Presentations
The Leather Leadership Conference XIV, Great Lakes/Ontario, is pleased and excited to announce the programming selections are finalized for the Annual Conference.
The following presentations will be helping the Journey Continue:
OUTREACH
BDSM & POC
Building communities That Feed Your Soul
From TNG to KOBRAS
Gender Beyond Pronouns
Male, Female, Both & Neither
Mixed Messages
Welcoming Transgender individuals
ACTIVISM
Are We Keepers Of Our Leather Sisters & Brothers
Untapped Donations
Volunteers
ORGANIZATIONAL
Each One Teach One
GRUE’vy Idea
How to Bid, Plan & Implement an Award-Winning LLC
How to Grow a Bootblack Competition
Opening a Public Play Space
Putting On a Play Event
Splitsville
Successful Leather Contests
NETWORKING
Building & Maintaining an Effective Web Presence
Let’s Get Organized
Managing Your Internet Presence
Minority Within a Minority
Segregated Play & Meeting Spaces (Round Table)
Tribal Leadership
PRESENTERS
Abandoning Handouts
Avoiding a Training Safeword
The CENA Project
Effective Speaking Skills
Managing the Presenter Relationship
The Polished Presenter
Teaching Your Kink
ADVANCED/ELECTIVE
Educating Social Workers and Public Officials
Community-Based Research
Consent Counts
The Polished Presenter
Becoming a polished presenter in our lifestyle goes well beyond a snappy workshop title and bio. Uncovering a unique niche and identifying your personal style, then using that knowledge to develop, deliver and improve your presentations is essential. Discover your own unique strengths as a public speaker and learn how to maximize them. We’ll also talk about using that insight to create a “personal brand” as a presenter and improve your community professionalism.
Tribal Leadership (When Herding Cats Sounds Easy)
All organizations and groups exhibit both positive and negative traits of tribal behavior and our community is no exception. In this presentation we will explore the five levels of tribal behavior and how to recognize them in your own organizations. Each tribal stage has unique ways of forming relationships, dealing with conflict, acceptable group behaviors and attitude toward change. This workshop will introduce ideas and suggestions on how each of us can more effectively function as a community volunteer or leader in each of the five tribal levels and how to better address negative tribal behaviors.
Avoiding a Training Safeword!
Everyone knows workshops are a key part of a conference. Education! Education! Education! But how many times have you safe-worded out and just taken what you can get? How do you set up a program, judge what is good and how to use those endless evaluations. This workshop is about finding out what you need, selecting quality topics and instructors and evaluating the program. Tips on what to look for, ask, and developing programs to meet your needs!
Round Table on Segregated Play, and Meeting Spaces
This panel will address the important issue of FTM and MTF visibility in the leather community. La Garou will be hosting the panel, and will attempt to help educate the community about why being a visible FTM or MTF is important.
Welcoming Transgender Individuals
For a long time there have been "stealth" Transgender Individuals in the leather community. These people have chosen to live that life for many reasons, but our club has decided that there should be a space of total acceptance for all Transgender Individuals no matter if they decide to transition or not. This is not an issue about play spaces, but about people wanting to contribute to the leather community. We would like to make a case for people to be more accepting of all people, and our niche is Transgender Individuals.
Building the Communities that Feed your Soul
This is a presentation and guided discussion on building relationships, leather families, extended families and community organizations that fit personal needs and the needs of our communities. While it is easiest to follow examples, many social traditions, even many leather traditions, don’t match everyone’s needs. Rather than assume a golden age that must be reclaimed or a Utopian future that might never be reached, our focus is on how we can learn from the past, and build for the future while still creating something that fulfills our present needs. Tony Buff and Derek da Silva discuss how to identify those needs and the steps you can take to create social units that fulfill those needs. This is an interactive lecture style class, and participants are encouraged to share their own personal experiences.
Gender, beyond pronouns: What you need to understand about gender before speaking on kink or starting an organization
What is gender? What are common societal misconceptions of gender? How are we different, how are we the same? How is gender related to and independent from sexual affinity, power orientation, and biology? How does political correctness (PC) pigeonhole gender? What are the shortcomings of political correctness and what can we learn from it as leaders?
