Leather legend
Alan Norman was crowned Sydney’s Mr Leather 2008 at The Clarence Hotel on Sunday.
The sexy Sydneysider beat off some stiff competition to take out the title, which will now see him go on to compete in the Mr Leather Australia New Zealand competition in Melbourne on September 26.
Congratulations Alan, and best wishes for the rest of the competition.
More pictures: checkout our scene page online
Photo: Rod Spark
@ Darren. I’m working hard to make sure the people around me DO know I’m a freak! I don’t want to blend or assimilate or otherwise become one of the faceless zombies that populate our malls and fast food places here in the States.
So long as we keep hiding we give the bigots every opportunity to marginalize us and keep us in the back of the bus. Screw that!
I was just out to dinner a couple of weeks ago with all my rubber freak friends and you better believe we were geared up. Half the place wanted to talk to us because we had the balls to be out and proud. I don’t know how your gay rights movement got started but ours started here when some loud mouth “freaks” who wore dresses and “arseless” chaps decided they weren’t going to take it any more.
I just wish I were half that fierce.
Loren Berthelsen – Editor Leatherati.com
To all of the above, we do live in one community made up of all the colours of the rainbow. That makes us special and unique, the diversity gives us colour and depth.
I urge people that dont understand a certain group within our community to get out of your comfort zone, go and meet someone like Alan. (I had the priviledge of meeting and competing agianst him in Melbourne, he is the kindest person around)
If you want others to except you exactly how you are, worts and all, be prepared to tolerate others who do not think the same as yourself!
Peace, love and leather hugs
Pierre Brand (Mr Leather Australia & NZ)
while i relate to the original comment about ‘is this news’ my reasons are somewhat different than those above.
quote “i will be proud to know that a person like you will represent MY leather community”
well i was there on the night, and in many ways i was not impressed, too many speeches about sydney being leather capital of australia blah blah blah.
reality is this competition was the first in sydney for 14 years and only came about 2 weeks prior due to the old sydney melbourne rivalry, and the best sydney could come up with to represent the last 14 years was a canadian who’s been here but a year. there were other entrants who would have been a better representation of a sydney australian. the entrants should be congratulated for participating in something so obviously lacking in organisation. and before any bleets about my comment regarding a ‘non-australian’ winner i am not an australian either.
in my opinion despite sydney leather prides bleeting they have in actual fact let the leather and bdsm communities down, they have practically no visibility and aside from a couple of dance parties a year seem to provide no other activities or groups for either those established in the community or especially those wanting to be.
sydney leather men also deserve some scorn, their website, which is the only presence that can be found, is nothing more than an online shop.
i have been regularly supporting the new manacle since it’s reopening, sydney severely lacks avenues for the leather and bdsm communities, so we ALL need to support what is available and not simply sit at home passing comments about venues and events we didn’t even attend.
and i think it needs to be said that the leather scene and leather community are not simply about sexual activity, for most leather and bdsm is a lifestyle first and foremost, it’s about who you are as a person not necessarily about sexual preferences. and yes this community is not specifically gay men, it encompasses straight men and women and also gay women.
Hey Alan
All your Canadian buddies think you look hot! Good luck and I hope you do the distance.
It looks like you run in the same old sticks in the mud where ever you go in this world…rise above it!
Mac
Darren lets look at this in perspective. Your view of this is completely tainted and I’d suggest having a personal analysis of what being gay means to you. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but it’s just that, Your Opinion. Try looking at this from the Leather Communities perspective and show congratulations for one of your own kind. Alan Norman is expressing his unique interest and you wanna bring him down (and his community) by indirectly calling him a freak. I can assure you many of us including myself don’t consider ourselves ‘freaks’ thank you very much and I have nothing to prove to the world except for that fact that they’d better get used to me, Alan Norman and every other poof, dyke, trannie etc. I’ve never cried from being misunderstood so fear not mate.
Darren,
Would you be as quick to judge if it was drag queens or twinky stuff. Im guessing or HOPE you wouldn’t be. further, keep in mind that the Leather/SM/Fetish community is NOT gay community based and is actually larger and more predominant in the STRAIGHT community and with a subgroup that is Gay.
Being part of the Gay community means that whilst you may not agree with others, you should at least respect that they are entitled to share their experiences. Sharing opinions and experiences stops bigotry etc.
To Alan, mate, you were the best on the night and a worthy winner…… I’d happily wear my chaps for you nudge and wink. I will be proud to know that a person like you will representing MY leather community.
This is not news that is going to further our cause within the wider community. This is only going to enhance the stereotype that all gay men are dirty and walk around in arseless chapps.
How can we expect the wider community to view us in a civilised manner and take us seriously when things like this is considered news within our own community. Many of us including myself, have worked hard for years to try dismantle these kind of stereotypes and show the rest of Australia that we are not freaks.
To sum it all up this doesn’t help. Sure have your little leather comps with your little arsless chapps. I’m all for diversity but dont start crying because you are not understood and the wider community doesn’t want you to share in their rights. This is not news that should be published.
Well Darren if you want a New Idea type of read where it’s all boring, not relevant and a bunch of crap, go read SX! Regardless if it’s not your thing or it’s not news, it IS someone else’s so shut up and show some respect!
Not my scene! never understood it!!
I agree Paul, lighten up Darren. If you dont like it, dont read it. I have the 26th circled on my calander – all the best Alan – I hope you win – you are a bright star with a bright future!
Darren, while news on the leather community may not be of interest to you, it is to another sub-group within our community.
SSO should be congratulated for bringing news on all sections of our community to each other, not copping stupid comments like this from someone who clearly has no respect for the diversity within.
I for one am pleased to see the news here.
Can someone please tell me, how is this news?