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|  | As Pride Month begins, 2Bears Tavern Group issues statement on allyship and safe spaces 2023-06-01
--From a press release - [Chicago, IL — June 1, 2023] As we begin Pride Month, many in the LGBTQIA+ community, and in particular of late, transgender and non-binary people, drag performers, and parts of the leather, fetish, kink, and BDSM ...
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| | Barela wins International Mr. Leather title 2023-05-30
- IML45 came to an exciting close at the Auditorium Theater on Sunday Night as the title was awarded to Marcus Barela of Los Angeles, California. Chris Glc of Atlanta, Georgia was awarded first runner up, and ...
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| | IML visitors are off to (the leather) market 2023-05-28
- International Mr. Leather visitors shopped and took part in demonstrations at the event's famous (infamous?) Leather Market at the Congress Hotel over Memorial Day weekend. Several dozen vendors took part in the event; a portion of ...
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| | IML 2023 begins 2023-05-26
- Visitors from around the world gathered in the Florentine Room of the Congress Hotel on May 25 to kick off the opening ceremonies of the 2023 installment International Male Leather. The event was emceed by Thib ...
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| | Bears, cubs and their admirers return for Illinois Bear Contest 2023-04-11
- Visitors and Chicagoans gathered at Charlies Chicago, 3726 N. Broadway, on April 7 to kick off the Illinois Bear Contest weekend, the first since 2019. The contest itself took place the following evening at Leather Archives ...
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| | Puppy & Handler Contest returns 2023-02-21
Joseph Stephens - The Midwest Puppy & Handler Contest took place the weekend of Feb. 17-18 for the first time since 2019. The contest's meet-and-greet was held at Cellblock Feb. 17. The contest itself was hosted by the Leather ...
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| | Chicagoans gather for Jackhammer re-opening 2023-01-30
Photos by Joseph Stevens - Rogers Park leather and fetish bar Jackhammer held its grand re-opening the evening of Jan. 27 after a long renovation process. The longtime North Side watering hole opened in 1999, taking over the space previously occupied ...
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| | ONYX Midwest forum tackles racist performance at Touche's anniversary party 2023-01-22
- In a response to the racist performance that took place at the leather, fetish and bear-focused Touche Chicago's 45th anniversary celebration on Nov. 1, 2022, ONYX Midwest hosted a community forum Jan. 21 at The Leather ...
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| | Touche Chicago's 45th-anniversary celebration marred by racist performance 2022-11-03
- Racist performance mires Touche Chicago's 45th anniversary celebration By Carrie Maxwell On Nov. 1, the leather, fetish and bear-focused Touche Chicago celebrated its 45th anniversary with a feature performance by ...
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| | LGBTQ+ leather bar Touche hosting monkeypox vaccine clinics 2022-08-24
- Chicago leather nightspot Touche, 6412 N. Clark St., is hosting a series of monkeypox vaccine clinics—called "Pox Vax Parties"—through September. Events will be held Wed., Aug. 24; Wed., Aug. 31; Tuesday, Sept. 6; Wed., Sept. 14; ...
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| | More than 10,000 attend in-person IML weekend in Chicago 2022-06-05
- Memorial Day weekend is also typically when International Mr. Leather, or IML, and International Mr. Bootblack are held—and more than 10,000 people attended the in-person event that took place in Chicago on May 26-30. ...
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| | VIEWS Introductory speech at the IML/IMBB 2022 contest 2022-06-04
- Note: International Mr. Leather (IML) 2022 and International Mr. Bootblack (IMBB) 2022 took place May 26-30 in Chicago. At the culminating contest on May 29, Chuck Renslow Charitable Foundation President ...
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| | Late photographer/leatherman Ed Negron honored with street sign 2022-05-31
- On May 30, during Memorial Day/International Mr. Leather (IML) weekend, the leather shop 64TEN honored late photographer/leatherman Ed Negron with a tribute and honorary street-naming ceremony. The events were held at the corner of Clark Street ...
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| | Leather business 64TEN to name street after Ed Negron on May 30 2022-05-14
- On May 25-30, leather shop 64TEN, 6410 N. Clark St., will mark its 21st anniversary.
The celebrations will coincide with the International Mr. Leather (IML)/Memorial Day holiday weekend. ...
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| | Former Iowa Mr. Leather and computer programmer Ken Ballard dies at 43 2022-01-21
- Former Iowa Mr. Leather, computer programmer and gay Chicagoan Ken Meverick Ballard died Jan. 11 in his Lake View home at the age of 43. The cause of death is currently unknown. Ballard was born July ...
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