International Mr. Leather

For other uses, see IML (disambiguation).

International Mr. Leather (IML) is a multi-day conference and competition celebrating the leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM communities. Established in 1979, IML is held annually in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, drawing thousands of contestants and spectators from around the world.^[1] As of 2024, over 2,100 contestants from 27 countries have competed.

International Mr. Leather
IML Wingman logo
IML 29 at the Chicago Theatre (2007)
Nickname	IML
Status	Active
Genre	leather kink fetish BDSM
Frequency	Annually, Memorial Day weekend
Location(s)	Chicago, Illinois
Country	United States
Inaugurated	1979 (1979)
Organised by	International Mr. Leather Inc.
Website	www.imrl.com

Events include speakers, socials, themed dance parties and a leather market. IML contestants qualify for the competition either by winning a feeder competition of a bar and/or local or regional leather contest, or by being sponsored by a leather-related bar, business, club, or organization.

IML organizers also produce the International Mr. Bootblack competition.

History

IML is regarded as the world's oldest continuously operating international leather and fetish event,^[2] leading to the nickname "the granddaddy of all leather events."^[3] The forerunner of the competition was the 1970s "Mr. Gold Coast" contest held at Chicago's Gold Coast leather bar, owned by Chuck Renslow and Dom Orejudos.^[4] The "Mr. Gold Coast" contest became one of the bar's most popular promotions causing the need to locate the competition to a larger venue in 1979, upon which the title was changed to International Mr. Leather.^[4]

The inaugural IML competition took place May 18–20, 1979.^[5] The event was advertised as "a weekend you won't want to miss" featuring "some of the world's hottest men, representing leather bars and clubs across America and Europe" competing to win prizes worth $5,000 ($21,662 in 2024), including a motorcycle.^[5] Spectators could purchase a weekend package for $25 ($108.00 in 2024) that included a shirt designed Etienne (Orejudos), tickets to parties and events, and coupons for local shops and bathhouses.^[5] Standalone tickets to the contest were priced at $10.^[5] David Kloss won the first contest; Durk Dehner and Jesse Capello were first and second runners-up.^[6] Tom of Finland volunteered to judge the contest, but had to drop out for health reasons (he later judged the 1983 contest).^[6]

Orejudos designed the contest's "wingman logo" as well as much of its promotional materials.^[6][7]

Advertisement for inaugural IML contest (1979)

In 1980, IML introduced the Black and Blue Ball.^[6] By 1984, attendance had increased from 300 to 1,500.^[6]

The leather pride flag was designed by Tony DeBlase, and he first presented the design at IML 11 on May 28, 1989.^[8] The flag was incorporated into the design of the sash awarded to contest winners.^[6]

The International Bootblack Competition was added to the IML program in 1993. In 1998, the coed competition was spun off into two separate competitions: International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB), produced by IML, and International Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB), produced by International Ms. Leather.^[9]

Since 2009, IML proceeds have been placed in a trust to benefit the Leather Archives and Museum (LA&M).^[10] LA&M, which Renslow and Deblase co-founded, is the custodian of IML records and artwork.^[11][12]

In 2009, prior to the widespread availability of PrEP, IML forbade from its vendor market "any entity which promotes barebacking or distributes/sells any merchandise tending to promote or advocate barebacking."^[13] However, IML did not consistently enforce the policy and in 2019 announced that it would repeal it.^[14]

The Congress Plaza Hotel has hosted IML guests and festivities every year since 2015, but the contest itself has often been hosted at offsite venues such as the Auditorium Theater.^[15][16]

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant shutdowns and cancellations of large gatherings throughout the world, in-person IML events in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled.^[17][18] IML resumed in May 2022.^[19]

Rules and requirements

Eligibility

As of 2024, to qualify for IML, prospective contestants must:

• Present as male and be 21 years of age or older.^[20]
• Win a preliminary contest or receive a primary sponsor.^[20]
  • Preliminary contest is defined as a bar, local, or regional leather contest that awards its winner entry into IML.^[20]
  • Primary sponsor is defined as "a bar, business, club or organization that specializes in the levi/leather, uniform, SM, western, gear or related lifestyles.^[20]
• Submit an application and registration fee.^[20]

Contest Criteria

Preliminary round

Contest finalists are selected following:

1. A preliminary interview with each of the nine judges, up to 8 minutes in length, are held in private (60% of the preliminary score).
2. Stage presence and personality at a Saturday "Pecs and Personality" event (40% of the preliminary score).

