About

Apollo (he/him) is a queer Leatherman and Titleholder for SouthEast LeatherFest as SouthEast Bootblack 2022 - 2023. He is a Top-leaning Switch, Primal, edge player, Sadomasochist, hedonist, sensualist, Kinkster & Fetishist based in Orlando, Florida. He identifies as a transsexual menace and freak, ethically nonmonogamous & polyamorous, androgynous & gender non-conforming transmasc, and panromantic or omniromantic demisexual. Within kink, Apollo most strongly identifies as a Primal Predator and Critter (Small Wild Cat player & Alpha Feline), self-collared, a Bootblack, and a heretic. His bootblacking scenes often involve a touch of dominance in Apollo's own style and flair for those in his chair. Bootblacking, for him, is one of intimacy, art, and cultural history.
Apollo is Neurodivergent with Autism & ADHD, and is a large advocate for other community members with neurovariances such as AuDHD.
Still in his early 20s, Apollo has been in the scene nearly three years and frequently plays both in private & public spaces, as kink and Leather are things Apollo considers an integral, 24/7 aspect of his life.
In everyday life, Apollo is highly education-oriented and has a strong passion for activism and volunteer service. Since he was a child, Apollo has been volunteering for organizations of various kinds, most commonly those involved with nature such as Nehrling Botanical Gardens, Windermere Tree Board, Pet Alliance of Central Florida, the Audubon Society for Predatory Birds, and more. In 2019, Apollo won the Presidential Award for Volunteer Service, for his contributions to his local community after logging hundreds of hours worth of work. As someone of Irish-Romani Gypsy descent, Apollo started the Opre Roma (“Rise Roma!”) Project to advocate for education on Gypsies to non-Roma, and justice and equality for Gypsies in the UK and Eastern Europe.
As an extension of that desire Apollo always holds for serving the community, he also makes an effort to be of service to his Leather and kink families – both locally and across the world.
Otherwise, Apollo loves blood & sharp things: needles, scalpels, hooks, knives, inkless tattoos, blood cupping, etc. He is a big rough body play bottom, and also enjoys fire, rope & metal bondage, wax, breath play, impact, sensation play & sensory deprivation, biting and scratching, and cerebral play (mindfucks, fear play, CNC, crying & catharsis play, humiliation/degradation, etc). He also likes cigar service, cannakink/cannabis service, and straight razor shaving. He flags as a Switch (both/center) for Black (S&M), Gray (Bondage), Purple (Piercer), Houndstooth (Biting), Light Pink (Dildo Fucker), Maroon (Blades - Cuts/Bleeds), Tan (Cigars).
Not all BDSM is sexual for Apollo (especially being demi). To him, it's… a life, a skill, an extreme hobby, an experience, a performance, a craft, a community, a family, a home, a connection, a catharsis, and an art form. He tends to be comfortable bottoming for the same play he tops for, and vice versa. Sometimes it really is just about queer kinky leathersex though!
His vanilla interests include horror, religion, mycology, entomology, psychology, philosophy, arts & writing/poetry, ecology, TTRPGs & comics, and other geekery.
He is a current Funerary Services student training in mortuary science. Apollo is an activist for the green death reformism movement, and as a health student is a former volunteer EMT still trained in First Aid, CPR/AED & Bloodborne Pathogens certification.

Presenter Classes

Offered both Live and/or Virtual

BOOTBLACKING 101 WORKSHOP

Class
Comes with handout
IN-PERSON:
live demo, hands-on portion with supplied materials — practice space with tarps and/or stands available

Learn kit-building essentials and the art & passion of bootblacking through guidance. Geared for beginners though experienced Bootblacks are welcome, we'll go over everything you need to know to start your bootblacking journey in a way that is presentable to different kinds of learners. We'll go over tips & tricks, products/materials, history, consent, communication and etiquette for Bootblacks, how to incorporate bootblacking into other play, and discuss what it means to be a Bootblack.Attendees bring their own boots!
Knee pads are encouraged!

