2023 Year End Post
Oh, 2023, who knew you were going to go out with such a bang!
I have now been your SouthEast Person of Leather for six months. In that time, I have attended events from coast to coast and met people who have changed life forever. They have challenged the way I think, the way I hold space, the way I advocate ,and the way I serve my community.
It’s my favorite part of being your representative! That I get to sit and talk and learn from and with you. I have started a project called Leather Fast and Dirty, where I ask people 10 questions about the community. So when you see me out and about and want to participate, please let me know! I did the first one with my Leather sister, Vi when we got to spend Thanksgiving together. Going home is always such a relief where I can just be with family and sit and discuss what fills our slave hearts and how we fill them as we age. Or what is in our top 10 of items we want for the library. It has made me think long and hard about what I want to do with whatever life I might have left.
In all my travels, I have seen some events embrace and champion equity and inclusion and others not so much. I see people quietly doing the work in the background, and others loudly saying all the “right” things but not actually doing the “right” things. I ended 2023 at an event so profound that almost 10% of the attendees got tattoos of the logo to hold that space with them always. It looked like the evolution revolution I have been working towards: Queer, Trans, People of the Global Majority, TNG, Disabled. I don't cry easily but there were times that I couldn’t keep the tears from falling. HUGE kudos to my extended title family Master Luke and his slave Victor for creating such magic.
And I guess that's the best way to describe my 2023 - Magic. Magic built by profound connections with the new family I have gained this year. Communal magic, raised when we gather at events. Personal magic in my growth and evolution as a slave, an educator and a human in general. I don’t do resolutions in the traditional sense, but in my heart I have strengthened my resolve to keep doing the work I am asking all of us to do. I may not always do it right, but I can promise you that I am doing it the best that I can at the moment. And when I know better, I am doing better. In three months I will be standing on another stage being me, representing you. So as we head into a new year, may we all have a year filled with growth and grace. Thank you for your continued support and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
