IML is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest, leather festival and competition. It is not a parade but has a pageant to crown the new Internal Mr. Leather for the year. It is a competition for who is the most representative of the Leather community, although most people go for the exhibits, host hotel activities, and associated parties.
It is always Memorial Weekend in Chicago each year and is well attended by leather daddies, cubs, pups, bears and their admirers.
The host hotel has changed through the years. That is where most of the action happens, so if you have a chance to go, book your room early. It fills up fast. Keep in mind that most of the entire hotel will be full, but not ALL of the rooms will be used for IML activities, so you may see some bewildered, amused or frightened MidWesterners in the hotel too, clutching tightly to their children.
The gay community in Chicago welcomes the Leather community so many of the surrounding bars and clubs will have events that are too loud, too big, or too bold to have at the host hotel. Boystown will have many events or drink specials to attract the bear/leather/levi community. While in Boystown (along Halstead Street) check out Manhole, Sidetrack or for a sauna bathhouse experience, the best "Steamworks" is in the gayborhood too. Several adult studios catering to rough daddy types such as Raging Stallion, Titan, and Hot House have promotions, sponsorships or events at surrounding bars/clubs. Be on the lookout for invitations and gayguides that list all of the weeks activities.
During IML, the Chicago Eagle (which is NOT in the gayborhood "Boystown" but WAY up in a different part of town) is also a lot of fun and perfect for the IML clientele with a darkroom and a video area. In the past, the host hotel has provided a shuttle to take IML guests to the bear/leather bar locations north of Boystown, but it is not clear whether that is every year.
IML is the entire weekend with events from Thursday through the closing party on Sunday. The main dancing event has been at Chicago's famous "House of Blues" but the location for the party (as with the host hotel) can change from year to year.
The exhibits in the host hotel are for examination or purchase of just about any and every type of leather, bondage or fetish gear you can imagine. Many are small distributors (or designers) alongside major national and international labels. From cock rings and hankerchiefs, to electro shock anal stimulators, to rubber catsuits and body armor: it can be found there and purchased with credit cards. As an added bonus, most major adult studios have booths for their stars to take photos with fans and sell the latest DVDs and give away free promotion material.
IML is similar to SanFrancisco's Folsom Street Fair as far as the commercial aspect of it. It is similar to NYC's Black Party, Montreal's Black and Blue Ball, Washington, DC's Mid-Atlantic Leather, or NYC's Folsom East in the parties, clientele and activities and is certainly one of the main annual events of the bear/leather community.
Chubby Cock Lock
