L.A. Leather Pride Q&A with Mr. Cachondo Leather, Yair Lopez

March 25, 2023
MEATY PANDA

Photo by Ziv Safe. THE FIGHT.

Yair Lopez is a proud Latino Leatherman born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and the current title holder of Mr. Cachondo 2023, based on Leo Iriarte’s successful Latin gear night. He has a passion for documenting leather bars and events through photography and in 2020, he and his friend Xavid created PERVERSO Zine, a magazine by and for Latino men that aims to create a space for body positivity and inclusivity.

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Yair is currently working on other projects like Full of Fire, a photo book featuring his San Francisco Folsom Street Fair adventures, and he will be featured in the upcoming documentary by Orlando Bedolla, Encuerados. As a previous health educator, he has been a passionate advocate for sexual health, especially promoting PrEP/PEP services and HIV/STI testing & treatment. This will be his second year leading an HIV awareness campaign through the LGBTQ+ non-profit Somos Familia Valle, focusing on Latino MSM testing and battling stigma in the San Fernando Valley.

Read on for our interview with Yair.

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What does it mean to be the current Mr. Cachondo Leather?

Mr. Cachondo Leather is allowing me to bring visibility to kinky Latinos in the leather community. For me, holding this title helps me foster relationships within the leather space and for conversations of Latino representation and visibility in Los Angeles. This title celebrates the various Latino experiences from music, art, and culture. This title also means FUN to me, the whole experience has been enjoyable, especially attending different events with beer and sexy men, and having to explain to them that Cachondo means horny and/or easily aroused in Spanish, which I totally am.

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What does this group entail?

Familia, brotherhood, appreciation of Spanish music like cumbias, banda, and rock en español, leather, a judgment-free for Latinx immigrant folks. Cachondo is a community really, it’s a night that was created to close the gap between Latinos and leather, a night where they can meet and socialize and to explore their kinks and fetishes. We celebrate Latinx-led work, art, leaders, and experiences.

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What has your journey through the leather scene been from introduction to being a Title Holder?

One night one of my friends, Ezekiel, invited me to the Eagle LA Bar 8 years ago. I couldn’t believe that people were walking around in jockstraps, hot porn videos playing on every television, and there were even live demonstrations of people being tied up and flogged on stage. For the first time, I felt like I found a queer place to go. I noticed that many of the people there had some type of gear, so I decided to purchase my first leather harness, and I found the perfect one for me. I felt my confidence and sexiness. In addition to my exploring, I met other Latino leather leaders who I connected with and shared my new love for gear. My friends Xavid & Leo grew my knowledge of the history and culture of leather which I began to love. It taught me how to navigate these leather spaces and grew my curiosity about leather competitions. As an avid patron of Cachondo, I was able to get out of my comfort zone and build long-lasting friendships and even build on my photography project that showcased Latino erotic art. This gave me inspiration to run for Mr. LA leather to introduce more art projects where all leather communities may participate in and invite people to get involved.

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What do you plan to do beyond this weekend's Mr. LA Leather contest?

As an artist in the leather community, I want to continue my work to uplift other POC art projects. I will definitely continue my passion for photography and piss play. I hope to support and share my experiences running for Mr. LA Leather with other people who are interested in running. I will continue to show up to Cachondo events and push for more inclusive and diverse leather spaces in Los Angeles. My intention is to learn and work with all kink/fetish communities, leather-driven events, and anything involving leather.