Master Leather Redux (She/Hers) and raea (she/hers) hail from the Windy City where they live together as Master and slave. Together they are Co-Directors for MAsT Chicago, host a monthly education series at the Leather Archives and Museum, and have shared their expertise through teaching engagements virtually and in person both locally and nationally. They founded House Kampilan together which celebrates their Filipino heritage and they strongly believe in the power of resilience to recover from and to push back against adversity.
Master Leather Redux and raea both have rich histories in the leather and broader LGBTQ communities. Master Leather Redux began in the Chicago Leather Community in 1989 and was very active within the community until 1994 when she switched gears focusing on family and remaining active with LGBTQ issues and AIDS related activism. She returned to the Leather lifestyle in 2016 and began teaching in 2020. raea started her journey in 1999 through M/s dynamics, munches, and the leather community in California. Her passion for community began with volunteering and joining local leather clubs. This led her to grassroots organizing and social movements, drawing her from California to the East Coast before settling in Chicago.
They are both deeply rooted in the leather tradition and their devotion to community service shines through as they endeavor to share knowledge and educate whenever possible. They strongly believe in making education fun and focusing on the connections that we make with one another.