Mr. Eagle Wilton Manors

Akasha Eden is a Leatherwoman, griot, and Leather community servant whose work blends spirituality, mental health advocacy, and academic rigor. International Ms. Leather 2026, 2026 Scholar-in-Residence for the Carter Johnson Library and Collection and Women of Drummer, Vice President of ONYX Pearls NY/NE, Northeast slave 2024, and 2023 MAsT International Presenter of the Year, Akasha works tirelessly to arm the community with the power of knowledge. Rooted in Black femme resilience, she teaches & presents in hopes of helping her community discover joy, embodiment, and systems navigation in Leather, BDSM & WIITWD.

Daddy Gil is a proud Mexican-American Leatherman with more than 15 years of active service, growth, and deep community connections. Throughout his time, Daddy Gil has dedicated himself to uplifting not only marginalized groups within our leather and pet communities but also those individuals whose identities, experiences, and voices are too often unheard. As a man of leather and a lover of pets, he stands proudly at the intersection of both worlds, celebrating and defending every part of who we are.

Daddy Gil’s lived experience has taught him that intersectionality is not only real but also essential, which is why he advocates fiercely for each person’s right to explore, evolve, and exist fully in their truth. You can be a pup, a leather person, a bear, a drag queen—even all at the same time. Daddy Gil believes that fluidity, that richness of identity, and that diversity of people are what make us extraordinary and our communities powerful.

As Texas Handler 2025 & 2026, Daddy Gil is more than just a titleholder. He is a mentor, an ally, a cultivator of brave (safe) spaces, and a voice for those who cannot yet speak loudly for themselves. For over a decade and a half, he has worked to bridge gaps; Connecting pets and leather individuals through education, mentorship, collaboration, and compassion. He shows up, speaks up, and stands up for our community’s most vulnerable and least represented members.

Ed (he/him) became Mr. Atlanta Eagle in 2024 and has tirelessly served Atlanta from the moment he donned the sash. He is passionate about kink-positivity, body positivity and mental health. As Mr. Atlanta Eagle, Ed focused his fundraising efforts on gender affirming care and mental health services for the LGBTQ community regardless of the ability to pay. He worked with and supported the various organizations that call the Atlanta Eagle home. During his almost 2 years as Mr. Atlanta Eagle, Ed discovered his passion for bootblacking as well as pup persona, Pup Boots. Bootblacking provided him with another way that he could serve the community and showed Ed his home at the intersectionality of the leather, bootblack and pup communities.

When Ed isn’t working the bootblack stand, he is doing his part to destigmatizing mental health by discussing mental health and mental health treatment across his social media platforms. He has taught kink education classes at SELF and SEBB weekend. Ed, the constant student, is still trying to learn everything that he can about bootblacking but that hasn’t stopped him from sharing his knowledge and teaching bootblack skills.

In his free time, Ed is self-described nerd. You will find him reading, playing video games, playing Magic the Gathering or making dad jokes.

Serving up a spicy blend of Brazilian-Lebanese warmth, infectious charm, and relentless passion. By day, I’m a registered dietitian passionate about food drives to nourish our most vulnerable; the rest of the time, I’m putting that same heart for service into my local and global leather family. Whether representing as Mr. Eagle Wilton Manors 2026, stepping onto the IMLBB 2026 stage, learning the craft as a bootblack in the making, or building brotherhood as an ONYX Deep South Associate, my priority is making sure our community is genuinely inclusive and welcoming to every identity under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella. Preserving our roots matters just as much as expanding them, which is why I work alongside my brother Jesse (Mr. Ramrod 2026) on the board of the Leather Heritage Project to honor our history. Happily married for eight solid years, I believe in showing up with warmth, honesty, and open arms, because real community happens when we do the work together and ensure nobody gets left behind.

Jeff Silver, Mr Providence Eagle 2026 resides in Salem, NH and has been involved in the leather kink community since 2014. As a kinkster, Jeff’s interests include: impact play, glove play and dynamics of a dom/sub relationship. Jeff has worked over the years to focus on the need for more mental health services for members of the LGBTQ+ community raising funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. As a survivor of mental illness, he uses his own experience to provide guidance and mentorship to others. In addition to those efforts Jeff has raised money for childhood cancer research, childhood Christmas charities, and food and clothing to help the homeless. Jeff hosts monthly roundtable discussion groups that focus on current issues and the importance of consent, diversity, representation and inclusion.

SwitchBlade (He/Him/El), aka pup Spliffy, is Mr. New Jersey Leather 2025. Like his name, he is sharp with his tongue and a switch in most kinks; Yellow and Magenta being 2 of his favorites. A playful puppy with a sadistic side, he keeps a flogger ready in exchange for a head scratch or belly rub! You may have seen him out and about giving zappies to those who love a good electro play intro. He continues his education in hopes of passing that knowledge on to the next generation of kinksters. Most recently competed, and placed, in the Top 20 at IMLBB 2026. A sexual health provider/champion by day, and a proud Kinkster/Leatherman/Pup by night; he can also be found dancing for events at a local bar near you. Honored to be invited as a Judge at CT Leather 2026, NEPAH (NorthEast Pet And Hander) 2025, and the Woods Campgrounds Leather Contest 2025. From volunteering to educating or organizing moshes and being judge’s boy/pup, if it is a service Switchblade can offer, he will be the first to sign up!

Zephyr (they/them/él/ellos) (Mr. Eagle NYC 2025 and first runner up IML 47) is the first transmasculine Mr. Eagle NYC. They work as an HIV Testing Counselor and Outreach Specialist living in New York since 2013. They have been doing LGBTQ+ advocacy since 2017.

A proud member of the trans community, they use their positionality as a both provider and community member to bring high quality care to the five boroughs.

In 2022 and 2026 they were chosen as an OutAthlete to promote visibility and inclusion in the CrossFit and gym space.

Zephyr also performs as a gogo including Folsom East, Ty’s Bar, Powerhouse (SF), Ice Palace, ReBar and the inaugural T4T Trans Takeover of Belvedere’s Guest House for Men.

In addition to fitness, leather, impact, rope bondage and dancing- their interests include reading books and film photography. They had their photography featured in Cherry Grove’s Trans Celebration Weekend 2024.