The judge's highest and lowest scores for each contestant on each criterion are dropped, and the contestant's remaining seven scores are tallied to determine the 20 contestants with the highest combined scores to proceed as finalists at the Sunday IML contest event. The only time that the dropped scores are included in the tally is when there is a tie for the 20th place; the contestants in question have their dropped scores included in the tally but if the stalemate continues then each of the nine judges must vote for only one of the two contestants. Preliminary judging scores are not carried forward. There are also two tally masters.

Final round

Each of the 20 finalists is judged at the Sunday IML contest on a scale from 0 to 100 in the following order:

1. Leather image (up to 40 points).
2. Presentation skills that include a contestant speech (up to 40 points).
3. Physical appearance (up to 20 points).

The highest and lowest scores for each finalist are dropped, the remaining seven scores are added together, and the top three scores designate the second runner-up, first runner-up, and winner, International Mr. Leather. A tie for the title is resolved by adding to the tally the dropped scores of the two contestants; if the stalemate continues then each of the nine judges must vote for only one of the contestants in question.

Participating countries and territories

Twenty-seven countries spanning six continents have officially fielded one or more contestants to compete at IML as of 2024. As of 2022, 44 U.S. states have fielded contestants, as have Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.^[21][22] The only U.S. states that have not fielded a contestant as of 2022 are Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Wyoming.^[21][22]

Country	Region	First CompetedA	WinsB	Win Year(s)	Ref.
Australia	Oceania	1980	1	1980	[21][23]
Austria	Europe	2018	0		[23]
Belgium	Europe	1996	1	2022	[21][23]
Brazil	South America	2017	0		[23]
Canada	North America	1981	1	2006	[21][23]
Chile	South America	2015	0		[24]
China ( Hong Kong)	Asia	2019	0		[25]
Colombia	South America	2022	0		[26]
Denmark	Europe	2007	0		[27]
Finland	Europe	2017	0		[28]
France	Europe	2002	1	2011	[21][23]
Germany	Europe	1987	2	1987, 2001	[21][23]
Ireland	Europe	2000	0		[21][24]
Israel	Asia	1995	0		[21][23]
Italy	Europe	1990	0		[21][23]
Mexico	North America	2018	0		[23]
Netherlands	Europe	1993	1	1993	[21][23]
New Zealand	Oceania	1993	0		[21]
Norway	Europe	2000	0		[21][29]
South Africa	Africa	2010	0		[30]
Spain	Europe	1988	0		[21][23]
Sweden	Europe	1985	0		[21]
Switzerland	Europe	2004	0		[31]
Thailand	Asia	1995	0		[21]
United Kingdom	Europe	1994	1	2003	[21][24]
United States	North America	1979	36	1979, 1981-1986, 1988-1992, 1994-2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007-2010, 2012-2019, 2023-2024	[21][23]
Venezuela	South America	2019	0		[25]

^A Some IML contestants emigrated from countries that have not officially sent contestants to IML (or had not as of the time they competed). For instance, Venezuela-born Gary Iriza (Mr. Palm Springs Leather)^[32] won IML 30 in 2008,^[33] more than a decade before Venezuela officially sent a contestant (Mr. Leather Venezuela) in 2019.^[34]

^B Wins by contestants with international or nonnational preliminary titles (e.g. Mister Leather Europe, Mr. Gay Naturists International Leather) are attributed to the winner's country of residence.

Winners

As of 2024, 44 contestants representing eight countries have won IML: United States (36), Germany (2), Australia (1), Belgium (1), Canada (1), France (1), Netherlands (1), and United Kingdom (1).

The following is a table of IML contest winners. Note that winner's city as used in the table variously refers to the preliminary title host city or winner's city of residence.

