LALP Guide 2017: Letter From The Chairman

Welcome To LA Leather Pride

Letter From the Chairman: Marlon Morales

Welcome to LA Leather Pride 2017, our annual week-long celebration. In a couple of years we will celebrate 20 years of Mr. L.A. Leather as produced by the Los Angeles Leather Coalition since 1999. In advance of that milestone, we present to you a very special 2017 LA Leather Pride festival.

WE ARE A REFLECTION OF YOU

We are a grassroots community organized festival, not a commercial entity, and so we begin by thanking all our volunteers. Each year we depend on hundreds of unpaid L.A. Leather “ambassadors” including a hugely talented planning committee who produce the events. We are about making connection-between the producers of feeder contests, clubs, bars and businesses in Southern California. We rely on the generous support of our sponsors to defray the cost of putting on the main events of the week. Our purpose is to showcase and crate a space to celebrate the amazing range of fetish and kink interests that makes the L.A. scene unique. In the end we are able to make meaningful contributions to our charity partners: Tom of Finland Foundation, ONE Gay & Lesbian Archives, and SAGE.

WE ARE THE CODE

The theme for 2017 is CODE L.A. which allows us to look to the future and account for current events that have changed the way we view our community. We invite you to reflect on a time when we communicated our sexuality in code. Just before the AIDS crisis Los Angeles was at the center of a moment of sexual freedom and American culture took notice. Many of the fetish codes still in use today began here. We believe the future is happening here. We are a scene with striking inter-generational connections, cultural exchange where we nurture the spaces for the curious to reinvent themselves. What’s striking about the L.A. scene is we refuse to settle for mediocrity and we encourage new forms of play. These are among reasons that makes Los Angeles a unique place. We believe you will experience our message of renewed focus on unabashed fun, playful, sex.

WE ARE YOUR CELEBRATION

We will celebrate over 10 days beginning with our KICK-OFF on MARCH 24th in a special way with the MS LOS ANGELES LEATHER Contest and Weekend. We have been working toward combining forces for some time and we are thrilled that the diversity of the L.A. scene will shine in this way. During the week we are excited to introduce the LA BOOTBLACK CONTEST which is woven into the entire week’s activities. And while we are adding new events, we are preparing to surprise you with very special versions of the events you have come to expect such as THE ASSEMBLY, The ROAST of MR. LA LEATHER and all the PARTIES. The week will reach its height at the MR. LA LEATHER CONTEST and DANCE on APRIL 1. We will wrap it all up with the OFF SUNSET STREET FAIR on April 2, 2016 were we expect the largest attendance ever. You are going to love all the events we have planned for you.

WE ARE GIVING YOU THE CHOICE

We are excited to bring you a brand new raffle; EPIC EURO LEATHER & FETISH ADVENTURE. It will be your choice: Barcelona for lovers of beach, bears, and leather; Berlin for the nasty at Folsom Europe; or a weekend romp-all the gear all the time- at London Fetish Week. We’ve dropped the price down to as little as $10 per ticket! This opportunity is made possible by our continued support of sponsors which are giving you a choice. Hotel and airfare for two! It’s a great deal we want you to take advantage of.

WE ARE HERE TO WELCOME YOU

For those who are planning their travel around Los Angeles, we are excited to share that we will be offering you expanded Leather Concierge to help you plan your visit. Please visit our website losangelesleatherpride.com and engage with us on the app so we can help you make the most of your LA Leather Pride 2017 experience.

The next part is up to you. Browse our site—losangelesleatherpride.com and app to explore the experiences that are waiting for you. We look forward to seeing you at LA Leather Pride 2017!

Yours in leather,
Marlon I. Morales
LALC Chairman & LALP17 Chair

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