Meet Denzel Belin, Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2026!

The 32-year-old Black bisexual bombshell from the Twin Cities shares his deep commitment to the Twin Cities leather community and excitement for what’s to come

Denzel Belin’s goal by the end of 2025 was to own his own condo, then he would focus on running for Mr. Twin Cities Leather, the longest and largest continuously produced leather title based in Minnesota.

But when he got the keys to his place in Lowry Hill at the beginning of the year, he recalls thinking, “I guess this is the year!” 

Come November, he would be sashed as Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2026, the Man of the Year of the Twin Cities leather community, after only his first time running for the title.

The 32-year-old self-described “Black bisexual bombshell” writer, performer, director and actor discovered Twin Cities Leather upon moving to Minneapolis post-graduation from St. Olaf College. Belin lived within walking distance of Twin Cities Leather & Latte, the organization’s brick-and-mortar location until 2019. There, he says he would sit in the corner and observe, thinking to himself, “There’s something here.”

For the uninitiated, queer leather subculture traces its origins to soldiers returning from World War II, many of them gay men who felt ostracized from mainstream culture and more conservative corners of the gay community, according to queerconnect.org. These men started wearing leather as a sort of armor, with some joining motorcycle clubs. Later, leather bars emerged, and leather “became a symbol of unapologetic queer masculinity,” Queer Connect says.

“Leather culture wasn’t just about sex. It was about respect. It was about chosen family. It was about surviving a world that tried to make us feel small and coming out stronger,” the site says.

Today, leather is considered an umbrella term encompassing a myriad of kink and special interest communities serving all gender identities and expressions. Twin Cities Leather maintains as its key principle: “Community First!”

Twin Cities Leather itself first began in 2012 and is now housed in the Umbra Arts Building on West Lake Street in Minneapolis.

“The leather community in the Twin Cities stands apart from other major cities … the smaller scene fosters intimate connections across subcultures,” writes Aspen Rush for Lavender Magazine.

The initial loss of TCLL in 2019 ironically marked Belin’s first official step into leather. During their liquidation sale, he spotted a red paisley bulldog harness in the shop window. He asked if even that was for sale. With a resounding yes, he became the owner of his first piece of leather gear.

Two years later, in 2021, after, in his words, a “Shonda Rhimes-level breakup,” Belin says he acutely felt the desire to be in community. In 2023, he went to his first Minnesota Leather Pride Meeting, which he says “combined community with actionable support.” He later joined the MNLP Board, hoping to increase its number of BIPOC members. Belin also later became the president of Twin Cities Spectrum, the local BIPOC leather club.

A self-described people person who loves to chat (indeed, he has a bubbly presence even over video call), Belin says he feels “cooler, nicer and more interesting” by being involved with the aforementioned groups. He emphasizes his advocacy for intersectionality as a Black bisexual man, as well as how allyship is a verb, requiring concrete action.

“If I feel like I’m doing my part, I feel better about navigating the world,” Belin says.

The title of Mr. Twin Cities Leather is more than just pageantry — it denotes the vanguard of the Twin Cities leather community, the man doing the most to support and uplift it, and who looks the best doing it. Winners collaborate to strengthen community ties, with Belin choosing to work with the Aliveness Project and Clare Housing, two Twin Cities organizations that support people living with HIV/AIDS.

Given his commitment to his community, Belin seems like a shoo-in for the title. He gives his fellow competitors their flowers, but still admits how much he wanted the title.

“I felt so amazing. I felt like I presented myself at such a high level,” he says.

Taking time off from performing at Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre in Minneapolis, Belin spent 14 hours at The Saloon the day of the competition. He was judged on his leather look, a private interview, written responses and a showcase of his chosen talent of standup comedy, which he has been doing professionally for a decade.

This year’s competition also introduced the TC Fetish title, a category of equal weight to Mr. Twin Cities Leather that welcomes participants of all genders and orientations. This year, Rev. Dominic Trix became the title’s inaugural winner. 

Belin says he felt honored to participate in the inaugural year of the TC Fetish title.

Overall, Belin says he’s thrilled to be representing his community as himself, even though he couldn’t have predicted winning Mr. TCL. He describes how he considered leaving the Twin Cities while saving up for homeownership, but that every time he considered it, the Cities showed themselves to him in brand new ways.

“I couldn’t have predicted this, but it feels like the correct place to be,” he says.

Belin will be representing the Twin Cities at the International Mr. Leather competition in Chicago this May. He says he won’t be going in order to win, but rather to show his undeniable self.

Belin highly encourages those interested in leather to join in by walking into Umbra, searching up MN Leather Pride, attending organization parties, meetings, etc. and reading books. He even offered up his email, [email protected], for those who want to connect directly (“Emails don’t scare me,” he says.)

Ultimately, he says it’s what an individual is looking for that matters most, even if leather doesn’t provide that for them.

“This journey is yours and how you want to shape it,” he says.