PRESS
Re: Sir Ang
Seattle, WA – March 23, 2023 - IMsLBB is in receipt of a complaint lodged against Sir Ang, in which allegations have been made that call into question her ability to serve as Head Judge for the upcoming 2023 IMsLBB contest. We take all allegations seriously and have launched an investigation.
As we continue to navigate the complex waters of awareness in understanding abuse and the non-consensual use of power, we find ourselves, once again, needing to appeal to a restorative justice model.
We cannot stress enough that we must keep our standards, ethics, and values high. We must all be accountable for any harm that we do to one another. We must acknowledge that any one of us can do harm and that intention, while important, does not mitigate impact.
At IMsLBB, we do not believe in carceral punishment. Since any of us might do harm, we believe that growth is possible from all of us. We believe in restorative justice frameworks that rely on accountability. In this process, we need equity, access, and participation. Taking into consideration the current political climate in the United States, we find ourselves reminded that none of us are disposable.
We are happy to report that we are working with a restorative justice professional who will, in the immediate future, assist us in navigating our current needs for an educated restorative justice approach and accountability process. In the long term, we are looking at possibly having them join the team to assist in creating and applying more universally applicable policy.
Sir Ang has approached us to acknowledge, and take responsibility for any harm that she has caused. She has requested an accountability process and wishes to move forward within the restorative justice framework that we are employing. As such, the investigation will wrap up as soon as our team has had the opportunity to review the statements submitted.
After our investigation is over, we are committed to helping all sides of this, who might be interested in doing so, to take part in a restorative justice process.
While the investigation is underway, we at IMsLBB will be taking the following steps immediately and in the future for the safety of our events:
Now and Leading up to IMsLBB 2023:
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We will pin the post with the allegations on the IMsLBB Facebook page until the conclusion of the investigation. (This will happen in tandem with disabling comments. Please send any further information to us directly at imslbbgen5@gmail.com)
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We will note on any future social media posts mentioning her, that Sir Ang has had allegations made against her, and an investigation is underway.
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We will provide space for survivors of abuse at the IMsLBB 2023 event to speak with one another for support.
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We will reach a conclusion to this investigation before the IMsLBB 2023 event.
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Should the investigation conclude that the allegations against Sir Ang pose a threat to the IMsLBB community, we will advise Sir Ang to go through an accountability process, and she will not be welcomed back at IMsLBB events until she does so.
As soon as we can find qualified individuals/teams, we hope to provide educational support by:
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Holding a workshop about abuse in the community, red flags from both sides of the slash, and how to safely come forward as a survivor at our event and other community spaces.
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Holding a workshop about negotiation and explicit prior permission, both at the beginning of and whilst in the depths of, power exchange/authority transfer dynamics.
As always, IMsLBB Gen 5 remains committed to transparency, accountability, safer access for all, and a prioritization of those most marginalized among us. We offer our continued thanks for every growth opportunity and for your grace as we learn how best to protect our spaces in meaningful and community-building ways.
In Leather,
Mademoiselle Ceci Cloutier, IMsLBB Executive Producer
& the IMsLBB Production Team
Re: Scout the Bootblack
Seattle, WA – March 22, 2023 - The IMsLBB Team has concluded our investigation into allegations made against Scout the Bootblack. We wish to thank all of those who came forward to assist in this investigation. Our investigation has concluded that there are indeed allegations against Scout the Bootblack that pose a potential threat to the IMsLBB community. As such, we have advised Scout to go through an accountability process, and he will not be welcomed back at IMsLBB events until he does so. As Scout has already resigned from the Judging panel for medical reasons, no further action will take place on our end until/unless an accountability process is requested once he is medically able.
The IMsLBB production team wants to make it very clear that we do not feel able to make value or judgment claims regarding anyone’s reactions to perceived instances/experiences of racism, transphobia, ableism, bigotry etc. Our conclusions in this investigation were reached without appealing to any allegations centering any such reactions as the offense.
While investigating these allegations, we also discovered two instances of impropriety that would have inhibited Scout’s ability to judge the 2023 IMsBB contest impartially. As Scout has already resigned, there is no further action to take on this matter.
We thank the community for stepping up to assist in this investigation and for your grace as we learn to navigate these complexities together.
Re: IMsLBB Judging Panel
Seattle, WA – March 16, 2023 – For Immediate Release: On March 15th, the IMsLBB staff was contacted by a family member of Scout the Bootblack and informed that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury. This TBI has left him with serious cognitive difficulties and, as a result, he has resigned as Judge for the upcoming IMsLBB contest.
Scout's resignation came prior to the conclusion of our investigation. IMsLBB, however, will continue our investigation and we remain committed to participating in a restorative justice process with all who wish to do so.
In accordance with our contest rules, during the upcoming 2023 contest, the average of the 5 remaining IMsBB Judges will be taken as the 6th Judge's score.
