A chat with the outgoing Mr. CSW Leather, Christopher Paul.
BY STEVE GANZELL
With the upcoming Mr. Christopher Street West (CSW) Leather Contest—at the Bullet Bar in North Hollywood—Sat., June 6 at 9pm—I sat down with the outgoing Mr. CSW Leather, Christopher Paul, for a brief chat on his year holding the title.
“This year has been a whirlwind,” reveals Paul. “I’ve met lots of great people. I’ve made great friends along the way, especially my LAL brothers.”
Paul is referring to the men he competed with at the Mr. Los Angeles Leather (LAL) contest.
“The LAL experience is a contest that happens once a year,” explains Paul. “It is composed of 10 gentlemen who have won a feeder contest. Of course mine is CSW and you create a great bond with these men… We shared an experience together. It was a great time, so stepping down—after a year of glory and fun times, well, it’s sad to come to an end, but it was a life lesson. I’m truly grateful for it.”
Looking back on his title year Paul talks about his involvement with The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ youth.
“My second month after winning the title, I went to Florida for a benefit to raise money for The Trevor Project… since then I’ve participated in five other benefits in the Los Angeles area, raising money for the organization. I was honored to be of service to The Trevor Project and that connection was, for me, one of the highlights of this past year as Mr. CSW Leather.”
