photo by Bruce-Michael Gelbert
Shann Carr & Ken Cypert' ...........................................................................................

Ms. International Leather 1988 Shann Carr, fresh from being the lesbian cruise director of, and often the only woman on, 78 gay men's cruises, in 11 years, but a Fire Island virgin, and Ken Cypert, known to many from the Pines, brought their show "Out For Laughs: The Land Cruise" to Cherry's on June 22, thanks to Moxie Studios.

Culture clash leading to cultural education was the theme of many of the funny stories they shared, including one about going to IML-the International Mr. Leather contest, in Chicago, on Memorial Day Weekend-together-his first-at which he found himself center stage, nude, in a scene. Ken also told us about winding up at a funeral, being mistaken for the bereaved, and getting groped.

Shann, who was brought out, as a lesbian, in the woods, and came out as a comic six weeks later, pointed out how often, at big leather or bear gatherings, we turn out to be sharing the host hotel with some wildly incompatible event, like a high school prom. A couple of her stories had to do with white parties and periods-talk about incompatible! And she made palpable how harrowing it was to shepherd gay tour groups through Russia on two occasions-one of them coinciding with when the fleet was in!

"Out For Laughs: The Land Cruise" is still in progress, so catch it, if it comes your way. Check on its whereabouts at www.shanncarr.com.