Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather 2018 – Gerard Turner (Judge)
D. Gerard Turner was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, May 1977. He avidly places himself into whatever he commits, believing his purpose in life is to close the stereotypical gap of judgement and welcome others to tap into accepting themselves as well as others unconditionally breaking stigma developed from lack of understanding or knowledge.
In January 2012 Gerard was introduced to ONYX, pledging full brother 2015. He began exploring, building relationships in the Leather Community; never wanting anyone around him to feel as he once saw himself; someone wanting to enjoy the comradery, but only stood in the shadows. He now makes it his goal to always address anyone that is out and about at the bars, appearing as he once did in the shadows. He previously served as the Onyx Mid-Atlantic Secretary for 2016. Over the more recent years Gerard has received awards for ONYX Mid-Atlantic Brother of the Year 2016, ONYX Lion Strength Award 2017, Leather Person of the Year 2017 at Maryland Leather Weekend from C.O.M.M.A.N.D.; He was also pinned as Mama’s Renaissance Man during Code RED in 2017.
Philanthropy, his greatest passion; From helping teens Say NO to drugs as a Fourth-Grade student; to working with peers in Junior High School with Project T.A.L.K. (Teens Against Losing Kids), he also visits Senior citizens to keep them in touch with the world as it changes. Gerard has worked in raising over $70,000.00 to help youth fight cancer/leukemia; Annual toy drives with several organizations throughout the LGBTQ+ community combined donating over $200,000.00 in Toys and educational resources over several years, fundraisers supporting taking the homeless off the streets for a night of pampering, also canned food drives, his Annual Holiday Party and Coat Drive and much more. Gerard’s strongest passion comes by giving back and wanting to support others in the fight against HIV and Aids, with the Code Red Fundraising Event, with ONYX Mid-Atlantic. For the past 3 years now, the event has raised nearly 10K giving to Casa Ruby – 2015, Wanda Alston House – 2016, Joseph’s House DC -2017 and HIPS DC in March 2018, shattering the annual goal; the crowd as well as community sponsors have more than doubled.
The epic start 2018, Gerard competed MAL Weekend and won the honor of serving the community as Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather, continuing his purpose of closing the gap and bridging the community. Gerard feels the true ability to love unconditionally can be seen by taking time out to get to know him and others in your community. His professional career focuses around working and building relationships with people and major events at the National Institute of Health. In the later part of 2018, he is spearheading planning for a new event called The Arts in Leather, which is sure to be a success in more ways than one. This man is multi-faceted and this is only a small scratch to the surface of his abilities as he continues to embrace all around him, both near and far.
Glenda Rider (Judge)
Glenda Rider co-founded Lesborados in 1991, was the first female Eagle Bar titleholder as Ms Baltimore Eagle 1992, and in 1993 co-founded FIST– Females Investigating Sexual Terrain which celebrated 25 years this summer. In 1996, she and Sarah Humble created Play House Studios and Gallery which was a community based playspace and art gallery. Glenda was also the Owner and one of the Producers of International Ms Leather & International Ms Bootblack from 2006 – 2013.
Currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Mid-Atlantic Deaf Interpreters Fund and residing in Baltimore, Glenda’s passions over the last 30 years include: teaching; community organizing; collecting & preserving erotic art and leather/kink community history; all aspects of leather contests; and volunteering for many local, regional & national events and projects in the leather community….it’s all about Making Play Happen!!!
(Photo credit: Hromovy)
Dan M (Judge)
Dan M is Mr Philadelphia Leather 2018. After crunching numbers all week, he can usually be found in a leather bar or gogo dancing in his jockstrap.
He is a full member of the Philadelphians MC. Dan uses his platform to represent bisexuals in leather and to promote the inclusion of queer people in the leather community.
In his spare time he enjoys sports, fitness and nutrition. He is passionate about LGBTQ representation in sports and wearing crop tops while getting sweaty.
Dave Barnett (Judge)
Dave Barnett is a former titleholder for the Gay Naturists International organization, the largest gay nudist group in North America. He competed for International Mr. Leather in 2016 as Mr. GNI Leather 2015 and is one of the 38Specials. He is a member of the SigMA BDSM club in Washington, DC and enjoys practicing his skills on newcomers to the kink world as a both a mentor and teacher. Dave is a strong advocate of the Mr. Friendly anti-stigma campaign, and promotes its message wherever and whenever he can. He has taken his message all over the world to places like the Caribbean, Europe, and Australia spoken on behalf of those living with HIV/AIDS to raise awareness of this issue.
