OB: Mr. SELF 2012
OB is Mr. SouthEastLeatherFest (SELF) 2012 and as the face of Owhips he was recently honored with the Pantheon Of Leather’s Business Person of the Year Award for 2012. He is a genderqueer Dominant leatherdyke Daddy, which to some people sounds like a contradiction in terms. OB has spent over a dozen years working within the community and learning everything he could. He continually sponsors events and gives to charities within the community as well. His loves are whips, talking about gender and leather, adoring grrls and girls and being served and educating others on those subjects.
2018 Update: What’s happening with me? Well SELF gave me the confidence to run for American Leatherwoman and I WON! I had a lot of help from Catherine Gross and many others, and I will always be grateful for that, always.
I sold my whip vending business in 2014 and my wife Angel Hamm (Propps) and I retired to Florida the same year. We’re not as active as we used to be but we’ve done some cool things over the years. I got to teach at CAPEX, judge at a few small cons, attend the Tarheels run and a few bar nights even though we moved to Florida. In 2017 we were speakers at Leather History Preservation Weekend. We go to WILL every chance we get and SELF—always. Oh yeah, I won the Pantheon Award for Business Person of the Year too. That was amazing.
We’re what Angel calls semi-retired. We go where we feel the most at home these days, having left behind the crazy schedule that vending while being a titleholder gave us. I don’t sell whips anymore but if you want a piece of the white sand paradise, I’m here for you!
Calendar of Events
June 8-10 awarded mr self 2012
June 23 capex Charlote
June 29 -July 1 Tes fest NJ
July 13 -15 thunder in the mountains Colorado ISBB contest
July 20-22 madtown kink fest Wisconsin
August 4 tMG fashion show Raleigh
August 18 Burke educationa group presenting brating class
August 24-26 GLLA Indiana leather contest
August 31- Sept 2 MSC Conference, Master/slave contest, DC
September 7-9 Fountain City Kansas City
September 13- 15 Georga Leather and International transgender
Leather Contest
september 22 CAPEX presenting brat class
September 29 SCLC Coumbia SC
OCtober 5-7 Black Rose DC
October 12-14 Domcon Atlanta/southeast Olympus contest awarded Pantheon of Leather 2012 small business person of the year
October 26-29 Leather History Conference Greensboro NC
October 3-4 wharehouse Greenville SC presenting bratting & takedown
November 10 Wicked Wonderland Atlanta1763
November 16-18 Spanksgiving St Louis
November 21 Diamondz fund raiser hurricane Sandy
November 23-26 Brimstone NJ
December 1 Triangle munch holiday fair Raleigh NC
December 15 twisted toy land Atlanta
December 29 La Fortress presented intro to whips
January 25-27 2013 Southwest Leather Conference
February 15-17 FFF Providence RI
February 22-24 NCWUU Greensboro, NC Judge, presenter/speaker
March 1-3 Sin in the city presenter gender queer
March 8-10 SPLF international Master Slave Contest
March 16 Burke education group, Morgantown NC
March 23 Capex floor party
March 29-31 Kink Fest Portland OR
April 5-7 Beyond Leather Ft Lauderdale, FL
April 13 Atlanta Leather Pride
April 19-21 IMSL San Francisco /International Ms boot lack
April 27 Capex Charlotte NC
May 3-5 NCLC/Tradesmen Leather run, Charlotte-
May 17-19 Colonial kink
June 21-23 Step down Southeast Leather Fest
Stepdown video speech ABW
Coming soon!
August 2012 Column
I decided to run for Mr. SELF 2012 and found myself staring at a contest from a whole different side. I was with my grrl Angel (Propps) during her run for Ms. SELF 2011 and for the International Ms. Leather and Women's International Leather Legacy contest. It is very different on the other side.
The first thing that running for a title makes you do is really think about why you want to. There has to be a good reason to do it, because that reason is what gets you through it. I knew I wanted to run for it because I want to bring awareness of what it means to be genderqueer to those who don't understand that so much. That is really my biggest goal this year, to raise awareness that gender has evolved beyond the bits we are or aren't born with and that it has a lot to do with the energy we carry within us. And that for everyone gender is a personal thing and that defining it according to how we define it is perfectly okay. I would like to see more understanding for each other in the community and hope to educate myself and teach others all along the way.
The contest was a lot of fun, especially the fantasy and pop question parts, but some of it was intense and nerve wracking. Like the interview and the formal speech. That made me aware of just how little I am used to talking in front of a big crowd of people.
The judges: Ben Carter, pup nitro, Elegant, Jesse and Sir David Labriola were great examples of what titleholders should strive to be.
I had a lot of support from the community and want to say thank you to everyone who donated to my baskets and helped me to look good onstage, Joel-Den daddy- was really great at that. I would like to thank entire SELF board for everything they do.
The other contestants were so helpful and terrific.
I am really looking forward to this year and am truly proud to be representing this title.
OB
January 2013 Column
Mr SELF 2012 reporting inn.
I have been a bit busy traveling. I have been to Thunder in the mountains in Colorado July 13-15. I attended the rocky mount Leather contest for LSLBBB.
Next off to Madtown Wisconsin for Madtown Kinkfest. There is a friendly crowd of kinsters and a remarkable local scene.
A chance to go to my home club CAPEX July 28. We had a travel fund to aide with Angel's Title. A whip By Axel was donated. We raised 120.00
Aug 5th TMG local Traingle Munch group in Raleigh for there fashion show. We have been attending munches when our schedule allows.
North Carolina's Burke County Education group July 16 with Sir Randy doing erotic touch.
Off to GLLA Great Lakes Leather Alliance weekend with great presenters and a leather contest. GLLA community is very tight and welcoming.
Labor Day To Master slave contest with Master Tainao.
Sept 8th off to Kansas city MO. Of all places to meet My producer Catherine Gross, I turned around and there she was. I had unpacked and was short of time so I wore what I came in Friday night including my flip flops. With Lady Catherine's approval I wore my title vest without my boots.
Next weekend September Atlanta Bash it Was. The Mr and Ms Georgia leather and a new contest international trans man and trans women contest. Jeri of course rocked with her toffee. Good shit
Capex sept 22 in charlotte NC to watch Lady D do a demo on caning which was awesome
The last weekend in September was The SCLC In Columbia SC. The SC Leather contest was hosted by Master Reggi, and Ms Jan of the house of decorum. First time I meet up with Boy Andy my sash sibling.
In the months ahead, I have a hefty schedule coming up. I am starting to teach classes at Domcon with Angel. Oh yes I forgot I received the 2012 Pantheon Of Leather award for the small business person of the year. Rock on.
On the schedule ahead, black rose, domcon Atlanta, Tarheel leather club, leather history conference, wicked wonderland in Atlanta, Spanksgiving in St louis, NYC for Thanksgiving, then off to TMG for there holiday fare and lastly Twisted toyland in Atlanta.
The rest of the year I am resting up.