Mr Twin Cities Leather 2018 Pup Buster

 

MINNEAPOLIS — Mr Twin Cities Leather Sponsored by Twin Cities Leather and Latte celebrated it’s 5th Year Anniversary on February 15th, 2018 with an amazing weekend of inclusion, love, and leather. From the Twin Cities Leather and Latte website: At Twin Cities Leather & Latte, we value the diversity of all community members. We view title contests as a celebration of diversity, and an opportunity to showcase our community’s best and brightest. But that doesn’t mean it’s open to experienced community members only. No matter what your experience level, your kink or your fetish, you deserve to be a part of the Mr. TCL contest.

The weekend began with the step aside dinner on Thursday night.  Contestants, past TCL’s, and judges as well as members of the community came together to celebrate Ryan Coit and his year as Mr TCL 2017.

Friday night was started with the Meet & Greet at the Saloon (one of the other sponsors of MrTCL weekend along with the Nicolett Diner).where the crowd was introduced to the 5 contestants for this years contest. Contestant 1, Pup Cerberus; Contestant 2, Drew Sisulak; Contestant 3, Buster; Contestant 4, Broadway Baby; Contestant 5, Dicky Salami.  The contestants walked around for selling raffle tickets to help with the travel fund for the year for the winner of Mr TCL with a table filled with prizes being given away. We also got to see Tyesha sashed as this years Mx International Cum Slut 2018. We were treated to a performance by Alexandra Gray and the event was opened with a prayer from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

All five contestants were asked “If you win Mr TCL, how will you make our community more open and inviting to everyone?”

Pup Cerberus: “I would encourage anyone out there that has ever had a creative thought to create it, put it out there, to create that one thing that someone else has wanted to create or do.”

Drew: “I challenge the status quo and one of the things that we need to do is dismantle systematic oppression. I’m a big teddy bear and I will give you a gad damn good hug, and together we can start having those discussions.”

Buster: “one of my favorite things in musical theater is there’s something called blind casting (Also known as color blind casting). Bring it to this, bring it to leather, don’t ook at anybody just have fun, let’s welcome everybody.”

Pop Question Round:

Buster: A blizzard hit Minneapolis, you are snowed in the bar for four days, what do you use to get off? “It’s a simple thing, just go to the kitchen and get that grease from that fried chicken, those burgers. It’s simple. It works. Just like Crisco, it helps everything slide right in!”

Broadway Baby: Reining Mr TCL Ryan COit has asked you to do a photoshoot, describe the scene: “I am an ABDL, my scene with Ryan would be anything and everything toddlerish. I could see myself on a bearskin rug in just my diaper, or maybe a few drag queens in there playing mommy.”

Dicky: Of the past TCL’s each are known for something, a curmudgeon, a drag queen, and a slut. Which three are which? I would have to say that Ryan is the Slut, Steven is the curmudgeon, and Emerson was the drag queen.

The Judges for this year’s contest were:

2013 Kyle Truss

2014 Greg Menzel

2015 Steven Patton

2016 Emmerson Kellogg

2017 Ryan Coit

The meet and greet was closed with a repeat performance of Emerson’s talent from the 2016 Mr TCL, Hello from the Glory Hole! After the meet and greet, the Saloon was transformed into SpANK! A Special Tank: A night for Leathermen & Women, it was an amazing night of diversity, inclusivity, love, and music!!

Saturday had a busy schedule:

• 11am-12:30pm – Contestant Interviews (Closed to the public)
• 12:30pm-4:30pm – Kink U, brought to you by Titans of the Midwest
  • 12:30pm-1:30pm in the Disco Bar – People of Color Leather Panel Discussion. Panelists and moderators include: Tyesha Best, Girl Complex, Ryan Garner Carpenter, Ivan Nunez, Rod Onyx, Alexandra Gray, and Steven Patton
    • When asked what their favorite moments from the panel were:
      • Girl Complex said: When the person asked me about decolonizing desires as well as telling folks that folks that wear timbs deserve respect in leather places
      • Tyesha said: Just hearing everyone’s journey on the panel. It was the most diverse BIPOC panel I’ve sat on. The stories and experiences was both riveting and validating. We all want the same things: equality, visibility, and have fun without feeling like we are always doing the job of being “the representative”.
      • Ryan said: Probably hearing the similarities to Ivan’s experience with my own. As I said repeatedly that day, the black experience is the highest profile right now, and in a lot of ways, rightly so, but it’s easy for non-black POC to feel “left out” of the race discussion.
  • 2pm-3pm in the Fire Bar – Impact Play, hosted by Onyx Rod
  • 2pm-3pm in the Disco Bar – The Ball Dance, hosted by Doug Van Kirk
  • 3:30pm-4:30pm in the Fire Bar – Navigating Sex with Transgender Partners, hosted by Jude & Mikayla Stanek (live facebook post)
    • When asked about their favorite moments during their class:
      • Mikayla said “it had to have been talking about my ugly underwear because I’m well endowed”
      • Jude said “the people laughed at my dumb jokes”

