Mister Leather competitions have been held in the US since the 1970s, with Europe following shortly thereafter. From the point of view of both, a contestant, and a jury member, I can say with full confidence that neither role is easy. I am pleased and honoured to be asked to be a member of the jury for title competitions, because value is placed on my personal opinion.
Especially this year, I am proud that I was appointed to judge for the International Mr. Leather (short: IML). At the same time, I think it is a great responsibility to find the right one among the candidates who will take an active role and be there with motivated work and dedication for their local community. My first experience as a judge was at the election of Mr. Leather Czech Republic 2015 in Prague, where I had a hard time evaluating the interviews. The candidates had little knowledge of English, answered the questions in detail in their native language, which unfortunately were only translated to us in brief words. I had to rely primarily on facial expressions and the glint in their eyes rather than the spoken word. Basically, I use my wits to choose the most appropriate candidate for the community. Experience has shown that you still automatically deal with intuition, the gut feeling plays literally a decisive role.
The more contestants run for the title; the faster favorites emerge. In addition to the personal interview, the observation of the applicants in their environment during the election event is significant for me. They behave in a relaxed and authentic manner. When voting for the Three Kings, the three titleholders in Ireland in 2016, instead of asking the individual candidates, there was a group discussion with various discussions. From my point of view, a successful opportunity to get to know the contestants and their different views and motivations and to pay attention to how they interact with each other. At the election of Miss Tuntenball 2017 in Graz (a kind of local Drag Race), we four judges were asked to award points immediately after the contestants were presented and to give feedback publicly on stage. Judging drag queens like in a talent show was a new and valuable experience for me.
When it comes to performances, I place more emphasis on the idea and creativity rather than on the enactment. In my opinion, a potential titleholder does not need to be able to tap-dance, sing or clap to the beat. What seems more important to me is how the contestants behave when something goes wrong on stage. What does the leather guy do when his tight pants tear? How does the drag queen react when she trips over her high heels or her wig slips? The candidates should be able to cope with any situation, be articulate, convince with their esprit and their outfit, and stand behind their mission. Appearance certainly plays an important role, but you shouldn’t succumb to your personal preferences, which brings us back to the gut feeling I mentioned and be careful not to judge the contestants by their outward appearance or age only.
Understandably, doubts always arise that highly skilled participants might fail. In most cases, however, it is obvious which contestant is serious and who is fighting for the title. If you only want to present yourself and prove that you are the greatest guy around, you should better not compete at all. The title and sash only prove that the winner has achieved the most excellent results in a group of participants in the opinion of the judges and/or the public. The day after is the day of truth. No one can predict to what extent the candidates will live out their visions and fulfill their missions. The decision-makers must therefore follow their intuition and find a high-profile winner who represents their community appropriately. There is no question of losing, because every contestant who has the courage to present himself and his motivation on stage and shows the willingness to represent the community is enriched by a significant experience and deserves respect.
Over the years, not just countries in Europe and North America, but states/provinces and even bars have developed their own competitions to be represented by titleholders at regional and international levels. As a result, it has been observed that mister competitions have gotten out of hand in recent years. The most diverse titles are sprouting up, which in turn means that the quality suffers. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the clubs to find suitable candidates who are motivated and do not shy away from work or publicity. Photos spread like wildfire thanks to social networks and for some in our community, this is a reason, in addition to the not insignificant time and financial effort, not to run for a title. In the past, due to a lack of applicants, title holders were simply determined, or elections were even suspended. In addition, outsiders may lose track of the large number of titles and question their justification.
As a judge, I try to keep the assessment criteria and thus the bar high. It’s not about admiration and cultivating vanities. My fellow judge at the Graz Drag Race, Ornella de Bakel, hit the spot with her statement when evaluating a contestant: “This is about the reputation of the title”.