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July 7, 2008

Bad boys

I attended the Mid-Atlantic LeatherSIR/leatherboy contest at the Bike Stop on Saturday night because a friend of mine was competing and I wanted to support him. I got there at 6 PM since the schedule said the contest would go from 6-9. By 6:30 nothing had happened and someone said it would be at least another hour before anything did happen. Figuring they’d start even later than that, I bicycled home again, planning on getting back to the bar around 8 which I did.

As I walked up to the building again, a bunch of the leather guys—probably the ones who smoke—were exiting. It was the intermission and I had missed the actual competition! Damn.

I went up to the third floor and hung out for a while. I didn’t really know anyone there so I just drank my water and stared out into the air. (Contest producer Justin did a nice job on the place, by the way.) International Mr. Leather 2008, Gary Iriza was there. He was chatting with a woman who was curious about the IML protocol. He explained how the local contests fed the yearly International Mr. Leather contest on Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago. She listened intently and didn’t laugh when he said completely seriously, ”So my title is the equivalent of Miss Universe." I am not kidding you.

Then a hugely tall guy who had rudely stood directly in front of me, blocking my view a few minutes earlier took the stage. It was Oliver Pratt (above), International LeatherSIR 2007. He began ranting about how some nameless people were trying to take away his rights as a “kinky adult” and said he longed for a world in which legislators had nothing to do with people’s rights. Really. He proclaimed that the members of the gay community had to “stop fighting with each other.” Then, with absolutely no irony, he very loudly berated the audience for not paying closer attention to him. “This is too important for you to be chattering though!” He yelled at us as if we were misbehaving third graders. Even though I wasn’t talking through his speech, I wished I had been. I took the hint; I said “OK, bye” in a very loud voice, waved and left the room.

Now I’ve been going to leather contests for a long time, though it’s been a few years since the last one I attended. There is always someone who gives the standard speech concerning prejudice against “leathersex” and “leatherfolk.” You know what? I just don’t believe it anymore. I’m inclined to agree with Bill Maher who thinks it’s all about a couple of weirdos who want to wear assless chaps to church without being snickered at. The Folsom Street Fair is the second best attended annual event in the State of Califonia, for chrissake! Do you want to attend the 25th Folsom Street Fair Formal Leather Gala? (Yes, you read that correctly: Formal Leather Gala.) Well, it’s only $200.00—or $300.00 for a VIP ticket with “Preferred Seating!” In my experience, when there’s money to be made, prejudice simply melts away.

Anyways, a friend outside the bar who was familiar with Mr. Pratt said to me, “Oh, he’s crazy,” and convinced me to go back upstairs for a while. I got there in time to see someone dressed as a nun with white Crocs filling time with joke-like banter while the votes were counted. When the winners were announced I nearly got trampled by photographers.

Then I went to the fireworks. It rained.

I’m listening to “The Scary Caroler” from The Decline of Country and Western Civilization, Pt. 2 by Lambchop.

Technorati Tags: gay, gay sex, IML, International Mr. Leather, leather, leather contest, leatherboy, philadelphia, san francisco

Posted by HighStrungLoner in Gay at 2:12 AM

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Posted by: Gary Iriza on August 17, 2008 9:10 PM

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