PA Leather Pride Donates $9,300 to Leather Archives!

PRESS RELEASE
December 4, 2009

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Rick Storer
Leather Archives & Museum



Philadelphia Leather Pride Night donates $9,300 to Leather Archives



Chicago, IL - December 4, 2009 - The first annual Philadelphia Leather Pride Night, held November 7th, 2009, donated $9,300 to the Leather Archives & Museum. The funds were raised through individual and corporate sponsorships, donations, a silent auction featuring auctioneer Jo Arnone, raffles, and the generosity of the event attendees. The evening's festivities, emceed by International Ms. Leather 1996 Jill Carter, also raised funds for the Leather Heart Foundation and By the Grace of George Fund. Philadelphia Leather Pride Night was produced by Mid Atlantic Leather Woman 2009 Cowboi Jen.

Philadelphia Leather Pride Night 2010 has been scheduled for November 6th. Visit www.plpn.org for more information about the event. Visit www.leatherarchives.org for more information about the Leather Archives & Museum.

FOLLOW-UP: MR. LOUISIANA LEATHER RESULTS

Thanks to the wonderful Toni Pizanie, columnist for AMBUSH Magazine and one of the judges for the Mr. Louisiana Leather contest, I now have the results. She actually reported them much sooner, but I neglected to check all my email. Anyway, on with the winners!




Five hot men competed for the title in mid-October. Contestant #1 Gray Gibson, 31, 6', 185#, active in the Radical Faeries movement. New to the Leather lifestyle. Won Mr. Phoenix contest and sponsored by Phoenix Bar. Did not place.

#2 Brad Williams, 49, 5'10", 170#, teaches high school, active in church, soup kitchen and S&M. Sponsored by Rawhide. Did not place.

#3 Doug Duke, 44, 6'1", 175#, interested in Leather history and light bondage. Supports and enjoys Lords of Leather activities. Sponsored by Panda Bear. Placed second runner up (3rd).

#4 Toby Lefort, 37, 5'4", 150#, has raised $150,000 over 13 years for the NO/AIDS Task Force, member of the Lords of Leather, and title holder of Mr. Southern Renegades in Mobile, AL. Sponsored by Southern Renegades and B-Bob's Bar in Mobile. Placed 1st and well deserved.

#5 Jose Gonzalez, 34, 6', 205#, volunteers for NO/AIDS Task Force, helps friends rebuild their homes, a worthy cause after several hurricanes. New to the Leather lifestyle and eager to learn and share his experiences with the mainstream Gay community. No sponsor. Placed 2nd (first runner up) and loved by judges for his honesty and openness.

The judges and officials for Mr. Louisiana Leather 2010 included:

Michael Albracht, Mr. Louisiana Leather 2008

Bobby Connell, Owner of the Phoenix Bar

Larry Everett, International Mr. Leather 1995

Tony Pizanie, Political Activist and Contributing Journalist to AMBUSH Magazine.

and Joe Trotta, Manager of Rawhide 2010

John and Paul, owners of John Pauls served as tally masters.


So, congratulations to TOBY LEFORT, the reigning Mr. Louisiana Leather. Toby, I wish you the best of luck and hope you do very well at the International Mr. Leather competition next May.

And to all the competitors, the judges and the LORDS OF LEATHER, who sponsored the contest, thank you for an exciting event. New Orleans is a great city and lucky to have such a vibrant and thriving leather community.







Toby LeFort, Mr. Louisiana Leather 2010

(Note: the photographs used in this article are not mine, but the work of other photographers.)

Welcome to Conversion Therapy

"Nothing is harder than being yourself in a world that constantly strives to make you something else." -- Oscar Wilde

"It doesn't matter if your glass is half full or half empty. All that matters is, what's in the glass." -- Robin Wayne Bailey



Welcome to Conversion Therapy.

No, this is not a blog for gay people seeking to change their orientation. This is not a blog for anyone seeking to convince gay people that there's anything wrong with being gay. This is not a blog for Christian ideologues or fringe psychologists to proclaim that homosexuality is wrong or a sin or against nature or any of that tired bullshit.

If you are gay or bi-sexual, there is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed.

This is a blog for the discussion of gay issues, specifically issues involving the gay leather community. The leather sub-culture is perhaps the most mysterious and least understood group within the broader Gay Nation. It is, however, a rich culture with its own history and traditions, its own rituals and evolving, ever-changing practices.

You will not find pornography on this blog. If you are seeking videos or erotic photos or hot stories, there are other places for you. This is a blog for discussion, for sharing, for the answering of questions, for the preserving and fostering of Gay Leather Culture, not just in America, but hopefully, around the world, because we are truly everywhere.

Embrace yourself. Celebrate yourself. Believe in yourself.

This is Conversion Therapy.