Time Line 1998

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Time Line 1998
(Time Line 1997) -- (Main Index) -- (Time Line 1999)
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Books Published

  • "Leatherwomen III", edited by Laura Antoniou
  • "Confessions of a Naked Piano Player" by Torsten Barring
  • "Juice, Electricity for Pleasure and Pain", by Uncle Abdul
  • "Completely Queer, The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia" by Steve Hogan and Lee Hudson
  • "Czar, a novel of Ivan the Terrible" by Larry Townsend,
  • "A Contagious Evil, The Mind of a Serial Killer" by Larry Townsend
1998
Two professors at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, receive a $5000. grant from the state organ of the National Endowment for the Humanities to study "Mainstreaming and Identity Definition within a Sadomasochistic Subculture."
1998
Martin Hall is named American Leatherman, Mercea is named American Leatherwoman, and Terry Sapp is named American Leatherboy.
1998
The World's first gay rights organization, The Scientific Humanitarian Committee, founded by Magnus Hirschfeld in 1987 and disbanded under Nazi pressure in 1933, is relaunched as an association of autonomous regional groups.
Jan 15-19
Leather Weekend & Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather contest in Washington DC, sponsored by Centaur M.C. Tony Mills of Miami Beach FL is named Mr, Mid-Atlantic Leather 1998.
Jan. 8
Avatar of Los Angeles, one of the continent's oldest SM clubs, celebrates their 15th anniversary.
Jan 12
NLA: New Orleans Officially accepted as the newest chapter of NLA:International.
Feb. 13-15
Pantheon Of Leather Awards VII in New Orleans. Man and Woman of the Year: Joseph Bean and Jill Carter; Lifetime Achievement: Vern Stewart; Reader's Choice Tom Stice and Jill Carter; Forbearer: Chuck Renslow; Club: Black Rose; Non Profit Organization: David Weinbaun Foundation; Club event: Black Rose X; Business: Play House Studios and Gallery; Buisness person: Philip Turner; International Award: Jacques Happe of Amsterdam; Couple of the year (first year for this award): Jill Carter, Viola Johnson and Queen Cougar. Regional Awards: Southeast: Tom Stice; South Central: Michelle Buckle; Rock Mountain: Leslie Anderson; Northwest: Spencer Bergstedt; Western: Peter Fiske; Midwest: R. J. Chaffin; Northeast: Susan Wright; Mid-Atlantic: Jack McGeorge; Canadian: (tie) George Cameron and Jay Wagoner. Local Community Service Award: Billy Lane. Publisher's Awards: Lance Brittain, Shelley Hagan and Kay Hallanger, and the San Francisco Eagle.
Feb. 14
The Interclub Fund holds the 32nd Annual Motorcycle Awards in San Francisco. The Golden Gate Guards and its members walk away with 22 honors, the Constantines received four awards and the California Eagles MC won three. A lifetime achievement honor is bestowed upon James Connor of the old Warlocks MC. The Community Service Award goes to Marcus Hernandez.
Feb. 15
Charles Garrett from Orlando and Katherine from Norcross GA are sashed as Mr. and Ms Olympus Leather during the Pantheon of Leather Weekend in New Orleans.
Feb. 24
Off Center, a web-based radio talk show on leather/SM/fetish and related communities debuts with host Race Bannon interviewing Joseph Bean, Executive Director of the Leather Archives & Museum.
Mar.
The Leather Journal, issue # 96, appears as a tabloid newspaper, changing from it's previous magazine image. Commencing with this issue it will have free distribution in leather bars and other businesses. but will still be available by subscription.
Mar. 12
An exhibit, "Queer & Kinky Danger: Artists Relating to Leather/SM/Kink" opens at the Gay & Lesbian Historical Society of Northern California in San Francisco. It runs through May.
April 7
George Michael, British singer noted for songs such as I Want Your Sex and Freedom, is arrested for performing a "lewd act" in Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills. Four days later he appears on CNN to come out as gay and say that he is currently in a relationship with a man.
April 17 - 19
Leather Leadership Conference II is held in New York City.
April 18
Black Rose of the Washington DC area Publishes The Black Rose Guide to Hosting a Leather Event in time to be available at the Leather Leadership Conference II.
April 21
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom sponsors the first Leather Lobby Day, meeting with a number of Congress members= Legislative Assistants to discuss discrimination and hate crimes involving sexual-minority practices.
April 24 - 26
American Brotherhood Weekend is held in Washington DC. American Leatherman >98 is Martin Hall from Rhode Island, American Leatherwoman 1998 is Mercea from Chicago and American Leatherboy >98 is Terry Sapp from Baltimore.
April 26
Death at age 90 of Dominique Aury, who as Pauline Reage, authored "The Story of O".
April 17-20