Mixed Messages: How to address the conflict between aging and play
Everyone ages and EVERYONE ages into disability at some point in their life. This course is designed to teach participants how play can be affected by normal aging. In addition, participants will also learn how to adapt play in order to prevent and/or lessen the impact of aging on play. This course is designed for all ages and skill level.
Working With Volunteers across Generations
Our different generations volunteer for different reasons, have different skill sets and ways of working together. This is a presentation on how to approach the generational changes in volunteers so that the contributions of long-time volunteers are valued, new and younger volunteer's talent is recognized, and groups are better prepared to work together across generational divides.
GRUE'vy Idea: The Unconference Model for Kink Events
The Unconference comes from the business and tech world in a methodology known as "Open Space Technology." Over the past couple of years several kinksters have adopted this model, such as Graydancer's Ropetastic Unconference Extravaganza (or GRUE). With nine events successfully run in the past two years and more on the horizon, this presentation explains the concepts, planning, pitfalls and glorious successes of this self-organizing grass-roots "Unconference" approach to kink events.
Managing Your Internet Presence
The days of setting up a web page and letting it be your voice on the web are long gone. Between blogs, podcasts, Really Simple Syndication, Livejournal, Instant Messaging, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube - social media can be both a daunting and powerful tool for individuals and organizations. Get a handle on the current state of affairs in the social networking world and exchange ideas with other kinksters to learn what works, what doesn't, and what needs to happen in the future.
“Consent Counts”: Our communities’ major sexual freedom initiative—what you should know and how you can help.
A discussion of, and call to action for, the nationwide Consent Counts initiative (led by the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom) to decriminalize consensual BDSM. This discussion will include the breadth of criminal law problems we need to address, major issues that need analysis—such as defining what “consent” means in the various contexts of BDSM—and the evolving strategic plans for the initiative. Particular attention will be devoted to what you, as a BDSM/leather/fetish person, can do to help in this important cause.
Effective Speaking Skills
Have you always wanted to speak in front of a crowd but are too jittery? Perhaps you are an experienced speaker or educator who wants their lectures and presentations to stand out and be remembered? Come learn how to effectively use your voice and body language to communicate your message in a wide variety of teaching and speaking environments. From claiming of space to audience empathy, use of vocal range to hiding your nervousness, we will plunge in together and come out more certain of our ability to deliver our message.
From TNG to KOBRAS: Examining Age-Based Groups within the Kink Communities
Age-based peership within alternative sexual practices is not new, but its evolution in the past decade has led to a wide variety of groups now active, from TNG (The Next Generation) to KOBRAS (Kinky Old Bastards/Broads/Bitches Really Are Sexy) and beyond. This trend is about far more than age. We will look into the history of age-based kink organizations in North America, their original intents, and where they are now. How have these groups evolved, and are they serving or can they serve the needs of the communities they say they are there for? Do these groups have a future, and what does that future hold for both these groups and for the kink communities at large?
Kink and Disabilities
This presentation will encourage you to re-think what a disability is and not what society says it is. Changing one’s perspective from seeing a barrier to seeing a challenge, a skill that is used by disabled persons on a daily bases, modifying your understanding of disabilities, knowing the limitations of one’s body, to techniques to enhance play for long sessions enjoyed by all parties.
Male, Female, Both, & Neither: Gender Variation in the Leather Community
Transgender, transsexual, gender-queer, drag, cross-dressers... gender isn't just as simple as "male" or "female," and this has a variety of effects on Leather and the kink community. We will go over what those terms mean, some of the issues faced by these members of our community, and suggestions for how to make and keep your organizations welcoming to gender-variant folks. I will be leading this discussion from the perspective of a transsexual and gender-queer person, and I invite persons of all genders to join and share their experiences and knowledge.
Putting on a Play Event
Play is for some the basis of SM. To protect and preserve, we’ve formed organizations and committees that focus on all sorts of things but play! Are there enough play events in your life or in your town? While many of us travel to events to hook up with like minded players, we would enjoy parties at home. If someone else is organizing and you’re supporting by attending, great. But if there aren’t any, might you step up and do something about it?
