Papa Bear

Papa Bear started in Public Health as a volunteer HIV and STI tester, counselor and PrEP navigator at HeyDenver in center in downtown Denver, CO around fifteen years ago. He quickly became known as a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people, and people that practiced marginalized sexualities such as non-monogamy and BDSM/Kink. Throughout his career Papa Bear has worked in HIV and STI Prevention for AIDS Service Organizations, a Federally Qualified Health Center, managed a State Health Department’s HIV prevention program, and currently is contracted by the CDC to train health departments, medical providers, outreach workers, and other HIV and STI stakeholders across the country. As an active member of the BDSM/Kink community, he was honored to present on the unique sexual healthcare needs of people who practice BDSM/Kink to the public health community at international sexual health conferences in Washington D.C. in 2023 and 2024 as well as present at BDSM events such as Thunder in the Mountains, and Spanksgiving. Papa Bear has made it his personal mission to bring sex-positive, stigma free, sexual health education to the BDSM/Kink Community as well as other often overlooked minority sexual communities and hopes to empower the community though sexual health education.