Drag Race alum Honey Davenport makes history by winning International Mr Leather
International Mr Leather descended upon Chicago over Memorial Day Weekend.
Mark
Among the hundreds of leather-oriented events taking place across the globe each year, the one that takes pride of place is the annual International Mr Leather festival in Chicago each spring.
Each year, it attracts thousands of attendees from across the US and beyond. Participants attend workshops, exhibitions, markets, support groups and associated club nights and parties. Much of the action takes place in and around the Congress Plaza Hotel.
The highlight of the event is the annual International Mr Leather contest. Regional bars and leather associations host heats to find competitors to battle it out on stage in Chicago.
This year’s event concluded yesterday. The contest featured just under 70 contestants. The winner of the International Mr Leather title was named as Honey Davenport. Some of you may recognize Davenport. They competed in season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2019, where they came 13th.
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They did rather better last night!
When they took the stage to give their speech, Davenport used the same line that they’d used to introduce themselves on Drag Race, prompting cheers from the crowd: “There’s only one thing you need to know about me. This honey is raw and unfiltered.”
Not only is Davenport the first Drag Race queen to win the title, but they mark the second year in a row that the honor has gone to Mr Palm Springs. Last year’s International Mr Leather sash went to René Hebert, who also represented the California city.
The 2026 International Mr Leather winners
After Davenport, the runners-up were Sgt. Alex (Mr. Cincinnati Leather 2025) and Denzel Belin (Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2026). Atlas Rose (Route 66 Bootblack 2025) won International Mr. Bootblack, followed by Jimmy Basset (Northeast Drummer Bootblack 2017), and Pup Verde (Texas Bootblack).
One of those in attendace at IML was podcaster Nick Zuko, who interviewed Davenport a few weeks ago.
“Honey Davenport really does show that the binary’s got nothing on us! That blend of feminine energy, masculine flair, and everything in between is exactly the kind of future-forward vibe we need,” Zuko told GayCities. “For anyone out there juggling their own reflection, Honey’s proof that you don’t have to pick a lane—you can just blaze your own.”
On Facebook today, Davenport said today, “I’m just so damn grateful … I can’t believe I woke up as IML2026. I have so much gratitude for everyone who made this happen.”
Earlier this year, Davenport talked about discovering a welcoming community of leather lovers after they moved to Palm Springs. They say they were often out on the kink scene, but it was only after connecting with the community in Palm Springs in 2019 that they say they discovered their place within the wider leather family.
“Leather is drag to me, and drag is a kink, and I kind of found that all of the pieces of myself kind of came together in these last couple of years in Palm Springs.”
GayCities has reached out to Davenport for further comment.
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