nate_sf

"I Can't Wait to EAT"......

http://78.media.tumblr.com/c91a6f13f2eb6b1fb38c2f56c8109fc4/tumblr_ozutewACA01qjoy06o1_250.gif

Please mark your calendars for the next Forum DC Gathering, January 12-14, 2018.
 
@ArVaGuy and I have been working the past couple of months to put together plans for next year's gathering, and we'll be co-hosts. As with past DC gatherings, the weekend will span the MLK weekend, and coincide with Mid Atlantic Leather (MAL). There will be a range of get-togethers, culminating in the traditional brunch on Sunday, January 14th.
 
Last year's effort for the gathering had the best of intentions, but fell short when a venue for the brunch was not arranged. No harm, no foul, but not something anyone wants to have happen again. For this next year's event, arranging the venue for the brunch has been the first order of business, and it's been all confirmed. This event WILL happen, and you can start making arrangements with confidence.
 
Along the lines of making arrangements, we wanted to post an announcement early particularly for those interested in booking a hotel room in the MAL host hotel, or one of the hotels nearby. As of this writing there are still rooms at the MAL host hotel, but in year's past the host hotel has sold out well in advance of the event. So if you've been thinking you might want to book a room in the host hotel, you might want to do that sooner than later. Here is the link to the reservations page: http://www.leatherweekend.com/hotel/
 
For those of you who may not be interested in MAL or the leather scene, not to worry! Traditionally the DC gathering has coincided with MAL because it's a long weekend and many of us are in town, but the forum gathering is otherwise independent of the leather activities and is welcoming to all forum members. You may choose to sample some of the MAL activities, or go "whole-hog", or alternatively forgo them completely. That's up to you.
 
At this early stage we are posting so you can plan the dates ahead, book your hotel if inclined, and let us know if you're interested in attending so we can start putting together a head count for the brunch.
 
If you're interested in attending, please send a direct message to either @ArVaGuy or @nate_sf or both of us (direct messages can include more than one recipient). As the date approaches, we'll get in touch with each member who has expressed interest.
 
And if you have general questions or suggestions for the gathering, please do so in this thread.
 
We're excited to be continuing this fun tradition and hope you'll join us!

Fun at IKEA
 

Fun at IKEA
 

Erik Estrada

I bought my plane ticket today. I'm flying in on Fri early morning into BWI. Not excited about flying into an airport so far away. But it was half the price and cheaper than the other two. Grrrrr!!!!!
 
Hugs,
Greg

Please mark your calendars for the next Forum DC Gathering, January 12-14, 2018.
 
@ArVaGuy and I have been working the past couple of months to put together plans for next year's gathering, and we'll be co-hosts. As with past DC gatherings, the weekend will span the MLK weekend, and coincide with Mid Atlantic Leather (MAL). There will be a range of get-togethers, culminating in the traditional brunch on Sunday, January 14th.
 
Last year's effort for the gathering had the best of intentions, but fell short when a venue for the brunch was not arranged. No harm, no foul, but not something anyone wants to have happen again. For this next year's event, arranging the venue for the brunch has been the first order of business, and it's been all confirmed. This event WILL happen, and you can start making arrangements with confidence.
 
Along the lines of making arrangements, we wanted to post an announcement early particularly for those interested in booking a hotel room in the MAL host hotel, or one of the hotels nearby. As of this writing there are still rooms at the MAL host hotel, but in year's past the host hotel has sold out well in advance of the event. So if you've been thinking you might want to book a room in the host hotel, you might want to do that sooner than later. Here is the link to the reservations page: http://www.leatherweekend.com/hotel/
 
For those of you who may not be interested in MAL or the leather scene, not to worry! Traditionally the DC gathering has coincided with MAL because it's a long weekend and many of us are in town, but the forum gathering is otherwise independent of the leather activities and is welcoming to all forum members. You may choose to sample some of the MAL activities, or go "whole-hog", or alternatively forgo them completely. That's up to you.
 
At this early stage we are posting so you can plan the dates ahead, book your hotel if inclined, and let us know if you're interested in attending so we can start putting together a head count for the brunch.
 
If you're interested in attending, please send a direct message to either @ArVaGuy or @nate_sf or both of us (direct messages can include more than one recipient). As the date approaches, we'll get in touch with each member who has expressed interest.
 
And if you have general questions or suggestions for the gathering, please do so in this thread.
 
We're excited to be continuing this fun tradition and hope you'll join us!

