Rules & Competition

Eligibility

To compete at Northeast Leather, contestant must be 21 year of age or older as of the day that NEL takes place. Contestants running for: Northeast Leatherman must identify as male, Northeast Leatherwoman must identify as female, Northeast Leatherperson must identify as GNC/NB, and Northeast Leather Bootblack can identify as any gender. 

Contestants must live primarily (½ of the year or more) in the Northeast geographical area, which is comprised of the following states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,

Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Titles

Contestants may (but are not required to) hold a local or regional title to compete. They can hold this local title during their NEL title year if agreeable with their local producers. However, they may not hold another regional (or higher) title during their NEL title year. Going on to an International title of their choosing is not mandatory. If they were to win the International title the remainder of their NEL title year would be a part of the International title year. They need to keep in mind that they are still in their NEL title year and are representing NEL. International/National titles must be inclusive of all sexualities otherwise the NEL titleholder is not eligible to compete for that title.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship is optional. Contestants are not required to have a title or sponsors to run for the title. It is encouraged to create a support team to help the Contestant to help manage the actual contest run, and potential win. Contestants are not allowed to have sponsors that are official sponsors of NEL or anyone that is staff or a judge/tallymaster, as that’s a conflict of interest. Sponsorship may be sought out to mitigate travel expenses, coordinate donation baskets, or for any other contributions to support the contestant throughout the weekend. Any sponsorship must be disclosed on the application, or in writing to the Producers if attained after submitting the application.

Photography/Media

Winners must agree to possibly be photographed and be referred to by legal name or chosen scene name (as specified on Contestant Application) in future publications as decided by NEL in conjunction with the winner (such as the media releases, a video of the contest, on the web, and in internet/print promotional/publicity materials for NEL). All images taken by official NEL staff are the property of NEL. Each Contestant shall be required to agree to and sign the NEL Photography Release form.

Contestants must also agree to be interviewed by media after they have submitted their application. This is just in case any media outlet would like to interview contestants so they can be announced after the Contestant application deadline.

Code of Conduct

Scheduling

Contestants should appear on time, in person at all scheduled events during the NEL contest date(s). Contestants may be disqualified from the contest at the discretion of the Producers of NEL if they are unable to make all scheduled events or if they are tardy frequently. Contestants are strongly encouraged to allow for enough time to decompress on either side of the contest and compensate for any possible travel delays/conflicts. Timing will be conveyed to each Contestant beforehand and are required to make their own accommodations to get to the official venues.

Fraternization

NEL contestants are encouraged to get to know the judges and interact with them. However, contestants are prohibited from having private meetings or engaging in any sexual activity or scene play with the judges prior to the announcement of the contest results. Contestants may not attempt to sway the judges through gifts, meals, favors, or similar acts. Any behavior that might create the appearance of bias will be brought to the attention of the Producers, who along with the Head Judge (if not involved) will decide if the disqualification of the judge and/or contestant is warranted.

To avoid accidental violation of this policy and possible removal from the contest, contestants and judges will be announced prior to the beginning of the contest weekend and Contestants will also have time to get to know the judges at the beginning of the contest. Additionally, all contestants and judges must display their identification badges at all times throughout the weekend if badges are supplied.

Representation

Illegal drug use is prohibited during the contest, and it is highly advised that alcohol be abstained from or limited during the contest as you are being judged on your presentation.

Contestants must agree to appear onstage wearing appropriate gear and participate in all judged categories while conforming to local regulations pertaining to nudity and obscenity. For the purpose of this contest, genital areas must be covered at all times. 

All rules and regulations imposed by NEL must be followed. Failure to do so may result in removal from the Northeast Leather Contest, which would result in immediate disqualification. 

These rules may be amended by the Producers of the contest if need arises. If this occurs, all parties involved will be notified.

Fundraising Obligations

Auction

Part of the fundraising efforts for the travel fund comes from the auction of items brought by the Contestants in the form of a “basket” or however else presented. Contestants will be required to contribute items to the auction, which will benefit the NEL/NEBB travel funds exclusively. It is not necessarily about the quantity of items or the quality of the items. It’s about understanding what the community may be interested in and what may be in high demand. The ultimate goal is to raise a good amount of money for the titleholder travel fund. Going into this as a contestant your goal is to become the titleholder so keep that in mind when putting together a basket to auction off.

