July 9-11, 2021
UPRISE! Educational Sessions | Power Exchange Track
Black Leather: A History of People of Color in BDSM and Leather | Friday/1:15 - 2:45 pm
Presenter | Sir Guy
Session Description | When we hear of the histories of BDSM and Leather, the conversations often go to the early white gay male community or some European houses, but the fact of the matter is, just like American history, People of Color have had a long and storied history in the BDSM and Leather communities, not just as participants but as leaders. This history is rich and needs to be explored. Sir Guy will be your tour guide as we take the first steps into exploring various aspects of the histories of People of Color in Leather and BDSM.
Presenter Bio | I am a proud Dominant Leatherman with a deep love for my history, my culture, and my heritage. My goal is to educate people about BDSM to remove some of the stigma, and to support others in the lifestyle.
I have contributed to several lifestyle books and been interviewed by various media outlets on BDSM.
I hold the 2012 New York Metro Power Exchange & 2013 International Power Exchange titles, and won the 2014 Beyond Leather Community Achievement Award. Most recently I received the 2020 Masters And slaves Together(MAsT) International Presenter of the Year award.
I hope to embody the credo taught to me by Mama Vi Johnson and Reverend Lady D Harrison, "Each one, teach one."
Recognizing and Addressing Abandonment Issues in S-types | Friday/3:00 - 4:30 pm
Presenter | Coco
Session Description | Surrender demands a level of trust that can sometimes feel inaccessible to s-types with histories of abandonment. This can pose a significant barrier to the development of a healthy dynamic. The first step is to generate discourse on the topic. Count on this presentation to dive deep into the mechanics of unresolved abandonment, how it shows up in M/s relationships and discuss concrete steps to resolution.
Presenter Bio | Coco
(House Amor, MAsT: Laurel, MAsT: DC Pan, MAsT: Metro NY)
Coco has been in service to Master Dante Amor since June of 2020 and is very grateful to be his slaveling (slave in development). Surrender is very spiritual for her and Sir is the only person who has ever inspired her to deeply surrender. She has been involved in the BDSM/Kink scene for three years and has had the privilege of connecting with some truly incredible folks along the way. She considers MAsT: Laurel her “home” chapter, and also regularly attends MAsT: Metro NY and MAsT: DC Pan when it’s not a school night! She was the founder and Coordinator of the POC Special Interest Group for the Baltimore Educational and Social Society (BESS) as well as the secretary of BESS from 2018-2020. Her roots in the community may be new, but they are strong! She hopes to continue nurturing those relationships and develop new ones as opportunities arise.
The Dark Matter in MS Events | Friday/4:45 - 6:15pm
Presenter | slave Caroline
Session Description | Everyone has an element of self-awareness and a blindside. In Jungian jargon, we call this the personal conscious and unconscious. This phenomena also exist in the collective which can result in oppressive, and repressive practices in peoples social, cultural experience that is difficult to define or call out. The world created by MS events is an example of a collective social culture that comprises both a conscious and unconscious aspect of awareness.
Through personal experience of MS events, this presentation will raise the spectre of what is unconscious, the blind side of these events to bring awareness to the dark matter in MS events. This presentation is offered as a service by shining a light for others to see through and into a more conscious way of coming together.
Presenter Bio | slave Caroline has a background in clinical psychology but describes herself as a depth and liberation psychologist. She is co-author of Becoming a Kink Aware Therapist and the co-founder and CEO of Kink Knowledgeable, an AASECT and APA certified online academy aimed at developing kink knowledgeable mental health professionals. She has been a founding member in developing kink clinical guidelines for submission to the APA. Her research interests include exploring cultural, social and professional persecution of marginalized alternative sexualities, understanding transformative aspects of BDSM practices and relationships and bridging psychotherapeutic misunderstanding of alternative sexualities. She draws on a unique cross cultural, international perspective on kink dynamics and communities. She has been actively engaged in education, advocacy and research on kink in Australia and the USA, having given over 200 workshops across the USA and Australia on issues related to Master slave dynamics, produced various aspects of kink events, conducting research into this community’s dynamics as well as advised and mentored various kink organizations in relation to leadership, organization and community development.