Year	Class	Winner	Preliminary Contest / Primary Sponsor	Winner's city	Contestants	CountriesC	U.S. States & TerritoriesC	Contest Location & Host Hotel	Ref.
1979	1	David Kloss	Mr. Leather Brig	San Francisco, California	12	1 (USA)	6 (CA, CO, FL, IL, LA, WI)	Grand Ballroom of the Radisson Hotel	[21][6]
1980	2	Patrick Brookes	Mr. Leather Australia	Sydney, Australia	18	2 (USA, Australia)	7 (CA, CO, FL, IL, MA, MO, NY)	Grand Ballroom of the Radisson Hotel	[21][35]
1981	3	Marty Kiker	Sponsored by The Brig & The Phoenix	San Francisco, California	36	3 (USA, Australia, Canada)	11 (CA, CO, DC, FL, IL, MI, MN, NY, OH, OR, TX)	Park West	[21]
1982	4	Luke Daniel	Mr. Drummer	San Francisco, California	46	2 (USA, Canada)	13 (CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, LA, MI, MN, NY, OH, WI)	Park West	[21][36]
1983	5	Coulter Thomas	Mr. Texas Leather	Houston, Texas	44	2 (USA, Canada)	15 (CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, NY, OH, PA, TX, WI)	Park West & Allerton Hotel	[21]
1984	6	Ron Moore	Mr. Leather Colorado	Denver, Colorado	30	2 (USA, Australia)	14 (AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, IL, IN, MI, MO, OH, PA, TX, WA, WI)	Park West & Allerton Hotel	[21]
1985	7	Patrick Toner	Mr. Chaps San Francisco	San Francisco, California	27	3 (USA, Canada, Sweden)	14 (AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, IL, MI, MO, NE, OH, PA, TX, UT, WA)	Park West & Allerton Hotel	[21]
1986	8	Scott Tucker	Mr. Philadelphia Leather	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	28	1 (USA)	14 (CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, MI, MO, NE, NY, PA, TX, WA, WI)	Park West & Lake Shore Hotel	[21]
1987	9	Thomas Karasch	Mr. Leather Europe	Hamburg, Germany	31	3 (USA, Canada, Germany)	14 (CA, CO, IL, MD, MI, MN, MO, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, WA)	Park West & Days Inn	[21][34]
1988	10	Michael Pereyra	Mr. Leather San Diego	San Diego, California	42	3 (USA, Canada, Spain)	20 (AZ, CA, CO, DC, HI, IA, IL, MI, MN, MO, NC, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, WA, WI)	Clubland at The Vic Theatre & Executive House Hotel	[21]
1989	11	Guy Baldwin	Mr. National Leather Association	Los Angeles, California	48	2 (USA, Canada)	22 (AR, AZ, CA, CO, DC, GA, HI, ID, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NE, NV, OH, OR, PA, TX, WA, WI)	Clubland at The Vic Theatre & Executive House Hotel	[21]
1990	12	Mark Ryan	Mr. Boston Leather	Boston, Massachusetts	48	4 (USA, Canada, Germany, Italy)	22 (AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IL, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI)	Clubland at The Vic Theatre	[21]
1991	13	D Cannon	Mr. CC (of Palm Springs)	Los Angeles , California	50	3 (USA, Canada, Italy)	24 (AZ, CA, CO, DC, GA, ID, IL, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, WA, WI)	Clubland at The Vic Theatre & Executive House Hotel	[21]
1992	14	Lenny Broberg	Mr. San Francisco Leather	San Francisco, California	56	2 (USA, Canada)	22 (AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, WA, WI)	Aragon Ballroom & Executive House Hotel	[21][37]
1993	15	Henri ten Have	Sponsored by Motor Sportclub Amsterdam (MSA)	Amsterdam, Netherlands	51	5 (USA, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand)	23 (AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NY, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI)	Aragon Ballroom & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
1994	16	Jeff Tucker	Mr. San Jose Leather	San Jose, California	43	5 (USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom)	21 (CA, CO, DC, FL, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NM, NY, OK, OR, PA, VA, WA, WI)	Congress Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
1995	17	Larry Everett	Mr. Oklahoma Leather	Collinsville, Oklahoma	50	6 (USA, Canada, Israel, Netherlands, Thailand, United Kingdom)	26 (AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MO, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, VA, WI)	Congress Theater & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[21]
1996	18	Joe Gallagher	Mr. Leather New York	New York, New York	49	5 (USA, Belgium, Canada, Netherlands, Spain)	26 (AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, PR, VA, WI)	Congress Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
1997	19	Kevin Cwayna	Mr. Minnesota Leather	Minneapolis, Minnesota	53	4 (USA, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom)	25 (CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, ND, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, PR, TX, VA, WI)	Congress Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
1998	20	Tony Mills	Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather	Washington, D.C.	62	6 (USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom)	25 (AK, CA, CO, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, TX, WA, WI)	Congress Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
1999	21	Bruce Chopnik	Mr. Rocky Mountain Leather	Denver, Colorado	52	5 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany)	23 (CA, CO, DC, FL, HI, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, WI)	Congress Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
2000	22	Mike Taylor	Mr. Heartland Leather	Columbus & Cincinnati, Ohio	60	7 (USA, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway)	25 (AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, WA, WI)	Congress Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[21]
