a&e features
A Dave Koz Christmas
New album, tour not bad for a ‘nice little gay Jewish boy’

Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour
Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, Md.
Tuesday at 8 p.m.
VIP tickets with meet-and-greet available at davekoz.com
General tickets: $38-85
Jazz saxophonist Dave Koz delights in the irony of having a fifth Christmas album out this fall (“The 25th of December”) and his wildly popular holiday tour now in its 17th year — quite a turn of events for the self-described “nice little gay Jewish boy.”
Touring this year with Christopher Cross and soul diva Maysa, the “2014 Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour,” kicked off on Black Friday in Sarasota, Fla. We talked to him by phone this week from his hotel room in West Palm Beach, Fla. — it took him a few seconds to remember which city he was in — for a spirited chat on his music, life off the road and musical camaraderie with Richard Marx, Johnny Mathis and more. His comments have been edited for length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: So far so good on the tour?
DAVE KOZ: This is the first year where I’ve walked off the first night with no notes, nothing to say, no changes at all. … We’ve done it three nights now and it’s been going over gangbusters. I’m so proud of the show. … With all the crazy stuff in the world right now, it’s a lot of positivity coming at you.
BLADE: Do you feel an added spring in your step with this year’s show since there’s the new album too?
KOZ: I do because it gives us an opportunity to bring in a lot of new music. The album, “25th of December,” was a true joy to make. The producer, Rickey Minor, has a long resume of great artists he’s worked with and this was my first-ever true duets album. It’s really a vocal album with very little instrumental music, so this was an opportunity to bring a lot of that music into the show.
BLADE: So Christopher Cross and Maysa, your guests for the tour, are singing some of the songs that others sang on the album?
KOZ: Yes, that’s basically how we do it. Christopher is also doing some of his hits and a few from his own Christmas album … and Maysa, who’s just a powerhouse diva like a young Aretha Franklin, she does a lot of the heavy lifting singing stuff like “Do You Hear What I Hear,” which Gloria Estefan sang on the album and the Fantasia medley and “Grown-Up Christmas List” and more.
BLADE: You toured with Richard Marx many years ago in his band and now have him on your new album. Had you stayed in touch all along or did you recently get reacquainted with him?
KOZ: We sort of lost touch for quite a number of years. I sent him a note when his father passed. I think that was the impetus for us getting back in touch. Then he moved to L.A. maybe a year and a half ago and we started hanging out more, meeting up, talking about the music business and so on. It’s fun. … Even though we’re about the same age, he’s one of the first bosses I ever had. He’s an extremely talented, very heartfelt guy. Very smart. I’ve learned a lot from him.
BLADE: When and where was the album recorded and about how long did it take to make?
KOZ: In Hollywood at Rickey Minor’s studio, the Red Lotus, over about a six-week period starting the first week of June. That’s the great irony of making Christmas albums, at least in L.A. — they’re usually made in the dead of summer but we kept it nice and chilly in the studio.
BLADE: I know not everyone did their vocals live with you but several did. How did you get so many guest artists’ schedules coordinated?
KOZ: That’s really the genius of working with Rickey Minor. He’s one of those guys who can have a ton of different things going on at one time and somehow keep it all together. We made a good team. We’d be smiling and dialing and asking with one hand and recording whomever was there and had said yes with the other hand. … I really got lucky. There are so many people I love and respect here — Kenny G and I did a duet for the first time, Stevie Wonder — I can’t believe he’s even on this album — Johnny Mathis, Richard, Eric Benet, BeBe Winans, India Arie, Trombone Shorty. It was so much fun to make. There was only one person who said no and it was just because of her schedule.
BLADE: Who?
KOZ: Jennifer Hudson. She had a new album out of her own and a lot going on.
BLADE: Johnny Mathis seems pretty low key on gay stuff. Did the two of you compare any gay notes or anything like that?
