Melbourne Rubber’s first nonbinary titleholder, Elliott Eve, is the first Australian to compete and win the International Rubber Competition.
Recreating their nonbinary coming out and powerfully sharing their journey and expression with the world, Australia’s Elliott Eve has won the International Rubber Competition (MIR).
“Please welcome your new Mx. International Rubber, MIR29 Elliott Eve, from Melbourne, Australia!” the MIR Contest wrote on social media.
“Congratulations as well to our first runner-up, Magnus, 2nd runner-up Minos Munro, and to all of our other contestants, Ben, Reed, Bono, and Lilith.”
“A fantastic class of contestants.”
MIR is held in Chicago annually as part of a massive weekend where the international rubber community comes together.
Australian titleholders have done very well in the competition in previous years, continually placing in the top three spots.
QNews spoke with Elliott after their win, who said they look forward to sharing the experience with us in more depth when they return home.
They shared on social media that their “head is still spinning.”
“The past few days have been an incredible journey I’ll cherish forever.”
“It’s an honour to have won this title, a huge achievement for our community.
“Paving the way as the first trans, AFAB, and Australian winner.
“Class of MIR29, forever iconic.”
Elliott’s mother travelled with them to America to see them compete.
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‘They embodied their true self every step in that competition’
Elliott proudly won the title with the local community watching and cheering them on via the event’s livestream.
“Very proud moment for Elliott Eve and all Melbourne rubberists after bringing home MIR29!” Jason Pearce, Melbourne Rubber cofounder and MRM19, told QNews.
“It’s exciting to see us continue to learn, grow, and most importantly, lead the way in progress and education within the kink world.”
Sydney Rubber loved seeing Elliott take the title.
“We’ve been excited to host our first MIR watch party in Sydney, with a fantastic turnout,” they told QNews.
“Seeing an Aussie take the title just put us over the moon at that point.”
“It was a great moment to bring together our own local community too.
And there was no hint of the Melbourne/Sydney rivalry when Elliot took the title.
“At the Sydney Rubber watch party, the room went absolutely wild when a Victorian went international.”
Laired Leatherman 2024 Jay watched on with Melbourne Rubber.
“Elliott’s warmth and kindness is so accessible as a title holder, and today their audience was the world,” Jay said.
“They embodied their true self every step in that competition, and the world fell in love with what we did when Melbourne sashed Elliott last year.”
“I’m a very proud sibling today, as is the entire kink community across Australia, to see Elliott win.
“A huge congratulations, and today is definitely one day to take outta life and celebrate.”
Mr VicBear 2024 Joenas also watched Elliott win with Melbourne Rubber.
“So happy for Elliott, they really shone and showed how amazing Melbourne truly is.” Joenas said
“Truly, the batch of 2024 Victorian titleholders saved the best for last.”
An Inclusive Rubber Contest
In 2023, it was announced that the MIR International Rubber Weekend would become inclusive of all gender identities.
New titles were added to the MIR Contest.
Ms International Rubber, Mx. International Rubber, and MIR International Rubber Ambassador, alongside the existing title Mr International Rubber.
The name of the weekend was changed from Mr International Rubber to simply MIR.
“We have always tried to be inclusive and to make MIR as welcoming as possible,” the MIR board said in a statement.
“Our unofficial motto for the past several years has been that ‘MIR is for Everyone’.”
“Over the past 5 years, we’ve tried to make good on that statement.
“We’ve added meet-ups for people of colour, asians, and our trans siblings to let them know that this space and event are for them.
“We created a means for members of the community to nominate individuals to be considered as a judge.
“We created a scholarship program to make attending MIR a bit more affordable for BIPOC and low-income individuals.
“And we’ve worked to diversify our staff, which now includes a range of gender identities.
“We’ve made progress in many areas, except one; only men have been eligible to run for our title.”
The Board announced that “beginning with the 2024 event, our contest will no longer have a gender barrier.”
“Additionally, we will institute a name change.
“Our weekend will no longer be known as Mr International Rubber, but will simply be called ‘MIR’ moving forward.”
All contestants now compete on the same stage in one gender-inclusive contest, where the winner chooses the honorific that best represents them as the MIR titleholder.
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‘The performance was my story of coming out as non-binary’
In the talent portion of the MIR competition, Elliott recreated their nonbinary coming out, just as they did in the Melbourne Rubber Competition in 2024.
Shaving their head again, cutting off their latex suit to reveal a binder with THEY/THEM on it.
It was a powerful way to share their journey and expression with the community again.
“Shaving my head was such a deciding factor for me to be non-binary, but when I look back on my performance now, it feels like a blur,” Elliott told QNews last year.
“The performance was my story of coming out as non-binary, stripping myself back to a vulnerable state and coming to terms with being.”
“It was important, and I’m glad it translated well.”
And it looks like that translated just as well worldwide, along with Elliott’s warmth and strength.
When they won Melbourne Rubber, Elliott said they were “proud to be the first non-binary person in our community with this title and to be able to represent.”
“It’s important to create space for yourself, but also make sure you’re leaving space for others to follow.”
Their win locally was a powerful and beautiful moment, and we love that it has not only been seen but also celebrated on the world stage.
Congratulations, Ellott Eve, Mx. International Rubber, MIR29, you continue to shine bright.
Photos by Winden PhotographyFor the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, and community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
