Founded by Full Kit in 2013, New England Leather (NEL) marks 12 years of celebrating the region’s LGBTQ+ Leather community—its 2nd year as a non-gender-specific contest and 1st year as an official nonprofit in Massachusetts. This milestone honors NEL’s mission to create a positive, inclusive space for New England’s queer leather people of all genders and expressions while fostering unity and pride across the community.