ONYX Deep South

Keynote Speaker — Fornication Fan Fest 2026
Theme: Mentorship

We are honored to welcome ONYX Deep South (ODS) as the Keynote Speaker for Fornication Fan Fest 2026, where this year’s guiding theme is Mentorship — the passing of knowledge, guidance, and lived experience from one generation to the next within our communities.

Founded in early 2017 and representing Florida and the Caribbean, ONYX Deep South is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a recognized chapter of the national Men of ONYX. Their mission to Educate • Explore • Empower is rooted in creating safe, affirming, and culturally aware spaces for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who identify as male within the leather, kink, fetish, and queer communities.
(onyxdeepsouth.com/about)

Mentorship at the Core

The work of ONYX Deep South goes far beyond social connection. ODS is known across the country for fostering intergenerational mentorship — pairing experience with curiosity, tradition with evolution, and personal history with personal growth. Through education, workshops, brotherhood, and community involvement, ODS members actively guide newer participants in understanding not just how to engage in kink, leather, or power-exchange dynamics, but why these practices matter, culturally, spiritually, emotionally, and historically.

They lead by example:

• Teaching consent, respect, and personal agency

• Guiding newcomers in developing personal integrity and identity

• Preserving and passing down leather/kink history within BIPOC spaces

• Modeling community responsibility through charity, service, and outreach

Their mentorship is not about hierarchy — it’s about uplift, continuity, and shared empowerment.

Community Impact

ONYX Deep South continues to support and partner with local and regional organizations including Broward House, Kids in Distress, Trans Pride Fort Lauderdale, and others — demonstrating that brotherhood is not just internal, but active service in the world.

Why ONYX Deep South at Fan Fest 2026

This year’s Fan Fest invites us to acknowledge the people who shaped us — and to become those people for others.

ONYX Deep South embodies that legacy.

Their keynote will explore:

• The cultural importance of mentorship within queer and kink communities

• The power of chosen family and brotherhood

• The responsibility of leadership, identity, and visibility for men of color

• How mentorship strengthens community, deepens play, and heals past harm

We are proud to welcome ONYX Deep South as our guiding voice and keynote speaker for Fornication Fan Fest 2026.

Together, we honor who taught us — and we step forward to teach.