2001	23	Stefan Müller	Bavarian Mr. Leather	Munich, Germany	63	7 (USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom)	27 (AK, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WV)	Congress Theater & The Palmer House Hilton	[21]
2002	24	Stephen Weber	Mr. Texas Leather	Dallas, Texas	66	7 (USA, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom)	28 (AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, UT, WI, WV)	Congress Theater & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[21][38]
2003	25	John Pendal	Mr. Hoist	London, United Kingdom	58	5 (USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom)	25 (AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, WI, WV)	Congress Theater & The Palmer House Hilton	[21][39]
2004	26	Jason Hendrix	Mr. D.C. Eagle 2004	Washington, D.C.	57	6 (USA, Canada, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland)	23	Congress Theater & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[31]
2005	27	Michael Egdes	Mr. Ramrod	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	52	6 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom)	25	Navy Pier Skyline Stage & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[40][41]
2006	28	Bo Ladashevska	Mr. Leather Montreal 2006	Montreal, Quebec, Canada	52	5 (USA, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Switzerland)	18	Chicago Theatre & The Palmer House Hilton Hotel	[42]
2007	29	Mikel Gerle	Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2007	Los Angeles, California	53	5 (USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy)	23	Chicago Theatre & The Palmer House Hilton	[43][27]
2008	30	Gary Iriza	Mr. Palm Springs Leather 2008	Palm Springs, California	51	6 (USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom)	21	Hyatt Regency Chicago	[33][44][45]
2009	31	Jeffrey Payne	Mr. Texas Leather 2009	Dallas, Texas	54	7 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom)	26	Hilton Chicago	[46][47]
2010	32	Tyler McCormick	Mr. Rio Grande Leather 2010	Albuquerque, New Mexico	52	10 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom)	22 (incl. AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX)	Congress Theater & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[48][30][49]
2011	33	Eric Guttierez	Mr. Leather Europe 2011	Paris, France	53	7 (incl. USA, Canada, France)	?	Harris Theater & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[50][51][52]
2012	34	Woody Woodruff	Mr. Michigan Leather 2012	Waterford, Michigan	49	?	?	Harris Theater & Hyatt Regency Chicago	[53]
2013	35	Andy Cross	Mr. San Francisco Leather 2013	San Francisco, California	51	6 (USA, Australia, Canada, Germany, South Africa, United Kingdom)	25 (AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, OK, TX, WA, WI, VA)	Harris Theater & Marriott Michigan Ave. Chicago	[54][55][56][57]
2014	36	Ramien Pierre	Mr. D.C. Eagle 2014	Washington, D.C.	46	5 (incl. USA, Australia)	?	Harris Theater & Marriott Michigan Ave. Chicago	[58][59][60][61]
2015	37	Patrick Smith	Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2015	Los Angeles, California	52	9 (USA, Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, United Kingdom)	23 (AZ, CA, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA, WI)	Park West and Harris Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[24][62][63]
2016	38	David "Tigger" Bailey	Mr. New Jersey Leather 2016	Howell, New Jersey	59	8 (USA, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel)	25 (CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MI, MA, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, TX, VA, WA, WI)	Park West and Harris Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[64][65]
2017	39	Ralph Bruneau	Mr. GNI (Gay Naturists International) Leather 2016	Los Angeles, California	63	12 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom)	24 (AZ, CA, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NJ, IA, OH, OK, OR, PA, TX, WI)	Auditorium Theatre & Congress Plaza Hotel	[28]
2018	40	James Lee	Mr. Kentucky Leather 2017	Lexington, Kentucky	71	14 (USA, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland)	26 (AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, OK, NY, PA, RI, TX, WA, WI)	Auditorium Theatre & Congress Plaza Hotel	[23][66]
2019	41	Jack Thompson	Leatherman of Color 2019	Baltimore, Maryland	68	13 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China (Hong Kong), France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela)	24 (AZ, CA, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TX) and Puerto Rico	Auditorium Theatre & Congress Plaza Hotel	[34][25]
2020	42	Contest cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic							[17]
2021	43								[18]
2022	44	Gael Leung Chong Wo	Mr. Leather Belgium 2020/2021	Ghent, Belgium	60	11 (USA, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Venezuela)	23 (AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NY, OH, PA, TN, TX, WA, WI)	Arie Crown Theater & Congress Plaza Hotel	[26][67]
2023	45	Marcus Barela	Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2023	Los Angeles, California	54	10 (USA, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland)	21 (AZ, CA, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NC, NY, OH, RI, TN, TX)	Auditorium Theatre & Congress Plaza Hotel	[68][29][69]
2024	46	Jamal "Alpha Pup Savage" Herrera-O'Malley	San Francisco Eagle Leather Pup 2024	San Francisco, California	59	9 (USA, Australia, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom)	21 (AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TX)	Venue SIX10 at Spertus Institute, McCormick Place, & Congress Plaza Hotel	[70]

