Workshops & Seminars
Beyond the Blue, Black, and White: Racism in the Leather Community
3PM-4:15PM
Room: Uranus
Ali Mushtaq
This workshop serves as an overview of how race works in the leather community. First, the workshop provides an introduction to why race is important in the leather community. The workshop delves into four main parts of the community: contests/aesthetics, play, service, organizations. I examine the role that race plays in each of these parts. Furthermore, I examine how we can provide solutions for areas of concern.
About the Presenter:
Ali Mushtaq is a founding member of ONYX South West, a local branch of a leatherman of color organization. In cooperation with the LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Long Beach Imperial Court, Ali has produced successful events that have funded AIDS Lifecycle and the LGBT Center of Long Beach. Professionally, Ali is a PhD candidate at University of California, San Francisco in their sociology department. He's co-authored a series of papers on sexuality, identity, and political action. Ali is sponsored by KinkFest and The Portland Leather Alliance. Find out more at his website...
The Quest for the Hypersexual Black Jezebel
1:30PM-2:45PM
Room: Saturn
Girl Complex
In their class Thank A Black Woman for Intersectionality, Girl Complex covered several tropes that are usually associated in Misogynoir. Those tropes were 1. Angry black woman, 2. Strong Black Woman, 3. Sassy black girl 4. Hypersexual Jezebel. Girl Complex has struggled to find the modern day equivalent of the Hypersexual Black Jezebel and while they are unable to make a concrete location in modern day media, they have focused their attention to how white woman approach them while they are masc presenting and has decided that might be a close comparison. While Girl Complex tends to be she/her, when she presents Masc she prefers to be he/they which is why this class is written with they/them pronouns.
About the Presenter:
Girl Complex is a self described proud, petty, black feminist, womanist and maybe just be a newly minted anarchist. They went from wanting to breed soldiers for the revolution to starting one. Crafting their ideas of blackness from rap videos, television, and the Black Panther Party. While not allowing herself to be limited by what “black” girls can be, she loves to straddle the gender divides. As International Ms. Leather 2017, her title year so far has been dedicated to making sure black girl magic can thrive in all forms, allowing both their tomboy and her femme adjacent presentations to be shown fluidly. Besides collecting dirty panties, she loves to wash her car in white tears although they believe drinking to much of them can make you sick. Currently working on their next plan to take over the world, they are an avid soap hoarder and strives everyday to make sure they are constantly honing the mess you see before you.
Dog & Pony Show: Unconventional Pet Relationships
3PM-4:25PM
Room: Saturn
Micky Rebel
Lucky Rebel
Come hang out with a Dog and Pony to find out more about basic pet play and incorporating the wild world of pets into your scene. We will cover the basics of pet play and how it pertains to puppies, Dogs, Cat, kittens, ponies and Horses. Get into headspace with or without gear and cover some safety too. Learn to utilize the pet store or your local feed store to get some gear on the cheap. It’s not all about leather or rubber here, learn some other great options that are tons of DIY fun.
About the Presenters:
Micky Rebel is equally at home under a boot being stomped, as she is under a boot in the stand. As Oregon State Bootblack 2015, she enjoys teaching what she loves, from boot worship to cigar play. She shines with her whole leather heart and all the service her longtime Sir instills in her during their 8 years in a 24/7 D/s. This Queer, Poly, Pony, little, has diverse interests and likes to flag red and purple, on the right. She volunteers as a board member for Portland Pets and Handlers, Blackout Leather Productions and Portland Girls of Leather. She is a Bad Girl and PDX Bootblack, co-founder of PDX BootLab.
Originally from San Diego, Lucky Rebel has been involved in leather for over twenty years. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon where he serves as Mr. Oregon State Leather, 2017. He was President of Portland Pets and Handlers for three years and founder of San Diego Pups and Handlers. He is a member of the Kinky motorcycle club, RACK Riders. Recently, he has facilitated pup panels for Furlandia. You can find him bootblacking with the PDX Bootblacks and assisting to organize Oregon Leather Pride as a board member. Some of his favorite flags are hunter green, grey, purple, yellow, red, black, maroon, houndstooth and puppy all on the left.
