Hello everyone,

I am excited to represent the South East as Mr. SELF for another year. I had a blast at SELF this year connecting with new people and reconnecting with old friends. I had the pleasure of teaching this year, and I am so happy with the turnout. Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by. I cannot wait to start this title year and meet more people in our community.

Thank you to everyone who talked with me at SELF. It was a pleasure to get to know you and your stories.

Thank you to all the SELF staff and volunteers. Without you, we wouldn't have a home to come back to. Your contributions are not overlooked and are greatly appreciated.

Thank you to Lady Catherine for inviting me to represent the South East for another year and for all the guidance you have given me within the past year.

Thank you to all my sash siblings, Apollo, Master Vari and Slave Niel, and Mia Rose, for being there for each other through this journey.

I also want to say congratulations to Ms. SELF 2023, Scarlett, and SELF Person of Leather 2023, Mara, and give you all a big welcome into the sash family. I cannot wait to see what you do this year!

If you see me around, please stop by and say hello! And don't be afraid to reach out through my social media.

Max

Hello all! I know I have been fairly quiet lately, but I've had many big life changes happen recently and needed to take time for myself. Its been a rough few months and I've had to relearn to take time for myself to process emotions and slow down.

I did attend a few events in the past few months. I went to LHPW in November and had a great time! I loved being able to listen to Dave Rhodes and how much he has contributed to the community, making sure it stays alive. I also sat and listened in to our very own Master Varii tell her journey.

In December, I had a very lovely time at the Tarheel Leather Club holiday party. Coming together to exchange gifts and share a meal with chosen family was just what I needed.

In January, my partner Dakota and I went to the Charlotte Area Games Etc (CAGE) munch where we were able to hold a discussion about disability in kink. It was a fabulous time and met many new people!

With the beginning to a new year I am looking forward to new possibilities and new adventures to come.

Words cannot express how I truly feel. I am so grateful for all the love and support I have received before, during, and after running for Mr SELF. So many emotions were had during the weekend; excitement, nervousness, relief, and being humbled by the amount of people that believe in my ideas. It was very emotional hearing people react to my speech and fantasy. Through the many people I talked to during the weekend, I learned a lot about what conversations need to be had and what our community has already started to talk about. I also learned how to start these conversations in hopes of promoting growth and how to make sure nobody is left out of these conversations. I know I still have a lot to learn when it comes to getting different generations of leather to talk to each other. Which is why I cannot wait to listen and learn as much as I can during my title year and spread the knowledge that I have gained with others in hopes of helping of making our community grow, evolve, and last for future generations.

First of all I would like to thank everyone at SELF who took time to say hello and show me their love and support throughout the weekend. I was truly amazed and humbled by having so much support.

I would also like to thank Lady Catherine, the board members, SELF staff, and volunteers for all their hard work and guidance that they provided. Everyone was a delight to work with and made the weekend flow so seamlessly.

Thank you to the Den Mafia, Andy and Jennifer, for being there through the whole weekend helping us with any immediate needs, emotional support, and helping us stay on top of what we needed to do.

Thank you to all of the SELF judges, Khalid El Bey, Kali Onyx, SwitchyButch, and WaywardSoul. Thank you for all of the knowledge you imparted upon me. You opened my eyes and made me realize that I still have much to learn about myself and about our community.

I want to say thank you to my local community for all of the help you provided in the weeks before SELF. I could not have done this without all your donations and support.

And last but not least, thank you Tidbit for being my coach and handler. I know you wanted to strangle me many times during the weekend….and in the weeks leading up to SELF, but I could not have done this without your help and guidance. I will always look back with a smile at all the shenanigans we got into.

Holy Cow! I did not realize three months could pass so fast! To say life has been a blur is an understatement. Things have not slowed down at all since SELF. But I am truly loving every minute of it. I have been able to catch up with some old friends and make many new ones so far.

