International Ms. Leather
International Ms. Leather (IMsL) is a leather subculture fetish convention for women, held annually in California. Since 1999,[1] the convention has also included a Miss 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 event moved in 2014 from the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco to San Jose.[2] The first International Ms. Leather was Judy Tall Wing, of Apache, Tewa, and African heritage who was a survivor of the Indian boarding schools.[6] International Ms. Leather has had a focus on community leadership from the start;[4] 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.[7] Producers of the event have included Audrey Joseph[8] and Amy Marie Meeks.[1]
International Ms. Leather Winners
| Year | IMsL winner | Winner's preliminary title or sponsor | Winner's city |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Judy Tallwing McCarthy | ? | Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Arizona |
| 1988 | Shann Carr | Sponsored by Portland Power and Trust | Portland, Oregon |
| 1989 | Susie Shepherd | Ms. Portland Leatherwoman 1989 | Portland, Oregon |
| 1990 | Gabrielle Antolovich | Ms. Southern California Leatherwoman 1989 | Los Angeles, California |
| 1991 | Kay Hallinger | North Halsted Ms. Leather 1991 | Bloomington, Indiana |
| 1992 | Blair Kituhwa | Ms. San Francisco Leather 1992 | San Francisco, California |
| 1993 | Amy Marie Meek | Ms. Leather Nebraska 1992 | Omaha, Nebraska |
| 1994 | Spencer Bergstedt (Stepped down mid-year) | Washington State Ms. Leather 1993 | Seattle, Washington |
| Cindy Bookout | Ms. Oklahoma Leather 1993 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | |
| 1995 | Pat Ballie | Ms. LeatherMaster 1995 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 1996 | Jill Carter | ? | Willow Grove, Pennsylvania |
| 1997 | Genelle Moore | Sponsored by the Female Leather Exchange (FLEX) | Lincoln, Nebraska |
| 1998 | Megan (DeJarlais) Martin | Ms. Baltimore Eagle 1993 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 1999 | Pam Meyer | Ms. San Francisco Leather 1999 | San Francisco, California |
| 2000 | Jo Blas | Sponsored by Kim Wolf of Leatherwoman Productions | San Diego, California |
| 2001 | Joni Perry | Ms. Olympus Leather 2000 | Springfield, Virginia |
| 2002 | Russ Cosgrove | Sponsored by 3SM | Calgary, Canada |
| 2003 | Tammie Nelson | Sponsored by Kendra McClain and the Great Lakes Leather Alliance | Greenwood, Indiana |
| 2004 | Lori Ellison | Sponsored by HPL Productions of Colorado | Rio Rancho, New Mexico |
| 2005 | Jessi Holman Ahart | Ms. Baltimore Eagle 2005 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| 2006 | Lady Faye Falconeer | Sponsored by Flesh & Fantasy and the Dallas Eagle | Dallas, Texas |
| 2007 | Lauren Ide | Southwest Ms. Leather 2006 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 2008 | Hobbit | ? | Seattle, Washington |
| 2009 | Lamalani Siverts | Washington State Ms. Leather 2008 | Seattle, Washington |
| 2010 | Mollena Williams | Ms. San Francisco Leather 2009 | San Francisco, California |
| 2011 | Sara Vibes | ? | New York, New York |
| 2012 | Synn | Ms. Texas Leather 2012 | Dallas, Texas |
| 2013 | Sarha Shaubach | Ms. Alaska Leather 2011/2012 | Meadow Lakes, Alaska |
| 2014 | Patty | Ms. Leather Toronto 2014 | Toronto, Canada |
| 2015 | Sarge | Ms. San Diego Leather 2015 | San Diego, California |
| 2016 | Lascivious Jane | Ms. Philadelphia Leather 2015 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| 2017 | Girl Complex | Ms. Alameda County Leather 2016 | Oakland, California |
| 2018 | Girl Ang | ? | Melbourne, Australia |
| 2019 | Haley | Ms. San Francisco Leather 2018 | San Francisco, California |
| 2020 contest cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | [title left vacant] | N/A | N/A |
International Ms. Bootblack Winners
| Year | IMsBB winner | Winner's preliminary title or sponsor | Winner's city |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Leslie Anderson | American Leatherwoman 1997 | Bosque Farms, New Mexico |
| 2000 | michael ann | Sponsored by High Plains Leather | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| 2001 | Charlie Flake | Sponsored by The Denver Triangle | Denver, Colorado |
| 2002 | Kari | Sponsored by Centaur Motorcycle Club | Washington, DC |
| 2003 | Slaveboi Eddie | Sponsored by Los Angeles boys of Leather and Bill Mitchell, American Leatherman 2003 | Los Angeles, California |
| 2004 | izzy | Sponsored by the Great Lakes Leather Association | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 2005 | Suka | ? | Chicago, Illinois |
| 2006 | Alex Bettencourt | Sponsored by the Great Lakes Leather Alliance and Ramrod | Medford, Massachusetts |
| 2007 | Ms. V | Sponsored by the San Francisco Boot Black Studio | Alameda, California |
| 2008 | Q | SouthEast LeatherFest Bootblack 2007 | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2009 | Pony | Leather Rose's House Bootblack | Chicago, Illinois |
| 2010 | Jayson DaBoi | ? | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| 2011 | kd | ? | New England |
| 2012 | Tarna | ? | Toronto, Canada |
| 2013 | bella | Great Lakes Bootblack 2012 | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 2014 | Dara | Oregon State Bootblack 2013 | Portland, Oregon |
| 2015 | slave tabitha | ? | Phoenix, Arizona |
| 2016 | Meghan | Great Lakes Bootblack 2015 | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 2017 | Elisa | Great Lakes Bootblack 2016 | Detroit, Michigan |
| 2018 | Teagan | Southwest Bootblack 2017 | Oakland, California |
| 2019 | Gretchen | Alaska State Bootblack 2018 | Anchorage, Alaska |
| 2020 contest cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | [title left vacant] | N/A | N/A |
See also
References
- ^ a b Baume, Matt (August 18, 2017). "Inside the Changing Leather Scene". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Bannon, Race (April 24, 2019). "BARtab: Celebrating women - International Ms. Leather and Bootblack in San Jose". Bay Area Reporter.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Deerinwater, Jen (June 5, 2018). "Our Pride: Honoring and Recognizing Our Two Spirit Past and Present". Rewire.News. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
- ^ Bannon, Race (April 27, 2017). "Celebrating Leather Women". Bay Area Reporter – via Issuu.
- ^ Lord Martine (November 30, 2001). "Ace of clubs puts her cards on the table". San Francisco Chronicle.