POC Caucus!
11AM-12:15AM
Room: Pluto
babypig ax
Calling all people of color! Please join babypig ax for a circle discussion on whatever topics the group would like to discuss around being black, indigenous, brown, people of color perverts, kinksters, players, BDSM practitioners, sadomasochists, dabblers... Potential topics could include:
- How do I navigate majority white dungeon spaces?
- What does it mean to be POC in power exchange relationships?
- How do I find a POC play party in my city?
- How do I maintain my power in a submissive role?
- Politics of desire in cruising, playing, and dating
- Racial dynamics in community and event organizing
About the Presenter:
babypig ax is a submissive, service-oriented, sadomasochistic, mixed (Puerto Rican/Lebanese), transgender boy. They've been getting beat for over 7 years, and for the past 4 years have been throwing FRESH MEAT Los Angeles: a play party for queer and trans people of color and those in solidarity with us. ax is passionate about sexual liberation for all and making BDSM more accessible to people of color. If you are POC or have a POC-centered group and are interested in throwing your own play parties, please contact me at ax.valles@gmail.com. Outside of BDSM, ax is a union carpenter and is always looking for new areas in which to build his skills.
Instagram: @freshmeat.la @babyaxel
Tied and True: Introductory Rope Work
9:30AM-10:45AM
Room: Saturn
Element Eclipse
Time to get your ass to Rope Class! Discussion, debate, knowledge share, and hands-on demos. This class will cover basics, simple knots, basic ties and tie offs for all body types! As well as intermediate exploring of upper and lower body harnesses. Please bring rope and be ready to make new friends.
About the Presenter:
Element Eclipse is a creature from out of this world but raised in Ohio. Pushing boundaries of the men’s leather seen since 2008 when he relocated to Portland, Oregon with the U.S. Army Reserves. He invested 5 years between Portland and Seattle serving as Whelp under Sir Tony Buff of the world-renowned Dragon Clan, Element Eclipse won the title of Northwest Leatherboy 2011. Element is Assistant Director in a new independent film “100 Boyfriends” and takes pride in his Shibari rope skills while enjoying a vast variety of BDSM activities. He has taught many classes such as “One Rope, Two Knots, Three Ties”, “How to Fuck Better”, and “How to Have Sex Like a Porn Star.” Element spends his days taking blood out of humans for money.
Talking SMACK! DIY Impact Play for Every Body
11AM-12:15PM
Room: Saturn
Chris & Shiny
Join Chris and Miss Shiny for a workshop on impact play from the Do It Yourself perspective. No fancy floggers required (although they have quite a collection and love to play show-n-tell). Let’s get creative with our hands, feet, knees, wooden spoons, random hardware store goods, stuff you found at a thrift store - it’s all good! We’ll talk about creative impact and about the importance of understanding anatomy when gearing up for impact play.
About the Presenters:
Miss Shiny and Chris are Heads of Household at the House of Wayward Leatherfolk, a Leather house focused on anti-racist, feminist and accessible pathways to Leather.
Miss Shiny is a perpetual curiosity machine. She thinks that people are fascinating little bugs with a variety of nifty quirks. When she’s not working her “pay job”, shiny spends her “free” time helping non-profits make money, teaching sex-ed to adults, and hitting people with sticks.
Chris likes to have a good time. Chris likes it when everyone has a good time. Chris spreads the good time gospel at every opportunity.
D/s and disabilities
9:30AM-10:45
Room: Pluto
A moderated roundtable discussion exploring the intersectionality of D/s and disability.
Topics may include:
The everyday applications of D/s as a system of support
Negotiation and renegotiation.
Coping mechanisms.
How to serve when you need support.
Transfer assistance.