^C In cases of regional, international, or non-geographic preliminary titles (Mr Midwest Leather, Mr SECC Leather, Leathermen of Color, Mr Leather Europe, etc.), participation is attributed to the contestant's country, state, and/or territory of residence.

Milestones

In 1984 Ron Moore became the first black man to win International Mr. Leather.^[71] In 1997, his sister Genelle Moore won International Ms. Leather, which made them the first siblings to hold international leather titles.^[72][73]

In 2010, Tyler McCormick became the first openly transgender man, the first wheelchair user, and the first person from New Mexico to win International Mr. Leather.^[48][74]

The 2012 contest featured two weddings as well as the contest's first pair of married contestants competing against each other.^[2]

In 2019, Jack Thompson became the first openly transgender person of color to win International Mr. Leather.^[34] His win also marked the first time black men won consecutive International Mr. Leather titles.^[75]

Preliminary contests and sponsors

As of 2024, five preliminary contests have produced multiple IML winners. Mr. Texas Leather holds the most wins per preliminary contest (3) as of 2024. San Francisco holds the record of the most IML wins per city (7) as of 2024.^[76]

Preliminary Contest / Primary Sponsor	Wins	Win Year(s)	Ref.
Bavarian Mr. Leather	1	2001
The Brig & The Phoenix	1	1981
Eagle LA Mr. Leather	1	2023
Leatherman of Color	1	2019
Motor Sportclub Amsterdam (MSA)	1	1993
Mr. Boston Leather	1	1990
Mr. CC (of Palm Springs)	1	1991
Mr. Chaps San Francisco	1	1985
Mr. D.C. Eagle	2	2004, 2014
Mr. Drummer	1	1982
Mr. GNI (Gay Naturists International) Leather	1	2017
Mr. Heartland Leather	1	2000
Mr. Hoist	1	2003
Mr. Kentucky Leather	1	2018
Mr. Leather Australia	1	1980
Mr. Leather Belgium	1	2022
Mr. Leather Brig	1	1979
Mr. Leather Colorado	1	1984
Mr. Leather Europe	2	1987, 2011
Mr. Leather Montreal	1	2006
Mr. Leather New York	1	1996
Mr. Leather San Diego	1	1988
Mr. Los Angeles Leather	2	2007, 2015
Mr. Michigan Leather	1	2012
Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather	1	1998
Mr. Minnesota Leather	1	1997
Mr. National Leather Association	1	1989
Mr. New Jersey Leather	1	2016
Mr. Oklahoma Leather	1	1995
Mr. Palm Springs Leather	1	2008
Mr. Philadelphia Leather	1	1986
Mr. Ramrod	1	2005
Mr. Rio Grande Leather	1	2010
Mr. Rocky Mountain Leather	1	1999
Mr. San Francisco Leather	2	1992, 2013
Mr. San Jose Leather	1	1994
Mr. Texas Leather	3	1983, 2002, 2009
San Francisco Eagle Leather Pup 2024	1	2024

International Mr. Bootblack

IMrBB logo

The International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB) Competition runs throughout the IML weekend. Contestants are given a location in the IML Leather Market at which they perform bootblacking services. Weekend ticket package holders (as well as judges, contestants, and vendors) are each provided with a bootblack ballot which is redeemable for one shine by the bootblack of the voter's choice. Bootblacks are free to shine the boots of any person, regardless of whether that person has a ballot, although it is made clear that the ballots are the means by which the winner will be determined. Tipping is not required, but is quite common.

