AJ Renard (she/her) has been involved in the BDSM world her entire adult life, although she was a dark little thing far before that. AJ works in the mental health field and has a deep passion for teaching about BDSM and consent. She finds her happy place when there is rope, electricity, knives, boots, fear, and a lot of crying involved. In her limited free time she makes custom chainmaille for her shop, Foxy Feisty Redhead.

AJ teaches a variety of classes about consent, negotiations, perspectives on D/s, bottoming for intense scenes and edgeplay, mental health and BDSM, and behavioral science in PE dynamics. She also loves demo bottoming for Violet Wand demos, and things that make her shy in front of groups of people.

Bri Burning (she/her and they/them) is your International Person of Leather 2020 and Northwest Person of Leather 2019! Bri is a leather little, genderqueer femme, proud Indigenous Mexican, s-type, and Ma’am to one. They have been active in the SF/Bay Area kink and Leather community since 2010 and started their journey as a presenter in 2015 at the SF Citadel and Dark Odyssey Surrender. They served as the moderator of the SF Submissive Safe Space, a leader of the Submissive Girls Night Out group, and a member of the SF girls of Leather. Her passion in kink and leather education continuously grows in topics such as self-care, power exchange, age play, and service—which she spreads like glitter!

Calliope is a queer non-binary Leatherboy, proud to be owned by their Daddy of six years. They have been an active member of the BDSM community for a decade. Calliope found their home in Leather and M/s, diving into power exchange and bootblacking. As part of their desire to pass on their knowledge, Calliope teaches classes in and run a blog, Queer Courtesan.

Caterpillar917(it/she/her) is a New York State based slave with eighteen years of experience in the BDSM community. While fond of almost all things weird, her slave heart shines with Service. She has always pursued M/s and TPE relationships, feeling like the vulnerability involved allowed her to explore herself to the fullest. Outside of the house, she is pursuing an advanced degree in Psychology with a focus on trans health, polyamory, and kink friendly therapy. She is also an avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, and a strong chess player. Occasionally she can also be caught painting.

Charlie Doll (they/he/it) tumbled into the Utah BDSM community ass over Dolly wig in 2017, leaving the pageant stage and landing safely in a bed of leather.  Charlie Doll is the 2022 Rocky Mountain Person of Leather. As a leather person with varied interests and skills, Charlie is most succinctly a polyamorous sadomasochistic switch with a deep love of our community and the people in it.  For them, the leather community is much like their gifted leather - it needs to fed, sustained, and cared to thrive and shine. Charlie is passionate about creating accessible spaces and open dialogues, even when the topic is uncomfortable and necessary, and is not intimidated by naysayers.  Make no mistake, skirts and heels don’t equal girl because this human is a Bimbo with a capital B.  Charlie is the founder and owner of Bimbos of Utah as well as the creator of the Bimbo Pride flag.  They run Utah Leaf and Leather as well as maintain memberships with B.I.M.B.O.S., Utah Ageplay Scouts, and PLAID.  Charlie is #hornyforhelping and enjoys presenting as a sex and BDSM educator, organizing events, and professional sex work.

Drummer Pony is an autistic, queer, transgender leatherman and ponyplayer who has been active in the Colorado kink community for four years. He is an avid writer, artist, and gardener with a background in environmental justice and food security. This will be his second time teaching at THRIVE, and he is excited to have another opportunity to present.

Ev (they/them) is a white, Jewish, trans and non-binary person who works in anti-oppression education. Ev is deeply grateful that their kink-community journey has been almost exclusively in queer and trans spaces, starting in New York and New England more than eight years ago. Kink helped teach Ev not only how to trust another person, but how to trust themself. they believe in the possibility for kink to teach, transform, heal, and give us a damn good time. Ev lives in Denver with their two scruffy dogs.

"Teaching the Art within Sexual Acts", Fredrick Zal’s sexological work nourishes erotically marginalized communities, through mindfulness, ritual, consent, sexual attitudes reassessment, embodied erotic pathways, and dismantling the corrupt power differentials felt in our blood and bones.  Fredrick teaches private lessons, semi-public and private events, and workshops in Oregon, Washington, California, British Columbia, and via Zoom worldwide.  Fredrick is the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapist (AASECT) Section Co-Leader for the State of Oregon, Leader of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS) BDSM/Kink special Interest group, and Adjunct Faculty at Lewis & Clark College’s graduate department of Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology.  They also serve on the Boards of the Northwest Institute on Intimacy and the Betty Dodson Foundation.  When not teaching or doing sexuality research; Fredrick endeavors to focus life around what they love, which is the arts, getting outside for adventures, sharing quality time and food with friends, practicing 茶道 (Chado, Japanese Tea Ritual), and movement such as yoga and dance. 