Who's Your Daddy | Saturday/10:00 - 11:30 am
Presenter | Master WrathDaddy
Session Description | Who's Your Daddy? - Exploring the ins and outs of the Daddy Dom/ baby girl dynamic. From creative punishments to protocols, bedtime rituals, and emotional pitfalls, we examine this fun and loving lifestyle from all angles.
Presenter Bio | WrathDaddy is the 2019 and 2020 Heartland Person of Leather, a horror and erotica author, former heavyweight kickboxing champion, former MMA trainer, former owner and proprietor of The Bacchanal. He is the author of Kinky Adult Bedtime Stories (For littles, babygirls, and bois) and All The Kinky Kinksters From A to Z, as well as the erotic horror novels 400 Days of Oppression, Master of Pain, and the BDSM dark romance novel, Fight For Me, the poetry and short story collections: Cupid In Bondage, If You Died Tomorrow I Would Eat Your Corpse, and many others.
When East Meets West: Cultural Influences in Interracial Authority Transfer | Saturday/11:45am - 1:15pm
Presenter | Guan Xuan w/ Devyn Stone
Session Description | From the perspective of a White, transgender male Dominant and His Asian, nonbinary property, We will examine authority transfer dynamics through an Eastern and Western lens, discuss how we meld two cultures together, and offer an unique perspective on Western ideas of a "powerful slave" and "identity surrender".
Presenter Bio | Devyn Stone and his Guan Xuan live together in Colorado Springs, CO. They engage in a 24/7 total authority transfer dynamic. They have been practicing authority transfer, individually, since 2004 and began their dynamic in 2017. Devyn Stone (He/Him) is a transgender dominant leatherman. He is a mental health advocate, BDSM author, educator, and alternative lifestyles coach. Guan Xuan (they/it) is an asexual, transgender, nonbinary, slave. By day, Guan Xuan is a mental health professional. By night, Guan Xuan is nothing but a tool to be used by its Master.
20 Years in Power Exchange & Learning Continues | Saturday/4:00 - 5:30 pm
Presenter | Master Malik
Session Description | We started our journey on these paths of BDSM, Power Exchange and Master/slave 20 years ago. The success of our relationship and dynamics is attributed, in part, to our willingness to continue to learn. We still attend classes on the topics of authority based relationships, master/slave dynamics and skills.
We admire our next generation for their abilities to do fast research and learn things much faster than us. We respect them and we learn from them. In this we believe that every one of us is a teacher and every one of us is a student.
We shall share our views on the topics of ‘how to listen and how to discuss’. We are open to talk about the hurdles and obstacles in our relationship over the years. All aspect of a dynamics, be physical, emotional and/or spiritual are part of what we are after all these years.
We shall discuss them and we shall be eager to listen to other views.
This is not a lifestyle for them anymore...it is a Life.
Presenter Bio | Started the journey in 1999. Presented at various regional, national and international conferences. Judges several contest over the year and participated in several panels. Co own Xpression (a dungeon in Tulsa, OK), Oklahoma Leatherfest and Southwest Leatherfet.
PolyDiversity: An Exploration of The Wildly Diverse and Divergent Models of Polyamorous Authority Based Relationships | Saturday/2:15 - 3:45 pm
Presenter | Master Dante Amor, Slave Gaia Amor, Slave Sarah Amor, and Coco
Session Description | Kitchen Table vs Parallel Poly, Prescriptive and Descriptive Hierarchies, Poly/Mono, Solo Poly, Relationship Anarchy, Cuckqueans/Cuckolds, Alpha/Beta Subs, Dom/Dom Partners, Co-Primacy, Inclusive vs. Exclusive, Anchors, Pivots, and Hinges, Oh My!