KOZ: Oh yeah, all the time actually. The way he has dealt with that is the way he deals with his life in general. I don’t think he places any great importance on it. I mean, of course it’s important to him and the fact that he is an older gentleman and acknowledged it in a way many established iconic stars wouldn’t do, says a lot about the kind of human being he is. But the fact that he didn’t make so much of it, that he just sort of did it and moved on, is very much like who he is. He’s a very happy-go-lucky, very transparent person. Very pure and very light. Almost like a little elf. He’s very effervescent. …He’s a massive star, yet there’s no ego. Just this beautiful person and I respect him in so many ways.
BLADE: Christmas songs can be tricky. Like covers or standards, you want them to sound fresh, not like the same old thing everybody’s heard 9,000 times, yet twist that melody around too much and people can get alienated real fast. Do you agree with that notion? If so, how do you find that sweet spot where it sounds fresh yet not too different?
KOZ: Oh, that’s something I’m constantly thinking of and with a lot of the songs we recorded, there are quintessential recordings out there that you could never compete with. … Christmas music is like comfort food for people — they want what they know and if they hear a song they don’t know, they think, “OK, I don’t know this — I’m tuning out.” So it’s very hard to introduce new Christmas music and put some energy into some of these classics yet not change them so much that it becomes blasphemy. And believe me, I’ve heard plenty of albums where it was like, “What? Why would you ever do that?”
BLADE: In your genre, is there a gulf or any tension between what might work great on AC radio or on an album but might be too mellow or low-key to work on stage? Your show has a lot more energy and passion than people may realize.
KOZ: There’s a lot of freedom but one thing we did on this album, and about eight songs from it are in the show, is that we recorded it all live in studio with the musicians all there together in one room, so it’s very easy to translate this album to a live situation. But yeah, there are times where we’ll try something out live that just doesn’t seem to work and we just say, “OK — maybe another year.”
BLADE: Did you ever think starting out that your musical persona would be so heavily dominated by Christmas music or was it just something that developed over time?
KOZ: No, I never saw that coming. I grew up loving Christmas. My family only celebrated Hanukkah but I used to love to slip away on Christmas Eve to my best friend’s house and trim the tree, listen to music and eat ham with them. I loved it. So in that respect, it’s not surprising. … But it is nice, as I said, with all the shit going on in the world, to put some positivity out there and we work our asses off doing it. We’re doing 23 shows in 26 days.
BLADE: You live in Los Angeles when you’re not traveling. Do you have a gay social life there? Do you ever hang out in West Hollywood?
KOZ: That’s not really my scene although I enjoy it once in a while, especially when out-of-town friends visit. But I travel so much, when I’m home I just like to chill a little bit. But yeah, I have an active friend circle there.
BLADE: Last time we chatted you were single. Still?
KOZ: Yes, but it kind of works for me. I still have a lot of fun and meet a lot of wonderful people and there’s no shortage of love in my life, but I don’t feel that anything’s missing. If it happened, I would embrace it though.
BLADE: What do you do on Christmas Day when the tour’s over?
KOZ: Sleep. I’m a big sleeper when I’m home. But this year we’re also working on something very exciting that’s been years in the making. We’re opening a new place called Spaghettini & the Dave Koz Lounge in Beverly Hills right on Canon Drive on new restaurant row. It will be fine dining then turn into a headliner music venue after dinner. I’m playing there New Year’s Eve.
BLADE: Just for fun, what’s the gayest thing on your iPod?
KOZ: Probably the “Smash” soundtrack.
BLADE: Does touring this time of year take the fun out of Christmas for you?
KOZ: No. I love it because I get a chance to celebrate Christmas every night with all these wonderful people who get dressed and come out. … and for the longest time, my family has always gotten together after the holidays to celebrate. We’re the only family who celebrates Hanukkah in January. It’s great. The presents are cheaper then.
BLADE: What would make your Christmas memorable this year?
KOZ: I hate to sound cliche but it really shocks me how much intolerance is still tolerated in this country. … All this stuff we’ve seen in Ferguson, it’s just craziness. So many race problems happening that in 2014, I would have hoped we’d have had a better handle on by now. It’s a big problem and it’s reared its ugly head again. My hope is that we can start to deal with those things and move beyond them with more forward momentum in the new year.

