International Ms. Leather

International Ms. Leather (IMsL) is an annual leather subculture fetish convention, originally focused on women but now inclusive of all genders. Since 1999,[1] the convention has also included a Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB) contest.[2][3]

After Ms. Leather events had been held in San Francisco since 1981, the first formal International Ms. Leather convention took place in 1987.[4][5] The first International Ms. Leather was Judy Tallwing McCarthey.[6][7]

In 1988, International Ms. Leather received the Large Club of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.[8] In 2009, 2013, and 2017, International Ms. Leather received the Large Event of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards, and in 2018 International Ms Leather Bootblack received that award.[8]

International Ms. Leather moved in 2014 from the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco to San Jose.[2] The International Ms Leather (IMsL) Foundation began its work in 2015.[9] The foundation’s website states, “We are committed to fostering healthy environments for Women to succeed in Leather and Kink spaces by providing education, programming, and financial support.”[10] In 2016 that foundation received the Nonprofit Organization of the Year award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.[8]

International Ms. Leather has had a focus on community leadership from the start.[4] The contestants must meet objectives and deadlines set before the convention, and at the event are judged on costuming, speech, a fantasy performance, knowledge of the leather scene as demonstrated in a quiz and an interview, and also organizing skills as demonstrated in having two others set up an auction table for them at the convention.[11]

Producers of the event have included Audrey Joseph[12] and 1993's International Ms. Leather winner Amy Marie Meek (later Amy Meek-DeJarlais).[1][13] "Amy Marie Meek – International Ms. Leather" received the International Deaf Leather Recognition Award in 2001.[14]

Judges have included Kitty Tsui.[15]

International Ms. Leather Winners
Year and contest location IMsL winner Winner's preliminary title or sponsor Winner's city Field of contestants
1987 - San Francisco, CA Judy Tallwing McCarthey ? Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Arizona 15 contestants
1988 - San Francisco, CA Shann Carr Sponsored by Portland Power and Trust Portland, Oregon 10 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
1989 - San Francisco, CA Susie Shepherd Ms. Portland Leatherwoman 1989 Portland, Oregon 11 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
1990 - San Francisco, CA Gabrielle Antolovich Ms. Southern California Leatherwoman 1989 Los Angeles, California 12 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
1991 - San Francisco, CA Kay Hallinger North Halsted Ms. Leather 1991 Bloomington, Indiana 12 contestants
1992 - San Francisco, CA Blair Kituhwa Ms. San Francisco Leather 1992 San Francisco, California 10 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
1993 - San Francisco, CA Amy Marie Meek Ms. Leather Nebraska 1992 Omaha, Nebraska 9 contestants
1994 - San Francisco, CA Anne C.S. Bergstedt, later known as Spencer Bergstedt (Resigned on September 13, 1994, giving the title to Cindy Bookout; Bergstedt’s resignation was not related to his being transgender)[7] Washington State Ms. Leather 1993 Seattle, Washington 11 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
Cindy Bookout Ms. Oklahoma Leather 1993 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1995 - Chicago, IL Pat Ballie Ms. LeatherMaster 1995 Phoenix, Arizona 19 contestants
1996 - Philadelphia, PA Jill Carter (the first black International Ms. Leather)[16] TULSA (Tulsa Uniform Leather Seekers Assoc.) Willow Grove, Pennsylvania 20 contestants
1997 - San Diego, CA Genelle Moore (her brother Ron Moore had become the first black International Mr. Leather in 1984, and her win as International Ms. Leather in 1997 made them the first siblings to hold international leather titles.)[17][18] Sponsored by the Female Leather Exchange (FLEX) Lincoln, Nebraska 11 contestants
1998 - Atlanta, GA Megan (DeJarlais) Martin Ms. Baltimore Eagle 1993 Baltimore, Maryland 18 contestants
1999 - Las Vegas, NV Pam Meyer Ms. San Francisco Leather 1999 San Francisco, California 14 contestants
2000 - Toronto, Canada Jo Blas Sponsored by Kim Wolf of Leatherwoman Productions San Diego, California 10 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
2001 - Dallas, TX Joni Perry Ms. International Olympus Leather 2000 Springfield, Virginia 9 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
2002 - Omaha, NE Russ Cosgrove Sponsored by 3SM Calgary, Alberta, Canada 6 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
2003 - Omaha, NE Tammie Nelson Sponsored by Kendra McClain & the Great Lakes Leather Alliance Greenwood, Indiana 5 contestants, from the U.S. and Canada
2004 - Omaha, NE Lori Ellison Sponsored by HPL Productions of Colorado Rio Rancho, New Mexico 5 contestants
2005 - Omaha, NE Jessi Holman Ahart Ms. Baltimore Eagle 2005 Baltimore, Maryland 4 contestants
2006 - Omaha, NE Lady Faye Falconeer Sponsored by Flesh and Fantasy & the Dallas Eagle Dallas, Texas 2 contestants
2007 - San Francisco, CA Lauren Ide Southwest Ms. Leather 2006 Phoenix, Arizona 6 contestants
2008 - San Francisco, CA Hobbit Washington State Ms. Leather 1996 Seattle, Washington 4 contestants
2009 - San Francisco, CA Lamalani Siverts Washington State Ms. Leather 2008 Seattle, Washington 3 contestants
2010 - San Francisco, CA Mollena Williams Ms. San Francisco Leather 2009 San Francisco, California 8 contestants
2011 - San Francisco, CA Sara Vibes ? New York, New York 4 contestants
2012 - San Francisco, CA Synn Ms. Texas Leather 2012 Dallas, Texas ?
2013 - San Francisco, CA Sarha Shaubach Ms. Alaska Leather 2011/2012 Meadow Lakes, Alaska ?
2014 - San Jose, CA Patty Ms. Leather Toronto 2014 Toronto, Ontario, Canada ?
2015 - San Jose, CA Sarge Ms. San Diego Leather 2015 San Diego, California 9 contestants
2016 - San Jose, CA Lascivious Jane Ms. Philadelphia Leather 2015 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 4 contestants
2017 - San Jose, CA Girl Complex Ms. Alameda County Leather 2016 Oakland, California 7 contestants
2018 - San Jose, CA Girl Ang Sponsored by Lucrezia and De Sade Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 6 contestants
2019 - San Jose, CA Haley Ms. San Francisco Leather 2018 San Francisco, California 2 contestants
2020 Contest cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Virtual event held with no contest
2022
2023 - Piscataway, NJ Liquid Northeast Leatherperson 2020/2021 New York, New York 3 contestants