Each One Teach One: Beginning and Running an Education Program
The majority of organizations, from large national conventions to local munch groups, cite education as one of the cornerstones of their mission. Education coordinators across the country face the same issues: How do you find quality presenters? What do you offer speakers for compensation? Is this topic too extreme or is it too tame? What do I do if a class receives negative feedback? How do we pay for this? Jerith will answer all of these questions and more, and help you lay out a clear plan for your education program. She'll discuss pertinent details such as financial considerations, fostering environments conducive to learning, scheduling, accommodating speaker needs, negotiating expectations and increasing attendance.
Managing the Presenter Relationship
One of the most difficult challenges that an education coordinator faces is attracting quality presenters for their event. With so many conventions competing for attention and time, how do you make your organization stand out to educators? Jerith will discuss the how-to of this delicate art from first contact to thank you note – how to appeal to speakers, treat them professionally before and during their classes, and how to follow up and show your appreciation in a memorable way. In addition, Jerith will cover tips and tricks for dealing with the different personality styles and trouble-shooting tips in case you find yourself in a tight spot.
Educating Social Workers and Public Officials
Social Workers are often a first contact point in many family conflicts. Often it is easy for social workers to automatically blame a BDSM lifestyle as the source of a family’s issues because they are unfamiliar with “what it is that we do”. With effective education social workers can be informed on safe, sane and consensual healthy BDSM practices, so that the family may be properly served. Similar training can be of use to law enforcement, health care professionals and legal professionals. LdBeast and Kate will share a decade of experience in delivering a highly successful program to educate social workers.
Volunteers: Understanding the motivation to build a successful program
The BDSM community in most areas is very much a grassroots endeavor, functioning on a shoestring budget and depending on volunteers for success and growth. What makes a volunteer tick, how do you keep them in peak operating condition, how do you reward them without a budget? Rex has worked with a diverse range of organizations from the volunteer fire service to the BDSM community to the art community – all with large unpaid staff that was necessary for their success and even safety! Bring your own ideas and thoughts, this is a participatory session.
How to Bid, Plan and Implement an Award-Winning LLC
If you have ever considered hosting the Leather Leadership Conference, Steve and Sassy stand ready to give you insights on the process used in Minnesota. From crafting your bid, to understanding the Policy and Procedure Manual, and creating a vision - all the way to budgeting, innovative programming and evaluation. Learn how Minnesota started with a vision and then created an LLC that went on to win the 2008 Large Event of the Year award at the Pantheon of Leather.
Abandoning Handouts
There is an unwritten rule that handouts are required part of BDSM education. But dynamic presentations start and end with the presenter, not the handout. This class explores the downsides of handouts and alternative methods to transfer of learning. We will also explore top tips for captivating an audience.
Untapped Donations
It’s time to think outside of the box. Stop double-dipping and stealing from one mouth to feed the other. This presentation takes an in depth look at fundraising target to the vanilla and extended alternative communities, including: evaluating your cause, finding untapped markets, and making the connection between the two.
Opening a “Public” Play Space (and Increasing Your Odds for Success)
In 2005 a group of dedicated people came together to open a true BDSM community center in Nashville and eight months later, The Mark opened its doors. That’s the simple story that hides all the planning, codes, zoning, leasing, utilities, landlords, legal, corporate, non-profit, public relations, advertising, accounting, janitorial, maintenance, education, safety, scheduling, staffing, hospitality, event planning,… and all the other efforts required to open (and keep open) a space where the local community can meet and interact. This presentation provides our lessons learned through a practical narrative interlaced with the humor inevitable in dungeon keeping!
Building and Maintaining an Effective Web Presence
An effective web presence is an important asset to any club, organization, or event, and one that is often neglected over time or overlooked entirely. What kind of image will your website project for your organization? How will people find your site once it’s built? Find out how you can use your website to better inform and update current members, and reach out to potential new members. Make your home on the internet a place that people come back to over and over again.
Splitsville: Coping With Organizational Division
What do you do when your organization divides? When a board member leaves? When someone starts a “hot new” group across town on the same night as your own regular meetings? How do you handle the competition? How do you reach out to them and can you bridge the gap? Paul NyghtOwl presents this useful guide to keeping it together just when things are falling apart.