50/50 Tickets 

Contestants are required to sell 50/50 tickets to raise money for the travel fund. A small portion of scoring will be attributed to the percentage of tickets sold to each contestant. Bootblacks may or may not participate due to bootblacking at the contest. If not participating then they will be opted out of tickets sold counting towards their final score. The 50/50 ticket portion will be at the Friday meet and greet.  

Judged Categories  

The main object of the different stages of the contest is for the judges to try to determine which of the contestants will best represent the title in the coming year. The contest includes four different categories: Leather Lifestyle, Interview, Speech, and Pop Questions.

Leather Lifestyle

The Lifestyle category of the contest gives contestants the opportunity to demonstrate their concern for the entire Leather+ community during the weekend. Leather Lifestyle includes interaction with judges, other contestants, VIPs, and the general public during the Northeast Leather Contest weekend. This starts when the contestant arrives and continues until the staged portion of the contest begins. We are looking for a titleholder who can get along with and be open to everyone. We believe that one-on-one interaction between the titleholder and the community is an important part of a titleholder’s reign.

Interview

The judges will interview contestants to try to obtain a deeper understanding of their history and character. The interview will consist of a question-and-answer period with a panel of judges. Judging will be based on what is in each contestant’s application as well as social media presence, and any previous knowledge of the contestant. The time allotted will be exactly the same for each contestant. Questions for all Leather contestants will be exactly the same, and questions for Bootblack contestants will be all the same. There may be an additional ‘personality’ question that gives the judges a little more insight into who you are outside of Leather as well as questions that speak to specific unique qualities of the contestant. Once the contestants have finished their interviews they are required to wait until all interviews are done in case the judges have follow-up and clarification questions. 

Speech

Titleholders are frequently asked to speak in public and this is often the best way they have to reach large audiences. Each participant will give a speech from the stage on any subject they believe is relevant to the audience. The speech must last between 90 seconds and two minutes. No notes or visual aids will be allowed. Not meeting the time guidelines will be penalized in the scoring.

Pop Questions

Titleholders need to be able to think quickly and answer questions off the cuff when interacting with other people. Pop Questions include an appearance on stage and how the contestant answers a light/humorous question and one serious question asked them by the emcee. The questions will be created in advance by the panel of Judges and will be drawn by lot by each contestant as they appear on stage. Every effort will be made to ensure that the questions are equally relevant and thought-provoking to provide a fair balance.

Judging

The Production Team will appoint a judging panel. Judges may be removed or replaced without explanation or advance notice. The Producers reserve the right to ask the winners back the next year to judge the contest. The Producers and the staff of the contest do not have any authority to override any judge’s decision. The Head Judge is in charge of the panel of judges. As it relates to scoring, the decision of the Tallymasters is final. In the case of a tie, the Producers have the option to choose both as the winner, or go back to the Judges to evaluate again.

Scoring

The judges will use the Olympic method of scoring (where the highest and lowest score in each category is not counted). Judges’ scorecards will be collected and tallied by the Tallymasters at the end of each segment of the contest. In the event of a tie, the interview scores may be used to determine the winner. If a tie still remains first the interview scores will be used and then, if necessary, the speech scores will be used.

The point values per judge for each of the five categories are as follows:

Northeast Leather Contests Judging  

Interview/Bar Wear = 45 points possible

*Bootblacking Technical = 20 points possible

Leather Lifestyle/Bar Wear = 20 points possible

Speech/Formal Wear = 25 points possible

Pop Questions/Erotic Wear = 10 points possible

*Tickets = 10 points possible if used. 5 subtracted from Interview & 5 from Leather Lifestyle.

Northeast Bootblack Contest Judging

Interview/Bar Wear = 40

Boot Tech Knowledge/Skill = 35

Speech/Formal Wear  = 20

Pop Questions/Erotic Wear = 5

*Tickets = 5 points possible if used. 2 subtracted from Interview & 3 from Pop Questions.

This will result in a maximum possible score of 100 points. If only one contestant is running, their total score must be no less than 70% or 70 points.

1. Personal Interview/Bar Wear (40/45 Points) 

The judges, as a group, will conduct an interview with each contestant. Questions asked during the interview will be devised solely by the judges and will cover any topic the judges consider to be useful in selecting the contestant most suited to the title. Interviews are conducted in private, with only the contestant and judges present. Bar Wear outfits consist of what you would normally wear out to a leather bar / leather bar night. 