International Ms. Bootblack Winners
Year IMsBB winner Winner's preliminary title or sponsor Winner's city Field of contestants
1999 Leslie Anderson American Leatherwoman 1997 Bosque Farms, New Mexico 4 contestants
2000 michael ann Sponsored by High Plains Leather Colorado Springs, Colorado 2 contestants
2001 Charlie Flake Sponsored by The Denver Triangle Denver, Colorado 2 contestants
2002 Kari Sponsored by Centaur Motorcycle Club Washington, D.C. 2 contestants
2003 Slaveboi Eddie (Donna Moran) Sponsored by the Los Angeles boys of Leather & Bill Mitchell, American Leatherman 2003 Los Angeles, California 4 contestants
2004 izzy Sponsored by the Great Lakes Leather Association Milwaukee, Wisconsin 3 contestants
2005 Suka Sponsored by Cellblock Chicago & the Lesbian Community Cancer Project Chicago, Illinois 1 contestant
2006 Alex Bettencourt Sponsored by the Great Lakes Leather Alliance & Ramrod Medford, Massachusetts 2 contestants
2007 Miss V Sponsored by the San Francisco Boot Black Studio Alameda, California 4 contestants
2008 Q SouthEast LeatherFest Bootblack 2007 Atlanta, Georgia 2 contestants
2009 Pony Leather Rose's House Bootblack Chicago, Illinois 3 contestants
2010 Jayson DaBoi Ms. Rio Grande Leather 2010 Albuquerque, New Mexico 2 contestants
2011 kd ? Portland, Maine 4 contestants
2012 Tarna Bootblack Toronto 2012 Toronto, Ontario, Canada ?
2013 bella Great Lakes Bootblack 2012 Louisville, Kentucky ?
2014 Dara Oregon State Bootblack 2013 Portland, Oregon ?
2015 slave tabitha Southwest Bootblack 2009 Phoenix, Arizona 5 contestants
2016 Meghan Great Lakes Bootblack 2015 Louisville, Kentucky 3 contestants
2017 Elisa Great Lakes Bootblack 2016 Detroit, Michigan 6 contestants
2018 Teagan Southwest Bootblack 2017 Oakland, California 5 contestants
2019 Gretchen Alaska State Bootblack 2018 Anchorage, Alaska 3 contestants
2020 Contest cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Virtual event held with no contest
2022
2023 [vacant] N/A N/A 1 contestant

See also

References
  1. Baume, Matt (August 18, 2017). "Inside the Changing Leather Scene". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  2. Horn, Tina (June 21, 2014). "Black Boots and Big Booties at the International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack Contest". VICE. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  3. Bannon, Race (April 24, 2019). "BARtab: Celebrating women - International Ms. Leather and Bootblack in San Jose". Bay Area Reporter.
  4. Rubin, Gayle S. (1997). "Elegy for the Valley of Kings: AIDS and the Leather Community in San Francisco, 1981–1996". In Levine, Martin P.; Nardi, Peter M.; Gagnon, John H. (eds.). In Changing Times: Gay Men and Lesbians Encounter HIV/AIDS. Chicago: University of Chicago. p. 126. ISBN 9780226278568.
  5. Rubin, Gayle S. (1994). The Valley of the Kings: Leathermen in San Francisco, 1960–1990 (PhD dissertation). Vol. 2. University of Michigan. p. 419. OCLC 68797881.
  6. "Roll out the RED CARPET. Introducing Judy Tallwing McCarthey". August 15, 2020.
  7. Lenius, Steve (August 10, 2001). "Leather Life: 15 Years of International Ms Leather".
  8. 🖉"Pantheon of Leather Awards All Time Recipients - The Leather Journal". www.theleatherjournal.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
  9. "About". Mysite. Archived from the original on 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  10. "Home". Mysite. Archived from the original on 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  11. Bannon, Race (April 27, 2017). "Celebrating Leather Women". Bay Area Reporter – via Issuu.
  12. Lord Martine (November 30, 2001). "Ace of clubs puts her cards on the table". San Francisco Chronicle.
  13. Lenius, Steve (August 4, 2006). "Leather Life: International Ms Leather Celebrates 20 Years".
  14. "International Deaf Leather | AWARDS". July 4, 2021.
  15. "Kitty Tsui | Asian Pacific Islander Queer Women & Transgender Community". apiqwtc.org. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  16. "> Selection Committee - Leather Hall of Fame". www.leatherhalloffame.com.
  17. "Cuir Underground". www.black-rose.com.
  18. @leatherarchives (23 May 2020). "The winner of International Mr. Leather 1984, Ron Moore, is announced by Colt Thomas. Ron Moore was the first black…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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