HannahTheScribe is a 24/7 high protocol service slave/housewife and lifestyle masochist to her Mistress/wife. They are monogamous, practice irrevocable consent, and enjoy anticipatory service. Hannah is fulfilled by aiming to be useful and pleasing, having a structured, ascetic lifestyle, living the art found in suffering for another, and growing through being owned. She is the author of many projects, teaches and more via SlaveClass, primarily on day to day service and protocol, and organizes Las Vegas TNG, a group centered on community building and growth.

Hope Lythi has been in the scene longer then she cares to admit . She has a passion for safety and helping people explore their kinky side.  She has hosted munches for over 8 years. She has been known to present at unconferences across Ontario Canada.  Hope is also the founder of Kinkschool an online convention that aims to bring accessible kink education to all who seek it. She believes that education is the most important part of anyone's kink journey. She is a playfully bratty submissive who  teaches with all the sass that reflects that energy!

The House of Kush is an international leather association. With the collective effort of its House members and in-service members, it is committed to cannabis education, safe consumption, explicit prior permission, consensual application, and current practices. HOK acknowledges the medicinal and recreational benefits of cannabis: promoting safe, enthusiastic consensual consumption, overall.

The House of Kush does NOT support scening under the influence of cannabis while under bondage nor with implements nor under any form of enthusiastic consent/CNC duress play. We do support sensual smoke play AFTER enthusiastic consent is given in a coherent, sober state and BEFORE the usage of any THC infused cannabinoids.

Our mission, beyond cannakink and kink education and safety practices , is to advocate for those incarcerated and suffering the consequences of a legal system woefully behind its recreational laws.

Jude is a leatherdyke, transsexual, sadist, heretic, and psychoanalyst living in the Pacific Northwest. They are particularly interested in intersections of kink and transcendence.

Kero (pronoun agnostic) is an extroverted, creative, nonmonogamous, genderfluid pervert, from the Asian diaspora, who has been active in this scene long enough that some of their early experiences involved local BBSs.

They enjoy sharing their love of learning as well as their extensive knowledge of consent, risk, anatomy, power, neuro/physical/gender/racial diversity (and the ways it can be used to change your understanding of kink).  They’ve presented at Dark Odyssey’s Fusion and Camp Crucible. They are committed to naming and combating white supremacy, creating community, and enjoys using their knowledge for very specific kinds of evil.  Kero is also an activist, a trained massage therapist and a licensed social worker. 

My name is Kit Amreik and my pronouns are they and/or she. I am a 27 year old pansexual, non-binary trans woman based in Boston; I am also a new-to-Denver transplant! I am an activist working to serve the community at large and creating gentle & tender realms of radical possibility modeling for all. Some of my core values are integrity, veracity and receptiveness. In order to practice activism, advocacy and real time praxis to support comrades, it is imperative to me to hold these tenets close to me as I do the work. In addition to the aforementioned, I am also a Global Restorative and Transformative Justice Practitioner and Facilitator, versed in facilitating harm circles and community accountability processes for folks, organizations and collectives; furthermore, I teach TJ, RJ and facilitation classes and I hold space for all to learn and engage with this concept, and then share and spark conversations within communities to transform themselves.

LaniRope (they/them) is a BIPOC, Genderqueer, Pansexual, Switch out of Jacksonville, Florida. Lani joined the kink community in 2012 at 18 and has been learning and growing for 10 years in this community. They are the founder of Start Here Hampton Roads and currently the Owner of Start Here Jacksonville. Lani has a passion for 101 education and a heart for community. Lani has also held a leadership position with Rope Bite Hampton Roads and has taught rope classes for Rope Bite, FPE, and Kinky POC Discord operating out of Orlando. Lani has been a long time member of the Woodshed Orlando, calling that their home dungeon and is heavily involved with their local community by attending events like MAsT Jacksonville Chapter, Jacksonville Little and Critters, & Jax Poly Coffee. They are currently spearheading the Jacksonville Leather Closet and curating a Library through Start Here for Alternative Lifestyle reading materials.

