We Meet Rene Hebert, your new Mr IML

The LGBTQIA+ community has never been just about fitting in, it’s about standing out, speaking up, and taking up space with pride, power, and maybe a little leather. Rene is the perfect example of that. From the bear bars of Palm Springs to the global stage of IML, he’s proving that queerness, kink, and activism aren’t separate worlds, they’re beautifully, unapologetically intertwined. I had the honor to sit down with him to talk about claiming space, challenging the status quo, and why fighting for visibility never means dimming your shine:

RJ. Can you tell us a bit about your background?

RH. My name is Rene. I’m from Canada, and grew up moving around a lot. I last lived in Edmonton, Alberta, before moving to California in 2017, where I’ve since made my home in Palm Springs.

RJ. What drew you to the bear community?

RH. Although I’ve never really steeped myself deeply into the bear community, I’ve always loved how fun-loving many in the community are. Great company, chill and fun vibes at your parties and events, and some amazing food. I’ve always found myself very welcome at bear events.

RJ. Tell us about your local bear scene and some of your favorite places or organizations whose events you enjoy. And the title you held before entering IML.

RH. The Palm Springs community, at its core, is pretty tight-knit with a lot of overlap. I would say that much of the bear scene here is kind of event-driven, with many coming here from LA, San Diego, and some from further out. The big event that takes place here, of course, is International Bear Convergence, which takes place in February. Aside from that, many of the venues here, like Canyon Club, CCBC, Oscar’s, Hunter’s, and the Tool Shed have events and parties throughout the year. The title I held before entering IML was actually our regional Mr. Leather title, Mr. Palm Springs Leather. That title is held at the end of October, during Palm Springs Leather Pride.

RJ. How was your experience competing? What was the process like? What was your favorite part?

RH. Competing for IML is honestly like no other experience I’ve ever had. I would say it’s even unique as far as title events are concerned. The process is months of preparation, research, and self-discovery, all wrapped up in what essentially amounts to 12-15 minutes in front of the judges over the course of four days. Around those 15 minutes, though, it’s a pressure cooker of 60+ contestants backstage getting ready physically and mentally, handlers telling us where to be and when, Team Shine making sure that we all look and feel our best, hurrying up and waiting where we’re told to be, and all of that is in the center of the hurricane that is IML weekend. It’s a lot to take in, and it goes by so fast that you’re honestly on autopilot for much of it.

My favorite part, though, was probably the first Physique and Stage Presence portion, simply because I got to tap into my experiences as a gogo dancer, while also getting to introduce myself on the mic, which gave me room to try to be as charming as possible while dropping a dad joke or two. So, it was a fun experience where I just sort of got to let loose. Backstage, though, my favorite moments all had to do with how much I got to bond with and get to know the RJ other contestants who I was competing alongside. It was a cool experience to share with so many people, and bonds were formed incredibly quickly.

I’d also like to add: Not only during the competition, but on the way to it, I would not have gotten through it all without my partners. My Daddy, his husband, and my boyfriend were present throughout the entire experience and I could not have, and wouldn’t want to have, gone through all of this without them. So their contributions and presence during the weekend are also big parts of my favorite portion of this weekend.

RJ. Tell us about your platform. What was the issue you campaigned on or addressed during the competition?

RH. I would say it all comes down to strengthening our community, from the top-down and from the inside-out. Times are turbulent as hell right now, and I wanted to make a point of addressing the elephant in the room: we need to see each other. And I mean REALLY see each other. I don’t like thinking of it as a “platform” because that feels like I’m saying that’s what I’m presenting outwardly to try and make myself look good within the realm of community politics. It is, though, a message that I hold close to my heart, and I want to perpetuate as I move forward. What it comes down to is we need to actually listen to one another, and this is especially true if you have more privilege than others. If you’re white, paying attention when our siblings of color express issues pertaining to race. If you’re cis, it means really listening when someone brings up issues of gender from the perspective of someone who’s more gender-diverse I truly believe that empathy is a muscle that more of us need to practice using more often.

RJ. What are the responsibilities associated with your title?

RH. On paper, the only obligation I technically have is to make sure I return to IML next year to judge and hand over the title to the next winner. However, I would say it’s more complex than that. IML is a title with a lot of political capital within the greater LGBTQIA+ community. Whoever holds the title of International Mr. Leather for the year has a platform and a microphone, and it’s one that many in the community pay attention to. So, in my opinion, the ultimate responsibilities come down to using that visibility responsibly. That means speaking out when needed, being visible when needed, offering support to those around you, and lifting people up as much as you can. It also means traveling to events that may not normally have the spotlight. It’s good to bring the title to an event like Folsom, but I feel it’s equally important, if not more so, to go to smaller events that could use the support and backing from more of the community at large.

RJ. What are your goals for your title year? Where will you be appearing?

RH. My main goal is to continue using my platform to help influence positive change within the community, which I’ve already started working on at the couple of events that I’ve already been to during my title year, and using my online presence to reach that goal as well. I’m also a bootblack, and have been for over RJ years now. So with that in mind, I’m also making it a point to attend bootblack events, as well as working the bootblack stand when I can, while wearing the full IML title sash and all. I want to remind people that work can and should be done, and that these titles are not just about being visible, but actually being effective and about putting in work. Not to mention highlighting the amazing bootblacks that we have throughout our community.

I’ve already got several events on the docket. June has me at San Francisco Pride. July, I’ll be at a Play Party being put on by Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert, as well as San Diego Pride. In August, I’ll be attending a bootblacks’ event in Portland, as well as Enceurado Leather, an event taking place in Los Angeles highlighting our Latinx community. And things just ramp up from there going into the Fall.

RJ. What are some important issues you feel need to be addressed in the bear community?

RH. As I’d mentioned, I’m not really ingrained fully in the bear community. So I can only really speak from the perspective of an outside observer. That said, I feel like many of the issues I’ve seen or heard about in the bear community are ones that we see in the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole in many ways.

There’s a lot of division over self-instilled qualities of elitism, racism, and transphobia. And I think that those are issues you see in any of our communities to some extent. I recognize that we have our differences, but far too many of us see those differences as reasons to divide, when they should be what we see in each other as special, unique, and wonderful.

RJ. Where can we find you? Websites? Social Media?

RH. I have a few places you can find me at the moment! On Facebook, I strongly recommend you follow my IML page under “IML 2025”. That’s a good place to follow if you want to see official updates of where I’ll be and when.

I’m also on TikTok as “BuckHarder”, where I share information and education on bootblacking, leather, and more recently, behind-the-scenes looks at the realities of holding a leather/community title.

I also have an Instagram under the name “Rene_Jacque_Strappe”, though I admit I’m not as active on that platform as I feel I should be.

RJ: Thanks Rene, we cant wait to see what you will do in your title year, we wish you the very best.