA Leather was Michael Shewan.
The first man to become International Mr. Leather from New York was Joe Gallagher, sponsored by AmFAR.
The first International Ms Deaf Leather was Cool Cat from Chicago and San Francisco's Daniel Sonnenfeld won the International Mr. Deaf Leather title.
Don Woods won the Mr. Gulf Coast Drummer title in Dallas.
Mr. Texas Leather Jackson Myars was the director for Positive Voices, an HIV positive singing group that released Windows of Hope.
The new IML Joe Gallagher and New York City Leather activist Michael Horowitz announced their Get-Linked Project.
Steven Robling became Mr. Boston Leather.
Mickey McMahon was the new Mr. DC Bear.
Wisconsin Daddy was J.P. Ranieri and Wisconsin Daddy's Boy was Cortez Baker.
Mistress Morgana and slave michael won the International Masters and Slaves Contest.
Bob Jacobs was chosen Southeast Mr. Drummer and Rory Teasdale became Southeast Drummer Boy during Southeast Leatherfest in Atlanta.
Ms Toronto Leather was Gill.
Loren Berthelson became San Francisco Leather Daddy XIV.
Jill Carter doesn't live far from Philadelphia so the judges decided that it would be just as easy for her to take the trophy home so they chose her to be International Ms Leather. 19 women competed for the top women's title. Jill quickly sent a story, I Just Wanted To Do It For The Experience.
The new Rocky Mountain Mr. Drummer and Drummer Boy were Rick Gusler and Mike DeNisco.
The new Mr. Florida Drummer was Bill Masters from Ft. Lauderdale.
Mr. and Ms Alameda County Leather were Roger Luttrell and Victoria Rose. Taurus Webster won the Mr. Northern California Drummer Contest.
The second International Mr. Fantasy was Kevin Watson from Albuquerque, NM.
The Lords of Leather sponsored the Mr. Louisiana Leather Contest won by Michael Caster.
Kyle Brandon was named Southern California Mr. Drummer.
Doug Decker was chosen Mr. Texas Drummer.
The East Coast Titleholders Conference was held at the home of Mr. Southeast Leather 1993 Darryl Flick in Richmond, VA.
The new San Francisco Leather Daddy's Boy was Joey Faria.
Kyle Brandon from West Hollywood won the International Mr. Drummer Contest and the new Drummer Boy, chosen by the Mr. Drummer contestants, was Mike DeNisco.
International Master and Slave 1996 Mistress Morgana and slave michael held a Fetish and Fantasy event in Denver, CO.
James Murray was named Mr. Tulsa Leather.
Mark McKenzie became Mr. Palm Springs Leather.
Ricardo Morris was chosen Mr. Connecticut Leather.
Fabrice van den Bossche won the Mr. Europe Drummer Contest during Amsterdam Leather Pride.
The new Mr. Southeast Leather was David Palm from Lynchburg, VA.
Mason Timmons became Mr. Upstate New York Leather.
In Toronto the new Mr. Black Eagle Leather was James Morgan and Mr. Barn Leather was Robert Pierre Tomas.
Dauphine Sowell and Master Ken won the Ms and Mr. Georgia Olympus Leather titles in Atlanta.
An April date was set for the American Brotherhood Weekend and it was to be held in Washington, DC.
Ric Morris won the Mr. Connecticut Leather title.
The new Mr. Leather Ottawa-Hull was Erich Prohaska.
James Sterling won the first Leathermaster NYC Contest.
Jim Dawson won the Ocean State Leather Contest held by the Enforcers RI and represented them in the Mr. and Ms Olympus Leather finals in New Orleans.
Lee Julien won the Mr. Silver Fox Contest in San Francisco.
News and Politics
London (Reuters) announced that Britain's Law Commission had proposed reforms that would decriminalize violent sexual acts between consenting adults.
Pantheon of Leather was held in New Orleans. This year's awards and winners were: Woman of the Year, Sarah Humble; Man of the Year, Woody Bebout; Readers Choice (Women) Cindy Bookout; Readers Choice (Men) Frank Nowicki; Lifetime Achievement, Don Thompson; Forbearer, Judy Tallwing-McCarthey.
London Vice Squad Pressure lead to a ban of GUMMI and SM Gays.
Brother Help Thyself distributed $120,000 in grants to 45 organizations at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, DC.
About 1,200 Leatherfolk attended Eulenspiegel's 25th anniversary in New York City in mid-February. Eight inches of snow did not stop people.
The Leather Archives and Museum named George Cameron of Vancouver, British Columbia as head of the Colors Project which would collect sets of club colors from around the world.
Remington's bar in Toronto, Ontario was raided and then a fund to help with legal defense was started.
Washington State Leather Pride Week was held in Seattle at the end of March. A National Emerald Award was presented to Frank Nowicki from Washington, DC.
The two children of Selina and Steven Houghton were taken from their home by authorities after a "friend" broke into their home and stole SM/fetish videotapes. What became known as the Houghton Case was given international publicity through the efforts of Robert and Mary Dante, publishers/editors of Boudoir Noir Magazine in Toronto, Ontario.
Mr. Minnesota Leather Michael DeLeon was able to meet with Los Angeles Lakers' basketball superstar Magic Johnson at the Stand Against AIDS fundraiser at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN.
