Bootblack Competition and that a separate competition solely for women would be held at International Ms.
In 1998, it was announced that the competition would be changed to the International Mr. At its inception in 1993, the competition was properly titled the International Bootblack Competition, and both men and women were allowed to compete. Bootblack (IMrBB) competition was added to the IML program in 1993. The leather pride flag was designed by Tony DeBlase, and he first presented the design at the IML competition on May 28, 1989. In October, they hosted the first Living in Leather (LIL) conference. Together, they formed the National Leather Association (NLA), which officially incorporated in the summer of 1986. To host this conference, named Living in Leather, Maidhof recruited several friends and leading members of Seattle's leather community including: Cookie Andrews-Hunt, Wayne Gloege, Billy Jefferson, Jan Lyon, George Nelson, and Vik Stump. Leather contest inspired Steve Maidhof to organize a conference for members of the growing SM, leather, and fetish community, which would focus on education and political activism. In 1984 Ron Moore became the first black man to have the title of International Mr. Gold Coast" contest became one of the bar's most popular promotions causing the need to locate the competition to a larger venue (in 1979), upon which the title was changed to International Mr. Gold Coast" bar contest held at Chicago's Gold Coast leather bar, owned by Chuck Renslow and his then-partner, Dom Orejudos.
The forerunner of the competition was the 1970s "Mr.