One size does not fit all, and we have as many ways of mixing poly and authority dynamics as we have ever-evolving labels to describe the myriad of roles, and ways that we roll, when it comes to these relationships.
We won’t just talk about diversity in approaches and models, but also how we can honor individuality, diversity in perspective, lived experience, and backgrounds as they intersect in the crucible of consensually hierarchical authority based relationships.
Join House Amor for a candid discussion about the various ways folks have successfully (and unsuccessfully) navigated these often challenging waters.
Master Dante Amor
(House Amor, MAsT International, MTTA, The Poly Exchange, Our Leather Legacy)
Master Dante has been formally active in M/s for 20 years and owner of Slave Gaia Amor for 15, a polyamorous Master/slave relationship by design from its inception. This expanded into a polyfidelitous household when Sarah Amor joined his leather family and again when Coco entered his service in 2020.
Loquacious pusher of buttons, tipper of sacred cows, and a certified clinical hypnotherapist for over two decades. When it comes to authority-based relationships, Dante has always focused on the emotional, psychological, and interpersonal dynamics first and foremost.
A firm believer that mastery is a continual work in progress requiring ongoing self-inquiry, personal development, vulnerability, and a willingness to support others, he is currently in service to the community as:
• Host - Our Leather Legacy
• Founder - The Poly Exchange
• Board of Directors - MTTA, Inc.
• Director - MAsT: Metro New York
• Board of Directors - MAsT International, Inc.
• Executive Producer - MsC WORLDWIDE 2021
Slave Gaia Amor
(House Amor, MAsT: Metro NY, The Poly Exchange, Onyx Pearls NY/NE)
Slave Gaia first came to understand her slave heart eighteen years ago in South Africa where she was born, raised, and active in the local community as both a participant and presenter. She then moved halfway around the world to New York City to be collared by Master Dante Amor, who she has had the privilege of serving for fifteen years.
She possesses a deep passion for community service, an outgrowth of embracing it as her chosen family. Her dedication to loving and caring for others is one of the most natural expressions of her slavery as evidenced by her being such a shameless hugging whore. She is Secretary/Treasurer of MAsT: Metro New York, Operations Staff for The Poly Exchange, Associate Member of Onyx Pearls NY/NE, and proudly supports House Amor, her polyamorous leather family in all its endeavors.
Presenter Bio |
Slave Sarah Amor
(House Amor, MAsT: Metro NY, The Poly Exchange)
Sarah truly believes her slave heart is an orientation, not a preference. A service oriented slave, she craves structure and protocol like water and oxygen. Kinky since birth, active in the public community since 2014, in service to Master Dante since 2017, and a recent transplant to New York by way of the Deep South. Operations staff for both MAsT: Metro NY, The Poly Exchange, and a proud member of House Amor, her chosen family and life partners. She is currently pursuing a psychology degree with the specific intention of building acceptance, doing outreach, and providing education on kink, consensual authority differential dynamics, and polyamory.
Coco
(House Amor, MAsT: Laurel, MAsT: DC Pan, MAsT: Metro NY)
Coco has been in service to Master Dante Amor since June of 2020 and is very grateful to be his slaveling (slave in development). Surrender is very spiritual for her and Sir is the only person who has ever inspired her to deeply surrender. She has been involved in the BDSM/Kink scene for three years and has had the privilege of connecting with some truly incredible folks along the way. She considers MAsT: Laurel her “home” chapter, and also regularly attends MAsT: Metro NY and MAsT: DC Pan when it’s not a school night! She was the founder and Coordinator of the POC Special Interest Group for the Baltimore Educational and Social Society (BESS) as well as the secretary of BESS from 2018-2020. Her roots in the community may be new, but they are strong! She hopes to continue nurturing those relationships and develop new ones as opportunities arise.