For over 15 years, Steel City Fetish Con and Pittsburgh Leather Pride have served as a fierce celebration of fetish, identity, and community. This year’s convention, held this past weekend at Spirit in Lawrenceville and across several venues in the city, continued that tradition with undeniable energy, honoring the city’s deep leather legacy while crowning a new generation of titleholders.
In a statement to attendees, producer David Dean reflected on the milestone moment. “Steel City Fetish Con and Pittsburgh Leather Pride are a celebration of fetish, diversity, and representation, an experience that aims to entertain and educate. From 2011 to 2025, Pittsburgh has won a record nine Mid-Atlantic titles, a remarkable accomplishment that shows we are truly the City of Champions.”
The centerpiece of the weekend was the thrilling quadruple contest night at Spirit, where four new titleholders were selected in front of a packed house of leatherfolk, pets, bears, and kinksters. The 2026 Iron City Pet title went to Princess Lavender, also known as Dionysus, a sparkling and sassy show puppy with a heart full of service and a throne full of stuffies. The pet liaison for local leather group Slap, Princess Lavender pranced with pride and poise, reminding the audience that soft power and glittering kindness are just as vital to leather as discipline and dominance.
Meanwhile, Brad Dunlap was awarded the title of Mr. Pittsburgh Leather Bear 2026. Known for his vibrant community organizing, Brad’s work behind events like Bear Happy Hour, BARBI Bowling, and the Big Gay Float has helped create joyful and inclusive spaces across Pittsburgh. His love for pink, polished boots, and service made him a standout among the competitors, proving that leadership and levity go hand in hand.
The coveted Miss Pittsburgh Leather Fetish 2026 crown was claimed by Camilla Ashton Queen, a trans woman and former drag performer who brought power, elegance, and domination to the stage. With commanding presence and a love for her wife, her dog Beans, and her thigh-high boots, Camilla served as a reminder that femme leather is as unstoppable as it is stunning. She was joined on stage by fellow contestants who each brought unique flair and fire, including the enigmatic and artistic Inculta, the historically grounded and proudly butch Valentine, and the commanding leather top Miss Patience.
The final title of the evening, Mr. Pittsburgh Leather Fetish 2026, was awarded to Gage Ryder, a long-time member of the Pittsburgh leather community who blends astrological introspection with a serious love of gear. Originally from Utah, Gage has spent the last eleven years cultivating community, embracing new kinks, and embodying what it means to serve, connect, and transform through leather.
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All contests were judged by a panel of local and national leather figures, including titleholders and community icons such as Noble LaPier, Bebe Beretta, Sassquatch, Josh Pennington, Ray Bearetta, Todd White, Blue Bailey, Brut, and Brianna Serenity. The Iron City Pet competition was judged by Lt. Mittens, Champ the Fox, Dio, Pup Bruno, and Pup Mowgli. All the judges brought thoughtful critiques and deep love for the leather world, adding gravitas to an already electric night.
Steel City Fetish Con also welcomed two special guest bootblacks. Jordyn Lorentz, the 2025 Keystone Bootblack, and Skyfire, the current reigning Mr. Jones Pond Leather. Jordyn, who has worked the stand at events across the East Coast, offered shine and soul to anyone in need, while Skyfire brought his signature blend of leather repair, queer mentorship, and cigar-scented seduction to the mix. Both bootblacks embodied the heart of leather service: hands on, intentional, and intimate.
What’s a “Bootblack”?
In the leather community, bootblacks are skilled artisans and caretakers who clean, condition, polish, and preserve leather gear, often working from a stand at events. But their work goes far beyond shine. Bootblacking is an act of service, intimacy, and connection. It’s a powerful and often spiritual ritual that honors both the leather and the person who wears it, creating space for vulnerability, pride, and tradition.
The inaugural Marsha P. Johnson Liberation Award was also awarded. Created by the Crucible Leather Trust to honor activists carrying on Marsha’s revolutionary legacy, the award was given to Lyndsey Sickler, Executive Director of Proud Haven and co-founder of the QMNTY Center. Sickler’s tireless work on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth in Pittsburgh has been a lifeline for so many, and their leadership embodies the spirit of grassroots resistance, centering trans and queer youth with the same bold defiance and compassion that defined Marsha’s life and legacy.
But the weekend wasn’t just about titles and trophies. It was a full-on immersive experience of queer leather joy. Events ranged from Kink & Draw at Redfishbowl, where artists and muses shared a night of leather and linework, to “Gars & Gear” at Brewers, where cigar smoke curled through leather-clad conversation. The main contests at Spirit were followed by “Meatspin” at Club Pittsburgh, a steamy afterparty. “Fetish Invasion” at 5801 brought leather and latex out of the leather bars and into the mainstream.
Steel City Fetish Con 2025 served as a celebration of kink and a powerful testament to Pittsburgh’s leather legacy and its unapologetic queer spirit.
Stay kinky, Pittsburgh.
