Do you desire to dive in and really discover and explore your kink sexuality? Do you hunger to make a connection, in a community that sometimes feels guarded or distant or mysterious? Mentoring has been the primary way that men have made their way into the leather community. That one-on-one ongoing conversation with someone who is well connected and knowledgeable is invaluable in making your kinky fantasies, dreams and desires more realized.

LDG started a formal mentoring program in 2012, and since then, dozens of men have both mentored others, and received mentoring. This presentation will discuss the history of the LDG Mentoring Program, putting a spotlight on the highs and lows, and using this as a way to discuss the larger issues facing a person on their kink journey. Mentors and mentees from the recently finished mentoring cycle will share their perspectives and stories, and we will discuss some upcoming changes and improvements to the LDG Mentoring program coming in 2018.

Bio

Richard Sprott entered the San Francisco leather scene in 1990, and after a few years joined the Defenders/SF. That led to involvement in the Leathermen’s Discussion Group, serving on the Board between 1999 until 2006; serving on the organizing committee of the SF Leather/Levi Weekend since its inception in 2001 until 2006; and being chosen as SF Leather Daddy XXIII in 2005. In 2009, he was chosen as Mr. Alameda County Leather 2009, a title produced by the Alameda County Leather Corps.

In all of these capacities, he has organized major events, including “runs” with the Defenders/SF and LLW that had up to 225 people attending, and being one of the co-chairs for the local organizing committee for the Leather Leadership Conference in 2008, which had 340 people attending.

He is also serving currently as the Executive Director of CARAS (the Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities), a nonprofit corporation designed to promote scientific and scholarly research on BDSM sexuality, polyamory and other forms of negotiated non-monogamy.

Richard has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from UC Berkeley. He has a wonderful leather family supporting him: his husband Dave, his pup Spunky, his dog Chomper, his slave eric, his slave lyle and his slave jason.