How can we claim that leather is international when most competitors at the international level are white or white-passing, speak English as a first or only language, and mostly live in the United States, Canada, or Europe?

Outside of the gay men's community, titleholding is now rarely a truly international affair, if it ever was. In recent years, the network of local, regional, and state competitions have seen fewer competitors, and many competitions and titles no longer exist. Some competitions and leather organizations have also become tainted by failures to reject racism, sexism, and transphobia, wounds that refuse to heal.

Meanwhile, titleholding can be a financially devastating experience. Many persons of service who want to hold titles simply cannot afford to do so.

This conversation will be about our experiences in relationship to these issues, our desires to see and make change, and our dreams to see both ourselves and others finally represented in international leather.