Dave Koz (Photo by Bryan Sheffield)
a&e features
Valentine’s gifts for the queers you love
Fragrances, X-rated sweet treats, candles, and more

Put a little love in your heart. That’s what Jackie DeShannon encouraged with her 1969 hit song of the same name, and it’s never been more appropriate than in the context of our current state of affairs. Mute the vitriol this Valentine’s Day and concentrate on what really matters – those you love and who love you back.
Gucci Guilty Love Edition

Sniffies? You’ll put the site on hold after a whiff of Gucci Guilty Love Edition on the nape of his neck – featuring captivating notes of juniper oil, orange flower absolute and aphrodisiatic Ambrofix – which one review claims to “make your brain sparkle like a fine Champagne.” Cheers to that. $25-$133, FragranceNet.com
Hunky Burning Love Pillow

Sweet dreams are on the docket when you rest your head on the Hunky Burning Love faux-suede square pillow printed with illustrations of shirtless himbos pining for your affection. An exercise in fantasy more than reality, but it beats sitting alone at a bar getting no attention at all. $30, ThePillowTopShop.com
Love Deck
What’s in the cards for your love life in 2025? Fuck around and find out with astrologist Lisa Stardust’s 70-card Love Deck, a tarot set of short spells, meditations and rituals designed to conjure enough love, passion, clarity and confidence to make Potion No. 9 jealous. $13, Amazon.com
‘Making the Case for Equality’
We’ll continue to fight the good fight over the next four years and beyond – perhaps harder than ever – and Lambda Legal’s “Making the Case for Equality,” a detailed half-century history of our hard-won judicial victories, is a solid reminder of how far we’ve come in the war for LGBTQ+ rights. $45, Amazon.com
Lola Blankets

Schedule an at-home streaming marathon of this year’s Best Picture noms before the big night – there’s a lot to love in 2024’s Oscar picks – and the coziest way to settle in is all snuggled up in the squishiest Lola blankets, reminiscent of the adorable ripples of the cutest Shar Pei. Pick up a couple for the cuddle puddle. $109-$299, LolaBlankets.com
Asa Akira x Cake Life Cookies

Cue the collaboration you didn’t see coming: Adult film star Asa Akira teams up with award-winning trans-owned bakery Cake Life Bake Shop for its sweet-and-spicy Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies, featuring Akira’s XXX-tra special curated box decorated with NFSW phrases like “Cowgirl,” “Cream Pie,” and the ever-subtle “Anal” – that are sure to leave mouths agog at your Gaylentine’s get-together. $19-$21, CakeLifeBakeShop.square.site
Mind Games Candles

Since the late 1990s, the Backstreet Boys have implored us to quit playin’ games with our lovers’ hearts, which is probably why we play mind games instead – and now they come in luxury scents like Jasmine Milk, Tobacco Tonka Bean and Cherry Sandalwood, so you can enjoy mood lighting with your gaslighting. $135, MindGamesFragrance.com
Delysia Chocolates

Inspired by Greek Goddess-of-Love Aphrodite, Delysia Chocolatier’s 16-piece, limited-edition truffle collection includes four each of symbolic Passion (almond-honey-fig), Adoration (raspberry-rose petal-hibiscus), Unity (pomegranate-strawberry), and Love (spiced wine-berry) bite-size chocolates rich enough for savoring and abundant enough for sharing. $60, Delysia.com
DIY Whiskey Hot Sauce