@LeatherChaplain (He/They) is a liberal progressive Christian minister-in-training who provides chaplaincy to kink, non-monogamous and LGBTQ+ communities. They have also been a lifestyle submissive masochist for over half their life. LeatherChaplain graduated from Phillips Theological Seminary with a Certificate in Pastoral Ministry in 2022 and is a certified sexual education facilitator utilizing the Our Whole Lives Curriculum. Their ministry, Chaplaincy of Sacred Sexuality, is a ground-breaking ministry-plant based on the idea that we are made in the spirit's image, God gave us sexuality, and sex is inherently good.

LeatherChaplain has previously serviced on the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Leather and Grace Steering Community, Co-Hosts an Ethical Non-Monogamous Religious Social Group, and is trained to provide interfaith pastoral care/chaplaincy.

Lee Harrington (he/they) is a spiritual and erotic authenticity educator, gender explorer, eclectic artist, and award-winning author and editor on erotic and sacred experience. He brings a combination of playful engagement and thoughtful academic dialogue to a broad audience, and they believe we are each beautifully complex ecosystems who deserve to examine the human experience from that lens. From Sydney to San Francisco, British Columbia to Berlin, Lee has been teaching and talking about self-love, sexuality, psychology, faith, desire, and more since 2001. Lee has been a passion instigator, academic, adult film performer, world class sexual adventurer, outspoken philosopher, kink/bondage coach, and has been blogging and writing about sex and spirit since 1998.

His books include “Traversing Gender: Understanding Transgender Realities,” “Playing Well With Others: Your Guide to Discovering, Exploring and Negotiating the Kink, Leather and BDSM Communities” (with Mollena Williams), “Sacred Kink: The Eightfold Paths of BDSM and Beyond,” “Shibari You Can Use: Japanese Rope Bondage and Erotic Macramé,” “More Shibari You Can Use: Passionate Rope Bondage and Intimate Connection,” the “Toybag Guide to Age Play,” and “Shed Skins: Journeying in Self-Portraits.” His book “Become Your Own Beloved: A Guide to Delighting In Self Connection” is forthcoming in 2023 from Twin Flame. Lee has also worked as an anthology editor for “Queer Magic: Power Beyond Boundaries,” “Rope, Bondage, and Power” and “Spirit of Desire: Personal Explorations of Sacred Kink,” while contributing actively to other anthologies, magazines, blogs and collaborations. Check out the trouble Lee has been getting into, as well as his regular podcast, tour schedule, free essays, videos and more over at PassionAndSoul.com.

With over twelve years in the lifestyle, @lilybeast (she/her) is a submissive, brat in a 24/7 primal High Protocol dynamic. As a service-oriented individual, lily focuses on culinary and companion service, using skills gained from two decades in customer service and hospitality.

An active and engaged member of the Southern California kinky community, lily is a staff member of the SoCalKink Discord, an admin in a twenty thousand strong brat group on Facebook, and runs a monthly kinky book club.

Outside of kink, lily goes to therapy, loves cooking, and enjoys taking time to read in the tub.

Casper Reynolds, also known as Little Mx. Goth, is a kink and sexuality educator, sex worker, and writer. They got into the scene as a piss porn performer and have since discovered their love of impact and pain play, power exchange, and so much more. Casper is passionate about teaching and writing about the intersection of kink with asexuality, mental health, gender, trans identity, tarot, sex work, and storytelling. They have previously taught workshops on divination and kink, designing intimacy spaces, porn positivity, and developing a fetish porn brand. When they are not teaching, you can find them cuddling with their three rescue pups and watching endless hours of b-grade horror movies. You can find them on Fetlife, Twitter, and Instagram as @LittleMxGoth.

Lord Allen/ pup juniper (they/them) is a budding BDSM educator and podcast host on The Kinky Tavern. Allen believes that Leather, kink, BDSM, and education in general should be more accessible and a safe space for all who wish to participate. “Leather started as activism and that is the heart of Leather.” 

Through their classes and through other educational channels such as the podcast, they aspire to influence the accessibility of the community and the education provided within it, educating community leaders and participants on the intricacies of neurodivergence, kink, BDSM, Leather, and sex in a more accessible way. “We all must be accountable and try to make this community a better place”

Allen is transgender, nonbinary, asexual, and polyamorous; currently living with their nesting partner and handler, Roskoe, and long distance with their Princexx, Mx. Dizzy, also a host of The Kinky Tavern. In kink, they follow RACK (Risk Aware Consensual Kink) and believe that “kink doesn't always have to be serious, it can also be very fun and playful.” Allen enjoys their own play as a hellhound, service submissive, bootblack, and sadist, using plain language to communicate in-scene instead of safewords. 