Spoon Theory.
And more!
#1 Class
(Water Sports for Everyone)
1:30PM-2:45
Room: Pluto
Ideas for wet fun in & out of the bathroom. Tips for pee-shyness & helpful hints for healthy play!
About the Presenter:
Reserved, Old-Guard, Dominant, Power-Top are some of the words that no one would ever use to describe chuck brackett. A founding member & past vice-president of the KC boys of Leather, past President of the KC LGBTQ & Pride of Siouxland Community Centers, past member of KC Pioneers, KC Cave Bears, Bear Mafia, T.U.L.S.A., N.L.A Houston, Emeritus member of the Junction City Levi Leather Bears, & former Headmaster of the Kansas Leather University.
2003 Heart of America Leatherboy, first runner up to 2003 American Leatherboy, & inaugural winner of the Bryan "Pup" Milliken Brotherhood Award.
Fired from MCing nearly every Bear & Leather contest in the Midwest.
Gender-fucking, potty-mouthed, pan-sexual, poly-romantic, bad-ass DJ, karaoke singer, & Lego enthusiast.
KINK & ASL
4:20PM-5:30
Room: Saturn
KINK & ASL: intersectionality of gender, identity, language, culture, and how to communicate/navigate using ASL (American Sign Language) both inside/outside of kink space with Deaf persons/creatures.
Some ASL and kink/non-kink related vocabulary and phrases will be taught/shared as well as some discussion of intersectionality of gender, identity, language, culture. There will be some hands on practice related with how to navigate/communicate properly with ASL in kink space with Deaf persons/creatures.
This is a very basic foundational context of information which I will share/offer due to this being complex and very layered with how to navigate with/between two different cultures/languages: ASL and English ~ Whole body inclusive vs sound/phonic based, touch/sensory vs not sensory, etc. This kind of context can easily be expanded into a series of workshops.
To be clear, this is a really basic foundational context of information to start with in this workshop. Ideal for levels ranging from curious/new to ASL users to more advanced ASL users/folx needing refresher on this info.
**** Note: I will be using ASL interpreters as part of my modes with communication/teaching/interaction in this workshop. ****
I’m looking forward to co-sharing workshop space with y’all!
If there is active interest for a repeat of this topic and/or more of a in depth workshop series, then please contact me via my work email: heartofoak@gmail.com and/or approach me in person!
About the Presenter
Queer as f*** . Gender fluid. Two-Spirit. Deaf. Bi-lingual/bi-cultural. Witchy and magikal. All about the woo. Traveller. That’s just the very basic surface of things when it comes to Thorne Davis. Pronouns are he/him and they/them. A wild creature of the Pacific Northwest, Thorne has pretty much not looked back after first coming out in his early 20’s. Thorne has continued to discover, grow, stretch, embrace, and evolve over the years with so so so much of what a multi faceted creature who they are when it comes to gender, identity, sexuality, etc.
Thorne’s diverse expertise ranges from magikal threads like astrology, intuitive readings, Spirit channeling, ancestor work, energy work, ritual + ceremony to the mundane threads of education, accessibility, workshops, activism, community involvement, theatre, etc.
He has previously volunteered at the Q center, offered ASL vocabulary training to folx who hosted a community event for hiv/std free testing, worked a couple years with Deaf queer run defunct nonprofit, coordinated asl interpreters for Portland pride (3 years), and offered Faerie ASL classes both at radical faerie gatherings and at Portland.
They continue to offer their knowledge/skills to and with community intersecting threads/spaces from time to time while honing more of their current woo work specialities.
This current workshop topic of Intersectionality of Gender, Identity, Language, Culture and how to use ASL safe/properly in with kink spaces is a first for him to present with the kink related community. ASL interpreters will be present for the woskshop so Thorne can present in the ways most comfortable to communicate with.
More information about Thorne and their work, events, etc:
Website: www.spiritoracle.com
Facebook page: Spirit Oracle professional services