OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE Out Magazine ISSUU 33 | Page 29

That night on stage we were asked a pop question, and it’s a
question where each contestant responds with something funny,
the first thought that comes to mind. My pop question was
so perfect for me because of what my speech was about. The
question was, “If you are an animal, which one would you be
and why?” I gave a short and sweet answer! My answer was, “Oh
that is easy, I would be a lion as am always ready to pounce!”
GAY AND LESBIAN
NETWORK GETS
DONATION
When the time came to announce the winner, I was thinking…
this is it!!! this is it!!! Girl Complex was announced as
International Ms Leather 2017 and Elisa Vegas was announced
as winner of International Ms Bootblack 2017. I am so happy
for them as I know that they are going to make an impact
on the leather community! Micky Rebel is the runner up
for International Ms Bootblack 2017 & Stela Furtado was
announced as runner up for International Ms Leather 2017.
I felt so emotional after the announcement and I could not face
anyone for a good 30 minutes afterward. All the time spent
preparing for the SA Leather competition throughout 2016,
winning the SA Bootblack title and preparing for the biggest
adventure I had just experienced…ended just like that. I felt a
drop on a grade scale! I knew that I had to show my face at the
boots & cigar party and welcome the new title holders.
As I walked in I saw some familiar faces, Boi Debney with his
mistress, the owner of Wicked Grounds in San Francisco (wh o I
met just days before) and Thomas (a fellow contestant who ran
for International Ms Leather) I remember Thomas’s big smile
on her face and her hug! I was so emotional and I am not one
for showing my emotions that easily. Their where bootblacks
doing boots in the dark with just a tiny light. I got to witness
some cigar play with Lucky and Micky (a fellow contestant)
Danielle who was one of my handlers was dressed in a latex
wonder woman outfit…. I think Gal Gadot has some serious
competition!!
The Sunday night as I packed my suitcases, I felt so sad as I was
leaving all these wonderful people behind and my experience
of IMsL/IMsBootblack was OVER! I didn’t want to go home!
Monday morning, I was standing outside waiting outside of the
hotel doors already thinking of how I was going to come back
and excited to share my experience with the leather community
in South Africa.
I would like to send out a huge thank you to Dara Bryant
(International Ms Bootblack 2014) who I finally got to meet
after two years of Skype bootblacking sessions. Your time,
kindness, knowledge and generosity makes me smile from ear to
ear. I think you are amazing!!! I can’t wait to see you again!!
I would like to thank the group of women that I met and
experienced IMsL/IMsBootblack with. Lucky 13, you will
forever be in my heart and I hope that our bond will continue. I
look forward to seeing each one of you in the future!!
I would like to thank to the people on my team who made sure
I had something to eat, something to drink and my outfits were
always sorted for the next task. My team made the experience of
competing easy and I would like to thank Douglas Ambrose, Tris
Esclave and Danielle Venator for making my contest experience
something to remember. Teagan and Jesbian, thank you for
being you! I can’t wait to see both of you again and see more of
San Francisco!
THANK YOU to SA Leather who made all this possible!
If you are interested in the BDSM, Kink, Fetish and
Leather community, contact us: SA Leather South
Africa - [e-mail] or find us on Facebook!
Anthony Waldhausen – Director of Gay & Lesbian
Network (left) and Qiniso Nonjabulo Ntuli –
Finance Officer of Gay & Lesbian Network (right)
accept the generous donation from Mark Butler
(centre) on behalf of the Gay and Lesbian Network.
T
he Gay and Lesbian Network (GLN) would like to
express our deepest gratitude for the kind donation
from Mark Butler. He recently gave a very generous
donation which will go towards the work that
GLN does to ensure equality, respect and acceptance. GLN
runs various programmes which take a holistic approach
to improving the lives of marginalised communities,
primarily the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and
Intersex (LGBTI) community. These programmes include
outreach, health, research and a unique creating an enabling
environment, which focuses on educating and sensitising
various stakeholders.
Butler had the following to say’ “First of all, it’s a terrible
indictment on us as a society, as a community, that the
Network needs to exist at all. It really shouldn’t be too
much to ask that, as humans first & fundamentally, all of
us love all of us - without qualification, without reservation,
without fear, and without hatred. But the truth is we do fail –
repeatedly and systematically. Scourges like racism, sexism,
elitism, xenophobia, and queer-&homo-phobia are much too
commonplace. So there’s lots of work to be done to affirm
everyone’s fundamental humanity and dignity; to challenge
prejudice and hatred; and to comfort and heal the many who
are hurt and damaged by our failures of love and humanity.
Giving support - and cash - to organisations like ‘Maritzburg’s
Gay and Lesbian Network is one part of that work.”
The money that he donated is extra special, as it comes
from his late mother’s estate. GLN would like to take this
opportunity to remind the public of our bequest programme,
in which you are able to include GLN in your will. You can
always make a difference in someone else’s life by assisting
in any way that you can, whether it is by donation of money,
food, clothes or volunteering your time. As GLN is a non-
profit organisation and relies on donations, all bequests and
donations are exempt from tax.
Please visit www.gaylesbian.org.za if you would
like any further information.
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