Master Penguin and slave ginna are the current Northeast Master/slave couple for 2022. They have been in a Master/slave relationship for more than 20 years and married over 25 years. They started in the community in the Norfolk, Virginia area, then moved to central Pennsylvania. Both Master Penguin and slave ginna were actively involved with WHIP, a BDSM group. During this time, they worked the "kinks" out of their relationship and their dynamic shifted from mostly in the bedroom to a TPE M/s relationship. Later, they became involved with different MAsT chapters and currently Master Penguin is the Director of MAsT: Gettysburg. slave ginna is also active in the community where she runs a s-type focused zoom call. They have presented at MsC, The M/s Gathering, and Twisting Culture as well as many MAsT chapters. They present on various topics including mental health, neurodiversity, long term relationships, goal planning, raising kids in a kinky home and more. They are both committed to service in the community and they always try to be helpful and lend a hand when needed.

Meredith is a deaf, neurodivergent, service-oriented submissive in an Owner/property dynamic. She is a regular teacher of introductory kink classes in the Washington DC area and also teaches bottoming skills classes.

Mistress Sheba is an Atlanta based dominatrix. Her interest in kink began from reading erotica that usually ended with someone getting spanked.

Since then, she’s found herself being not just a domme, but a vessel of repressed desire, a guide through the often chaotic waters of submission.

Sensual, beautiful, black, and charming, Sheba is a shining example of how beautifully multi-dimensional the world of BDSM can be.

Master, Mommy, Ma'am- Momma Celestia is an indigenous neurodivergent pansexual poly female who leads MAsT: oil city, pa. In her free time she helps her leather household by facilitating real time classes to enhance their knowledge and self exploration.  Her plate is full of therapy, therapeutic experiences, leading her household and raising two special needs children.

Ms Jamie (TwoPints) is a Leather Woman and Female Dominant who is part of the Master/slave and BIPOC Communities.  She has been an active participant for the last six years, engaging primarily with BFD-Atlanta and MAsT International.  She is passionate about power exchange dynamics, education, and the mental aspects of kink/BDSM. 

Kora Acebear is a Aromantic Asexual Trans Woman who has been in the Leather and BDSM lifestyle since 2016, volunteering for a few years as a Dungeon Monitor, and has presented on BDSM, Wax Play, Aftercare, and on being a kink poly Aromantic Asexual. She is currently Ms Wisconsin Leather Pride 2023 and is a huge proponent of community, vulnerability, therapy, and karaoke. Kora was diagnosed in 2018 with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Mx Jade (She/They),  is a Pansexual, Poly, Primal GoddeXXX/ Daddi who's also a middle. Though Femme leaning, this SeductreXXX is most definitely a gender-bender. As a cultivator of safer spaces for Affirming touch her background in clinical Massage Therapy and caregiving nature makes her a well rounded Aftercare surrogate. Mx Jade has been on her BDSM/Kink journey personally since 2012 and active in community since 2017. As a Black Queer Dominate and member of BFD she looks forward to showing up in ways that increases visibility, education and respect for the intersections within the Kink/BDSM community.

Mx. Singh, Naukara, is an unapologetically queer and trans, sociopathic, Deaf, disabled, Sikh, slave has been both Owned and Owner in separate M/s dynamics. They have been active in the BDSM and Leather Community for two decades. Naukara has spent eight years in a Master’s collar, six with a collared slave of their own, and has over ten years of butler experience. Mx. Singh's slave Eyon is queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent, and has experience on both sides of the slash but rests most comfortably in submission. Together T/they use role play, protocol, and service to deepen the psychological and emotional dynamics of T/their Ownership dynamic.

Mxster Mita (or just Mita) is a multi-ethnic, genderqueer, kinky fucker whose BDSM is intimately entwined with their spirituality.  Mita has been modifying bodies using various modalities since the 1990s. Mita has since been combining body modification, S&M, and spiritual rituals. Mita is Head of House Anchor, a Leather family dedicated to supporting each other in personal growth and service to the community. Mita is a co-producer of Ritual Steel, a ritual-piercing event that provides a unique spiritual and educational experience. Mita volunteers their time at events to create a safe space for anyone interested in education, enjoyment, and growth in BDSM and energy-focused spirituality.

