By Jennifer Howe (they/them)
Photography by Joseph Murphy

Miss Las Vegas Leather Mayven Missbehavin’

What does pride mean to you?

To me, pride is fully expressing yourself with sexuality and individuality and being part of a continuous community effort. It’s about bringing everyone together and helping make the world a more beautiful and unified place. Bringing vibrancy and safety to the world for queer people and the people that support them. Coming together to represent that. Pride is powerful, beautiful, and so very important to queer individuals.

What is something you would like to try and achieve with this platform?

I’d love to help get the word out and help co-create more safe play environments for queer people. Play spaces with adult beverages and play environments for sober individuals. To spread awareness, history, knowledge, and inclusion, and to also ensure that Trans individuals also always feel welcome and safe.

What is something the queer and kinky community needs here in Las Vegas? How would you try to solve that?

I believe the queer and kinky community needs more weekday events. They need more safe queer environments to play and explore. Safe spaces that are alcohol-free as well would be beneficial. Comfortable play environments that are also neurodivergence inclusive and accessible for all—wheelchair friendly, etc. I’d like to work and co-create events for all types of scenarios within the queer community. All Femme events, neurodivergent safe play spaces, Masculine Play parties, sober play spaces, etc. I’m available and willing to create weekly safe space events and have access to a few venues that are willing and able to assist and help create these safe spaces. I would also like to see if the community center would be willing to hold some educational events that lead into dating events as well as play parties.

Las Vegas Bootblack Skylar McDowell

What does pride mean to you?

Pride means the ability to celebrate love and people. Pride is something that I did not grow up with. It is something that I found once I moved out of my hometown. Pride has helped me to deconstruct not only my own trauma but also my own racism. I grew up in a very racist environment, and I brought that with me. Pride helped me meet new people and provided me with people in my life to hold me accountable. It is something that, even to this day, I am amazed by. Pride is community. Pride is protection. Pride is art and artistry.

Why did you want to represent PROUD & Kinky and Las Vegas PRIDE as a leather titleholder?

I want to be a person other genderqueer and nonconforming people want to come to with questions about their boots. I want to see more queer people feeling comfortable with stepping up to a bootblack stand, whether that is to sit or to work. As a representative of PROUD & Kinky and Las Vegas PRIDE, I would have the chance to engage with more people and hope to show more people how to care for and love boots and leather.

3. What is something you would like to try and achieve with this platform?

I would like to teach more bootblacks in this community. I have taught in small groups of bootblacks. I also have several other classes I have taught. In this, I think this platform would allow me to be more involved in the community in this aspect.

What is something the queer and kinky community needs here in Las Vegas? How would you try to solve that?

I would have said we need more play spaces. But that is changing quickly, and for me, that is a positive for the community. I think we could use more round table discussion groups. These types of groups can be a good place for people to relate and talk. I think solving this will take time. Finding a place for the discussion group and what day and time would work best. I think this is something I would like to add to the community in the coming year.

Las Vegas Puppy
Pup Major Riot
Frankie Francesco

What does pride mean to you?

Loving myself without internal or external shame.

What is something you would like to try and achieve with this platform?

I’d just love a more unified community here in Vegas. I feel like there’s a lot of disconnect, and I would love to be a bridge for people to get more involved. I’m also passionate about activism and human rights, so the more lights on me, the more I can shine a light on the community and causes I believe in.

What is something the queer and kinky community needs here in Las Vegas? How would you try to solve that?

A not-so-fun answer but one that should be discussed is; Accountability. I think part of the reason our community is disconnected is because people feel unsafe. I’d love to continue to provide safe spaces for people to explore their queer, kinky side and hold those who abuse their power accountable. I think it’s a loaded question to answer how I’d solve this. Because I feel every situation is different and requires empathy and perspective.

This article was originally published in the second issue of <em>PROUD &amp; Kinky</em> Magazine. <a href=”https://proudandkinky.com/?r3d=issue-1″>You may read it in its original format here.</a>

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