Re: Scout the Bootblack
Seattle, WA – March 12, 2023 – There are innumerable complexities and nuances in exploring and understanding abuse and the non-consensual use of power and control. These complexities and nuances only multiply when adding in layers of intersectionality such as ability, race, kink, BDSM and/or leather.
Within our community, it is paramount that we keep high standards, ethics, and values. We have to be accountable for harm that we do to one another, and acknowledge that any one of us can do harm. This integrity is what allows us to do what we do with some assurance of consent, safety and credibility.
At IMsLBB, we do not believe in carceral punishment. Since any of us might do harm, we believe that growth is possible from all of us. We believe in restorative justice frameworks that rely on accountability. In this process, we need equity, access, and participation. Taking into consideration the current political climate in the United States, we find ourselves reminded that none of us are disposable. At IMsLBB, we acknowledge that our community needs a restorative justice framework now. This framework, however, cannot be created in the vacuum of necessity, nor can it be created to apply to one situation without being applicable on a broader scale. It takes time to both create universal policy and to understand what accountability under that policy looks like in a restorative justice framework.
In order to provide equity, a full investigation is taking place, in cooperation with the NCSF, regarding the allegations that have been made against Scout the Bootblack. We know it can be very hard to speak out and up after having experienced violence and harm and we thank those of you who have stepped forward for your candor and vulnerability. We take these allegations extremely seriously. If there are others who might have been afraid to come forward, we encourage you to do so by reaching out to us directly or with the NCSF at www.NCSFreedom.org. We, and they, will hold your confidence, if that is your desire.
Scout has also stated that he has experienced harm.
After our investigation is over, we are committed to helping all sides of this, who might be interested in doing so, to take part in a restorative justice process. We think this framework is important for accountability as well as growth. We will employ an encounter, repair and transform model.
We ask for your patience during this time. The investigation needs to be thorough, and we would like time for anyone else to come forward. There are limited blueprints for this so we are hopeful that you will be gentle with us as we strive to ensure that our actions are in alignment with our values.
While the investigation is underway, we at IMsLBB will be taking the following steps immediately and in the future for the safety of our events:
Now and Leading up to IMsLBB 2023:
-
We will pin the post with the allegations on the IMsLBB Facebook page until the conclusion of the investigation. (This will happen in tandem with disabling comments. Please send any further information to us directly at imslbbgen5@gmail.com)
-
We will note on any future social media posts mentioning him, that Scout has had allegations made against him, and an investigation is pending.
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We will create a survivors support community group within the IMsLBB website.
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We will provide an additional space for survivors of abuse at the event to speak with one another for support.
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We will reach a conclusion to this investigation before the IMsLBB 2023 event.
-
Should the investigation conclude that the allegations against Scout pose a threat to the IMsLBB community, we will advise Scout to go through an accountability process, and he will not be welcomed back at IMsLBB events until he does so.
As soon as we can find qualified individuals/teams, we hope to provide educational support to both sets of allegations in this situation by:
-
Holding a workshop about abuse in the community, red flags from both sides of the slash, and how to safely come forward as a survivor at our event and other community spaces.
-
Holding a workshop about white supremacy culture within the community.
As we navigate this difficult terrain together, IMsLBB Gen 5 remains committed to transparency, accountability, safer access for all and a prioritization of those most marginalized among us. We thank you for this opportunity to learn and grow alongside the community we serve and welcome your ideas for our continued improvement.
In Leather,
Mademoiselle Ceci Cloutier, IMsLBB Executive Producer
& the IMsLBB Production Team
IMsLBB Brings On Two Associate Producers
Seattle, WA – January 26, 2023 – IMsLBB brings on 2 new production staff members. Former International Ms Bootblack Teagan Ross joins the team as the Contest Director overseeing the production of both the IMsL and IMsBB contests. Sir Damien joins the team as a Technical Director focusing on IMsLBB’s website, our event app and the “on-site to virtual” content streaming service that will thrust us into a new generation as a hybrid event and contest that can be accessed globally.
International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack is committed to promoting inclusion, diversity and access to all. As a part of these ongoing efforts, it is our esteemed pleasure to welcome Teagan Ross and Sir Damien to the IMsLBB Production Team. Please join us in thanking them for pledging their time, labor, perspectives and voices to our efforts to make IMsLBB fun and fabulous for everyone.
As a former International Ms Bootblack, Teagan knows what it’s like to run for the IMsLBB contests and moved into the production of contests a number of years ago. Teagan previously produced the San Francisco Bootblack Contest from 2018-2022 and joined the team to focus on making the contest more equitable, accessible, and transparent. Contests have long taken place behind closed doors and Teagan looks forward to peeling back the curtain and including the contest in our virtual offerings.
