Eric Paul Leue is the new Mr. L.A. Leather.
Leue, 27, who was named Eagle LA Mr. Leather 2014 in February, was awarded the title Saturday at an event at Circus Disco that culminated a weeklong celebration by the Los Angeles leather community. Leue is a native of Berlin who describes himself as a “nerd, chocolate addict, family guy.”
He is the Los Angeles account executive at a San Francisco firm that produces online applications for the beverage industry. Leue jmoved to Los Angeles from Europe, where he had worked in Berlin and London in the hospitality business and ran his own branding agency, EPL Brand Services.
Leue follows 2013 title holder Justin Emerick. an employee of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Los Angeles district office and a member of Payasos, an organization of gay and bisexual Latino men.
The first runner up in Saturday’s contest was Gabriel Green, 36, holder of the Mr. LA Leather Bear title, awarded by Bears L.A., a social organization of typically large and hairy gay men who identify as “bears.” Green, a native of Rhode Island, in 2002 moved to Los Angeles to work at the L.A Gay and Lesbian Center’s Jeff Griffith Youth Center, working with homeless young people and educating them about HIV prevention. He currently works as a property manager for West Hollywood Community Housing Corp. He also speaks for an organization called G.L.I.D.E (Gays and Lesbians Initiating Dialogue for Equality), whose members go to schools, colleges and community groups to educate them about homophobia.
The second runner-up was Andy Covarrubias, 27, holder of the Mr. Regiment title. The Mr. Regiment title is awarded by the Regiment of Black and Tans, an association of gay men with an interest in uniforms. Covarrubias, a native of Sylmar, is pursing a degree in psychology. He entered the leather community when, at the age of 25, he bought a harness as a Halloween costume and felt a powerful connection with it.
As Mr. L.A. Leather 2014, Leue is eligible to compete in the International Mr. Leather contest, which is held in Chicago in late May.
CONGRATS TO ALL!