by Special Guest Lady Clover Honey

What could be better than spending the upcoming new year with 12 Leathermen and Bears? Spending the upcoming new year with 12 Leathermen and Bears AND raising money for charity, of course. A New York City Leather Titleholder has just released a new fundraising calendar for 2012 called “Men of the Sash”. All proceeds raised by sales of the calendar will go to two worthy organizations: the Leather Archives & Museum of Chicago (www.LeatherArchives.org)

and the HIV/AIDS Services of the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Center (www.GayCenter.org/health/hivaids).

“Men of the Sash” is the long-gestating project of Jed Ryan, Mr. Rawhide NYC 2011. “I know that calendars can be very hit-or-miss in terms of raising money. But I am confident that this one will be a success, given the collective popularity of the 12 men in it. You have guys like Russ Donaldson (Mr. Tri-State Leather 2010), whose jockstrap was auctioned off for $160 at a charity event last spring. You have CB Kirby (Mr. Eagle NYC 2011), one of the most wanted men in New York City. And you have Drummer Bear (Mr. Stonewall Bear 2011), one of the most popular nude Bear models on the Internet. Plus, you have the combined talents of some great photographers: Rob Ordonez, Chris Skelley, and Scott Brooks.” A big challenge for Ryan in the beginning was deciding how much, shall we say, “exposure” the models should have. “In the beginning, I wasn’t sure just how much skin to show. I know that ‘Sex sells!’, so I started to wonder, ‘How naked should the guys be?’ But then, I thought about how there’s nothing more dignified and impressive to look at than a guy in full formal leather. At least, I think so! So, most of the guys are fully dressed, with some hairy chest or bare ass showing here and there. The guys here are a wide variety– from age 24 to 52, ranging from just a little hairy to…VERY hairy!”
  

But “Men of the Sash” is more than just a collection of glossy photos. “I wanted to include some level of education about the Leather and Bear communities. That’s why I’ve included fun facts about Leathermen and Bears with each month.” What’s another thing that makes “Men of the Sash” unique? Ryan tells me, “In addition to all the guys’ birthdays and all the major American holidays, I’ve included all 12 Wiccan holidays– not just Halloween! For 40 years, I had to deal with only the Christian and Jewish holidays on my calendars. A lot of my Leather brothers and sisters identify themselves as Wiccans or pagans, so I wanted this to be all-inclusive.” The calendar was by graphic designer Sean Campbell of the Twilight Guard, himself a Leatherman.

2012 is looking pretty hot already! “Men of the Sash” is available for $15 plus shipping. To get yours, contact Jed Ryan at JedstarNY@aol.com.

Here’s to the New Year!