2. Bootblacks only (20 points)

Each Contestant will be asked to talk about bootblacking and conservation. Questions may include (but are not limited to) technical knowledge, community contribution, bootblack history and personal history. The judges will ask questions so Contestants can demonstrate their technical knowledge and talk about their craft. The judges want to see how Contestants speak about their work.

2a. Technical Knowledge, Skill, and Stand Time 

Contestants will have their stand time judged. They will be observed throughout the weekend and judged on their speed, finished product, and how they address specific challenges in shining boots. Judges will evaluate technical skills, product choices, and other technical choices the contestants make. Contestants will have stands set up and be blacking during Saturday afternoon to serve the public, and their judges.

Judges will observe and evaluate the bootblacks during this time. Evaluation criteria may include: speed of process, confidence, product knowledge, organization, and end results. Judges will also observe and evaluate the interaction between the contestants and their clients while the contestants are working on the clients’ boots.

3. Speech/Formal Wear (20-25 points)

Contestants will give a speech no longer than two minutes on a topic of their choice. The speech does not have to be about bootblacking if you’re a bootblack. The Contestants will also be judged on their “formal leather look” during this time. The formal leather look does not need to include any leather, but it needs to be a leather lifestyle look that is more formal. Think something you would wear to an interview, but a leather interview. 

Contestants will present a 90 second to 2 minute prepared speech (on any topic of their choice) on stage during the contest on Saturday in their formal leather look. This is designed to showcase your ability to get up in front of an audience, connect with them and motivate them.  Although mics will not be turned off, judges will be informed if the speech exceeds 2 minutes, which may impact your potential score. 

4. Pop Question/Erotic Wear (5-10 points)

Contestants will answer 2 pop questions on stage during the main contest. One question will be serious and the other will be humorous. Contestants will not be informed of the question before it is read on stage. Their outfit during this portion will be their Erotic Wear. Erotic Wear is something that you feel sexy in. It doesn’t have to be skimpy, but it should make you feel whatever sexy means to you.

The Contestants will be asked a Pop Question on stage on Saturday night. Contestants will draw a pop question, be given a chance to read it, then the MC will read it to the audience and Contestants will have a mic to answer the question.  Avoid simply saying yes or no; Contestants should show off a quick wit and spontaneous side.

5. Leather Lifestyle (10 points) 

The judges will observe the contestant throughout the contest and evaluate their interaction with members of the public, staff, and fellow contestants. As well, the judges will evaluate the performance of the contestants during the contest.

Throughout the contest the judges will observe how the Contestants present themselves and interact with the general public. Whether rehearsing or socializing, the judges will be looking for a Contestant with strong communication skills, politeness, a willingness to share knowledge and a genuine desire to help build community. Additionally, the Contestant Coordinator will track your deliverables prior to the event and on site (getting materials in by due dates, on time for meetings etc) and provide a report to the judges on Contestant compliance.

The Northeast Leather Contest winners will be announced on stage at the end of the Contest. In the event of a first runner up, the first runner-up agrees to assume the title, privileges, and responsibilities of the winner if the winner resigns or has their title revoked.

Winners Responsibilities 

Each contestant agrees to represent their respective Northeast Leather title during the full year of their title if they should win the contest. This includes refraining from competition in any other contest until the conclusion of their Northeast Leather Title year, with the exception of competing in an agreed upon International contest if the winner elects to do so. The title year is defined as beginning when a contestant is named the winner of their respective Northeast Leather contest and concludes at the following year’s contest when a new winner is announced. In the event that a new winner is not chosen the titleholder’s year is complete at the end of the contest, and the Producers may ask the titleholder to hold the title for a second year to represent the region. 

After the contest, the winners will meet with the Producers to sign their contract, and discuss about planning how the titleholder will meet expectations for their title. The titleholders may also be expected to sign an additional photo release that covers all future events in which the winner is representing NEL as the titleholder.

The winners agree to attend the following year’s Northeast Leather Contest and to participate in that contest in any capacity that the Producers may determine. Titleholders will be a required step down from their title the next year when they come back, and may be asked to serve as a judge for the contest either that year or the next.

Admission to the following year’s contest will be provided to the titleholder by the Production Team.