Congratulations to the nominees for the San Diego Community Leather Awards. Mike Russell has put together an outstanding program that will honor some of the hard-working individuals of the San Diego Leather Community. The ceremony takes place on Saturday Feb. 23, at Avalon Global Promotions located at 3925 Ohio St., right around the corner from Bacchus House. Doors open at 6 p.m. and awards will be presented at 7. Dennis Wymbs is the featured artist. Refreshments are available, and donations are appreciated to offset the cost.

Backrooms are back in San Diego. Bourbon Street is the latest to join the movement to revive the fun and debauchery of the good old days. Bourbon presents “Backroom Reloaded” in the Stable Bar. You MUST be shirtless or in leather to enter. Please leave the dress pants and flip flops at home. What? A leather dress code in San Diego?

To set the mood, pieces of the erotic artwork that will be auctioned off at the Mr. San Diego Leather Contest on March. 15 will be on display, so come for a sneak peek. Also, rumor has it that Lee Butler will be there demonstrating why he’s the current Mr. San Diego Leather. The action erupts on Saturday, Feb. 23, and “Backroom Reloaded” will continue the last Saturday of every month. DJ Bryan Pruett will be spinning something dark and nasty, and $2 Washington Apple shots will be served from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. This is a night where men will be men.

The following Saturday, head back to Bourbon Street for an art show hosted by the San Diego Leather Pride Committee. Each year we receive some amazing artwork from some of the most talented erotic artists around. Here’s a chance to meet members of the San Diego Leather Pride Committee and scope out a few pieces of art that will perfectly accentuate that boring gray wall in your living room or dungeon. One can never have too much art on the walls of a dungeon. The bottom has to have something to look at while laying in the sling or tied to a St. Andrew’s Cross.

This all leads to San Diego Leather Pride which runs from Thursday, March 6 through Sunday, March 16. We have two weeks of leather events, so get the calendars out, condition your leather, black the boots, go to www.mrsandiegoleather.com, plan to attend everything for two solid weeks, and rest when it’s all over.

The first event on Thursday, March 6 is All Club Night hosted by the San Diego League of Gentlemen and produced by former Ms. San Diego Leather, Karen Yew. The fun and games will take place at the Joyce Beers Community Center at 8 p.m. This is an opportunity for any and all clubs to put together a three person team to compete in a “Leather Olympics” contest. We can’t say “Leather Olympics” or we may be sued by the International Olympic Committee for confusing athletes who might show up on All Club Night at the Joyce Beers Community Center instead of Beijing. You don’t have to be leather people to put together a team, so we expect to see the bears, cowboys, court, sisters, sports teams, bar teams, PFLAG, whoever in attendance. Even twinks can have a team, as long as they don’t shave their body hair, don’t wear cologne, don’t wear puka shells or flip flops, don’t say guuuurl or snap their fingers the entire night, and stop at Western Steak Burger on the way out to eat something.

Friday, March 7 is the Meet N’ Greet for Ms. San Diego Leather at the Eagle at 8 p.m. Saturday night is the Ms. San Diego Leather Contest at Rich’s with the VIP reception beginning at 6 p.m. and the Contest at 7 p.m. VIP tickets may be purchased at The Crypt, Pleasures & Treasures or online at www.mrsandiegoleather.net. The VIP tickets include access to the Ms. and Mr. VIP Receptions, both contests, the “Sisters’ Mass Dance” at Bacchus House after the Ms. Contest, and L.L. Bear after the Mr. Contest on March 15. It also includes the Sunday brunch on March 16.

The only thing the VIP ticket does not include is the Titleholder Salute Dinner on March 13. This year’s dinner features keynote speaker Larry Townsend, best known as the author of The Leatherman’s Handbook. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. at the Park Manor Suites located at 525 Spruce St. Larry Townsend does not usually make speaking appearances, so this is a rare opportunity for San Diegans to meet one of the forefathers of the leather/SM community. Tickets are limited and may be purchased online at www.mrsandiegoleather.net.

That should be enough to keep you busy. You can write me at inthepitsd@aol.com.