Count me in as strong interest
 
Hugs,
Greg

Hey @Raptor Attack ,
 
 
A lot of great info already posted here, so I'll try not to be too repetitive. I'll preface by saying that my experience isn't necessarily reflective of the industry (after all, I'm a Black, skinny, kinda femme, pre-op, trans guy), but I hope it will help you get a better sense of what you might expect.
 
Does anyone want trans guys?
Reception has generally been positive for me. In one sense, it's been very affirming because I, too, feared no one would be interested in me because chiseled, cis masculine bodies are what's idealized. As cliché as it is, there's literally someone for everyone and you'll find guys who are attracted to you and what you have to offer. I’m also on hormones but no surgery—some guys are attracted to that or at least curious. Your attractiveness will greatly increase based on how you see yourself, too, so think about what parts of yourself you love most and highlight that.
 
 
Learn your market.
Escorting is a business like any other, and successful business usually thrive on more than luck. Definitely research your market and “competition” (to borrow a business term, because we don’t compete against each other), learn who is already out there, and what you can provide that is different or not yet available. Being trans gives you some leverage in that regard because you’ll automatically stand out from the multitude of cis guys who embody the idealized frat boy or gym rat look. The point is, think about how you’ll market yourself.
 
Starting out can happen in may ways, and factors such as your location, profile photos, rates, and income need will affect how you proceed. I had a full-time job when I started, and was based in a major metro. Because this wasn’t my main source of income and I had limited hours, I didn’t have or take on a lot of clients.
 
 
Places to advertise.
I started with a free trial at Rentmen and got my first client there. I read a lot about escorting, mostly from women, and learned things to be careful about, red flags to watch out for, etc., and went to my first appointment with a guy who was also new to hiring and didn’t know what to expect. I’ve also advertised on Backpage, Craigslist (CL), and Adam4Adam (A4A). I got a few clients on CL and A4A. Since CL is free, you’ll get a lot more time wasters and perhaps some unsavory characters who look very poorly upon sex workers, so screening will be especially important. A4A is also free, but you can’t mark yourself as a “service provider” without a paid account, so you’ll get a lot of guys looking to hook up, even if you use coded language suggesting you’re there for business. I’d suggest trying a A4A Pro ad for a short period and seeing what response you get. Some platforms are more popular in certain places than others (e.g., I think men4rentnow is popular in small towns in the US), so I’d suggest trying them all out (at least the free ones).
 
I’ve learned that a good portion of my clients are bi-curious if not straight, so I’m starting to consider other traditional (aka “straight” or “not gay”) escort platforms like Slixa, Eros, and P411 to see if I can expand my client base.
 
 
Photos.
I also only had a crappy digital camera to take pictures—I can’t stress enough how important good photos are. If you have a photographer friend who could help or can negotiate a reduced rate in exchange for photo credit, getting professional photos is highly recommended. I know I’m giving advise I have yet to take…I’m in a transition period right now, but plan to take some new photos within the net month or so.
 
 
 
Rates.
As @Cyd_StVincent said, women can way charge more for their services (I’ve seen many ask for $600 per hour or more), whereas most M4M escorts hover around $200-300. Again, there’s no hard rule: I know a male escort who is open to all genders who asks for $600. I would resist the temptation to underprice yourself as some guys read that as a red flag.
 
 
Handling safety, LEOs, client expectations.
Turns out, protocol in the M4M world and straight world is very different. I’ve read about women providers setting alarm clocks and kicking clients out right away, counting money in the bathroom (or in front of the client), and other tactics that the guys on here would balk at. Where you advertise and how you market yourself might affect how clients expect to interact with you, but at the end of the day, your safety comes first and you can decide how to handle clients in a way that makes you feel safe. Develop some screening methods based on the type of clients you have (it seems this is another place where M4M and women providers differ as well in the type and level of screening).
 
 
Develop a network of peers.
Related to safety is your social circle/peer network. Find out who are also sex workers in your area and see if you can meet up with them for coffee or lunch or whatever. Even if they’re not local, knowing other escorts is really helpful, especially if you’re not out in your civilian life as an escort. Knowing fellow providers is invaluable for getting tips on screening, advertising, LEO raid warnings, etc. I’ve connected with lots of great sex workers through this forum and on Twitter and most are happy to help each other stay safe. You’ve obviously started doing this by posting here, so keep it up!
 
Reading other providers’ experiences and participating in places such as Daddy’s will help you learn some common things to watch out regarding LEOs, bad clients, and safety concerns. There’s too many to even list here, but a fundamental one you should always remember is “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Also, if you’re unsure, don’t do it. The worst is you lose a client if you go with your gut a decline an appointment.
 