Indulgence 1998, a new men only SM event, modeled after the Inferno, Delta and Boot Camp events, is held in Ft. Lauderdale FL, sponsored by the Ft. Lauderdale Leather Guild, Inc.
May 23
The Mr. Ebony in Leather Contest is held at the Leatherneck bar in Chicago. Andre Macial is named the winner.
May 23
Annual Meeting of the Leather Archives and Museum membership is held in Chicago. The person occupying the post of executive director of LA&M is made an ex officio member of the LA&M board of directors and Joseph Bean moves from his elected seat on the board to this new one. Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase are reelected to the board and Phil "Fluffy" Swenson is elected to fill the open seat. Hilton Flax is elected to fill the remaining portion of the three year term to which Joseph Bean had been elected.
May 24
The 20th International Mr. Leather Contest held at the Congress Theatre in Chicago. Tony Mills, Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather becomes the 20th man to hold the IML title. A record 55 men compete, including Billy Lane, Mr. Seattle Leather, the first FTM transsexual to compete (he placed 10th).
May 24
The first public performance of "One Common Heartbeat" is presented by composer Gary Aldrich, backed by soloists Joe Ricci and Kevin Tyrrell and the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus during the International Mr Leather show in Chicago. The Leather Anthem had been written by Aldrich at the request of Chuck Renslow, executive producer of International Mr. Leather.
May 24
The first public presentation of the video documentary "In God we Trust, In Leather we Lust" is shown at the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. The video was created by Yves J. Menou and Cyrl Zajac of The Underground Fire Tribe.
May 24
The International Bootblack Competition is held during the International Mr. Leather weekend in Chicago. Matthew Duncan who boot blacks at the DC Eagle and is sponsored by Centaur MC wins.
June 5
Death of Leonard Dworkin, in New York City, a longtime activist in the leather/SM community. He was a founder of NY SM Activists; one of the motive forces behind the Leather Leadership Conferences, Creator of the NLA Friends on line bulletin board and many others of similar interest, a long time board member of The Eulenspiegel Society and editor of that organization's publication, Prometheus.
June 11
Selection of the cover man for the 1999 South of Market Bare Chest Calendar. This year, sponsored for the first time, by Miller Brewing Company
June 12
The first issue of Young Deviants, A newsletter aiming to broaden the Horizons of the inexperienced is published online by MMingle16@aol.com. The quarterly electronic newsletter is intended to provide basic safety and other information for young people interested in leather and SM.
June 12 - 14
The third annual Southeast Leatherfest is held in Atlanta, GA
July 9
Handing a resounding victory to the Defendants and a huge rebuke to the Plaintiff in the Scanlon v. Gay Male S/M Activists lawsuit, New York City District Court Judge Constance Baker Motley issues a decision dismissing all claims against the three individual GMSMA board members named in the suit and most of the claims against GMSMA, and only awarded Scanlon $500 - the absolute bare minimum possible - each for two incidents of copyright infringement.
July 14
Chicagoland Discussion Group, a long running pansexual leather/SM organization holds its last meeting.
July 17 - 19
Megan DeJarlais of Philadelphia is selected International Ms Leather 1998 at the contest in Atlanta.
July 31 - Aug. 2
Thunder in the Mountains, a pansexual SM conference featuring a large roster of well known presenters from all over North America is held in Denver. The nightly Play parties are great fun too. The Leather Archives and Museum's Traveling exhibit makes its first appearance.
August 1
The fifth Gay Games, Friendship '98, kicks off in Amsterdam with 14,700 participants.
Aug 9
Kink, A Women's Perspective opens at the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago. This first special exhibit in the Museum's gallery space features contributions of women to the art and literature of kink. The exhibit runs through Sept. 30.
Aug. 20
The Lesbian and Gay Rights Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union hosts a symposium entitled Leather and the Law in Los Angeles.
Aug. 21 - 23
Ohio Leather Coalition holds the First Annual LeatherFest, Cleveland.
Sept. 4 - 7
Satyr MC hold their 37th Run to Badger Flats.
Sept. 10 - 17
Chicago Hellfire Club hosts Inferno 27 in Douglas Michigan. Michael Blackburn receives the Caligula award and J. Weichert the J. Paul Eaton award.
Sept. 26
The Mr. Drummer finals is held in San Francisco. Herve Bernard from Paris, France, Mr. Europe Drummer, is slected as the 20th International Mr. Drummer. Ryan Goldner, Mid-Atlantic Drummerboy from Philadelphia is selected as Drummerboy of the year.
Sept. 30
The Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago hosts a party to mark the closing of it's first special exhibit, and of its exhibition space, which will be converted to work space to facilitate handling its ever increasing collection of leather memorabilia. Traveling exhibits will represent the LA&M at events around the country and the former exhibition space in Chicago will be used for cataloging, conservation and research of the collection.
Oct. 2-4
Leather University's Dungeon 301 is held in Ft. Lauderdale FL. This series continues with even more female and bi and heterosexual participation.
Oct. 6
In Laramie Wyoming, Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old gay man, and a student at the University of Wyoming, is lured from a bar by two men, viciously beaten, burned and left tied to a fence in freezing weather. He dies a few days later. The incident focuses national attention on Gay bashing and on hate crimes legislation.
Oct. 9 - 11
The National Leather Association: International holds Living in Leather XIII in Dallas Texas. Jan Hall becomes President and Spencer Bergsted, Vice President and President Elect.
Oct. 16
A Maryland court voids a decades old law criminalizing same-partner oral sex. The law, which dated back to 1916, made it a felony for lesbians and gay men to engage in oral sex and attached penalties of up to $1000 or 10 years in prison.
Oct. 16 - 18
Black Rose of Washington DC holds BR10, celebrating the club's 10th anniversary last year was such a success it will become an annual event!
Oct. 28 - Nov. 2
Rubber Ball fetish party in London attracts over 3500 guests from around the world. (LW)
Oct. 28
World premier of "Razorblade Smile", at Prince Charles Cinema in London. The film is Jake West's homage to fetish vampires (LW)
Nov. 23
The Georgia Supreme Court, in a 6 to 1 decision, rules that the Georgia Sodomy Law is unconstitutional on the grounds of the "right of privacy". This is the same law that was upheld by the US Supreme court in June 1986!
Nov. 26
Former President of Zimbabwe, Canaan Banana, is convicted of sodomy and sexual assault against 11 male aides. He claims that charges against him are fabricated by supporters of vehemently anti-gay Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.
Nov. 29
Norbert Lindner, the mayor of Quellendorf, Germany, is removed from office via voter referendum because of his plans to undergo gender reassignment surgery.
Dec.
The legislature of the Australian state of Tasmania votes to ban discrimination based upon sexual orientation, among with 19 other grounds, including pregnancy and breast feeding.
Dec.
In India the Supreme Court orders the government to provide bodyguards to the two female leads and the director of the film "Fire", a lesbian themed work that has inflamed the zealots from the right-wing Shiv Sena part. More than a dozen cinemas across the nation have been ransacked, and all those involved in the making of the film have been threatened. "This film poisons our women. It makes them curious about something immoral.", said a Shiv Sena spokeswoman.
Dec. 1
Two gay men "marry" each other at Notary Office Number 46 in Bogota Colombia, the same place where heterosexual marriages take place. Luis Antonio Arias Bolivar and Isauro Rincon Angarita sign a joint-ownership-of-property contract stating that they are gay, love each other and desire economic union. The document was created by gay lawyer and activist German Humberto Rincon. The two men, wearing black and beige tuxedos respectively, watch as Notary Judge Rosa Falla Laiseca reads the document. Then they sign it, as do the numerous guests/witnesses. When the Judge signs it it becomes official, Photos are taken and all leave for the reception.
Dec. 9
The National Assembly of France passes a partnership registration measure that grants unmarried couples spousal rights in areas such as inheritance, housing, taxation, workplace benefits, social security and social welfare programs.
Dec. 11
Police raid the gay bar, Tare, in Mexicali, Mexico, beating and jailing 14 patrons.
Dec. 15
In Canada, Mark Tewksbury, who won three Olympic swimming medals and set seven world records, comes out as gay. He had recently lost a six figure contract as a motivational speaker because he was "too openly gay", so he decided he needed to open the closet door all the way.
Dec. 16
The Supreme Court of the province of British Colombia rules that the school board of the Vancouver suburb of Surrey erred in banning books about gay relationships from kindergarten and first-grade classrooms.
December 22
New Zealand - Tuariki Delamere, Minister of Immigration, announces equality for gay and lesbian couples applying for permanent residency, to take effect on March 29, 1999. See 1999 in gay rights.

Deaths

October 21
Matthew Shepard, 21, American gay-bashing victim


(Time Line 1997) -- (Time Line Index) -- (Time Line 1999)
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