Dave has been a proud Leatherman for over 25 years, and has seen both the upside and down-side of its evolution.
The current political climate and social changes are not always healthy for our communities, so rather than tearing other people down, Dave strives to build them up and strengthen our communities He and his husband host the famous, DC Pre-MAL leather fundraiser in January, an event that brings together the drag, gay and leather communities for a night of good food, great music, and opportunities for these diverse groups to socialize in a safe, non-judgmental space. The event is also a fundraiser for the Whitman-Walker Health in DC, an organization that provides health and wellness resources for those living with HIV/AIDS. Over the last 10 years, their event has raised over $20,000, exclusively from individual donations.
Dave has learned a great deal about contests and the leather community since his first competition in 2008. He has been a producer, tally master, judge, and den daddy for various leather contests, and national and international competitions over the years. He is very strongly connected to both the Leather and Bear communities.
When they’re not traveling, hanging out at Uproar, the Baltimore Eagle, the DC Eagle, or attending other leather and bear events, you can find him and his husband in Provincetown for Bear Week, or Rehoboth Beach, Delaware in the summer.
Dave considers himself a switch in many kinks (flogging is his favorite), and is most comfortable with the role of Silver Daddy happily enjoying his 50’s. He is thrilled and honored to a be a judge in this year’s competition.
Peter Pup Orpheus (Judge)
Peter (Mr. Maryland Leather 2017) loves sharing his passions for music and kinky sex with his community. His #PartOfThePack campaign promoted events and discussions that remind us that we are all part of the same larger pack of misfits, which comes with the responsibility of listening to and empowering those pack members who are different from us in their race, class, gender, or sexual orientation. Orpheus is butt-bustingly proud of his title-son, Brendan.
(Photo credit: Julian Van Kim)
Thomas Fincannon (Den Daddy)
Thomas Fincannon grew up in Florida, where he completed his graduate work. While in Orlando, he started his volunteer work with the Orlando International Fringe Festival and HIV/AIDS organizations. He was an early member of the Orlando Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence that worked to establish that house and received his black veil at their exequatur in 2011. In 2013, his career brought him to New Jersey, where he became Mr. NJ Leather 2015. In 2018, he started a new job and moved to the DC area.
In addition to working with the NJ Leather Family to support events in Asbury Park, his title year activities focused building a leather presence in Atlantic City by hosting various events and raising funds for the South Jersey AIDS Alliance. He has supported kink education and used his time to teach at the Jersey Kollege of Kink, TES Fest, Sexploratorium at Passional in Philadelphia, and his own workshops in Atlantic City. In addition to his love of rope and suspension play, he enjoys violet wands, fire, wax, age play, and variety of other kinks. As a leatherman, he wants to find and support new people as they initiate their journey, and as a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, he believes in never taking yourself so seriously that you forget to have fun.
Boy Justin – Atlantic States Leatherboy 2018 (Judges’ Boy)
Justin Charles aka (boy Hulk) was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2014, he began to discover leather and soon after, his desire to be a leatherboy. He decided to reach out into the community and met SIR John Krikorian, who became his guide, mentor and surrogate SIR. Given his big stature, Justin struggled as a young adult with his submissive tendencies until he met SIR John, who exposed him to a community that accepts submissives, loves them and knows how to treat them. He also very quickly learned what discipline and protocols are. It was then that boy Justin proudly let the guard down and stepped into the leather community. Most importantly, he began to accept his many kinks & fetishes. Boy Justin would go on to compete in his first ever leather bar title in Rehoboth Beach Delaware and won the Mr. Double L 2015 title. He quickly learned that title holders should serve their community and began doing so by participating in various fund raisers, including a toy drive for kids. He then would compete for the Mr. Maryland 2016 title and placed as first runner up.
In September of 2017, boy Justin competed for and won the title of Atlantic States Leatherboy 2018. He would later go on to represent the Atlantic States Region as their Leatherboy at International LeatherSir, Leatherboy, and Community Bootblack over Labor Day weekend 2018 in Dallas were he would place as 1st Runner up for International Leatherboy.
Boy Justin believes you can be a boy of the community and not be the community’s boy an wants to mentor new boys coming into the community on protocols and most importantly to let them know being a Leatherboy has to start with your heart and not with the Leather you wear. Also boy Justin is honored and humbled to have been asked to serve his community and region as judge’s boy for the International Leather Bear 2017 and also this year for Mr Maryland 2018.