Variety is the spice of life in Thoughtfully Gourmet’s Whiskey-Infused DIY Hot Sauce Kit that combines your favorite cereal spirit with high-quality global ingredients, like Mexican hot peppers, to create sophisticated flavor experiences of varying Scoville heat levels, handsomely housed in fancy decanters. Recipe book, spices and seasonings included; alcohol and antacids are not. $20, Amazon.com
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBTQ lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets around the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.
a&e features
Boomer Banks brings beats to MAL Weekend
From porn to the DJ booth, ’I’m the happiest I’ve ever been’

If you enjoy gay adult films, there is a high likelihood you have seen or at least heard of Boomer Banks. His tattoos, muscles, masculine presence, and thick mustache have made him one of the most recognizable — and awarded — Latinx gay adult performers in the industry. This weekend, Banks heads to the nation’s capital to partake in Mid-Atlantic Leather weekend.
As D.C. polishes its leather gay apparel for the annual MAL weekend, Banks, alongside a slew of other gay adult performers and leather lovers, is getting ready to make adult content, meet fans, buy some new leather goods, and perform in the name of sexual expression.
This year will be different for Banks compared to his past MAL weekends, though. He will still be go-go dancing as he has in years past, but this year he has a new hat on — headlining DJ. The Blade sat down with the 44-year-old performer to discuss his sex work career, the changing industry, and his passion for DJing.
On Friday night, Banks is one of three headlining DJs for the main dance event of the night, UNCUT XL. He explained that his love for music has always been there, but since the death of his best friend, with whom he connected on a shared love of music, his sets mean more than ever to him now.
“I loved music for my whole life,” Banks told the Blade when asked about how he got started in music. “My proximity to legendary New York DJs has always been there. I lost my best friend and brother over two years ago, and it just caused a lot of changes [for me]. We both loved music so much … I was talking to one of my DJ friends [about this connection to music], and they were talking to me, and all of a sudden I’m at their studio, playing around with the controller and all that, and it just happened. Here we are, two years later, and now I’m headlining at MAL with some legendary DJs that I have been a fan of since I was young.”
Banks went on to explain that this connection and newfound passion for DJing is what has made his career shift from studio porn to a solo career easier. He also said the continued support from his house music fans has made him want to work even harder on creating memorable sets.
And create memorable sets he has. Banks has headlined events all across the country over the past two years — from Provincetown to Rehoboth Beach and even headlining Folsom, which is the biggest leather event of the year. He explained that he has one overwhelming emotion —gratitude.
“I’m really grateful that Zach [Renovatés] and everybody at Kinetic and Bunker have really taken a liking to my storytelling through music, because that’s what it is for me,” Banks said. “I like taking people on a journey. It’s usually my journey. But I read the crowd, I read energy, and I’m always smiling, and that’s the only place that I do smile. I feel like people often categorize me as intimidating, and a lot of times that’s what I got in the porn industry. But with DJing, the people are always like, ‘You’re so happy up there. You’re smiling all the time.’ And, yeah, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and it’s exciting. I love doing it, and I’m grateful and very humbled that people are seeing that this isn’t just a gimmick.”
