Chris and elisha
are polyamorous; they live in a full time authority transfer dynamic with Chris as the leader and elisha as the follower.
In 2018 they represented the leather community as the Arizona M/s titleholders.
In 2019 they were awarded a lifetime award for their work in the LGBTQ community.
They believe that continued growth is important to a successful long-term relationship and to that end are continually pushing their own, and each other’s, boundaries. They both hold multiple graduate degrees and look to continue their research, primarily focused on healthy and transparent non-monogamy and hierarchical practices.
They have been together 17 years and also shared partner that has been a joyful and welcome addition to their family.
Chris
Chris identifies as a cisgender, heterosexual male, and as Master to his slave. Academically, he is interested in the perceptions of hierarchy and power exchange in long term polyamorous relationships, the impact of emotional intelligence in authority imbalanced relationships, and various issues around negotiating, and navigating, consent scenarios in an effort to better educate and reduce the amount of incidents. He believes that the lessons learned in the BDSM, leather, kink, and non-monogamous communities can play a vital role in teaching and informing the best practices surrounding these concepts for a larger audience. He concedes that they have their own set of problems in the community with this, but they have learned to discuss these issues more openly and more aggressively and that will help create a better future for all.
Master Chris serves on the Board of Directors at Arizona Power Exchange. He currently manages Education, Outreach, and the Special Outreach Groups (SIGs). He facilitates the monthly Dom round table, the monthly Non-Monogamy, hosts Get A Room, and fills in as an educator or dungeon monitor as needed.
He also recently joined on with the Science of BDSM Research Team and is looking forward to what that will manifest in their lives next.
He is currently working on a book related to his journey into the worlds of polyamory and leather and as he accepted his calling to become a reluctant Master. He identifies as a passive sadist, he doesn’t enjoy causing pain, but loves a reactive masochistic bottom; his only kink listed on Fetlife is dacryphilia. Professionally, he works in technology product management and is an adjunct professor focused on Responsible Innovation; he still credits his many years in quality assurance testing for his desire to keep trying new things until they get it right. He has two male children from his previous marriage of 23 years.
elisha
elisha identifies as a cisgender, bisexual female, and as a leather slave to her leather Master. Academically, she is looking at the intersection of the perceived benefits of yoga and BDSM participation, for example reduced anxiety and depression, connection to the self, and improved body image. She has recently started to look at issues around “cancel” culture and the outcomes from those incidents. Often the mean doesn’t even meet the desired end, yet this cancel culture is continually embraced. She believes that the lessons learned in the BDSM/leather/kink and yoga communities can, and do, play a vital role in helping one to live a more conscious, authentic, and mindful life. She is currently working on a number of projects, her Yoga for Kink book is their current priority. Next, she will be working on educational videos to supplement the book. She is also working on a creative nonfiction memoir related to her academic journey and the embracing of what being a leather slave means to her and how that journey has encourage and enabled personal growth. She is an academic advisor at her college and enjoys living with her Master near their campus. They have created a place of peace and reflection in their hummingbird (and other feathered friends) habitat on the patio. She previously taught yoga at Arizona Power Exchange and Yoga Nirvana in Tempe. She has been married 24 years. Her husband spent a number of years in Florida, enjoying his retirement, but currently lives nearby. She misses the beach vacations, but is glad to have him closer.
Together they created TrulyBeloved.com in order to help their educational and academic reach.
They offer run pins, stickers, and adult coloring books to help fund their conference travel and are starting to grow their web presence and reach. They also facilitate the Arizona Chapter of Loving More, the national nonprofit 501(c)3 focused on polyamory awareness and support based in Denver. They coordinate their events through a partnership with one of the largest polyamory Meetup groups in the country, Arizona Polyamory Events, the Truly Beloved Facebook group, and other relevant groups and partners.