Desmond Perrotto
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Mr Hayes Valley Leather History: 2002 - Michael S 2003 - Michael D 2004 - Darryl J 2005 - Jay H 2006 - Sean K 2007 - Steve M |
The Hayes Valley Leather Men are some of the most relaxed, laid back, welcoming, and caring people Ive met within the leather scene. Im really happy to say Im a part of the group and they are now another family for me.
The title itself is held by Marlenas and if you are not familiar with Marlenas, you should check it out sometime. More on that later. The title feeds into both Mr San Francisco Leather and International Mr Leather which Im looking forward to competing in.
So what can I say about the contest itself? I have never received some much support and encouragement in all my life (mind you Ive had some HUGE support throughout my years). I think what made this time different was I was receiving support from people I didnt know who had just heard that I was running. People who would introduce themselves and offer to help if needed. Through the process of preparing, it also allowed me to meet so many new people who I can now call friends.
My speech was well received that night and it really does reflect my feelings about the bar. For those interested in torturing yourselves, you can find my practice on youtube (yes I video taped myself to see my body language, learn how to move and get feedback from friends).
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Now about the bar itself. Marlenas has always been one of my favorite places. When I moved to San Francisco, I will say, the one thing about moving to the gay mecca that struck me as odd was the drag here. It wasnt what I was used to or what I enjoyed most about drag shows. I saw a lot of expression and a lot of political acts that had a message (like thats not San Francisco), but what I finally found at Marlenas was a sense of home. I started learning more about the girls who performed there, since they were more of the elegant drag that I remembered (also note, I was raised by a pack of aging drag queens out of the 70s who knew how to do it).
It also helped that I met someone who would become a great influence for me. I met Phil Lindo, who was a pup, at the time SF Leather Daddys boy, and also a former Empress. He lived very close to the bar. I went in and ordered a cosmo. It was a bit more so I double checked the price with the bartender. After confirming and accepting, I found out the person tending to the bar was none other than Marlena/Gary himself. I met him many other times and quickly became friends. As it turned out, he loves puppies.
Finally, the must see about the bar. Every season Marlena decks the bar in something different. For Christmas, the bar is decked to the max, drawing lots of attention to people passing by on Hayes Street. For Halloween, its decked out in Disney. During coronation, its decked with the photos of former Emperors and Empresses and during the Hayes Valley Leather, its the former Mr Hayes Valley Leather men.
I found home in the bar because it was diverse and mixed straight and gay (as well as bi and questioning), it mixed drag and leather, and pretty much welcomed everyone without the need for labels. To me, for San Francisco, its the bar without a label (and it doesnt need one).