The Congress Hotel and Convention Center is fully booked for Friday and Saturday of IML Weekend. Continue to check with www.imrl.com for availability from cancellations. PLEASE do not call the hotel as you will always be told the hotel is sold out.

Our website www.imrl.com is the place to go for rooms, tickets, packages, hotel reservations, weekend schedules and all things IML 2023!

Dear Colleagues,

After giving this much thought I have decided I need to step down from the IML Operations LLC board. IML-IMBB is incredibly important to me, both personally and professionally, but the attention that the board needs is more than I can manage given the work happening now at LA&M with a reduced staff due to the impacts of the pandemic.

I will of course do all that I can to continue to help ensure IML-IMBB's success, and have the utmost confidence in each of you to address the raised concerns and ensure a bright and welcoming future for the event.

Sincerely,
Gary Wasdin

The Renslow Trust will give careful thought and consideration to placement of a new board member, and share that information as it becomes available.

From The Renslow Charitable Foundation:

In our haste to quickly address the many concerns that have surfaced regarding IML and IMBB, we made a mistake. The announcement that was issued on Monday morning regarding the transfer of IML Operations, LLC to the Leather Archives & Museum was incorrect, and should not have been released. The Renslow Charitable Foundation has discussed this as a future possibility as it was a part of Chuck's long-term plans for IML. However, a change of that magnitude would require significant conversations, legal opinions and careful planning before it could be considered as a viable path forward. We apologize to the community and to the LA&M Board of Directors for this mistake.

The changes that are taking place now are the following:
- Randall "Bear Man" Klett has resigned as a trustee of the Renslow Charitable Foundation, and as a board member of IML Operations, LLC.
- Bill Stadt has stepped down from his position as a board member of IML Operations, LLC.
- Billy Lane and Gary Wasdin have agreed to join Joey McDonald as board members of IML Operations, LLC to oversee this year's event and to ensure that it is a welcoming and inclusive experience for all contestants, attendees and vendors.

Billy Lane was asked to join the board due to his experience as the first out trans man to compete in IML in 1998, and for his experience as Judge's Coordinator since 2001. Gary Wasdin was asked to join the board due to his role as the director of LA&M, the sole beneficiary of all funds raised at the event, and his work over the last 5 years with IML and IMBB.

Given the short time frame and urgency needed for this year's event in May, we appreciate Billy, Gary and Joey's willingness to serve on the board of IML Operations, LLC. We anticipate that this will be a short-term solution until a more permanent plan can be put in place to help move the organization forward.

We are committed to addressing the many problems that have been allowed to continue. We are committed to supporting our trans community members and will continue to work to identify and eliminate systemic transphobia that has caused harm. We are committed to our bootblacks who deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their passion and hard work. And we are committed to moving forward with greater transparency and more regular communication with the community.

Joey McDonald, President
The Renslow Charitable Foundation

In our haste to quickly address the many concerns that have surfaced regarding IML and IMBB, we made a mistake. The announcement that was issued on Monday morning regarding the transfer of IML Operations, LLC to the Leather Archives & Museum was incorrect, and should not have been released.

The Renslow Charitable Foundation has discussed this as a future possibility as it was a part of Chuck's long-term plans for IML. However, a change of that magnitude would require significant conversations, legal opinions and careful planning before it could be considered as a viable path forward. We apologize to the community and to the LA&M Board of Directors for this mistake.

The changes that are taking place now are the following:
- Randall "Bear Man" Klett has resigned as a trustee of the Renslow Charitable Foundation, and as a board member of IML Operations, LLC.
- Bill Stadt has stepped down from his position as a board member of IML Operations, LLC.
-
Billy Lane and Gary Wasdin have agreed to join Joey McDonald as board members of IML Operations, LLC to oversee this year's event and to ensure that it is a welcoming and inclusive experience for all contestants, attendees and vendors. Billy Lane was asked to join the board due to his experience as the first out trans man to compete in IML in 1998, and for his experience as Judge's Coordinator since 2001. Gary Wasdin was asked to join the board due to his role as the director of LA&M, the sole beneficiary of all funds raised at the event, and his work over the last 5 years with IML and IMBB.

Given the short time frame and urgency needed for this year's event in May, we appreciate Billy, Gary and Joey's willingness to serve on the board of IML Operations, LLC. We anticipate that this will be a short-term solution until a more permanent plan can be put in place to help move the organization forward.

We are committed to addressing the many problems that have been allowed to continue. We are committed to supporting our trans community members and will continue to work to identify and eliminate systemic transphobia that has caused harm. We are committed to our bootblacks who deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their passion and hard work. And we are committed to moving forward with greater transparency and more regular communication with the community.

Joey McDonald, President
The Renslow Charitable Foundation

The Renslow Charitable Foundation announces that Leather Archives & Museum (“LA&M”) Executive Director Gary Wasdin and LA&M Board President Billy Lane will replace Randall Klett (aka Bearman) and Bill Stadt on the three-person Board of IML Operations, LLC (“IML Operations”), the entity responsible for planning, staffing, and executing International Mr. Leather weekend.

We will make all the required filings for this change with the State of Illinois this week. We understand that people are hurt and disappointed, and that their complaints over the years and
over these past two weeks have not been properly communicated or addressed. We apologize for those inactions and hereby assure our commitment to a future where all people involved are heard and everyone’s good ideas are given life.

The Foundation and IML Operations will both be publishing additional communication about these matters in the coming days and weeks. The LA&M is the sole beneficiary of IML, and IML is the largest source of funds for the LA&M. We are committed to a successful IML, this year and for years to come.