Photos by Dusti Cunningham
Last week the Leather community of Southern California came together to celebrate Los Angeles Leather Pride, seven days of parties and events culminating with the selection of Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2014 at an event at Circus Disco, Saturday, March 29.
Ten Leathermen took to the stage in the hopes of taking home a sash, medalion and the honor of representing Los Angeles at the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago this May. The competion was stiff, but in the end victory was claimed by none other than recent Frontiers cover model Eric Paul Leue.
Eric was kind enough to take a few moments to answer our questions and talk to us about safer sex, Jack in the Box and finding a home among Los Angeles’ Leather community.
First of all, how does it feel to be Mr. L.A. Leather?
It feels amazing. It took me three and a half years of very focused and determined commitment to finally be at home where my heart is—L.A. The L.A Leather community is so unique, 500 square miles is a lot of room for a lot of playful fun.
What did you do to celebrate your victory?
Daddy Don, one of my mentors (a former Mr. Los Angeles Leather and one of these guys who works endlessly behind the scenes), took me out to Jack in the Box, so it was curly fries with ranch dressing and a Sourdough Jack BLT club. Sadly the milkshake machine was being cleaned when we got there at half-past midnight, so I killed a pint of Ben and Jerry’s “Everything but the…” instead.
On Sunday there was an amazing victory brunch by the LALC with all of my brothers at Pistons in Long Beach, where the Southland Honor Awards were held, too. After that we all headed to the Eagle L.A. for the beer bust and more drinks and pictures and cigars.
Does your new title afford you any special privileges or responsibilities?
I got a fancy sash, a medal and a lot of new friends on Facebook. Being a part of the L.A. Leather community is already a huge privilege. The title is really what you make of it. All my title daddies (former Mr. L.A. Leather titleholders) say the title is yours to do with and achieve what you want.
I am 27 years old, and I know how it feels when you are the skinny little boy at 18 first walking into a leather bar. As I said in my speech, I am asking our L.A. leather community for support. Together I want us to reach out, educate, guide and learn from one another, to show everyone what our L.A. is about and what we can achieve together.
Continue reading for more of Eric’s interview and photos from the big event