How to Grow a Bootblack Competition
This interactive presentation will highlight the importance of building a strong foundation in the development, planning and execution of a solid and sustainable Bootblack competition within a local community. It will cover recruitment, education, and training of new Bootblacks, and will include vital information for entry or bar level contests, stressing the fundamental standards, and regional differences within the art of bootblacking.
Successful Leather Contests
This panel discussion will highlight the importance of building a strong foundation in the development, planning and execution of a solid and sustainable leather contest within the bar, city, regional, national and international levels. It will include topics such as, event etiquette and protocols, the education and training of producers, volunteers, and support staff as well as the recruitment of viable contestants and other relevant issues.
Let’s Get Organized: A Panel Discussion with the Leaders of Our National Groups
A panel discussion with the leaders of our national groups about the current state of our communities and where we might be headed. Panelists will speak about the mission and goals of their organizations as well as their current projects; current and future challenges on the social, legal and political fronts; and what each organization’s part in meeting those challenges might be.
Are We Keepers Of Our Leather Sisters & Brothers
Are we our leather sisters and brothers keepers, to edit, audit, police, and possibly educate and motivate our sexual, social and community behaviors? Do we have a duty to warn, as well as the hidden opportunity to educate and motivate our Leather Community (and visitors) to be aware of potential dangers of unhealthy behaviors, as well as possibly inform and invite them to safely try new healthy and enriching habits for everyone’s survival, benefit and perhaps even enhanced happiness? Perhaps this discussion might evolve into concluding we need and want a Leather Nation to effectively represent us to our members, visitors and the rest of the world. Come hear some introductory comments and become involved in spirited discussion of these and other ideas.
Community-Based Research: Doing Kinky Science Together
Knowledge is power. Because of a lack of knowledge about the community, both people outside the community and people inside the community can make decisions or express viewpoints that are harmful. One way to address the stigma attached to Kinky Sex and alternative forms of family and relationships is to conduct scientific and scholarly research. But how? One model is Community-Based Research (CBR) – an equal partnership between community members and scholars/scientists, working together to create knowledge and put that knowledge to work. This presentation will review the basic ideas about CBR and discuss the long-term benefits of research for the BDSM community.
The CENA Project: What should presenters know about kinky education?
Last year, CARAS conducted a large-scale survey asking about the educational experiences and needs of people in the BDSM community. Over 1600 people responded – this presentation focuses on the results, with emphasis on information that would help presenters in preparing to educate audiences and attendees. Special note on differences related to gender and level of experience in the community are highlighted.
CLAW Nation: Building a National Leather Charity
CLAW Corp. is dedicated to fundraising, education, volunteerism and all other charitable needs of the leather community. CLAW (Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend) is 100% non-profit, and has donated over $200,000 to community charities nationwide. The discussion will include a brief history of CLAW including how we raised money for events such as LLC 2010. We will go in depth on how the newer concept of CLAW Nation events helps raise funds all over the nation.
Teaching Your Kink
Teaching Your Kink: you're an experience kinkster, so the next step is learning to share your kink! This session will cover how to organize your presentation, how to structure your class, teaching principles and teaching methods, techniques for refining and perfecting your sessions and considerations for the professional pervert.
BDSM & POC: WTF?
This discussion will embrace what it is that the BDSM and Leather community can do to create a safer space for POC, and empowering POC to take space, create space and maintain integrity. There is sure as hell not "One True Way" and there are sure to be bumps and bruises along the way. But opening yourself up for those risks with compassion and respect from all points of view will help us to discover WTF we can do as individuals, as groups, as organizations, as a Community...to be truly and openly inclusive.
Minority within a Minority: Being a Person of Color in the BDSM Community
While some kinksters embrace their Leather lifestyle with ease and nary a look back, others of us face difficult paths towards the leather lifestyle that are fraught with many pitfalls. One’s religious, cultural and racial heritage can add myriad layers and nuances to the process. Though some may view the Leather Community as a Utopian, Egalitarian enclave, it actually is a microcosm, full of all of the twists, turns, fears and hopes that haunt and inspire the rest of the world.
Feeding the Masses
That big leather event is coming up and we have everything set - oh! Except for the food! What should we do? Just grab some stuff from Costco? This presentation will teach you about planning, purchasing, preparing and displaying food for groups, with special considerations for the leather community and leather events.