The bootblack contestants work during the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of IML during the time that the Leather Market is open, a total of approximately 20 hours over three days. In previous years, the bootblacks were allowed to shine boots and collect tickets at all times during the weekend. Since 2001, the bootblack contestants have established a gentlemen's agreement at the start of the weekend that they will not shine boots or accept ballots except during the established competition hours. This agreement was conceived to give the contestants the freedom to take time to enjoy the weekend without feeling the pressure to always be bootblacking.

At its inception in 1993, the competition was called the International Bootblack Competition, and both men and women were allowed to compete. In 1998, it was announced that the competition would be changed to the International Mr. Bootblack Competition and that a separate competition solely for women would be held at International Ms. Leather. This change was made largely because it was commonly held that women had a significant disadvantage competing for ballots from IML's predominantly gay male attendees, who may favor bootblacks who they find attractive. Since 1999, competitors for IMrBB are restricted to persons over the age of 21 who present as male.

The winner of the International Mr. Bootblack Competition is announced (along with the first and second runners-up and the winner of the Brotherhood Award, on which the IMrBB competitors vote and which is roughly analogous to the Miss Congeniality Award from various traditional beauty contests) at the Sunday contest, immediately following the announcement of the top 20 IML finalists.

In recent years, largely because of coordination of the contest by David Hawks, International Mr. Bootblack 2000, the Bootblack Competition has begun to develop adjunct activities. An IMrBB party is held in a hotel function room on Saturday night, offering food, music, and a silent auction, the proceeds of which go to the travel fund of the winner. Likewise, during the competition hours in the Leather Market, volunteers man a table to answer questions and sell IMrBB Travel Fund pins, which also adds to the travel fund. These sources of revenue have provided the various contestants with significantly more money to aid their travel to distant events during their title years. The money is controlled by the contest coordinator, and any access to the funds must be accompanied by proof of the travel outlay.

Starting in 2013, the IMrBB contest has implemented a judging system to select the winner. Contestants are evaluated by a panel of judges on the basis of their technical bootblacking skills, how they present themselves on stage and in public and what they say in an interview with the judges. Ballot voting still makes up a percentage of the contestant's total score.

IMrBB winners

The following is a table of IMrBB contest winners:

Year	Winner	Winner's preliminary title or sponsor	Winner's city	Contestants
1993	David Morgan	DC Eagle	Washington, D.C.	?
1994	William Shields Jr.	Chicago Eagle & Chicago Hellfire Club	Chicago, Illinois	?
1995	Tim Cousins	DC Eagle	Washington, D.C.	?
1996	Todd Nelson	The Cuff	Seattle, Washington	?
1997	Driller	SF Eagle & Daddy's Bar	San Francisco, California	?
1998	Matthew Duncan	Centaur MC	Washington, D.C.	?
1999	Robert Ehrlich	DC Eagle	Washington, D.C.	?
2000	David Hawks	Mid-Atlantic Bootblack 2000 (Centaur MC)	Washington, D.C.	?
2001	Paksen Burrell	Mid-Atlantic Bootblack 2001 (Centaur MC)	Washington, D.C.	?
2002	Michael Lanzini	The Lure	New York City, New York	?
2003	Richie Chameroy	Daddy's Bar & Powerhouse Bar	San Francisco, California	?
2004	Alan Tunstall	The Barracks Bar & Avatar Club	Los Angeles, California	8
2005	BooBoo	Great Lakes Leather Alliance & Laws Leather	Cleveland, Ohio	9
2006	Benjamin Palmer	PumpJack Pub & Priape Vancouver	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada	5
2007	Spot	Great Lakes Leather Alliance	Lansing, Michigan	5
2008	Bootdog	Alameda County Leather Corps	Oakland, California	5
2009	McG	Bootblack Toronto 2009	Toronto, Ontario, Canada	6
2010	Tim Starkey	Boston Ramrod	Boston, Massachusetts	5
2011	Jim Deuder	NYC Bootblack Roundtable, The Leather Man NYC & the Eagle NYC	New York City, New York	6
2012	Nick Elliott	Oregon State Bootblack, 2011	Portland, Oregon	2
2013	Sammy Sklover	Oregon State Bootblack, 2012	Portland, Oregon	3
2014	Scout	Eros SF & the San Francisco Eagle	Oakland, California	7
2015	Bamm-Bamm	International Leatherboy 2012, SF Eagle	San Francisco, California	6
2016	Erick Joseph	Alaska State Bootblack	Anchorage, Alaska	?
2017	Ryan "Pawlish" Garner-Carpenter	Independent Candidate	Cincinnati, Ohio	3
2018	Lucky Rebel	Mr. Oregon State Leather 2016	Portland, Oregon	?
2019	Kriszly de Hond	Mr. Puppy EU 2015, XXXLeather's House Bootblack	Zaandam, Netherlands	4
2020	Contest cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022	Alistair LeatherHiraeth	Bootblack Europe 2020	Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom	3
2023	Contest cancelled due to staff resignation[77]
2024

