By Donna Sachet—
Krewe de Kinque’s Bal Masque XXIII exceeded all expectations on Sunday, March 15, taking full advantage of that evening’s live telecast of The Academy Awards. The Café on Market Street near Castro was transformed into a creative blend of New Orleans Mardi Gras and Hollywood’s most glamorous night, as hundreds of attendees celebrated and raised money for the beneficiary, Openhouse, which addresses the needs of the aging LGBTQ+ community. King and Queen of the Krewe, John Brett and Olivia Hart, completed their year of parties and fundraising. Grand Marshal of the evening, Queen Cougar, the recently crowned Regent Empress of the Imperial Court, contributed to the festivities, and ongoing live entertainment and large screen monitors of the Oscar presentations kept the audience entertained. The event included a silent auction, delicious Cajun-inspired food and drinks, and plenty of colorful costumes leading up to the crowning of the new King and Queen of the Krewe de Kinque, King Hot Toddie and Queen Fabulosa. Watch for great things from them this year!
This past week, our attention turned to the time-honored tradition of Leather titles. Over 40 years ago, members of the growing Leather and BDSM community began to conduct contests where a person was selected to represent a bar or organization, as well as a city. Eventually, this led to national and international contests and titles, including International Mr. Leather, the well-known contest held in Chicago each year. On Saturday, March 21, a panel of judges selected Mr. San Francisco Leather from four (4) qualified contestants. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; the weekend began on Friday night, March 20.
Mr. S Leather is a retail store specializing in wardrobe and accessories appealing to the Leather community. It was founded by a legendary Leather personality whom we had the privilege of getting to know years ago, Alan Selby (the S in Mr. S). On Friday, Mr. S Leather hosted a meet-and-greet event for Mr. Leather San Francisco, including the contestants, judges, and the team running the contest. Last year, Ray Tilton, a popular titleholder and activist, took over the contest and again this year organized the several events of the weekend, including this first party. Coincidentally, this Friday was also a previously scheduled Customer Appreciation Night, resulting in an especially crowded and enthusiastic evening, definitely not for the lighthearted or uninitiated.
We were initially drawn to the Leather community by individuals, like Lenny Broberg, Gary Virginia, and others now deceased. It is a unique subset of the LGBTQ+ community with its own often misunderstood proclivities, as well as guidelines and traditions, populated by generous, caring people who find meaning in their shared experiences. We attended various local and eventually national events that made us aware of their powerful ability to raise money for common causes and to give their members a sense of belonging. And many members of this specialized segment of the community go on to become leaders in our movement for more equity and full civil right for all.
We were honored to be a part of a prestigious panel of seven judges who judged four contestants on Saturday. The day started with a pre-contest interview as we got to know each person and formed opinions of their abilities to serve the community. That evening, SOMArts was the host for the main event and hundreds of people came to support their favorite contestants and observe the competition. Through various categories, the judging panel assigned points that were then carefully tallied to arrive at a winner. Suffice it to say, all the contenders were qualified and each had enormous support from the audience. In addition to the competition, the emcees Don Mike from Los Angeles and Queen Cougar introduced all the previous Mr. and Miss SF Leathers present—including Mr. Cuero 2026 from Los Angeles Alberto Newman, Mr. Reno Leather 2026 Doc Elite, Ms. Golden Gate Leather 1996 Beth Bartlett Downey, Midori, and Ms. SF Leather 2025 Maddam Folly—giving us all a true sense of the historic significance of this 41st contest. When all was said and done, LA Johnny emerged as Mr. SF Leather and the house went wild.
Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com
Sunday, March 28
Investiture of the Imperial Court of SF
Emperor John Brett and Regent Empress Queen Cougar
Formal formation of the new court
The Café, 2369 Market
6–9 pm
$25 & up
www.sfimperialcouncil.org
Sunday, March 29
Sunday’s a Drag at Starlite
The return of a classic drag show
Beacon Grand Hotel,
450 Powell Street
6:30 pm
www.beacongrand.com
Wednesday, April 1
Castro Farmers’ Market Opening
Market Street at Noe
Ribbon-cutting by Donna Sachet
3 pm
Free!
Donna’s Chronicles
Published on March 26, 2026
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