Mxstress is an educational consultant, public speaker, and coach with over a decade of facilitation experience. Their work spans disciplines and is rooted in the experiences of individuals with historically marginalized identities, especially queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people of color. They use humor, empathy, and honesty to empower all in a shared pursuit of justice, liberation, community, and dismantling systemic oppression. They strive to educate and learn in collaboration with those around them. Rowen loves coffee, trying new things, and spending time with loved ones in the sun! Follow them online: https://linktr.ee/mxrowen

Nyx Lunaea (they/them) is a non-binary, queer, disabled human who has been in the BDSM lifestyle since 2009, and has been in their current dynamic since 2012. They are a top, an extrovert, a lover of pointy things, tattoo collector, painter, gardener, RPG fiend, and are a part-time dog. Nyx gives many a heck about inclusivity, accessibility, the BDSM lifestyle, and making the world a better place! They are enthusiastic about teaching others about the importance of consent, LGBTQIA+ info, and safer sex practices. They believe that it is important to always be learning, and always growing!

Shaun/OldSchoolBabyBat (he/him) is a kinky, queer trans man in a relationship with his long-term partner. He is multiply disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent and he can usually be found with his nose in several books.

Iris “Ire” Mansur (aka Pill) is a Queer radical neurodivergent multiracial feminist activist on a constant journey to achieve his most authentic and transparent self – he/him she/her. Along the way he’s faced himself time and again, eventually coming to celebrate the raw humanity in violence, the empowerment in control, the transcendence in focus, and the overwhelming voracity that can only be evoked by upturned eyes and dirty knees. Fortunate enough to be adored by one very devoted bunny, to everyone else she is simply a loud and lascivious Leatherperson who strives to create an inclusive space within the community and form lasting bonds with other outcasts like herself. Uniquely afforded the ability to be “out” completely, she utilizes her platforms and privilege to advocate for equity, justice, and liberation.

A sadomasochistic Owner-type with a love for 24/7 Authority Transfer relationships, Ire hopes to have a future filled with presenting on topics such as mental health in power exchange, behavior modification, emotional sadism, and all things internal. He is a graduate of the Dallas Mentors Program 2013, an active NLA-Dallas member, volunteer coordinator for Beyond Vanilla 24 & 25, and a Queer youth mentor who has been in the public BDSM community for over 10 years. 

Ruby Cooper is a Licensed Social Worker, a harm reduction advocate, the 2023 Animal International petplay titleholder, and founder of The Brighty Project. Ruby focuses their work on building community for LGBTQ youth and educating the public on queer mental health, sexual health, and substance use issues. Ruby is proudly black, queer, and autistic and has lived experience as an addict in recovery.

Sar is a Marriage and Family Therapist out of Seattle, WA specializing in identity, non-monogamy, and Kink. She is a sex Educator, professor, author, and theorist. Sar is also the former director of the Consent Academy and speaker on consent issues from the personal to the organizational.

Born and raised in Montréal, Québec, Canada, Sarah (She/They) is a queer identifying Licensed Social Worker and psychotherapist in the Denver Metro Area specializing in trauma and LGBTQ+ populations.

Sarah has been active in the kink community for approximately 14 years as a femme dominant, using impact play and mental domination as her primary tools of the trade.

Sarah is a fervent advocate of the intertwines of kink and trauma, and the many ways in which kink can act as both an activator and healing tool to support trauma healing. This includes rising awareness and attunement to the practice, as well as leveraging communication and intuition to elevate the experiences as trauma takes a role.

Shalimar is a Leather boy, service pupper, bootblack, and service leader. They are a lifelong student who strives towards building aware communities that address ethics, equity, and safety. They have been in the mental health field for three years and have been in the community for eight years. Their goal is to address issues of accessibility and oppression within our communities and increase the dialogue around issues such as racism, abuse, gatekeeping, and sexism

Shveta Mittal, Ph.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and leather lifestylist. She has worked extensively with those who experience acute psychological distress and struggle with emotion regulation from a sex-positive, person-centered, trauma-informed lens. She is also in the process of completing her training as a Psychedelic Practioner. Shveta has more than a decade of experience helping her clients develop a better understanding of themselves while facilitating improved coping, insight and personal growth. She has also worked specifically with minority groups (LGBTQ+, polyamorous, kinky, POC), providing culturally competent care. Shveta is also a seasoned member of the kink community who has been active over the years through mentorship, co-hosting events, and providing kink education.

silkys_kitten is a neuroqueer survivor of  trauma who is a mental health provider in their vanilla life, with much professional and personal experience navigating the complexities of the overlap of BDSM/ kink, mental health, and a world that often doesn’t welcome or accommodate minds like theirs.

