Note from Tony: Thanks to everyone who showed up, contributed in wildly diverse ways, and played. This was a deeply satisfying weekend, and we will DEFINITELY be doing this again next year! The vast majority of local San Diego photos are by our official Event Photographer Scott.
We had many events over the weekend of May 31st and June 1st, 2013. Each one of them was a perfect size, cost-effective, and deeply satisfying, but in very different styles:
Welcome Home From IML, Kane: May 31, 2013
The kickoff event for the weekend was our affectionate tribute to our good brother Mr. San Diego Eagle 2011 Kane, who represented us in Chicago at the International Mr. Leather 2013 contest.
The full story (with pictures) is here.
Men-Only Beat and Greet @ Dungeon Servitus
This wasn't an official event for the weekend's plans, but it turned into the hot ticket for the evening. No pictures are allowed, but
this one from three days later tells the same story. Use your imagination, and then double it! A great big swarm of us descended upon the play-space and went rather intensively playful. New, majestic Tops are starting to explode upon the scene, and the bottoms all rejoice!
Cigars & Boots @ Bourbon Street
Once again, this is the mellowest monthly event in our arsenal. It allowed our out-of-town guests to see how we interrelate with all shields down, and with gracious good natures. Personally, I don't smoke at all, but I can't resist being around so many brotherly folks. Mr. San Diego Leather 2012 Aaron did a fine job of hosting, but honestly, he had a lot of help from EVERYBODY in attendance.
Pre-Movie "Gear Invasion" Dinner @ R Gang Eatery
Ian Daniels came up with the idea, and it was a complete success. This is exactly the sort of event that illustrates my point that Gay FetishMen are the most sought-after demographic for local businesses nowadays. How do I know? I'm getting requests many times a month.
Movie Night @ Birch North Park Theater
There are more "formal" pictures, but this one (showing 102 out of the 700 folks who attended Movie Night) is my favorite. The chaotic but AMIABLE and joyfully cohesive vibe is why makes us so special. This is what the future of our Tribe looks like - Wildly diverse, swarming, huge and HAPPY.
This was the BIG EVENT that I had promised, and it all came true:
Pre-event publicity:
This is the big one - Folks are coming to San Diego from all over Southern California to be part of this:
Interior. Leather Bar. (2013) - USA (CALIFORNIA PREMIERE. – Official Sundance Selection) Run Time: 60 min | Director: James Franco & Travis Mathews The 1980 film Cruising (starring Al Pacino as an undercover cop investigating a murder in the NYC gay leather bar scene) was plagued with controversy, and its director was forced by the MPAA to cut 40 minutes of sexually explicit material. Filmmakers James Franco and Travis Mathews set out to reimagine what might have transpired in those lost scenes in this documentary-style film about the making of a film. The cameras roll as Franco and Mathews assemble a mix of gay and straight men, focusing on the actor (Val Lauren) who portrays Al Pacino. What emerges is a portrait of the fascinating dynamics that drive the filmmakers’ need to challenge normalcy, the interplay of celebrity and experimentation and the dilemma faced by actors struggling with the idea of performing in a sexually explicit, gay, S&M film. The result is a provocative exploration of a radical and transgressive society and it’s importance to challenge us with new and unconventional ideas.
After the movie, we will be bringing our ticket stubs to the Eagle (a block and a half away) for a shot of our choice…
Here are the pictures of our Gear Contest, held on the sidewalk outside of the theater, while waiting to get in.
Here is the closest thing to a "posed" group photo. Honestly, we needed a helicopter to capture every face - Next time around, we will have to set up the camera on the roof across the street!
Movie Time!
By the time everybody found their seats, we had a full house!
We enjoyed four short-form films created for and about gay FetishMen. Everybody came away with their own particular favorite, but we were all immensely entertained and edified during the whole show. There was a question-and-aswer session with crew members from all four films.
MANY thanks to the folks at
FilmOut San Diego. I consider them to be among the most NOBLE people in our local community. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating our culture. Not just the easily-accessible, more-vanilla parts. ALL of our culture, including gay FetishMen.
They showed us great honor by supporting US, and we will always support THEM. In fact,
we have already started up plans for our next movie...
Post Movie Night @ The Eagle
After the movie, we avalanched upon the Eagle for "high-minded discussion of the arts", otherwise known as showing the movie crews what a REAL leather bar looks and feels like in 2013. I couldn't stay long (I was exhausted), but I hear that things got mighty frisky after Grandpa went home!
In the future, we will have bigger events, but we won't have better ones. This because of the intensely high level of satisfaction people are deriving from being part of a Tribe that is vibrant and fully in tune with the times.
We just keep getting better and better! Thanks to everyone who contributed - It was a team effort at every stage, and at every level. WE all made this a super-sweet success!
