21 IML Dos and Don'ts

International Mister Leather is an international conference and contest of leather folk held annually in May since 1979 in Chicago. This year's contest and events will take place from Thursday through Monday at the Congress Plaza Hotel.

The forerunner of the competition was the 1970s Mr. Gold Coast bar 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 locate the competition to a larger venue (1979), and title change to International Mr. Leather. The International Mister Bootblack Competition was added (1993) to the IML program.

The event is inclusive and welcomes all genders, the rubber community, pups, and other fetish and kink groups.

Here, our man on the scene Matt Baume, offers a guide with the intention of helping you have the best possible experience at IML.