The bruises are fading and the cuts are closing up, but the memories of my first full International Ms. Leather (IMsL) weekend will remain with me forever! Being around so many Leather people at one time, and having them be so welcoming was truly a blessing, and I still cannot believe that it was real life! I was such a fanboy the whole weekend!
My internal screaming started when we first arrived. While waiting for the doors for Seduction to open, Mommy and I were looking around to find some friends when I saw Patty, IMsL 2014 getting her boots done by Dara, International Ms. Boot Black (IMsBB) 2014! While a couple of people walked by and snapped pictures there wasn’t a big crowd around them so it was nice and quiet. It felt like the Leather equivalent of watching a church be filled with incense.
Seduction was hot, hot, HOT! It was fun to watch people I know showcase their stuff, and be made to blush and shift in my seat by those I hadn’t seen before. My hands hurt from clapping and my lungs hurt from laughing by the end of it. There was even a surprise appearance from Left Shark, which had me crying by the time the performance was done. It was awesome! We then attended Queer Sphere’s Afterglow Lounge, which had hot dancers and hot attendees, but we only stayed for a while because we had an early start the next day.
Friday was the first full day and I couldn’t wait to get going! Since our hotel reservation started Friday, we got up early, packed the car and headed off! While Mommy went to negotiate with her demo bottom for her fearplay class, I got to unpack the car and head up to our room. I love a challenge, and it was definitely a fun challenge to figure out how to fit all four of our suitcases plus numerous bags onto one of the trolleys and get it all up to our room in one trip. The hardest part was not the bags, though. IMsL, Mommy says, is Leather Christmas, so naturally Leather Santa brought me a gift! However, I was not supposed to open it until Mommy was done with her negotiation lunch, so I had to carry the wrapped present up to our room and stare at it until she was finished.
Remember when I watched Patty and Dara on Thursday? Well, being that I pretty much live on the internet and social media, I of course tweeted about it. While I was in the elevator taking the trolley back to the hotel lobby, someone in sunglasses got into the elevator with me. They did a double-take and asked if I was the one who had tweeted about Patty and Dara yesterday. When I said I was, they reached out their hand, smiled and said, “Hello, I’m Patty.”
I. Almost. Died.
I managed to shake her hand in my dazed state while she thanked me for my kind words. I thanked her for all she had done in her title year, and we both got out and went our separate ways. I was stunned that she recognized me at all, and that she had stopped to say something to me about it. That is just one of the many reasons I admire her and all the work she has done not only during her title year, but even before that. Needless to say I was grinning the rest of the afternoon.
My Leather Christmas present just helped to broaden my grin! Leather Santa apparently heard me whining that Target had been sold out of the Hulkbuster toy from The Avengers for months now, because he got me my very own!
Later on, Mommy made a date with one of our friends to help string me up with needles and thread. I love needles, so taking 80 was a fun journey, but then Mommy followed up with stringing thread around the needles and looping them over a sex swing skeleton so my arms and legs were all being held up slightly by needles and thread. She and our friend started to pluck and pull the strings which quickly brought me to a very happy headspace. Mommy finished by twisting the threads together and making us all friendship bracelets! She was sad that we had missed the opening ceremony, but seeing the bracelets we all three had made from three hours of hard work, I wasn’t sad at all. It was the perfect end to a very good first day at IMsL.
Saturday was All of the Things day. Mommy had a class first thing in the morning, so she had me dress in my Boy Scout uniform while I served her. It was awesome to see everything come together smoothly thanks to the awesome IMsL volunteers, and as usual her fearplay class was full of laughter and screaming. Afterwards, we had a quick costume change for the Mommy Panel by Felice Shays, where my Mommy sat and talked about her own experiences, took questions and gave advice alongside a Mumma and Mommy. I was a little disappointed to hear the Mumma say that she did not “do Littles” because “they are all loud, rambunctious, bratty, and a handful,” but by the awkward silence that filled the room right after she made that statement, I do believe she was proved wrong by all the Littles in that room. Other than that, the panel was excellent. It was very interesting to see how other Mommies handled their partners, how they defined Mommy, and how they came to terms with how they identified. I hope that the panel comes back next year. That room was packed with people who were so curious about a type of play that is not often represented, and I hope they all left with more knowledge, and hungry for even more.
After a bite to eat and a quick nap, it was contest time! Mommy and I got all fancied up and headed down to the ballroom. My breath was taken away by seeing everyone in their Leathers. We were surrounded by so many titleholders older and newer, and so many prominent people in the worldwide community. I saw people I had only ever read about, like Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt, and Daddy Spencer (aka Mr. IMsL)! I met the woman who designed our IMML patches and we traded craft secrets! We also saw our friends, like Siouxsie Q who was seated alongside Midori at the judges table, Ms. SF Sober Leather, and so many more! It was like a gathering of Leather royalty and I couldn’t believe I was sitting among them!
The contest began and from the moment the first Bond song played I was enthralled. [James Bond was the theme of the contest this year.] All of the contestants were amazing in their own right, and I didn’t know about the rest of the ballroom but I had no idea who was going to win! They were all so talented! Of course my heart was captured by Sarge’s fantasy, which was a Disney Princess gangbang in a Disneyland bathroom. I was also really happy about Luca’s fantasy, which also took place in a bathroom but was a bit more serious. It started with Luca, a transwoman, going into the bathroom and someone complaining because Luca is trans. It was lighthearted, and ended with a Canadian Mountie being whipped, but the message rang true, and I was thoroughly impressed. There was also a fantasy of Little Red Riding Hood where the wolf tries to take advantage of Little Red, but Little Red turns the tide and ends up topping the wolf! It was an awesome contest full of amazing and wonderful skits. This little boy was very much in his happy place!
My favorite part, though, had to be the stepping down speech that Dara gave. S/he started out thanking everyone, but then segwayed into how s/he had been told that the IMsBB was not an equal title to the IMsL, and was the lower title. Along with some shouts of, “Fuck that!” and, “No!”, what Dara stated that is simply not true. When s/he said that all Ms. and Mr. titles are service titles, I don’t believe I had ever clapped harder in my life. S/he spoke directly to my service heart, my Leather boy heart, at that moment, and I was taken to my own type of church. I was proud to be part of a community whose leaders take a stand and tell a room full of Leatherfolk that no, service is not taken without fair exchange. Self-care, self-confidence, and the fulfillment of desires and needs must be taken into account as well. S/he told us to recognize that we all bring something to the table in our own ways, and called for us to all “see each other.”
I don’t believe I have ever felt prouder than I did in that moment to be part of this community where we look out for each other. Where we try our best for each other. Where we serve each other in our own unique ways. Where we take these titles and do something with the platforms we have been given. Where we hear the call to action and heed it. It was amazing to be in the presence of so many who felt the same.
The rest of the weekend was full of play, service, and connections. I met with so many people who had never heard of the contest or titles and were so excited to hear that they existed! Titleholders approached me and asked how they could get involved! It was super awesome, and I have a feeling that we’re going to have a lot of competitors this year. I can’t wait to see what they all bring to the table!
