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POEM + PLACE + COMMUNITY
AUTHOR NARRATION
Read by the author in the original English.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend is customarily centered at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, near the U.S. Capitol and Union Station.
Related activities also extend to other venues around Washington. Exact dates and locations can change from year to year.
WHAT “MAL” MEANS
An annual adults-only gathering centered on leather culture, self-expression, and LGBTQ+ community.
Organized by the Centaur Motorcycle Club, MAL brings people to Washington each January to celebrate a community tradition dating to the 1970s. The weekend grew from Leather Cocktails, a formal social reception, and now includes social gatherings, an exhibitor hall, fashion presentations, brunch, the Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather contest, health services, and charitable activity.
Many attendees wear leather, uniforms, club colors, or creative gear. In this setting, clothing can express identity, craft, history, and belonging—and the hotel lobby becomes as much a reunion space as an event venue.


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