Transphobia & Heterophobia now Available in Leather

So, this happened http://www.leatherati.com/2013/09/ilsbicbb-changes-2013/

I agree with most of it just because logistics. But not the dissolving of the regional titles. Stopping the regional contests is one thing, but dissolving the titles is entirely another, disrespecting those who worked hard to win, and rendering their titles null and void. 

I am also most definitely not approving of the cisgender thing. That is a step backwards if there ever was one. I mean, heck, nobody is getting onto them for them being males only or gay only. But making it so that gay males who were FaaB can not participate is pretty rude, not to mention downright transphobic.

For the record, from what I know of it, the original International Leather contest was split by gender for no other reason than that they could get away with it. And I am pretty sure there is /not/ a leather contest for straight people only, as that would be "bigoted".

As for their excuse that there is a trans contest... I'd never heard of it before today, and I am a bootblack!

I just talked to my mentor (title holder of Central Plains Bootblack Competition, 3rd place IMLB winner, and proud transman). The trans contest was created by a cis male, the first one was competed in by only two transfolks (who worked at the bar with the creator of the contest after being talked into it), and judged by a panel of cisgendered judges. The guy didn't even consult with a transperson about how to run a trans-centric contest, what mattered to transfolk, or even /if/ a contest especially for trans was necessary. There are /not/ any feeder contests for the trans contests (even if it mattered).

The trans community doesn't want a bunch of special, separate stuff, any more than the African Americans did during the civil rights movement, they just want to be included and treated the same as everyone else! So transfolk are supposed to just be quiet, sit at the back of the bus and drink from that special fountain over there? I call bullshit!

As for me, I can no longer support the ILSb circuit. What do you think?

More info on the transgender contest: http://www.examiner.com/article/international-transgender-leather-at-leather-bash

Straight competitors and title-holders are so rare, that it was in the news when it happened: http://www.queerty.com/hes-into-leather-he-competed-at-international-male-leather-and-hes-straight-20101222/