The third annual Philadelphia Leather Pride celebration, packed with events in venues throughout the Gayborhood, from November 4 to 6; boasting the participation of nine organizations and clubs; and produced by Cowboi Jen, raised more than $10,000 for half a dozen beneficiaries.

The theme this year was Unity and participating groups were Black Beat Philly Metro, Bootblack Brigade, Jersey Amazons, Keystone boys of Leather, the Liberty Bears of Philadelphia, MAsT (Masters And slaves Together) Wilmington DE, NDDs (North Delaware D/s), Philadelphians Motorcycle Club, and Philly TNG (The Next Generation).  In keeping with the Unity theme, formation of a new club, the Philadelphia Leather Alliance (PLA), was announced during the weekend.

During the evening Jo Arnone announced the recipient of this years Jo Arnone Award for Community Service. For an outstanding commitment to the betterment of our community this award was presented to the Bucks MC. The Bucks have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities with their annual post-Thanksgiving event called Santa Saturday.         `

Beneficiaries were the Chicago-based Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M), and its Women’s Leather History Project (WLHP), and the traveling Carter/Johnson Leather Library, all dedicated to preserving our Leather heritage and history; Philadelphia’s William Way Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center; the Mazzoni Center’s food bank, providing meals for Philadelphia metropolitan area people living with HIV/AIDS; the Sharon St Cyr Fund, Hearing from the Heart, providing hearing aids for those who need them and American Sign Language interpreters for events; and By The Grace of George, helping to care for pets belonging to the homebound and terminally ill.

Philadelphia Leather Pride Night (PLPN) donated $3,500 to the LA&M and $1,000 to its WLHP, and has paid for storage for the Carter/Johnson Leather for an entire year!  The invaluable LA&M traveling road show and full Carter/Johnson collection were on display, in the library, at the William Way Center, for the full Leather Weekend, and were seen and appreciated by the more than 500 people, who walked through the library’s doors.  The Center also played host to several well attended programs with book readings, a MAsT Day of Education, a TNG class taught by 2011 International Ms Leather Sara Vibes and her wife Ashley, and an expanded art show featuring Judy Tallwing McCarthy. After the weekend volunteers showed up at the William Way Center with 100 much-needed metal folding chairs as part of the donation to the Center.

With its Kinky Karnival, at the Bike Stop, the Philadelphians MC raised $1,700 for the Mazzoni Center’s food bank.  The Liberty Bears, Keystone boys, and other PLPN volunteers helped put $500 in the Sharon St Cyr Fund, Hearing from the Heart’s coffers.  With their sexy raffle sale, New Jersey’s Amazons raised more than $500 for By The Grace of George.

There was a full house for the pre-PLPN Leather Dinner, at iCandy, where attendees were all ears for an informal and informative conversation with International Master and slave 2011 Liza and her slave Jody, from San Francisco.  The centerpiece of PLPN, on November 5, upstairs at Woody’s, was an exuberant auction, of myriad donated items of Leather/ S&M/ B&D/ D&S/ kink/ fetish interest, conducted by barker par excellence Jo Arnone, who dispatched the bidding in a record three hours.  International Ms. Leather 1996 Jill Carter, returning for the third year, and International Mr. Leather 2009 Jeffrey Payne were the MCs.  Entertainment was provided Liberty City Kings Dino Fontaine, Nueva Gabor, and Desire De la Hoz; the Distortion Arts Project and DJ Will; and baritone Bruce-Michael Gelbert, Mr. Fire Island Leather 2001 and PLPN official photographer.

Preparations are already well underway for PLPN 2012.  Extensive Leather collections will again be on display at the William Way Center, from November 7 to 11.  The Saturday night November 10 PLPN auction and entertainment will return to Voyeur Nightclub, which was the venue in 2009 and 2010.  MCs will be IMSL 1996 Jill Carter and Leatheman of Color 2011 Rod McCoy.  Jo Arnone will return as auctioneer for the fourth consecutive year.  There will again be a pre-PLPN Leather Dinner at iCandy, a meet-and-greet Leather Blender at the Way Center, and an Official After Party at the Bike Stop.