The first time he entered a contest, it was for a bar title. He competed to be Mr. Green Lantern 2015, a popular bar in Washington, DC. Although he came in last, David said it was his first time on stage and a good learning experience.

He continued to work in the Leather community and also became a member of another area club, Capitol Pups & Handlers. He next competed in the Mr. Maryland Leather 2019 Contest and was named First Runner-Up. In keeping with tradition, the first runner-up of the Mr. Maryland Leather Contest competes in the big Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest in DC.

Although David was not awarded the MAL title, he continued to grow, build his resume’ in the Leather community, and became more visible. He deejayed area drag shows and benefits, often with no pay.

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For three years he was on the board of directions for the GLCCB (Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Community Center), now called Pride Center of Maryland, the organization that puts on Baltimore Pride. He also became involved with the Imperial Court of Washington and was chair for the ShipMates’ 45th Anniversary. He held the office of ShipMates’ secretary and was the vice president and secretary for Capital Pups & Handlers. He is also currently on the board of Baltimore’s Clifton Pleasure Club.

Diagnosed with Asperger’s just as he was graduating high school, David has, both in-person and online, given presentations regarding accessibility in the kink community and has worked to educate the Leather community about the challenges that some Leatherfolk face when attending events.

When David met Mr. Mayhem Leather 2021 Duke, he began to think about running for another contest. Although he was afraid that some would view him as just chasing after a sash, he saw that being a Leather titleholder gives him a louder voice and greater visibility in the community to educate.

He first though about running for the Mr. Mayhem Leather title, but after talking to Duke and studying the BBM website, David decided that the bear title was a better fit. David sees “bear” as a mentality and identifies as a cub. Since the title was not just a bear title, but a Leather bear title, it seemed to be the perfect fit. During his title year, David plans to work closely with his fellow BBM titleholder Mr. Mayhem Leather 2022 Colton Bell, who lives in Utah. David would like to hold joint fundraisers, one out west and one in the Baltimore area.

David credits the ShipMates, his Alpha Kit Twilight Barkson, International Mr. Leather 2019 Jack Thompson, Mister Daddy's Barbershop Leather 2017 Geoffrey Millard, and Sir Eli Ra as his mentors. His advice for someone who wants to run for a Leather title is to work with others, learn as much as you can, build a resume in the community, and do not expect to be awarded a title the first time on stage.

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