 

• 3:30pm-4:30pm in the Disco Bar – Puppy Play and Mosh, hosted by the North Star Kennel Club
  • When speaking to a new puppy, going to their first mosh, Pup Koguma said: it was “Scary but intriguing. I was too scared to join but it seemed fun, everything was very relaxed and inclusive”

• 7:30pm – Contest doors open (Saloon Disco Bar)
• 8:00pm-10pm – The Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2018 Contest
• 10pm-Bar Close – Victory party for the newly sashed Mr. TCL

The contest was filled with a variety of talent scenes from the contestants including a fashion show from Dicky, Drew and his “Welcome to the Freak Show” scene, and Buster and his live performance of Rocky Horror numbers.  We heard some amazing speeches from all of the contestants talking about inclusivity, love, leather, and so much more. Here is a portion of the speech that the winner gave:

One of my favorite memories was going to Pulse Nightclub every Wednesday. This is where I found my chosen family and built so many memories. The drag queens who sparked my creativity. The challenge to see who could make out with the most people by bar close. And the time I ditched my friends to Fuck some guy in the field behind the club only to realize later that is was actually a drainage ditch. I felt loved and supported. We would reach out and check on each other. It wasn’t blood, but it was family. When I moved to the Twin Cities it took time to find that family again. When I found Leather, I was transported back to the days at Pulse, Love, jokes, and fun creating the bonds of family. I feel so blessed to have family and friends who support each other. In both places, I hope you have the same. And if you don’t, maybe start tonight. Reach out and talk to someone. Talk to me. I’m including those folks not in leather standing in the back that wandered in here without knowing what the Fuck was going on and stayed anyway. Talk to each other. Make sure we keep this family alive and support each other.

After the speeches and scenes were completed, Mr TCL 2017 Ryan Coit, gave his step aside speech and a spectacular video of his year as Mr TCL. this was followed by an announcement from the owner of Twin Cities Leather and Latte regarding the financial struggles that the company was facing after an increase in city taxes and other issues over the years. We immediately saw an outpouring from the community at the event, with many people placing money on the stage right then and there to support this amazing company. Right after the event Mikayla Stanek, Ms Minnesota Leather Pride 2017, started a GoFundMe to help with the rising costs of owning and running a business in the Twin Cities area.

Twin Cities Leather & latte is where some of us in the community learned about kink and leather for the first time. Aside from being a business it operates as a community space; hosting leather club meetings, kink gatherings and NA/AA meetings. TCL&L has become a second home for many leather folk in the Twin Cities. As was announced at the 2018 Mr.TCL contest by one of the owners of the business Mr. Karri Plowman due to unforeseen circumstances they will no longer be able to stay in their current location. He asked for our help. So as a leather community we need to step up. Please donate what you are able. And SHARE!

Then the winner of the competition, Pup Buster was announced and we got to see the love pour out of everyone for him. Buster won a huge prize package totaling over $5500:

• Travel arrangements to and from IML 2017, plus 6 nights’ lodging/accommodations at the host hotel
• Travel arrangements to and from CLAW 2017, plus lodging/accommodations at the host hotel
• New for 2018! Travel arrangements to and from Iowa Leather Weekend 2018, plus lodging/accommodations at the host hotel and a weekend package
• A full set of formal leathers, tailored to fit you and altered to reflect your unique style
• Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2018 Title Patch and Vest, custom made for you
• To proudly wear the Mr. TCL legacy sash for your title year, with your title year number

Sunday, the exciting weekend continued:

• 11am-1pm – Brunch & Presentation of the Robert “Bobbie” Smith Community First! Award.
• 3pm-7pm – BDSFemme. An afternoon tea dance celebrating femmes and friends, presented by Twin Cities Girls of Leather. $5 suggested donation.
• Enjoy the rest of the day with your family, friends, and community in Minneapolis.
• 10pm-1am – The weekly shower contest at the Saloon. This week the prize will be bumped up to $500!

The shower contest had a few members of the leather community that entered, including Kenn Kennedy, Pup Titan, and more. It was an exciting end to the entire weekend.

When asking Pup Koguma, a first time attendee to a leather event, what he thought of the weekend as a whole, he said:

It was very… Inviting. The biggest thing I’ve taken from attending was… The beautiful community. How nice and beautiful and unique every single person was. Most open to talking about kink to anyone who wants to hear.

This is what every event needs to do for a new member entering our family!

Click here for pictures from the event