In July I hit the ground running and was able to make it to every leather club bar night, which included the Tradesmen of Charlotte, the Red Lions of Raleigh, Tarheel Leather Club and Talon Clan, both in Greensboro. I got to meet Tradesmen Willie, the current Mr. NC Triad Leather title holder, and we have become fast friends. During these bar nights, it was nice to see how each club has its own way of doing things and hearing the ways that they plan to grow in the future. And I cannot say thank you enough to all of these clubs for making me feel so welcome and sharing their stories with me.

August was the month I had got to see more of the emotional side of what leather can be. I was fortunate enough to be invited to the House of Mercy annual cookout with the Tradesmen in which they were able to come together and supply meals, as well as make a donation to benefit the House of Mercy, a non-profit to help those living with HIV and/or AIDS with unmet needs through direct services as well as seeking ways to change an unjust system. Later that month I was able to make it to Ritual Steel in Orlando, where I was able to hang out with my Sash Sibling Apollo. For anyone that is ever interested in one of Ritual Steels events, all I can say is go. For me it is truly life changing to experience how energy can be exchanged through so many people. When I landed back home, I made a surprise trip to be in the Charlotte Pride Parade with Tradesmen Willie (Mr. NC Triad Leather) where I got to meet Mr. Fire Island Leather and Mr. Eagle NYC. This being the first pride I have ever marched in, I was overwhelmed by seeing so much love and support in one place.

In September, I attended Talon Clans 10th anniversary party with many of my chosen family and close friends. (They can throw one hell of a party.) A week later, leading up to the Tarheel Leather Club night, I was surprised and honored to receive my full membership patch of the Tarheel Leather Club. This was a step in my life that I have been looking forward to for so long. I am so lucky to be able to call this club my family. The following day I was able to join the Tarheel Leather Club in presenting the colors at Greensboro Pride. I was happy to see that Greensboro Pride was offering COVID and Monkey Pox vaccines, in which I was able to get my first round of the Monkey Pox vaccine. It was great seeing the community take care of the community. And then the following weekend I was able to attend the Leather Leadership Conference in Atlanta. A big thank you to Kinky Trivia for allowing me to ride to and from LLC with them as well as helping them put on a Kinky Trivia night at LLC. This was a great convention and it was reassuring to see and know that our community leaders are working together and trying to teach each other as well as the next generation of this community.

This next month will be a more relaxing month with only one event on the books, outside of my regular bar nights that is. I plan on doing a little self-care but I will be attending Leather Pride in Atlanta with Tradesmen Willie and a few others.

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has taken time to say congratulations but more importantly to everyone that has checked in on me to make sure that I am doing okay and taking care of myself. Those reminders are greatly appreciated and very much needed. It is so easy to forget to take care of yourself with everything going on.

Wow I cannot believe how much I have learned so far. Through the numerous cons, bar nights, and hangouts, as well as getting to hear peoples’ classes, lectures, and stories I have been able to see where our community has come from and get a better idea of where it is headed. In a way I feel extremely lucky because I have got to see things go full circle in my short time as a titleholder. At leather history preservation weekend was one of these outstanding moments watching senior members of our community tell their stories of how they got started and how they got to where they are today, and seeing people just starting their journey listening to those stories. Also, at this event is where I got to hear something that I have now taken to heart from the keynote speaker, Lady D. “Each one, Teach one.”

From the beginning of October until now, things have slowed down some going into the holiday season. I was still fortunate enough to be able to go to the Fetish Friday event held at Castle McCulloch where I was stationed at the Tarheel Leather Clubs booth. I got to talk to and meet people that were interested in learning about leather culture.

In November I was able to go to Leather History Preservation Weekend where I helped Master Varii and slave Neil set up the leather quilt. Seeing the entire quilt together and hearing its history was quite emotional. Also, at this event I got to witness one of my dear friends Andy tell his story and receive a piece of gifted leather.

In December I went to Coastal Carolina Fetish Fair where I got to present three classes. One of which I was lucky enough to co-teach with my partner Dakota. This was a great event with many great instructors. I was also fortunate enough to share space with Master Varii and slave Neil. The following weekend I was able to go to the Red Lions Teddy Bear charity auction where I was able to donate a bear for the auction.

