drewan | Transmen should be allowed to compete!

I came across an interesting article online today in the Bar Area Reporter about a controversy in San Francisco over the new LeatherSIR/Leatherboy contest. Because the contest doesn't all transmen (female to male) to compete in the competition, and the contest's organizers are also leading the Leather contingent in this years Pride march, some members of the SF Leather community are removing themselves from the main SF Leather pride contingent.

I feel a little bad for the contest's organizers, because the local contest is a feeder to an international competition, which is where the no-transmen policy is actually set. It isn't a policy that they themselves can change. They are trying to continue the tradition of leather contest to promote our community and build new leaders. (Yeah, I now that title holder don't always become leaders... but many do.)

On the other hand, I fully support our transbrothers and I think they should be fully included in the male leather community, including in our title contests. The size, or lack of, a penis shouldn't be an issue in the contest, because for almost all of these contests the penis is never even seen! (Yes, I expect that there are some nude titles... though I can't think of any off the top of my head.)

I'm curious if the Mr. Minneapolis Eagle contest allows transmen. This contest is a feeder for IML, so I expect IML's rules would be the guide here.