The International Mr. Leather contest has been held annually in Chicago since 1979. In categories such as Leather Image, Physical Appearance, and Presentation Skills, judges select each year’s Mr. Leather as an emblem of the leather-loving community.
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 his then-partner, Dom Orejudos. The Mr. Gold Coast contest became one of the bar's most popular promotions, causing the need to relocate the competition to a larger venue in 1979; it was subsequently renamed the International Mr. Leather contest. The International Mister Bootblack Competition was added to the IML program in 1993. Check out how far we've come with pictures from the most recent IML event on the next pages.
Christopher Harrity is the Manager of Online Production for Here Media, parent company to The Advocate and Out. He enjoys assembling online features on artists and photographers, and you can often find him poring over the mouldering archives of the magazines.
Christopher Harrity is the Manager of Online Production for Here Media, parent company to The Advocate and Out. He enjoys assembling online features on artists and photographers, and you can often find him poring over the mouldering archives of the magazines.
