CHICAGO — The Illinois Leather Alliance, producer of the Illinois LeatherSir, Leatherboy, Ms. Leather Pride, Handler, and Pup contests, has announced their judges for 2018 and a new contest for the roster.
The judges for this year are:
- Mufasa Ali, ONYX Founder and Mr World Leather 2006-07
- Ms Simone, Illinois Ms. Leather Pride 2008 and International Ms. Olympus Leather 2009
- Dan the Rubberman, Midwest Rubber 2006
- Tom Wray, Founder and Editor of the Great Lakes Den and Illinois Eagle
- Pup Havok, TriState Puppy 2017
The ILA has also added the Illinois Person of Leather title to their contest weekend. This follows Great Lakes Leather Alliance, which ILA feeds into, adding a Great Lakes Person of Leather contest.
“Many of our titles are very specific in their requirements based on gender, sexuality or relationship mode.” said Michael Shorten, executive producer of ILA, in a press release. “We have been looking for an opportunity to give to leather folks in our community who may not fit those specific titles, but feel called to be a titleholder.”
The Illinois Person of Leather contest is open to anyone of the leather community, no matter gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. It provides a opportunity for people who might not qualify for a focused title, but they feel that they have something to do or say within the leather community, ILA said in the statement.
Applications and title information are now available at the Illinois Leather Alliance website: http://www.illinoisleatheralliance.com
The Illinois Leather Contest weekend will start with a Meet & Greet on Friday, March 16 at 10 p.m. at Touché. The contest will continue on Saturday, March 17, with interviews at Touché starting at noon – open to the public. Demos will be held throughout the day as well. In the evening, the formal contest will be held, including speeches, fantasies and entertainment. For more information on the weekend, visit the ILA Facebook page or website.