The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 ruling that stated that states cannot ban laws that protect homosexuals from discrimination. This successfully ended Colorado Amendment 2.
The Leather community of New York City began publicizing the name and a photo of a "Dangerous Top" who had been beating and abusing bottoms way beyond their consent and other violations against the same persons.
 The world renowned Rod's in Madison, WI owners announced that a rebuilding effort had begun to replace the burned down establishment.
Zeus Studios' annual June fundraiser netted about $5,000 to benefit Aid For AIDS in Los Angeles.
The New York City Police Department continued its crackdown on sex clubs by taking out The Attic and The Maze.
The Houghton Case came to an end when the couple accepted an offer made by the District Attorney of  a guilty plea to lesser charges. The Houghton kids spent Christmas at home.
Freeze and Sleeze weekend was cancelled.
Books and Publications
Trevor Jacques and Whole SM Publishing released The Alternate Sources Guide in Toronto.
The start of a Leather Who's Who was announced by Tony DeBlase and Trevor Jacques.
Daddy Bob took home two of the honors from the Los Angeles County Leather Fetish Awards. He won one award for Outstanding Columnist/Journal and another for Outstanding Literature (The Only Reason I Mention This).
Internet
A new web site was established for the Kink Awareness Professionals (KAP) referral service that directs individuals in need to doctors and lawyers friendly to the Leather lifestyle.
New on the Scene
Pike's Peak Summit Masters, Colorado Springs, CO; Femina Society and School, Haverhill, MA; Men of Rubber, Chicago, IL; SAAFE, Calgary, Alberta; Spanking Club, Los Angels, CA; Wisconsin Leather Men's Association, Milwaukee, WI; WHOLE (Women Holding Outrageous Leather Events), Philadelphia, PA; Southeast Conference of Clubs, Wilmington, NC; Seattle Men's Welcoming Committee, Seattle, WA; Louisville Area Trust EXchange (LATEX), Louisville, KY; Brothers In Leather, New York, NY; BD/SM Social Group, Austin, TX; Dungeon 101 by Leather University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Milestones
25 Years: Do-A-Fool, 25th Anniversary and run, Tribe MC Detroit, MI; Inferno XXV, Chicago Hellfire Club, Chicago, IL; Pacific Coast Motorcycle Club, Los Angeles, CA
20 Years: Valley Knights MC, Sacramento, CA
10 Years: Utica Tri's, Utica, NY; Golden Gate Guards, San Francisco, CA; Firedance X run, Firedancers LLC, Dallas, TX; 10th Annual Dusty Cunningham Razzle Dazzle Picnic Basket Auction, Brother Help Thyself, Washington, DC
Five Years: Rubbout V weekend, Northwind, Vancouver, British Columbia; Chain of Command, San Antonio, TX; Texas Leather Pride V run, NLA: Austin, Austin, TX; Tom's Bar V, Tom of Finland Foundation, Los Angeles, CA; Portland Uniform Weekend, In Uniform Magazine, Portland, OR
Gone, But Not Forgotten
Artist Brad Braverman, Los Angeles, CA.
San Francisco Leather Daddy's Boy 1993 Craig Neely, San Francisco, CA.
Jackhammer, bar, San Francisco, CA closed.
Motorwerks, bar, San Francisco, CA closed.
The energetic Joe Gallagher from New York City is the coverman of Issue #84 photographed by Dave Rhodes.
Feature articles: A full 10 pages of coverage went to the International Mr. Leather Contest. Atlanta S/M Solidarity presented a successful Spring In The South weekend. E.T. Phone Home was the theme for The Wearin' O' The Hides and The Tannin' O' The Hides featured Sex and Shopping. Jill Carter wrote Sheltered, Sane and Consensual.
Leather activist and Leather designer Hawk Brooks, Boston, MA.
Leather United - Chicago cofounding member Davis Burbank, Chicago, IL.
Mr. Colorado Leather 1994 Dann Sivers, Denver, CO.
Founding president and charter member of Griffins MC Marshall Kyle, Newark, DE.
Loading Zone (San Diego) bar owner Bob Toner, San Francisco, CA.
The Attic closed due to police pressure in New York, NY.
The Maze suffered the same fate in New York, NY.
The Leather Journal Man of the Year 1988,  Leather Contingent organizer at the March On Washington in 1987 and 1993, past GMS/MA chairman and Leather activist Barry Douglas, New York, NY.
Screw The Roses, Send Me The Thorns coauthor Phillip Miller, Atlantic Highlands, NJ.

The 25th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change will be held in Atlanta, GA at the Hilton Atlanta, January 23–27.
Creating Change is the annual organizing and skills-building event for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and their allies.
The conference is run by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF),and attracts more than 3,500 people from all over the country every year. Presenters and participants come from all walks of life and include members of the business community, elected officials, students, faith leaders and staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations.
Creating Change honors one Leatherperson each year in a big way. The 2012 recipient of one of the Creating Change Awards was Viola Johnson. The 2013 recipient will be announced later this year.
The five-day program will feature over 350 workshops and training sessions, four plenary sessions, and tons of networking opportunities.
Go to www.creatingchange.org to check out the programs from the 2011 and 2012 Creating Change conferences, hotel information and to register.

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