Noah Branman (Tally Bear)
Noah’s first found the leather community in the late 2000’s on the dirty streets of San Francisco’s Folsom district and in the adjoining bars. The famous Mr. S Leathers played a formative role in turning this bear into a leather man, where coincidentally the one-day COMMAND MC Treasurer accompanied Noah when he purchased his first piece of leather gear, a fabulous harness. He found a leather home with the men of COMMAND MC, of which he is an Associate Member, which is only slightly odd considering he lives in New York City.
An active participant in the leather and bear communities in New York City, Baltimore, and the far-flung locales of Gettysburg and Cherry Grove, Noah has volunteered at Bears, Bikers & Mayhem, Maryland Leather Weekend, and Fire Island Bear Weekend. He placed runner-up in the 2017 Fire Island Bear contest. Additionally, Noah is an active participant in the events and activities of Pawed NYC, a bear wellness community, and bear events across NYC.
Noah is a bear, leather man, boy, daddy, and ethical slut. He flags light and navy blue on the right and left, robin’s egg blue and red with black stripe on the left, grey and fuschia on the right, and Playbills wherever he can stick ‘em. Additionally, Noah will try most things twice.
Noah is proud to be in the company of the illustrious community of COMMAND MC who have always welcomed him with open arms, and congratulates them on the 30th Anniversary of the clubs’ founding.
Joe Noakes (Tally Bear)
Joe Noakes started his leather journey as a member of Central Texas boys of Leather. He was secretary of CTboL for two years. In 2011 when he moved to Washington D. C. to be with his Sir, he joined La Fraternite du Loup Garou. He was president of La Fraternite du Loup Garou for the 2016-2017 year.
LasciviousJane (Emcee)
LasciviousJane is a power-femme switch, kinky burlesQueer, and sex educator. In addition to being perpetually covered in leather and glitter (a bootblack’s worst nightmare), she is Ms Philadelphia Leather 2015, the first in a decade, and is International Ms Leather 2016.
She is also a multi-award winning drag and burlesque performer/producer. Over the past thirteen years LasciviousJane has performed all across the United States and Canada and was the Artistic Director of Philly’s award winning Liberty City Kings Drag & Burlesque. She is known as Mama’s GlitterMama and is the first queer woman to win the underwear contest at the Dallas Eagle. LasciviousJane has judged Mr & Ms NJ Leather, Mid Atlantic Leather Woman and Leather Woman Bootblack, Ms LA Leather, MAL, and IMsL among others. In her spare time she enjoys teaching the art of striptease, getting dirty in her garden, finishing her Ph.D, and community organizing. LJ is the recipient of the 2017 South Central LSb-CBB Judges Merit Award and the 2017 Mid Atlantic Regional Pantheon of Leather Award.
LJ has performed burlesque at or Emceed International Ms Leather, Leather Leadership Conference, 12 Days of Christmas in Baltimore, Folsom Street Fair, Fierce! International Queer Burlesque Festival, Mr. Maryland Leather and is a regular on stage in Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC and New Jersey leather events.
LasciviousJane is an associate member of the Philadelphians MC and one of the Mr. & Ms. Philadelphia Leather Emcees. She is part of the Social Media team for IML for the second year in a row. LJ used her title year to raise money for the Leather Heart Foundation and continues to do so. Her favorite way to help a fundraising event is by shimmying out of her clothing or directing from the stage with her sweet and salty voice .
LasciviousJane has spent the better part of the last year perfecting her 1950’s housewife skills the way Rosie the Riveter would do it, while working hard to undermine her lovely half’s attempts to rid their home of glitter, rhinestones, and costumes.
Margaret
Margaret, like many people, began somewhere else and has found home in the Mid Atlantic community. She is a member of FIST (Baltimore/DC) and a founding member of the Mid Atlantic girls of Leather. She lives in Essex, MD with her Daddy, Lee, and her Sir, Buz. In 2017, they were the honored to have the 19thannual 12 Days of Christmas dedicated to them, in recognition for their many years of commitment to the fundraising event.
Having served her community as Southeast Bootblack 2009-2010, Margaret now supports her community through volunteering and her involvement in regional events. Currently, she is a member of the production staff for Mr. Maryland Leather, Atlantic States Leather SIR/boy/Community Bootblack, Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman/Bootblack and 12 Days of Christmas – a Hooker and Boys Fundraising Production. Margaret has been a judge, tally master, stage manager, workshop presenter, board member, gopher, and many other things. She is honored to be a part of this contest and wishes all of the contestants good luck!
