SameSame.com.au ~ Inside Out Australia

International Mr Leather 2009 Crowned

International News, By Travis de Jonk, 26th May, 2009

Mr Texas Leather 2009, Mr Jeffrey Payne [centre] beat more than fifty contestants from America and around the world to take out the title of International Mr. Leather 2009 on Sunday May 24 at the Chicago Hilton. First Runner up was Mr Leather Ottawa 2009 Brendan McGovern [left] and Second Runner up was Mr Atlanta Eagle 2009 Alan Penrod [right].

Australia had a contingent of three very popular contestants, Pierre Brand (Mr Leather Australasia and New Zealand), Alan Norman (Mr Leather Sydney) and Malcolm Guest (Mr Laird Melbourne Leather), all of whom delivered great performances and speeches. Norman and Brand placed in the top 20, but sadly none of the Aussie contingent made it into the finals.

The first International Mr Leather (IML) was back in 1979 when around 400 gay leathermen gathered in Chicago to witness the contest. This year’s event drew more than 15,000 leather lovers from around the globe. Once IML events were for “hardcore” leathermen only. Today, the IML has expanded to include a more diverse crowd, from the experienced to the curious, and the Mr Leather event has grown to be an annual tradition for the leather community.