The Hyatt Regency Washington, located on New Jersey Avenue a half-mile from the Capitol, is gearing up for one of the city’s biggest, most hilarious and perverted weekends: the annual Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) Weekend.
The weekend has a long and storied history spanning two different hosting motorcycle clubs (MCs), multiple host cities, and thousands of LGBTQ people dressed head to toe in leather: Centaur MC As the website explains, it all started with a one-hour event. Cocktails and cock rings.
In 1976, members of Lynx MC met in a room at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City to discuss common interests, including leather and various sexual proclivities. Then, one of the party guests accidentally dropped a cock ring on the bathroom floor. . The loud sound of the cock ring hitting the tile floor made everyone in attendance laugh. At the next party hosted by Lynx MC, another member also intentionally dropped a cock ring on the floor, bringing back the fun of the previous party, and a tradition was established.
The event grew in popularity among LGBTQ leather enthusiasts and moved to various cities on the East Coast before finding Centaur MC’s permanent home in Washington in 1984. Since then, the city has hosted an annual Leather Cocktail Party that has expanded to include exhibitors. The hall will feature leather makers and other kink product creators displaying their products, a prestigious Mr. MAL contest, and multiple high-energy (clothing optional) dance parties.
All-queer MCs have been recorded since at least the mid-1950s, with Los Angeles’ Satyr Motorcycle Club being one of the earliest known examples. During the McCarthy administration, LGBTQ people were subjected to brutal discrimination due to unfounded fears that being gay was synonymous with being un-American or even suggested communist tendencies. During this period, this group became an essential refuge. While such concerns were unfounded, the establishment of these clubs was an important way for queer people to express themselves in an environment where their identities are often not only stigmatized but also criminalized. provided a safe place. More than just a place for sexual expression, these MCs became havens of protection and solidarity, providing a sense of community that was nearly impossible in the hostile social climate of the post-World War II era.
This year’s MAL is set to be the biggest yet, with four days of kinky queer fun. It all starts on Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Washington (400 New Jersey Ave., NW) with full package/3-day pass pick-up from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Guests who purchase a full weekend package can pick it up here. their wristbands.
On Thursday from 9pm to 3am, MAL Kickoff’s Kinetic BOOTCAMP dance party will feature world-class DJs Alex Lo and Dan Slater to get your weekend off to a good start. The venue has not yet been named, but Kinetic Events, which is responsible for this year’s official MAL dance party, says the space will be announced soon and will be “complete with a play zone for maximum seduction.” Ta.
After MAL weekend kicks off on the dance floor, Friday is packed with events to keep the kinky vibe going. From 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM, guests who did not receive a full package pass on Thursday can still collect their pass in Capital Room A on the Hyatt Regency Washington’s lobby level (located behind the north tower elevators) . If you haven’t purchased a pass, don’t worry. MAL Hotel event day and weekend passes can be purchased online or at the hotel entrance from 3pm to 10pm.
Pass prices vary depending on the date of participation. A 3-day pass costs $45 + fees and gives you access to the hotel and exhibit hall for the entire weekend, as well as access to the Mr. MAL contest on Sunday. A day pass is $20 + fees and gives you access to the hotel and exhibit hall on Friday or Saturday. Sunday Day Passes are $30 + fees and include access to the hotel and exhibit hall on Sunday, and entry to the Mr. MAL contest. To purchase your pass online, please visit sickening.events/e/mal-weekend-2025/tickets Or at the hotel entrance.
When you take the elevator up to your hotel room, the staff will check your hotel room wristband. Non-registered guests may access host hotel rooms only when accompanied by a registered guest with a valid wristband. Registered guests may only escort one non-registered guest at a time. Unregistered guests with a wristband who are already in the hotel before 10pm can stay until midnight. However, unregistered guests without wristbands will not be allowed entry after registration closes.
The exhibition hall is located on the ballroom level below the lobby. This year there will be 29 exhibitors selling leather and kink products ranging from harnesses to jockstraps and everything in between. The exhibit hall will be open Friday from 4pm to 10pm, Saturday from 11am to 6pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
By popular demand, DC Health has partnered with Nasty Pig to offer preventive health services including MPox vaccines, Doxy PEP, HIV testing, Narcan kits, and fentanyl test strips. The company’s booth offering these services is located in Capital Room B (next to Room A, behind the North Tower elevators) on Fridays from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM and Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. ) is available.