Cultural impact & legacy

IML proceeds have been placed in a trust to benefit the Leather Archives & Museum.^[78]

According to the Chicago Reader in 2024, "IML has endured as an institution that serves the LGBTQ+ community by fundraising for grassroots groups as well as providing opportunities to gather and exchange goods, information, and kinship."^[79] IML has also improved the visibility and popularity of leather culture;^[80][81] past IML contestants and attendees have founded leather organizations, competitions, and businesses around the world, including National Leather Association International.^[82][83][84]

IML proceeds have been placed in a trust to benefit the Leather Archives & Museum.^[78] The Leather Archives & Museum’s photos, videos, and oral histories chronicling IML (and International Ms. Leather) were featured in a 2015 documentary by Christina Court, titled High Shine: 15 Years of International Ms Bootblack.^[85]

Recognition

• In 1995, “Chuck Renslow – IML” was one of the recipients of the International Deaf Leather Recognition Award.^[86]
• In 1999 IML received the Business of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.^[87]
• In 2007 and 2012 IML received the Large Event of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.^[87]
• In 2010 IML was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.^[88]
• In 2018, IML was inducted into the Leather Hall of Fame during Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend 2018.^[89][90]
• On May 25, 2018, the Chicago City Council voted to honorarily designate a stretch of Clark Street in Uptown (between Winnemac Avenue and Ainslie Avenue) as "Chuck Renslow Way";^[91][92] the city unveiled the new street sign during the anniversary of IML.^[93]

See also

• LGBTQ portal

• International Ms. Leather
• Leather competitions
• LGBT culture
• MIR contest
• Mr Gay World
• Mister Leather Europe

Footnotes

1. ^ Bean, Joseph W. (2004). International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions. International Mr. Leather, Inc. and The Leather Archives and Museum (1st ed.). Las Vegas: Nazca Plains. ISBN 1-887895-38-8.
2. ^ Davolt, Robert (2003). Painfully Obvious: An Irreverent & Unauthorized Manual for Leather/SM. cover design by Steve Diet Goedde. Los Angeles: Daedalus Publishing. p. 212. ISBN 1-881943-19-4.
3. ^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. "Contestant Application" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2005-12-21.
4. ^ "Leather Archives & Museum Announcement". Twitter. 2009-05-25. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
5. ^ "IML Makes History". Will Clark World. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
6. ^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. "Official IML Scoring Procedure". Archived from the original on 2005-12-22. Retrieved 2005-12-21.
7. ^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. "IML 2004". Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2005-12-18.
8. ^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. (2005-05-30). Michael Egdes Named International Mr. Leather 2005 Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago. (Microsoft Word). Press release. Archived from the original on 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2005-12-19.
9. ^ "International Mr. Leather – Bootblack Contest". Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2006-04-14.
10. ^ "International Mr. Leather – Past Bootblack Winners". Archived from the original on 2006-03-24. Retrieved 2006-04-14.
11. ^ International Mr. Leather, Inc. (2007-05-27). Mikel Gerle Named International Mr. Leather 2007. (Microsoft Word). Press release. Archived from the original on 2007-07-21. Retrieved 2007-05-30.
12. ^ "International Mr. Bootblack 2013 Press Release" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
13. ^ Source for 1979 to 2003: Bean, Joseph W. (2004). International Mr. Leather: 25 Years of Champions. International Mr. Leather, Inc. and The Leather Archives and Museum (1st ed.). Las Vegas: Nazca Plains. ISBN 1-887895-38-8.
14. ^ Source for 2004 to 2008: "International Mr. Leather - History". Archived from the original on 2009-02-20. Retrieved 2009-03-15.