Master Penguin and slave ginna are the current Northeast Master/slave couple for 2022. They have been in a Master/slave relationship for more than 20 years and married over 25 years. They started in the community in the Norfolk, Virginia area, then moved to central Pennsylvania. Both Master Penguin and slave ginna were actively involved with WHIP, a BDSM group. During this time, they worked the "kinks" out of their relationship and their dynamic shifted from mostly in the bedroom to a TPE M/s relationship. Later, they became involved with different MAsT chapters and currently Master Penguin is the Director of MAsT: Gettysburg. slave ginna is also active in the community where she runs a s-type focused zoom call. They have presented at MsC, The M/s Gathering, and Twisting Culture as well as many MAsT chapters. They present on various topics including mental health, neurodiversity, long term relationships, goal planning, raising kids in a kinky home and more. They are both committed to service in the community and they always try to be helpful and lend a hand when needed.

Stabbie (they/them) is white, queer, agender, non-monogamous, property. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Therapist specializing in kink, non-monogamy, and alternative relationship styles, Stabbie is passionate about creating and holding space for others to explore their authentic selves while honoring that many must mask their identities to keep themselves safe within the systems they navigate. With a background in sex therapy and mental health, they utilize their insight from professional and lived experiences to enhance and inform their educational approach. Stabbie lives with their Owner in Portland, OR where they have been active in the kink and leather community since 2015.

Mista_Cake is a Leather Man with 10 plus years of experience in BDSM. During that time he has lead Richmond TNG, 757Spectrum a Black Munch in Va. He has presented at Exxotica, South Eastern Leather Fest and well as in his local community on subjects like rough body play, wrestling, conflict resolution, BDSM and Spirituality, and impact play. Presently Mista Cake is exploring  the intersection of African Spirituality and BDSM as well as training as sex education and coach for D/s practitioners.

Tora Vorare (they/them) is a nonbinary, queer, neurodivergent slave whose passion for community education, access, and outreach knows no bounds. Active in the kink community since 2017, Tora also identifies as leather and has been immersed in understanding their connection and relationship to Leather since 2019. A moderator for Pragmatically Kinking, Tora’s favorite topics to discuss include trans rights, the intersections of power dynamics with accessibility and mental health, as well as subjects relating to social and restorative justice. Although just starting their community service journey, Tora is eager to become more involved, to learn and grow in all facets of their identity, and to share their discoveries and knowledge with others.

Rooster Chantico (they/them) is a queer, neurodivergent, non-binary, latine person who has been involved in the kink community for the last year and a half. In that time they’ve developed a passion for kink and leather through dear friends, insightful mentors and their slave. Their goal in volunteering is to help provide access to space for marginalized voices in the community.

Xir Oya is an artisan of somatic complexity. A Dominant with a fine kink palette... an aesthetic... and a dense skillset. A skill set of marvel, built intensely and meticulously over the span of 4 years with both self-discipline and legacy wisdom from mentors and Dom/mes across the spectrum of experience. An artist of a peculiar sort; A tactician and ultimately a healer through psycho-sensual linguistics, somatic manipulation and energetic acuity. Xir Oya is your current Mr. Maryland Leather 2020-2021, born and raised in Baltimore, MD. Xir Oya is a Millennial Leather Classicist and kink prodigy and the Head-of-Household for the Tribe of Mount Saint Oya. They are acknowledged as a Mxter (Master) in the Leather Community. They have taught at numerous conferences such as International Miss Leather, The Black Sex Workers’ Conference, The Master/slave Conference, Sex Down South, ATL Tantra Fest in Tulum , and including being a Lead Facilitator for EROS Fest LA, . They are a recurring co-host of LGBT Detroit's Annual Winter Pride "Cold As Hell" Fundraiser. Xir Oya believes that it is imperative to both, “Welcome change and embrace fundamental tradition,” in order for the community to continue to evolve effectively. They enjoy travel for

conferences, festivals, and any other educational opportunity or experience that they may draw from to evolve their ability. When they're not in a hot scene, they enjoy karaoke, hiking, exploring, and just being Daring.