He went on to explain that this happiness wasn’t always at the base of his work —especially when he was involved with the studio porn system with CockyBoys and Raging Stallion. Various factors, including race, he shared with the Blade, were why it was less than enjoyable at times. But it provided a platform in which he was able to grow and gave him an opportunity to help newcomers in the industry.
“When I got into porn, other brown men were not nice to me; other people of color [were not nice to me]. I thought that it would have been different. So when I was established, I made sure not to do that. I have a few little Banks boys that I nurtured into the industry, and, not to claim them, but it’s just so that they had someone to talk to because I didn’t have that.”
Despite some structural problems within the industry, Banks felt he was able to get what he needed from the career, including a paycheck and a platform.
“Porn did work out for me,” he said. “I was very fucking successful, and I was not white. I did the work, but I just couldn’t keep doing it any more. It wasn’t good for my mental health, and so I knew how to bow out. Who knows? It [studio porn days] might happen again. I don’t know, but I know for today, I love music. It’s my heart. I’m grateful for the platform that sex work gave me because it’s given me a heads up with the music.”
That music has kept him going. More specifically, New York house-style music has kept him going. Banks’s ability to take in the music he loves has made him a stronger DJ, he said.
“’I’m a New York house DJ,” he said. “That’s the style that I bring. The craziest it gets is like tech house and maybe some early 2000s mid-2000s circuit music. It’s what I grew up with and what I love and what I like to put out there. I’m really grateful that I was not only showing up to these gigs, but I was absorbing the art that is music in a way that it seeped into my pores and my soul, that now I can share how I feel about music, and that’s exciting.”
He touched on how although many people can be fans of DJ music, it takes more to become a successful DJ.
“The thing about music is you can’t fake music tastes. You can learn all the knobs and the technical parts of DJing, but if you’re not playing good music, and if the room isn’t vibing, it doesn’t matter.”
When asked about the current political climate—seeing as the host hotel for MAL weekend is a mere half mile from the Capitol building—Banks reflected on the importance of weekends like this for the LGBTQ community, which is increasingly facing the backlash of conservative politicians.
“We are in uncertain times,” he said. “These are the weekends where we’re able to be who we are. And it’s unfortunate that we have to still have these events to express ourselves. Because a lot of these guys, they wait their whole year for this weekend to be able to express themselves. With what’s going on with the world, they’re basically being told that these are the only places they can. I know that in New York we live in a bubble. I know in D.C., we live in a bubble. But I want to show people that are coming from the middle of nowhere that they can have a good time, and even if it is for this weekend, they can rely on us. I want our community to know that I am here for them.”
You can find Boomer Banks headlining Friday’s main dance event UNCUT XL from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. at REPUBLIQ Hall (2122 24th Pl NE) and go-go dancing during Saturday’s PERVERT XXL party at A.I. Warehouse (530 Penn St., N.E.) from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. as well as on X @Boomer_Banks and on Instagram @baconlvr.
For more information about MAL events visit leatherweekend.com or kineticpresents.com.


