- This event has passed.
CLAW 24: April 11-14, 2024 – Cleveland, Ohio
April 11 - April 14
CLAW’s Beginning
The idea for CLAW came from a conversation between Dennis McMahon and Bob Miller in October 2001 while they were leather titleholders (Mr. Cleveland Leather 2001 and Mr. West Michigan Leather 2001, respectively). From the beginning, CLAW was conceived as a fundraiser with no leather contest. Both ideas proved popular.
The first CLAW was scheduled for “the weekend after MAL” so that IML 2001 Stefan Mueller would be able to attend from Bavaria and highlight the event. CLAW 2 was also in late January. Since 2004, CLAW has been held in late April/early May.
CLAW stands for Cleveland Leather Annual Weekend, usually just called CLAW.
The “a” in CLAW stood for “annual” even in the first year. In February 2003, CLAW 1 won the Pantheon of Leather Award for Small Event of the Year and the trophy read “Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend.” The misunderstanding/misprint led to a temporary name change until 2010, when the Board officially corrected our name back to annual. We just say CLAW.
CLAW’s Mission Statement: Claw Holds that:
Adult interest in leather, fetish and BDSM is natural and healthy. We learn that from one another in person. CLAW is a 501c3 charity dedicated to fundraising, education, volunteerism and other charitable needs of the leather community. CLAW produces a large annual conference for gay men in Cleveland, Ohio.