Leather-Leather Land Miss America without Bert Parks and with a few more harnesses ? A report from this year's International Mr. Leather Weekend by a sympathetic observer to the scene by Mekado Murphy

Some will say that International Mr. Leather weekend in Chicago represents freedom of expression. Others may say the event brings plenty of forward-moving ideas to a gay community that once had repression as its norm. And yet others might hold up IML as a symbol for a new kind of tolerance: leather as the next frontier of acceptance. Lofty sentiments all, and all valid and true.

But the bottom (and top) line of IML is Š sex. Kinky, crazy, extreme, passionate sex. Sex beyond limits. Sex at its most carnal. The realm of infinite sexual possibility permeates this annual Chicago event and that's what brings a throng of 20,000 men and women back year after year to celebrate.

So how did this reporter clad in khaki pants and a pair of Vans function in a world of studded studs and collared slaves? With eyes wide open and mouth agape. The leather community is a thrilling and diverse one, and this year's IML weekend, May 24­26, seemed to leave no stone unturned in the display of sexual variety within its walls. Plus, it was filled with its share of charming guys, many in competition for the big title. Take this year's newly crowned International Mr. Leather, Dallas' Stephen Weber. He's a man so cute and huggable that he defies any gruff S&M stereotypes‹but one gets the sense that he can turn it on when the need arises.

To the dismay of ultra-conservative groups like Concerned Women of America (who aired their anti-leather grievances on a local radio show), this year's event took place downtown at the high-profile Hyatt Regency. Seeing the preppy tourists on Michigan Avenue walking alongside tall leather daddies was quite a kick. And the hotel was nothing but courteous to its rawhide-and-jockstrap-wearing guests. The lobby with its open bar was a high visibility place to meet and greet throughout the weekend.

The event that draws the largest crowd (and the most gasps) each year is the Leather Market, which covered most every fetish element of the scene. Many of the vendors (and plenty of attendees) donned minimalist leather gear, and it was not uncommon to pass by guys demonstrating how restraint tables work, or testing out certain paddles and whips on eager participants. It could be the one single place in the world where you could purchase a wooden dildo, a catheter, a rubber suit, tit clamps, and even a video about sex with eels. Competitors for the International Mr. Bootblack competition had chairs set up in back for a nice firm thorough boot polishing.

During the course of the well-planned weekend, I met members of the group Masters And slaves Together ("slaves" purposefully and cleverly written in all lowercase). Also the IML Boy gathering, whose members intelligently and eloquently discussed their servitude, about the differences between boys (basically freelance submissives) and slaves (basically property). Their stories about how they discovered their "boy"-hood are parallel to the stories about how mainstream queers discovered their homosexuality. There typically wasn't a time when they felt like they "changed" into a boy, but just possessed a general feeling deep down inside that that's what they were.

The appeal of IML drew a wealth of other interesting gay social groups to the area, filling Chicago's Boy's Town bars to the brim. Alongside the leather boys, the Great Lakes Bears played host to Bear Pride events, even more significantly increasing the city's chest hair quotient for the weekend. And most everywhere one turned was a porn star to be found. They varied from old school stars like Zak Spears browsing in the Leather Market, to current stars like Michael Lucas doing a little bit of obvious cruising himself. The greatest porn star sighting, however, occurred in the restroom after the IML competition. While finishing up, I heard a somewhat loud, prideful, and familiar voice coming from two stalls down. Looking over, I noticed it was none other than Jeff Stryker. Try quelling feelings of inadequacy when standing next to Stryker at the urinal.

The many events and distractions of the weekend all culminated in Sunday night's competition. The glamour and pageantry of International Mr. Leather was quite extraordinary. It's essentially Miss America without Bert Parks and with a few more harnesses. The competitors have causes and ambitions, there is a physique (a la swimsuit) competition, and participants are required to use some intelligence and public speaking skills to show brains are as sexy as brawn. Heading into the competition, Stephen Weber was one of the most buzzed-about contestants.

"I really worked the entire state and got out into the leather community, the rest of the GLBT communities, and some of our pansexual communities," Weber said at the IML press conference. "I wanted them to know who I was as a person. And it's interesting. They all had the expectations that when I came here, I would be coming back with the title. I'm very grateful for what they've done."

The contest was held at the Congress Theater, a classic space on Chicago's West side that is now owned by IML. The lengthy (four-plus hours!) pomp and circumstance included speeches from the top 20 finalists. And no, they weren't editorials on the benefits of handcuffs. Rather, these heartfelt and thoughtful commentaries ranged from current events to ways to enrich life. As the leather community is filled with a number of working professionals (financial consultant by day, pig bottom by night), it was no surprise that their presentations were of depth and substance.

One energetic highlight was an appearance from CeCe Peniston, who emerged from many MIA years to do a few of her club hits, including that gay anthem of the '90s, "Finally." She got the crowd moving, and threatened to "take a whip" to some of the less participatory attendees.

The contest culminated in awarding top honors to Weber. Though a few other Texans competed, Weber was the man with the charms who won the hearts of both judges and crowd. He pledged to make the most of his title and use it to make a difference in places large and small over the year.

And thus another chapter in the IML book is closed. Overall, the experience was pretty extraordinary. But it was tough to feel a complete part of things not being adorned in the gear. It seems the leather community is definitely willing to accept diversity within its walls, whether you are a bear, into rubber, bootblacking, or more contemporary forms of leather. But if you're a mere visitor to the scene, it may not be quite as easy for you to join the party. Nonetheless, it was a fun, educational, wild experience in the windy city. And its success should give way to an even larger, kinkier crowd next year for IML's 25th Anniversary Blowout.