During the first weekend in November, the City of Brotherly Love will become, for the third consecutive year, the City of Leatherly Love, as the Leather, S&M, B&D, Fetish, Bear, and Kink Communities converge on the Gayborhood in Philadephia, Pennsylvania, for Philadelphia Leather Pride Weekend, with events planned from November 4 through 6. This year’s theme, PLPN Producer Cowboi Jen has announced, is Unity.
The host hotel is the Independent Philadelphia, at 1234 Locust Street, on the corner of 13th Street, offering rooms for $129 per night. The Saturday night benefit auction, with entertainment, will be held once again at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St. James Street, between Locust and Walnut, and 12th and 13th Streets. Other venues are the William Way LGBT Community Center, at 1315 Spruce Street, at Juniper; the Bike Stop, the leather bar, at 206 South Quincy Street, between Locust and Walnut, and 12th and 13th; and iCandy, at 254 South 12th Street, between Locust and Spruce. ASL interpreters will sign most events of the weekend.
The Philadelphians Motorcycle Club, the Keystone Boys of Leather, Philly TNG (the Next Generation), MAsT (Masters & slaves Together) Central New Jersey, Wilmington Delaware NDDs (North Delaware Doms/submissives), Jersey Amazons, Black Beat Philly Metro, the Liberty Bears, and the Bootblack Brigade are the groups that will participate. Beneficiaries of the auction are the Chicago-based Leather Archives and Museum (LA&M), Women’s Leather History Project, Carter/Johnson Leather Library, William Way LGBT Community Center, Mazzoni Center Food Bank, Hearing from the Heart, and By Grace of George, founded by premier auctioneer Jo Arnone. Tickets for the Saturday night event at Voyeur are $20 in advance, on sale now at www.plpn.org, and $25 at the door.
Philadelphia Leather Pride kicks off, on November 4, with a Leather Blender Meet-n-Greet, with special guests International Mr. Leather 2009 Jeffrey Payne and artist and International Ms. Leather 1987 Judy Tallwing McCarthy, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the William Way Center, benefiting Hearing from the Heart. Displayed at the Center that day will be art from Jill Carter and Viola Johnson’s Leather Library of leather/fetish/S&M books, magazines, posters, art, club and event pins, newspapers, event programs, ephemera, and erotica, with an opportunity to meet the artists, as well as the LA&M Traveling Road Show, all coordinated by Philly TNG. The Leather Library and LA&M exhibits will be on display during the day on Saturday and Sunday as well. The Philadelphians MC hosts a Kinky Karnival at the Bike Stop, on the 4th from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., benefiting the Mazzoni Food Center.
On November 5, during the afternoon, International Ms. Leather 2011 Sara Vibes, from New York City, will give a class, with Ashley, at the Center, entitled “The Revolution will be Kinky: Being Young in the Scene,” and at the Bike Stop, International Mr. and Ms. Bootblack 2011, Jim Deuder and KD, will give an intensive bootblacking class, sponsored by the Keystone Boys of Leather. iCandy is the site for the Leather Buffet Dinner from 4 to 7:30 p.m., with guest speakers International Master and slave 2011 Liza and jody.
International Ms. Leather 1996 Jill Carter and International Mr. Leather 2009 Jeffrey Payne will be the MCs for Philadelphia Leather Pride Night at Voyeur, from 7 p.m. to midnight on the 5th, and Jo Arnone will be the auction barker. Expect entertainment from burlesque to song to flagging—and flogging—and a fire show. Aquiel is the auction coordinator and irresistible auction items include such equipment and accessories as riding crops, hoods, floggers, knives, a spanking bench, and a straitjacket; clothing, including a leather vest and boots, lingerie, and a kilt; artworks, books, jewelry; event tickets, and gift certificates. Also available to bidders are tickets for the Philadelphia Opera production of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” in February 2012; a two-night, midweek stay at the Grove Hotel, in Cherry Grove on Fire Island, next season; and a Betty Page green leopard cigarette case and set of Betty Page magnets. The Bike Stop will host the official After Party, from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
On November 6, at the William Way Center, Master Liza and slave jody; Pantheon of Leather Man of the Year 2011 and Master Steve Golden Paintbrush Award winner 2011 Master Taino; and Northeast Master/slave 2011 Master Griffin and slave ann offer classes.
See you in Philadelphia!