Half a mile from the Capitol building on New Jersey Avenue, the Hyatt Regency Washington is getting ready for one of the city’s biggest, gayest, and kinkiest weekends of the year — the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) Weekend.
The weekend, which has a long and fabled history that spans two different hosting Motorcycle Clubs (MC), multiple host cities, thousands of LGBTQ people dressed head to toe in leather, and as the Centaur MC website explains, all began with an hour of cocktails and a cock ring.
In 1976, members of the Links MC gathered in a room at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel to mingle and discuss shared interests (including leather and various sexual proclivities), when one of the party’s guests accidentally dropped his cock ring on the bathroom floor. The loud clang of a cock ring against the tile floor made everyone in attendance laugh. At the next party the Links MC hosted, another member intentionally dropped his cock ring on the floor too, calling back to the prior party’s fun and a tradition was established.
The event grew in popularity among LGBTQ leather lovers, moving to various East Coast cities before finding a permanent home with the Centaur MC in Washington in 1984. Since then, the city has hosted the Leather Cocktail party each year and has expanded to include an exhibitor hall, where leather makers and other kink product creators showcase their wares, the prestigious Mr. MAL Contest, and multiple high energy (and clothing optional) dance parties.

MCs comprised exclusively of queer members have been documented since at least the mid-1950s, with the Satyrs Motorcycle Club of Los Angeles being one of the earliest known examples. During the McCarthy era, when LGBTQ individuals were subjected to brutal discrimination due to unfounded fears that being queer was synonymous with being un-American or even suggested Communist leanings, the groups provided an essential refuge. While such fears were baseless, the formation of these clubs offered a vital safe space for queer people to express themselves in an environment where their identities were not just stigmatized but often criminalized. These MCs became much more than places for sexual expression — they were havens of protection and solidarity, offering a sense of community that would have been nearly impossible to find in the hostile, post-WWII social climate.
This year’s MAL is set to be the biggest year yet with four days of kinky queer fun. It all begins on Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Washington (400 New Jersey Ave., N.W.) with the Full Package/Three Day Pass Pick-Up from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Here guests who have purchased a Full Weekend Package can collect their wristbands.
On Thursday from 9 p.m.-3 a.m., the MAL kick-off Kinetic BOOTCAMP dance party will whip you into shape as international DJs Alex Lo and Dan Slater start off the weekend right. The venue has not been named yet, but Kinetic Events, which oversees this year’s official MAL dance parties have said the space will soon be announced and will “be complete with play zone designed for maximum seduction.”

After beginning MAL weekend on the dance floor, Friday is full of events to keep the kinky vibes going. From 3-10 p.m., guests who have not picked up their Full Package Pass on Thursday can continue to collect them in Capital Room A on the lobby level (located behind the north tower elevators) of the Hyatt Regency Washington. If you haven’t purchased a pass, no worries, both day and weekend passes for MAL hotel events are available for purchase online or at the hotel’s entrance from 3-10 p.m.
The passes vary in price depending on what day(s) you attend. The 3-day pass is $45 plus processing fees and provides access to the Hotel and Exhibitor Hall for the entire weekend, as well as the Mr. MAL Contest on Sunday. The Single Day Pass is $20 plus processing fees and allows access to the Hotel and Exhibitor Hall on either Friday or Saturday. The Sunday Day Pass is $30 plus processing fees and includes access to the Hotel and Exhibitor Hall on Sunday, along with entry to the Mr. MAL Contest. To purchase your pass online visit at sickening.events/e/mal-weekend-2025/tickets or at the hotel’s entrance.
To get in an elevator up to a hotel room a staff member will check for a hotel room wristband. Non-registered guests can only access host hotel rooms if they are escorted by a registered guest with a valid wristband. Registered guests are permitted to escort only one non-registered guest at a time. Non-registered guests with a wristband who are already in the hotel before 10 p.m. may remain until midnight. However, non-registered guests without a wristband will not be admitted after registration closes.

