My So-Called Leather Life with RubberWilli, Fri, March 16

LRA Chicago

RubberWilli
Photo courtesy of MIR

This Friday, March 16 at 9:30pm, LRA is pleased to continue our monthly discussion series which focuses on the different paths and walks individuals have had in their kink journey. We all know that sometimes, Leather is used as an umbrella term for those involved in certain areas of kink. Sometimes the term Leather is ascribed for lack of a different term. We titled this discussion series “My So-Called Leather Life” in part to help expose the different aspects of the lifestyle that may not always be classified as Leather, but are related and similar. Plus, sometimes we like to be sarcastic!
My So-Called Leather Life (MSCLL) will feature speakers who will share with us their unique experience in not only the Leather lifestyle, but kink, rubber, fetish, poly, swinging…you name it. We are amassing a diverse group of speakers who can educate, inform and entertain all of us.

This month’s installment will feature RubberWilli, Mister International Rubber 2003. If you’re curious about the Rubber lifestyle or have never heard of rubbermen, here is a chance to find out about another aspect of the kink community.

Born in Indiana, William “RubberWilli” Schendel now resides in Chicago where he is a property manager and former fundraising professional. He attended Indiana University and was a founding member of HEADSPACE, an organization for Indiana University students interested in exploring safe, sane and consensual BDSM play. While at IU, he was also involved in “Lascivious Exhibitions,” a group of individuals who threw annual fetish events in the Bloomington area, and it was at one of their events that he was first introduced to liquid latex, beginning his rubber adventure.

After watching the Mister International Rubber (MIR) contest for 2 years, he entered, winning the title of MIR2003. In 2004, he began working behind the scenes to learn the workings of the contest better, and in 2005 took on the role of MIR Weekend Coordinator. In recognition of his efforts to grow the rubber contest weekend, in May 2009, Willi was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner of MIR Contest LLC, the newly established independent parent organization of Mr. International Rubber and Rubber Blowout Weekend in Chicago.

During his title year, Willi founded the Chicago Rubbermen, one of the fastest growing rubber clubs in the United States. He currently serves as one of three “rubber ambassadors” to members of Rubclub, the German rubber club, sharing information about rubber and fetish related events on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and is the former Vice President and Webmaster for the Chicago Leather Kennel Club, an organization dedicated to assisting individual men and women in the their pursuit of local, regional, national and international fetish titles. As a frequent international traveler, Willi has provided behind the scenes logistical support to many global fetish clubs hoping to launch fetish contests. He was the organizer of the Strict Rubber Dress Code parties at MIR and IML through 2008, and has appeared in several Rubbermen & Rubberzone fetish videos.

No stranger to either side of the judges table, RubberWilli has been honored to serve as a judge to numerous leather and fetish contests, including the inaugural Mr. Rubber Italia, Mr. MEC Rubber France and Mr. Rubber Montreal and is a proud member of the ground breaking IML2010 judging panel.

This event will begin at 9:30pm sharp at LRA. To RSVP, you must send an e-mail to guest-registry@lra-chicago.org. You must be at least 19 years of age or older and provide a government issued photo ID and older to attend.