biography

Ali Mushtaq has a Ph.D. in Sociology and is Mr. Long Beach Leather 2016. He is a founding member of ONYX South West, a local branch of a leatherman of color organization, and former Vice President. As such, he has helped raise money for multiple charities including APLA, Minority AIDS project, and Bienestar..  In cooperation with the LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Long Beach Imperial Court, Ali has produced successful events that have funded AIDS Lifecycle (attended by Long Beach Mayor, Robert Garcia) and the LGBT Center of Long Beach. In addition to working with the leather community, Ali bridges non-leather/leather adjacent groups into the leather community. For example, his outreach includes leather workshops that serve as an introduction to the leather and kink community for college students. He judges leather contests, and has judged Long Beach Leather, SD Leather, SD Eagle, West Coast Olympus, and Mr Precinct Leather. He will be judging SW Sir/boy 2019.He was a model at LA Fashion Week for Marco Marco. He also modeled for various publications. He gave two workshops at the National Queer Asian and Pacific Islander Conference and was a Keynote Speaker for Leather Reign. 

Professionally Ali is an adjunct professor of sociology and teaches courses in social theory, medical sociology, gender, sexuality, research methods, and introductory sociology courses. His dissertation focuses on cultural capital, fitness, masculinity, and inequality.  He's coauthored a series of papers on sexuality, identity, and political action. Ali has written for LGBTQ Nation and Instinct Magazine. 

He has been featured in various publications, such as the New York Times, LA Times, LA Weekly,  Fusion, UnicornBooty, Gay Star News, GED Magazine, Instinct, Queerty, Fight Magazine, and Playbear. In addition, he has appeared on KFI AM640's radio show and a fullscreen documentary to promote leather, Muslims, and BDSM.