Being a titleholder is a lot more than I expected. Wearing your sash and vest gives people a reason to walk up and ask you questions. Through this process I have learned a lot more about myself and growing knowledge through teaching. I enjoy people walking up with their curiosity and getting to have so many different conversations. That is why I think running for a title is a great idea. It opens up people for a conversation. You get to look at the same situations from different perspectives and ultimately learn from each other. If I can say one thing as a titleholder, what I see as most important is to have those conversations. To learn, grow, and evolve from them. But also, one more thing to keep in mind if you do want to be a titleholder is that self-care is extremely important. It is impossible to pour from an empty cup.

I want to say a big Thank You to Castle McCulloch for providing a safe event for the Kink/Leather community. I also want to thank Tori and everyone else involved with LHPW. It is truly an awesome event, and I cannot wait to return. Thank you to CCFF and all those involved. Thank you for such a great time. I also want to give a big Thank You to Kinky Trivia for all the work they do for the community. If you have a chance to attend one of their events, I highly recommend it. Their games are so much fun, and you get to learn a lot as well. I also want to thank the Red Lions of Raleigh.

Since the last time I updated, I feel like I have finally been able to get back into the community by being able to do educational presentations at the MAST chapter of Jacksonville, NC and at Kink U in Raleigh, NC which was also streamed online. Kink U was an awesome experience as I was able to learn from other presenters from all over the country in seeing forms of kink and ways of looking at things from a completely different perspective.

I have also been fortunate enough to spend time with leather club members from other areas (Red Lions and Tradesmen). Being able to collaborate with different clubs to help the leather community grow has been exciting. Teaching others and learning from others is so important to help the leather community and its clubs last through the generations.

I have been able to participate in several charity events; the 8th anniversary of the Red Lions, the Blackheart Ball of the Tarheel Leather Club, and an event to help the Greensboro Pride raise funds for this years pride. I love seeing how much this community comes together to help others and I am so fortunate to be able to be part of that.

I would love to extend a giant thank you to everyone that has been so kind during this year. From the simple thing of checking in on me, to offering a place to stay during my travels. Also a big thank you to the other educators and presenters that I have met for showing me on how I can improve my way of teaching and presenting myself. Thank you to all the new friends I have made along the way for memories I will get to enjoy for a lifetime.

With spring being the season of new beginnings, I am excited to be going to several events in May that I have never been to before. The first of which being the Tradesmen Leather Club run in Augusta, and then later in the month I will be traveling to Chicago to attend the International Mr. Leather weekend. I am hoping during that weekend in Chicago that I have the opportunity to go to the Leather Archives and Museum. After that eventful weekend, I will be getting geared up to go back to my second home and chosen family, SELF. I cannot wait to welcome the contestants with open arms and see what they have to bring to the community.

It has been such an amazing journey this past year. It is extremely hard to put into words how much I have learned and grown. There will never be enough thank yous for everyone that has taken time to share their stories and knowledge with me. The Leather community truly is a family that takes care of its own and I cannot express how much I appreciate all the help and hospitality that I have received this year. I will never forget everyone who has helped me at events, invited me to said events, shared meals, and the vast amount of memories I have made with others. I am blessed to be in this community and know the people that I do, and I cannot wait to meet new people and make more friends. 

This year for me was all about bridging gaps between outlying communities. Whether it be age, race, gender, or sexuality. My goal is to make inclusivity more available in Leather spaces so we can join forces against those who do not support our community or our people. By simply having conversations and learning from each other, I believe we can fix a lot of these issues. It’s as simple as listening with an open heart and without preconceived notions. To first fix a problem, we must know what the problem is. Listening to the different points of view others have is the only way to learn.

