I was recently introduced to a conference I had yet to hear of before in Florida. I applied to be a presenter, along with other members of House Blue Flame, and was chosen to teach two classes. I was fortunate enough to have a key staff member as a contact. Before the event, we made some requests that may have been roadblocks for some, however, she took it as a personal challenge and, in her words, “Challenge accepted”! She was awesome! She made sure, through painstaking and impressive precision, that no one in the House was presenting at the same time. She ensured we had a great time and felt welcomed. This is how I came to meet Syn a.k.a. Robin a.k.a. Ms. Robinsyn.
Earlier this year House Blue Flames was honored by being accepted as presenters at Florida Power Exchange in November. Robin, my contact, also happened to be the Director of the event. I had the pleasure of speaking with her for weeks before the conference. Every time I spoke with her, she was hard at work making FPE successful. She was working tirelessly to make sure everything was set to go smoothly.
Robin is a family-oriented wife of 17 years, a mother, and a grandmother. She is also currently in a solo-poly LDR relationship. Robin’s pronouns are she/her. She is known by Syn, Robin, or Ms. Robinsyn if you’re nasty. She also has a special name for her Little, Hope. Robin is a South Brooklyn native who has been a part of the BDSM lifestyle for 22 years. She has been a Leather woman for 6 years. She has always been service-oriented and has a caring heart which extends beyond BDSM and kink. In her vanilla life, she managed a home of intellectually challenged adults for 20-25 years until physical challenges demanded she step away to focus on her health. Even with these physical challenges, she did not let that stop her. Robin is someone who loves challenges. With her “challenge-accepted attitude”, she has remained dedicated to serving her community.
When she moved to Florida, she found her home and decided to go to be dedicated to making a change in the community there. Not only does Robin serve as the Director of Florida Power Exchange, but she also runs the Tampa Munch.
Wanting to get to know her better, I asked what drew her to Leather. As she got an understanding of the leather core values, she realized they parallelled her own beliefs and values. She wanted to be surrounded by those who had the same belief system. She found this in the Florida community. She also found this in organizations such as the Hard Pink Sisterhood and as a part of Mama's Family.
Robin’s dedication to serving the community runs deep. To her, it just ‘feels weird to do nothing’. It is for that reason that she has stayed dedicated and determined to create and maintain inclusive spaces. She started with FPE years ago as a way to give back to the community. She became the director and after speaking with an attendee, she realized there was a need for more diversity needed at FPE. She was determined to make sure that everyone who attended a Florida Power Exchange event would feel seen and welcomed. Robin believes she can create a space where people can enjoy themselves and have fun. If I say so myself, she has accomplished that goal.
Having been in the lifestyle for over 20 years, she has witnessed changes that have occurred within the community. One of the biggest changes she says she has noticed is a shift from a community with an emphasis on gay Leather to a Leather community that has become more inclusive. Where at first there was divisiveness, it seems to have now become a melting pot of communities coming together. On the flip side, there also seems to be more drama in the community.
The advice she would give to those who are just entering or new to the lifestyle: find your boundaries, then understand they are fluid. Be sure to communicate those boundaries. Understand that as you grow and evolve, so will your boundaries.
For those who are striving to have a successful organization, Robin advises to listen to the staff and attendees of the events. It is important to keep moving forward, and keep building spaces for different communities; essentially they need to learn and strive to evolve. One of the problems she sees with some organizations today is their refusal to work with other organizations. They are so “inclusive”, that they have become exclusive.
At FPE2023 she was recognized for her continuous service in the community with The Community Love Award. Her hard work and dedication to creating a diverse environment are only matched by her humility. She doesn't believe she's doing anything extraordinary. She's only doing what's right. For Robin, It feels “weird” to do nothing. Her motto is “Community helps community.”