 
Conclusion.
There’s so much to learn, and even with experience, no one is an “expert.” Connecting with others, being open to learning, keeping your wits about you, and developing as many safety nets as you can afford will take you a long way. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @AndreFutureFTM

Here's an article that provides background and instructions. The setting is in the Timeline and Tagging section, which may not be the first place some might think to look.
 
https://www.dailydot.com/debug/turn-off-facebook-face-tagging/
 
The article includes the caveat Note that the wording of that privacy setting doesn’t say Facebook itself can’t recognize your face. Your features will still be analyzed using Facebook’s AI software, but your friends won’t see tag suggestions.

I cannot really help answering your question. I did want to say there's no need to apologize if you think your questions may be dumb. This forum is full of awesome people! Welcome to the forum.

Not counting the blowjobs I used to give to my cousins or to the couple of friends who sometimes stayed the night, my first time was during the summer of 1987 when I had just turned 14. I had been accepted to a state-run residential high school for gifted and talented students, but my dad was too cheap to help foot the tuition. So, I got myself a summer job to start earning the money to go to school. HE took the rest of the family on a week-long vacation to Disney World and left me home alone so I could take a cab to and from work. (I should preface the rest by saying that my dad was a monster who beat me and my brother so badly that there are photos of our welted and bruised butts on file in two different sherriff's departments.)
 
Two days before they were to return, on a Friday night in June, I got out the phone book, looked up the number of the only gay bar in our little city, and I called the bar, asking the bartender who answered, "Hi. I was wondering, are there any really attractive guys there tonight? Like an older guy? Maybe in his 30's?" He gave me a slow, quizzical reply and confirmed that there were indeed several men there matching that description. So, I asked if he could put one of them on the phone. He obliged.
 
Without knowing the first thing about this guy, I asked him if he was interested in popping the cherry of the neighboring town's Chief of Police's oldest son that night. He seemed pretty keen. So I gave him the address and waited nervously about 2o or 30 minutes for him to show up. When he did, I remember taking his hand at the door and leading him down the hallway through to my Dad's bedroom at the back of the house. We went in, undressed each other, and climbed into my Dad's atrocious 1980's king-sized waterbed with the huge, ornate wooden shelves for a headboard. That's where 14-year-old me took his first big ol' cock up the ass with the help of a totally perverted (hindsight is a bitch) 30-year-old statutory rapist. I *hated* it the first time. It hurt like fire. Maybe it was the cum he left in me that first go around that made the second time more enjoyable, but round 2 was everything I'd hoped for. Mission accomplished!
 
Dad and the step-fam got back that Sunday afternoon, each of them wearing their stupid mouse ears and looking like sunburned stupid. I just paraded around with a shit-eating grin on my face for pretty much the rest of that summer. I never told him his bed had laid the scene for his big, gay son's deflowering. I've been saving that little nugget of golden information for his deathbed. In case there's any chance the old bastard might pull through whatever finally gets him headed down the chute to hell, I want to be able to recount this story to him and help him shuffle off this mortal coil and reap his final reward for being such a remarkable father.

I agree with the friends questioning the definition of "first time you had sex". So I am just going to bring the first association that came to my mind when I read the OP question.
 
My family was living in Buenos Aires, and we would travel every year to spend summer at the small town my parents were from. A cousin lived there, my same age. He was irresistibly attractive. I am not talking about me, he was irresistible for a lot of people, men and women. After he turned 15 he would fuck his teacher (a woman), several neighbors (men and women), and the town's catholic priest.
 
My memory was from a little bit earlier, when we were about thirteen years old. I was completely ignorant of sex, believe it or not. I would have erections watching TV, from women and from men, but would not understand what was that (my first cum had been a nocturnal ejaculation, I started masturbating after that). I remember walking into his bedroom when he was taking a nap, very early in the afternoon. I remember his smell intoxicating me, arousing me instantly. I think his smell was his super power, probably exceptional pheromones. I remember his respiration, in deep sleeping. I approached to his bed, I take his hands, put them on his chest without awaking him, getting close to his mouth to kiss him, and before even touching his lips, I remember the orgasm taking over me. It was the first time I realized my strong attraction for other boys. I started to arrange sleeping together with my cousin, and we would have sex without penetration faking we were sleeping. He became my first love, although he never loved me being too busy fucking half of the town. I would expend the whole year waiting for summer to be with him, masturbating and planning.
 