CRYBABY: DACRYPHILIA - CRYING KINK & FETISH, AND CATHARSIS PLAY

Class/Discussion

Crying is a response most people are not unfamiliar with during play... but what about those with a crying fetish: dacryphilia? What is the science behind and motivation for being attracted to and aroused by tears? From a sadistic place to a compassionate one, there is more to explore about our tears than we realize. Learn all about crying, how to incorporate tears more purposefully into scenes, and catharsis play -- a form of edge play.

PRIMAL FELINES, WILD CATS, KITTENS, AND CHANNELING YOUR INNER CAT IN PLAY

Class/Discussion

This isn't a typical Primal or Pet Play presentation. This class gives the spotlight to the cats, big or small. Discover ideas for power exchange dynamics, toys, gear, and play -- and delve into research on true feline behavior, looking at how to engage in play with a basis in realism that also allows for unique ways to enter your own feline Primal or pet headspace. Come discuss what identifying as a cat means to you!

ARO/ACE SPECTRUM SAFER SPACE DISCUSSION GROUP

Discussion

Asexuals and aromantics grow up in an Allonormative society that can make us feel broken, unseen, or nonexistent. We are told that it’s a phase, or that we “haven’t met the right person yet,” or that maybe we may just be too unattractive to find someone else. Some believe we are all prudish, sex-negative, and sex-repulsed. Let’s bust those myths and negative thoughts here. In kink, Leather, and polyamory, one can actually find a safe space where asexuals feel more affirmed than anywhere else – sometimes you just have to know where to look. Let’s start with an Asexuality 101 run-through before delving into the variety of experiences asexuals and aromantics have in the community, and how to overcome the pessimism of others and find joy under the asexual umbrella.

TRANSNESS IN KINK, LEATHER, AND POLYAMORY - DISCUSSION & SUPPORT GROUP

Discussion

For transgender & trans*-nonbinary folk, the world can be a confusing and scary place. Find catharsis, healing, and affirmation here with your kin, as this support group is meant to not only enlighten cisgender ally attendees who carry an open-mindedness and desire to better understand those they care about in their lives... but to show other trans humans in the room that it can, and does get better. That we don't have to just survive, but thrive. To learn how the Leather & kink communities can be a safer space. Allies, the curious & the questioning are welcome, but this is a safer space for trans/nonbinary spectrum & intersex attendees first and foremost -- we ask that they take priority in sharing their voices and asking respectful questions.

NEGOTIATION, COMMUNICATION, AND CONSENT (FOR INTROVERTS)

Class/Discussion

Articulating your feelings and talking about them openly is hard. Sometimes it’s hard to discuss needs and wants. Some of us are shy, introverted, nonverbal, or just quiet… and that’s okay! But you must still communicate to partners, players, and others in life, too. Developing these skills is not an easy task, but perhaps tips are given from the perspective of more outgoing, extroverted folx. So let’s share tips & tricks built for YOU.

EROTIC BOOTBLACKING

Class/Demo

Making the room hot-and-heavy through sharing what it is like to be a Bootblack that also engages with it as erotic play. We touch on consent & safety, erotic Bootblack scene ideas including how to incorporate other play, and even how to Top or Dominate more as a Bootblack. Join us, and learn more about how and why the look of leather, the smell, the feel & taste, and the sounds turn us on!

Schedule

Kink Weekend OKC || In-Person || July 20th - July 23rd 2023 || Oklahoma City, OK || Volunteer/AttendeeWorld Bear Weekend || In-Person || September 21st - September 25th 2023 || Orlando, FL || Volunteer/Attendee ---- HOSTING OFFSITE: Bears, Boots & Booze Social2023 Women of Drummer Contest Weekend || In-Person || September 28th - October 2nd 2023 || Darlington, MD || Volunteer/AttendeeBootblack Round Up || In-Person || October 12th - October 15th 2023 || Baltimore, MD || Volunteer & PresenterLeather History Preservation Weekend 2023 || In-Person || November 3rd - November 5th 2023 || Atlanta, GA || VolunteerCheck back later to see more conventions and presentations Apollo will be attending.