Teagan’s responsibility begins as soon as applications are submitted and she will be the primary point of contact for contestants in the months leading up to the IMsLBB Weekend. Having a member of the production team in this role allows us to keep clear boundaries between the contestants and the executive producer, Mademoiselle Ceci. As we move beyond 2023, Teagan will work closely with the production team to iterate and improve the contest and select judges we can trust with the difficult task of selecting our titleholders.
Sir Damien is a community advocate and historian, devoting much of his very rare “spare” time to collecting the histories of the Leather folks who walked before him. Sitting on the boards of the NCSF, POCKLE and the NW chapter of the Men of Onyx, Sir Damien has hosted hospitality suites, sat on panels, done demos and taught classes around the country. In 2016 he founded the Seattle Annex of the Carter Johnson Library and Collection, with Mademoiselle Ceci and, by her side, he has taken pride in making it his part time job to support IMsLBB as a technical producer since 2019. In that time, Sir Damien has built a free, membership based website open to all members of the IMsLBB community (that means you! Visit: www.imslbb.org), has facilitated the streaming of two virtual events during the pandemic, has built the IMsLBB Backdoor (an internal streaming service for our treasured monthly “Friends of IMsLBB” supporters) and has streamlined a captioning process to aid us in meeting our 100% captioned or ASL interpreted content guarantee. As Gen 5 moves forward, he is excited to continue creating new ways for all to access IMsLBB, both in person and virtually. IMsLBB is committed to continuing the virtual component of the weekend so that those who are unable to physically join us due to distance, finances, or ability are able to participate in the weekend like anyone else.
A Note to Our Community
The International Ms Leather and International Ms Bootblack team has been poring over your survey answers, reading your messages, hearing your concerns and watching the world as it unfolds around us. As times remain uncertain and fears continue to rise alongside the numbers, we have made the difficult decision to go virtual again for the 2022 event. We look forward to connecting with all of you safely on our digital platform this April, as we set our eyes towards an in person event in April of 2023 in San Jose, California, USA.
In preparation, we invite you all (if you haven't already) to set up your very own IMsLBB profile when prompted as you browse the site. There is no charge to do so and your profile will give you access to view, participate in and create groups that speak to your interests. Not only that, but you will be able to keep up on all the goings on in the International Ms Leather and International Ms Bootblack Community, while getting your flirt on with Leatherfolk from around the globe! Stay tuned for more information! Registration opens soon!
People of Color Kink & Leather Experience and International Ms Leather & International Ms Bootblack team up to bring you a very special:
JUNETEENTH TELETHON!!!!!!!
Join us for a day filled with history, Leather, cooking, kink, classes, art, and conversations as we raise funds for POCKLE and IMsLBB! Help us continue providing accessible content year-round!
Our telethon will feature the Menopause panel filmed for IMsLBB 2021 moderated by TheGoddess Indigo and featuring Mama Vi, Judy Tallwing-McCarthey, Mistress Mir, Mistress Max Rulz, Mistress Jill Carter, and Shann Carr.
Other programming includes:
• Learn some wonderful recipes from Jackie Thompson and Robert Bowden
• Listen in about POC Leather history from Graylin Thornton, Mama Vi, and Kinkerbell
• Take a deep dive into “Black Leather in Color” with Sir Damien and some of his ONYX Brothers
• Watch kinky drawing with Pup Shade
• Pick up the 101 basics of anal prep with Xir Oya
Catch the telethon streaming from 12 pm EDT to 9 pm EDT on one of the following websites or social media outlets:
https://www.facebook.com/POCKLEPROJECT
https://www.facebook.com/IMsLBB
https://www.facebook.com/CarterJohnsonLibrary
International Deaf Leather (IDL) announced to dissolve the organization.
“During the past thirty years, the International Deaf Leather – formerly National Leather Association – Deaf Chapter (NLA-Deaf Chapter) transition to IDL as well, have been proud to support and foster multiple leather people with our IDL titleholders, contestants, supporters along with 7 founders – 4 have retired and 3 have passed away so that leave me a sole founder of IDL. It is time for me to retire from this organization. The 7 founders are Philip Rubin, Rolf Hagton, Bobby Andrascik, Michael Felts - deceased, Jim Dunne - deceased, Charles Wilkinson - deceased and me.
It is with heavy heart that International Deaf Leather (IDL) Core Committee have made the decision that it is time for IDL to dissolve the club. With today’s technology that have change and impacted our organization big time.
We want to express the deepest thanks to everyone who has been a part of our organization for past 30 years with your great support and appreciation.
We the core committee have decide to split our funds into two group. They are Mid Atlantic Deaf Interpreters Fund (MAD-IF) and International Ms. Leather Black Boot (IMsLBB) for Deaf Interpreter Fund.
Thank you once again for all your love, support and celebrated with us for these 30 years.”
—posted on the behalf of one founder, Bob D-Pirc