Later on, he moved from the small town to Santa Fe, a provincial capital, get into a relationship with a girl, and stop playing with men. He died in a car accident when we were 18 years old and I was In Buenos Aires getting into college. He was driving drunk with another male friend and two women, none of them was his girlfriend. He smashed the car on the front of a cargo truck.
 
His death was the final piece tat triggered my making peace with my homosexuality and finally coming out at age 21, including to my parents at age 23.

Dork that I was, it didn't happen until I was 27 and then it was with a woman. Did'nt have sex with another man until I was forty-one .

Costco Industrial Paper towel Roll. Have fun. Tear off. Repeat. It's practical, portable, and creates a certain ambiance that regular cotton sheets just cannot achieve.

Thanks all for the early interest so far. We've got you on the list and will be in touch with more details as the date approaches.
 
As for deadline for deciding, the only part that has a deadline is the Sunday brunch since we'll need to provide the venue with a head count a few days before the event. The rest of the events can be more spontaneous.
 
And yep it will be cold, but I've found it manageable in the past and I'm no fan of cold myself. The host hotel has a coat check, and well... seems like a lot of clothes get checked along with the coats!

Nah, I'm shy and boring.

I'm looking forward to attending. I just hope y'all are as crazy as your conversations are.

An update for those interested, we currently have ten confirmed attendees and several others have indicated strong interest. Considering that it's still several months away this is a decent response rate.
 
If any one has questions or would like to RSVP please send me or @nate_sf a private message.

I told him that and he said he'll go! There's a small FLW house open to the public in Northern Virginia, the Pope-Leighey house, that I've been to but I think the boys haven't so that's another one to take them to.

Life is so much easier when expectations are put into perspective. I used to feel because I work out that I could have the muscular guy with no problems, the fact is after years of being in the gym and watching them I realize the only thing I want from a guy like that is sex. Honestly I started giving other types of guys a chance and the sex is fucking amazing. I never knew the regular guy could make me scream like a chick. Don't get me wrong....muscle guys are beautiful to look at but I've been with some body builders who weren't so good in the sac and mostly interested in themselves. I've had men that were way older than me or way heavier than me give me something to long for in the middle of the night. Plus regular guys treat you way better. They tell me, your hot...I'd never thought you'd go for me.... I tell them I'm just being me, there is no mystery, no bullshit, and if we click we can have an amazing thing together. Then they slap my ass and tell me they want another round.

I'm in~ ...and looking forward~!

Please mark your calendars for the next Forum DC Gathering, January 12-14, 2018.
 
@ArVaGuy and I have been working the past couple of months to put together plans for next year's gathering, and we'll be co-hosts. As with past DC gatherings, the weekend will span the MLK weekend, and coincide with Mid Atlantic Leather (MAL). There will be a range of get-togethers, culminating in the traditional brunch on Sunday, January 14th.
 
Last year's effort for the gathering had the best of intentions, but fell short when a venue for the brunch was not arranged. No harm, no foul, but not something anyone wants to have happen again. For this next year's event, arranging the venue for the brunch has been the first order of business, and it's been all confirmed. This event WILL happen, and you can start making arrangements with confidence.
 
Along the lines of making arrangements, we wanted to post an announcement early particularly for those interested in booking a hotel room in the MAL host hotel, or one of the hotels nearby. As of this writing there are still rooms at the MAL host hotel, but in year's past the host hotel has sold out well in advance of the event. So if you've been thinking you might want to book a room in the host hotel, you might want to do that sooner than later. Here is the link to the reservations page: http://www.leatherweekend.com/hotel/
 
For those of you who may not be interested in MAL or the leather scene, not to worry! Traditionally the DC gathering has coincided with MAL because it's a long weekend and many of us are in town, but the forum gathering is otherwise independent of the leather activities and is welcoming to all forum members. You may choose to sample some of the MAL activities, or go "whole-hog", or alternatively forgo them completely. That's up to you.
 
At this early stage we are posting so you can plan the dates ahead, book your hotel if inclined, and let us know if you're interested in attending so we can start putting together a head count for the brunch.
 
If you're interested in attending, please send a direct message to either @ArVaGuy or @nate_sf or both of us (direct messages can include more than one recipient). As the date approaches, we'll get in touch with each member who has expressed interest.
 
And if you have general questions or suggestions for the gathering, please do so in this thread.
 
We're excited to be continuing this fun tradition and hope you'll join us!