What is American Brotherhood as compared to American Leatherman, American Leatherboy & American Leatherwoman?
American Brotherhood Weekend is a weekend to experience and celebrate the leather bond and "familyhood" that we have in our leather tribe. ABW is a weekend run that has a great energy and commaradiery to it, the weekend hosts three contests...American Leatherman, Woman, and Boy.  In addition to the "regular" duties of these titleholders (assisting in fundraising, contests, judging, representing the community, etc.), these titleholders also are ambassadors for ABLE productions and the American Brotherhood Weekend.  ABW is the only national gay & lesbian leather title contest weekend in the US.  Also, the contest is open to contestants who are permanent residents as well as contestants who are U.S. citizens.

How does it differ from Drummer & IML?
Both Drummer and IML have been around for about 21 years.  International Mr. Drummer started out as a mouthpiece/public figure for the publication, and was considered to be more of an erotic title, thus the fantasy section of those contests.  IML started out with a little bit more of a political agenda and the winner was considered to be a leader and spokesperson for the leather and fetish communities. As the years have gone by, the lines between the two titles have blurred somewhat as the individuals holding the various titles strengths and interests have allowed, so for most, there is not a clear line any more. The ABW titles are similar in that we recognize that a leather title represents, in part, our erotic expression so our contests do include a fantasy section and we often speak on the issue. We can also be considered political since as public figures, anytime we take a public stance on issues from legislation to barebacking, it is interpreted as representing the community. The biggest difference is that our constituency is specifically the USA--thus the "American" in our titles. Only US citizens are eligible to compete.  Whenever possible, we work with and support the International titleholders, but also recognize that our primary constituents and responsibilities are with the American leather community. 

Do you have an American Leatherboy as does Drummer?
Yes. The Drummerboys are chosen through a number of different types of competitions, depending on which level (local, regional, or International). The American leatherboy goes through the same type of competitionst that the Leatherman or Leatherwoman goes through...speech, barwear, erotic wear, fantasy, and formal leather and question & answer, though the expectation for "presence", etc. is obviously a little different for a boy than the men's or women's title. The other big difference is that the American Leatherboy title is not gender specific. There have been American Leatherboys that have been biological females, but who exhibited outstanding "boy" frame of mind and behavior.  The current American Leatherboy is Jerry Acosta from Burlington, VT, and he is a wonderful guy. 

What year did it start?
It all started in 1989 with MCL Productions run by Mike Miller in Boston, and it started out solely as the American Leatherman contest. Eventually Mike added American Leatherwoman, then American Cowboy, and later American Leatherboy. He tried American Cowgirl, but there was no interest or support in the title, so it never really took off. In 1996, Jim Cobb bought the rights to all of the titles, and immediately leased them to ABLE Productions, the company that Jim started with Roger Fleming, Howard Fleming, and Vern Stewart. In '97, Jim sold the American Cowboy and Cowgirl rights to Dan Noel, American Cowboy 1995 (the last person to hold the title) and it has yet to see any action since then.  Since 1996, the American Leatherfamily has been gaining more and more prominence and activity.

What are your main duties for the coming year?
As an ambassador to ABW and ABLE Productions, I am making appearences all over the country, whether that be to judge contests, help with fundraisers, or attend high profile leather functions. At all of these functions I promote and discuss ABW, the sense of brotherhood/family and encourage mutual care and outreach within our community. 

Where do you put your main focus?
The bulk of my focus has been on exactly what I said above.  The only other efforts are going towards bringing about more awareness and knowledge about ABW and the American Leather Family titles in the middle states and the west coast. ABW is designed to be a national event and produces national titleholders, yet the involvement of the west coast and Rocky Mountain communities is very limited (practically non-existent). My goal is to get contestants and participants from all across the country to ABW. Last year, the furthest west that our contestants and participants came from was Texas and Illinois, yet there are strong leather communities in Denver, SF, LA, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City and other great cities. I am doing my best to get into events in those cities and entice interest in ABW, its goals, and its contests.  

When did you become part of the leather community?
I began my exploration of the leather community in 1986 in Tampa Florida at 2606, at that time, the only leather bar in Tampa. The owner of the leather shop took the time to talk with me, explain a few things, and point me in the direction of various magazines, books, and organizations where my learning could continue. He went on to be the first Mr. Florida Drummer in 1989, and I recently ran into him when I was judging Mr. Florida Drummer 1999 in Miami. I told him that his brief conversations had led me forward and thanked him for his direction. I introduced him to Ryan and we spoke for a while--it was great to see him again.  It just goes to show that the smallest deed, like spending a few minutes of explanation and support can make a huge difference in someone's life. I can't imagine what my life would be like now without my open erotic expression, my leather family, or the incredible experiences I have had in the leather community, particularly this last year and a half! 

What do you find most rewarding being a titleholder?
Meeting leatherfolks. I have had the most remarkable experiences meeting leatherfolks across the nation. That is actually what inspired me to pursue this title. As Mr. Pennsylvania Drummer 1998, I traveled all over, was welcomed and cared for as if people had known me for years, brought into people's homes as if I was a relative, and treated so well by total strangers. That demonstrated to me the power and depth of the brotherhood and love among leatherfolks, which is what ABW is all about. That same feeling has perpetuated with my travels with this title and I feel stronger than ever about the love, encouragement, and support that exists throughout the leather community. Feeling that and representing and encouraging that love is motivational for me everywhere I go. I only wish that everyone could experience it in one way or another, for it is a very powerful experience.

(September '99)