The Exhibit Hall is located on the ballroom level below the lobby. This year is slated to have 29 exhibitors selling leather and kink goods that range from harnesses to jockstraps and everything in between. The Exhibit Hall will be open on Friday from 4-10 p.m., on Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Back by popular demand, DC Health is partnering with Nasty Pig to provide preventative health services including MPox vaccines, Doxy PEP, HIV Testing, Narcan kits, and Fentanyl test strips. Their booth with these services will be available on Friday from 3-10 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Capital Room B (located behind the north tower elevators next to Room A).
Also on Friday, the Centaur MC is holding its Welcome Reception from 6-8 p.m. on the ballroom floor. After the Centaur’s Welcome Reception, there will be an International Mister Rubber (IMR) Social from 8-11 p.m. in Congressional Room A.
Friday night’s dance party KINETIC UNCUT XL will be at REPUBLIQ Hall (2122 24th Place, N.E.) and has been billed as “largest and most debaucherous MAL event yet” with a “labyrinth of play zones” and two dance floors. DJ and adult film creator James Anthony kicks off the night and then allows for you to choose where to dance — either in room 1 with DJ Alex Ramos playing tribal beats or room 2 with DJ and adult creator Boomer Banks playing a tech house set. The dance party goes from 10-4 a.m. so make sure those boots are shined and ready to move.
On Saturday MAL will host its annual Puppy Mosh in Regency Ballroom C from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. During the Mosh, pups and their handlers can enjoy a playful puppy playdate while immersing themselves in pup culture. There are strict rules surrounding the Puppy Mosh. The Mosh Monitor has final say and has the right to eject anyone from the Puppy Park for violating the rules. For the full set of Puppy Mosh rules visit leatherweekend.com/puppy-park-rules/.
Immediately following the Puppy Mosh the Super Hero Meet-Up will be held in Capital Room A from 1:30- 3 p.m., where cosplayers and comic book enthusiasts can gather for an erotic meetup celebrating a rendezvous of capes, curves, and vibrant spandex.
From 2-6 p.m. on Saturday, the Onyx Fashion Show will take place in Congressional Rooms A & B for people of color to highlight Black brilliance in leather.
The Leather Cocktail Party that started it all will be held 7-10 p.m. in the Regency Ballroom. Only those with the Full Package Pass can attend and are encouraged to show off their leather and kink fantasy.
The Leather Cocktail Party isn’t the only cocktail party happening on Saturday; from 9-11 p.m., the MAL Cocktail Party will be in Congressional Room B for other MAL attendees to mingle and get a drink.
The last event of Saturday is the KINETIC and Matinée Group’s PERVERT XXL dance party. Beginning at 10 p.m., this will mark the first time that a dance party on MAL Weekend’s Saturday night is an official MAL event. The dance is at A.I. Warehouse in Northeast (address TBA) and has a slew of talent for the celebration. Gigi Goode from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will “whip the crowd into submission” as DJs from around the world, including Erik Vilar (Brazil), Eliad Cohen (Israel), and Paulo (Los Angeles) play non-stop beats all night long (or at least until 4 a.m. when the party ends). In addition to drag royalty and internationally acclaimed DJs, the dance is held in a multi-level warehouse in Northeast D.C. complete with immersive lights, lasers, and play zones.
On Sunday at 1 p.m., the Mr. MAL Contest will be held in the Regency Ballroom. This highly sought after title gives one man the power to become the Mid-Atlantic Leather man of the year. The sash and title come with some requirements though: 1. You must be male, 2. You must be a resident of North America, 3. Must be at least 21 years of age, and 4. You must self-identify as gay. Additionally, if you enter, you must be prepared to represent the title as a contestant in the International Mr. Leather (IML) Contest in Chicago on Memorial Day Weekend 2025. Currently the list of applicants has hit its limit but if you are interested and can meet the criteria you can email [email protected] to be put on a standby list.
From 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Sunday, MAL will hold its Game Night in Capital Rooms A & B.
Last, but certainly not least, the final event and dance party of the weekend is the KINETIC LUST party, the perfectly sensual and sexy way to end MAL 2025. The party goes from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. as Grammy-nominated Abel and DJ Sam Blacky will end your weekend right with “dark, sexy beats and pulse-pounding rhythms” as erotic porn star performances and exclusive play zones are explored.
Each day of MAL a Recovery Meeting will be held in the Yosemite Room (located on the conference level/ second floor) from 10-11 p.m. with an additional session on Saturday from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. to provide a safe space for anyone who is struggling with addiction or for anyone who needs to take a sober step away from the weekend’s events.
All weekend there will also be a Bootblack station where MAL attendees can get any leather goods cleaned and polished. The money donated to the Bootblacks for their work helps raise money for a local charity (that changes each year) and to cover the Mr. MAL travel fund. Don’t forget to tip.

Even though the weekend is called the Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, leather is not required. There are some rules regarding outfits though. All expressions of kink are encouraged. Attendees in years past have worn everything from leather to rubber, to furries and even regular street clothes. Just make sure that they abide by the hotel’s dress code rules — in publicly accessible spaces (lobby, hallways, ballrooms, exhibit halls), nudity is not allowed. Men may walk around the hotel shirtless, in a jock, or in chaps with a jock. Women are not permitted to be shirtless or have their nipples exposed. If you are dining, your buttocks must be covered, and at least a vest must be worn.
Please note that all events are 21+ and require an ID check, including every day of events at the Hyatt Regency host hotel. Please make sure you bring your photo ID. Also note that all MAL “Full Weekend Package” pass holders have access to the LUST Sunday Closing Party.
For any additional information on official MAL weekend events and policies, please visit leatherweekend.com or kineticpresents.com.
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