This journey through the year has truly been an eye opener. Through this year the events I have attended I have learned that there are thousands of ways that leather can be done or perceived. There is no right or wrong way of doing things. But the one commonality is that we try to take care of each other. The leather lifestyle is a driving force behind many charitable and educational means for so many organizations. I believe that without the money raised and the education being taught we would be decades behind in HIV/AIDS and STI research and medications, taking the stigma away from therapy and mental health, and the research and funding for those who are gender non-conforming or transgender. I have also learned as in histories past, leather lifestyle is a family all in its own. Whether it be one of your local club members, friends who you only see at events, or someone that you met only once at a leather event, they are family. The ties that I have been able to make through this journey, especially this past year, I know I have made bonds that will last a lifetime. As SELF grows closer, I look forward to reigniting those bonds with friends from the past, and making new friends with the possibly of this being their first leather event. Seeing growth in the community was also one of my major goals. I believe by making the leather community more inclusive and opening our arms to those who need it will allow us to grow. I love our history and where we have come from and the rough road that we have had to travel to get where we are needs not to be forgotten. To continue down this road I believe that opening our hearts and doors to those who want to partake in the leather lifestyle is the only way to make it survive. With all the outside sources trying to bring us down, whether it be the government/state laws, radical people of many types, and many other anti-LGBTQIA+ organizations, we need as many people to help stand up and fight for our rights. This is not the time for us to be bickering between each other, this is the time for us to stand up and join forces as we have in the past so we can ensure that the LGBTQIA+ community, BDSM/kink community, and the Leather community can continue to exist. There are many amazing groups and people that are already doing this work and have also played a big part in my title year and I will never be able to thank them enough.

This is going to be a thank you to everyone who has helped me throughout my title year. Whether it be a big event or someone just simply taking the time to check in, just know all of the time and admiration that I have received will never be forgotten. There are so many people that have made an imprint on me this year, that I hope I can remember everyone but here is a list of several that I would truly want to thank in no particular order. I want to thank Ritual Steel and ATL Collective for having me and Apollo for allowing me to crash on your couch. Thank you to the Trademen for inviting me to your bar nights, House of Mercy Fundraiser, to be on your float for Charlotte pride, and for your amazing run! Also a thank you to Charlotte Pride and Greensboro Pride! Thank you to the Red Lions for having me at your bar nights, the teddy bear auction, and allowing me to be part of KinkU. Thank you to Talon clan of Greensboro for inviting me to your bar nights and your anniversary party. Thank you to Coastal Carolina Fetish Fair for inviting me to teach and holding a great event. Thank you to Kinky Trivia for allowing me to help with a game and for being a great and fun way to learn about the Kinky and Leather community. Thank you to the Leather and Leadership conference for having me, there was much to learn. And thank you to Master Angel of House of Reaper for hosting me at LLC. Thank you to Leather History Preservation Weekend for a great weekend filled with important leather history. I want to thank Wake Forest University for hosting a portion of the AIDs Quilt and allowing me to spend time honoring those who have passed. Thank you to the Jacksonville, NC MAST chapter for inviting me to teach and holding space. I want to thank Fetish Friday at Twist in Greensboro, NC for having me and throwing a great bar night. Thank you to Castle McCulluch for inviting me to talk about SELF at your Fetish Friday party. I want to thank those who put on the Greensboro Pride fundraiser event. I want to thank everyone who put on International Mr. Leather for having me and showing me a great time. I also want to thank my home club, Tarheel Leather Club, for all of your support that you have shown me this past year. I had a ball at our bar nights, Anniversary Picnic, and the Blackheart Ball. A big thank you to my Leather family for being there through all the highs and lows. Willy Tradesmen for sharing a title year and going to many events together. I want to give a huge thank you to my Sash family for being there, sharing space, and the constant check-ins to make sure we are all doing okay. And my loving partner, Dakota, for dealing with me day in and day out and helping me out so much through this title year. And last, but certainly not least, a giant thank you to South East Leather Fest. SELF would not be what it is without those who help keep it running, and to you I give my humble gratitude. Thank you for helping me start this journey of mine, and teaching me that everyone has something to add to the community.

And to those of you who have been following my journey on here, thank you. And always remember, when in doubt…shenanigans.