Also on Friday, Centaur MC will host a welcome reception on the ballroom floor from 6pm to 8pm. Following the Centaur Welcome Reception, an International Mr. Lover (IMR) social gathering will be held in Parliament Building A from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Friday night dance party KINETIC UNCUT XL will be held at REPUBLIQ Hall (2122 24th Place, NE) and is billed as “the biggest and most debauched MAL event ever,” featuring a “labyrinth of play zones” and two dance floors. It’s advertised. DJ and adult film creator James Anthony will kick off the night, and you can choose where to dance afterwards. DJ Alex Ramos plays tribal beats in Room 1, while DJ and adult creator Boomer Banks plays a tech house set in Room 2. The dance party runs from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m., so get your boots polished and ready to move.
On Saturday, MAL will host its annual Puppy Mosh in Regency Ballroom C from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During Mosh, puppies and their handlers can enjoy a hilarious puppy playdate while immersing themselves in puppy culture. Puppy Mosh has strict rules. Mosh monitors have the final say and have the right to remove anyone from the Puppy Park who violates the rules. Click here for the complete set of Puppy Mosh rules. Leatherweekend.com/puppy-park-rules/.
Immediately after Puppy Mosh, the Superhero Meetup will be held in Capital Room A from 1:30pm to 3pm, an erotic meetup where cosplayers and comic book enthusiasts celebrate a rendezvous of capes, curves, and bright spandex. We will gather.
On Saturday from 2pm to 6pm, the Onyx Fashion Show for People of Color will be held in Council Rooms A and B, highlighting the black shine of leather.
The Leather Cocktail Party that started it all will be held in the Regency Ballroom from 7pm to 10pm. Only those with a full package pass are allowed to participate and are encouraged to show off their leather and kinky fantasies.
The Leather Cocktail Party isn’t the only cocktail party on Saturday. From 9-11 p.m., the MAL Cocktail Party will be held in Council Room B for other MAL attendees to mingle and have drinks.
The final event on Saturday is the PEVERT XXL dance party with KINETIC and the Matinée group. This will be the first time that MAL Weekend’s Saturday night dance party, which begins at 10 p.m., will be an official MAL event. The dance will take place at the AI Warehouse in the Northeast (address to be determined) and will bring together a wealth of talent for the celebration. Gigi Goode from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” plays non-stop beats all night long as DJs from around the world including Eric Villar (Brazil), Eliad Cohen (Israel) and Paulo (Los Angeles) Inside, he would “whip the audience into submission.” (at least until 4am when the party ends). In addition to drag royalty and internationally acclaimed DJs, the dance will take place in a multi-story warehouse in Northeast DC, complete with immersive lights, lasers, and play zones.
The Mr. MAL contest will be held at the Regency Ballroom on Sunday at 1 p.m. This highly popular title empowers one man to become this year’s Mid-Atlantic Leatherman. However, there are some requirements for belts and titles. 1. Be male; 2. Be a resident of North America; 3. Be at least 21 years of age; and 4. Identify as gay. In addition, if you enter, you must be prepared to represent your title as a contestant in the International Mr. Leather (IML) contest to be held in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend 2025. Our list of applicants is currently at capacity, but if you are interested, you can meet the requirements to email us. contest@leatherweekend.com It will be placed on the standby list.
On Sundays from 6pm to 12am, MAL will host a game night in Capital Rooms A and B.
Last, but certainly not least, the final event and dance party of the weekend is the KINETIC LUST party. This is the perfect sensual and sexy way to end MAL 2025. The party will be hosted by Grammy-nominated Abel and DJ Sam from 10pm to 3am. Blacky concludes the weekend with “dark, sexy beats and pounding rhythms” while exploring erotic porn star performances and exclusive play zones.
MAL holds recovery meetings each day from 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM in the Yosemite Room (2nd floor, conference level), with additional sessions on Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Anyone struggling with addiction or just needing a break from weekend events to sober up.
Throughout the weekend, there will also be a Bootblack station where MAL attendees can clean and polish any leather item. Money donated to Bootblacks’ work helps fundraise for local charities (which change each year) and Mr. MAL’s travel fund. Don’t forget to tip.
Although this weekend is called Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend, leather is not required. However, there are some rules regarding clothing. Expressions of all kinks are encouraged. Participants in past years have worn everything from leather to rubber to fur and even regular street clothes. Please be sure to abide by the hotel’s dress code rules. Nudity is prohibited in public areas (lobbies, hallways, banquet halls, exhibition halls). Men may walk around the hotel shirtless, in jocks, or in jocks and chaps. Women are not allowed to be shirtless or have their nipples exposed. If you are eating, you must cover your butt and wear at least a vest.
Please note that all events, including daily events at Hyatt Regency sponsored hotels, are 21+ and ID checks are required. Please be sure to bring a photo ID. All MAL “Full Weekend Package” passholders will also be able to attend the LUST Sunday Closing Party.
For more information on MAL’s official weekend events and policies, please see below. leatherweekend.com or kineticpresents.com.
The post DC Goes Leather appeared first on Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
