MIR contest

MIR, formerly Mr. International Rubber, is a multi-day convention and contest celebrating the rubber, fetish, and kink communities. Established in 1997, MIR occurs annually in Chicagoland during the autumn, drawing participants and attendees from all over the world. Events include workshops, socials, dances, a kink market, and the contest.

The Leather Archives & Museum holds many of MIR's records.

History

The inaugural MIR contest was held in 1997 at Cell Block, a gay bar in Boystown.

In 2009, MIR moved to the Center on Halsted to account for larger crowds.

In 2020 MIR 24 was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At MIR 27 in 2023, organizers announced that the event would allow contestants of all genders to compete; 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. To promote inclusion, organizers also changed the official name of the contest from "Mr. International Rubber" to gender-neutral "MIR." MIR 27 and 28 were held in Skokie, Illinois.

In 2026, MIR is scheduled to return to Chicago for its thirtieth anniversary contest.

Winners

As of October 2025, 28 contestants representing nine countries have won MIR: the United States (14), Canada (5), Germany (2), the Netherlands (2), Australia (1), France (1), Italy (1), Poland (1), and the United Kingdom (1).

Below is a table of MIR contest winners. Winner's Country as used in the table refers to the winner's country of residence at the time they won the competition.

See also

• International Mr. Leather
• International Ms. Leather
• Leather competitions
• Rubber events and organizations