MIR contest
{{Short description|International rubber subculture event}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = MIR
| image = Rubber Fetish Pride Flag.svg
| caption = Rubber Pride Flag
| status = Active
| genre = Rubber, Fetish, Kink
| frequency = Annually
| location = Chicagoland
| country = United States
| first = {{Start date|1997}}
| last = October 17-20, 2024
| organised = MIR Contest, NPO
| URL = {{URL|https://mirubber.com/}}
}}
MIR, formerly Mr. International Rubber, is a multi-day convention and contest celebrating the rubber, fetish, and kink communities.{{Cite web |title=Tips for Newbies |url=https://mirubber.com/attend/tips-for-newbies/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=mirubber.com}} Established in 1997, MIR occurs annually in Chicagoland during the autumn, drawing participants and attendees from all over the world.{{Cite web |last=Lieberman |first=Hallie |date=2023-05-25 |title='Fuck the Rules:' Rubberists are Starting Their Own Revolution |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/rubberists-are-starting-their-own-revolution/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Vice |language=en}} Events include workshops, socials, dances, market, and the contest.
History
MIR started in 1997 hosted at the Boystown bar, Cell Block, and has been run every year since.{{Cite web |date=2005-02-04 |title=Rubber lovers |url=https://www.timeout.com/chicago/gay-lesbian/rubber-lovers |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Time Out Chicago |language=en-US}} In 2009 MIR contest moved to the Center on Halsted to account for larger crowds.{{Cite web |date=2009-10-27 |title=Mr. International Rubber 2010 |url=https://www.timeout.com/chicago/gay-lesbian/o-rubber-where-art-thou |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Time Out Chicago |language=en-US}} In 2020 MIR 24 was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-10-27 |title=MR INTERNATIONAL RUBBER PRESENTS: MIR24 - RUBBER LAB |url=https://www.demasquemagazine.com/post/mr-international-rubber-presents-mir24-rubber-lab |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Demasque Magazine |language=en}} MIR 27 in 2023 moved to a new location in Skokie, Illinois.
At MIR 27 in 2023, organizers announced that the event would allow contestants of all genders to compete;{{Cite web |date=2023-10-27 |title=MIR's Intergalactic Rubber celebration soars to a suburb not too far way |url=https://www.windycitytimes.com/lgbt/MIRs-Intergalactic-Rubber-celebration-soars-to-a-suburb-not-too-far-way/75682.html |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Windy City Times}} the contest winner may chose whichever honorific best represents them as MIR titleholder: Mr. International Rubber, Ms. International Rubber, Mx. International Rubber, or MIR International Rubber Ambassador.{{Cite web |title=An Inclusive Contest - MIR Contest |url=https://mirubber.com/compete/an-inclusive-contest/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=mirubber.com}} To promote inclusion, organizers also changed the official name of the contest from "Mr. International Rubber" to gender-neutral "MIR."
The Leather Archives & Museum holds many of MIR's records.{{Cite web |title=Mr. International Rubber (MIR) Collection |url=https://leatherarchives.org/ca/index.php/Detail/collections/78 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Leather Archives & Museum |series=ORG-0015}}
Winners
Below is a table of MIR contest winners.{{Cite web |title=Titleholders - MIR Contest |url=https://mirubber.com/compete/titleholders/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=mirubber.com}} Winner's Country as used in the table refers to the winner's country of residence at the time they won the competition.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Class !Winner !Preliminary Title / Sponsor !Winner's Country !Ref. |
| 2024
|MIR 28 |Rush | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2023
|MIR 27 |AJ Huff |M. San Francisco Rubber |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2022
|MIR 26 |Pusckatt Pumera ONYX |Mr. Florida Rubber |{{Flag|United States}} |{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-11-07 |title=Mister International Rubber takes the stage at Center on Halsted, Riviera Theatre |url=http://windycitytimes.com/2022/11/07/mister-international-rubber-takes-the-stage-at-center-on-halsted-riviera-theatre/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Windy City Times |language=en-US}} |
| 2021
|MIR 25 |ChicagoRubber | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2020
|MIR 24 | colspan="3" |Contest was virtual and no MIR titleholder was selected. |
| 2019
|MIR 23 |Adalberto Rubadam |Mr. Rubber Netherlands |{{Flag|Netherlands}} |
| 2018
|MIR 22 |Guillaume Dupuis | |{{Flag|Canada}} |
| 2017
|MIR 21 |Michal Neighbour | |{{Flag|Poland}} |
| 2016
|MIR 20 |Preston "Wexx" So |Mr. New England Rubber |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2015
|MIR 19 |Jeffrey "Gummibärchen" Basile |Mr. Midwest Rubber |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2014
|MIR 18 |Max Samauth |Mr. Rubber Netherlands |{{Flag|Netherlands}} |
| 2013
|MIR 17 |Andy "CosmicRoo" Coatham |Mr. Rubber Toronto |{{Flag|Canada}} |
| 2012
|MIR 16 |Rubber Jason | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2011
|MIR 15 |Sly Hands |Mr. Rubber UK |{{Flag|United Kingdom}} |
| 2010
|MIR 14 |G-Man |Mr. Southeast Rubber |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2009
|MIR 13 |Fenn |Mr. Rubber Toronto |{{Flag|Canada}} |
| 2008
|MIR 12 |Stephane Donaldson |Mr. Rubber Montreal |{{Flag|Canada}} |
| 2007
|MIR 11 |BJ Turgeon |Mr. Rubber Montreal |{{Flag|Canada}} |
| 2006
|MIR 10 |Maurizo Iacone |Mr. Rubber Italy |{{Flag|Italy}} |
| 2005
|MIR 9 |Michael Schneider | |{{Flag|Germany}} |
| 2004
|MIR 8 |Frank Bug |Mr. Rubclub 2004 |{{Flag|Germany}} |
| 2003
|MIR 7 |Chris Vincent | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2002
|MIR 6 |William "Rubberwilli" Schendel | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 2001
|MIR 5 |Yannick Kerjose | |{{Flag|France}} |
| 2000
|MIR 4 |Chad McLaughlin | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 1999
|MIR 3 |Tom Kelley | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 1998
|MIR 2 |Thomas Smith | |{{Flag|United States}} |
| 1997
|MIR 1 |Christoph Lehner | |{{Flag|United States}} |
References
{{Reflist}}