CARAS Research-CLAW Conference: Leather-Kink Research and Clinical Knowledge (C2C)-East 2026

Announcing the C2C-East 2026 Conference Program

Columbus, Ohio, Friday-Sunday, April 3-5, 2026

Integrated into the CLAW 26 event

CARAS is excited to share the program schedule and session information for the C2C-East 2026 conference, summarized in the C2C-East 2026 Program Summary. The current Program Summary can be downloaded at:

https://caras-researchlink.org/c2c_east_2026_program

C2C-East 2026 session topics include: Kink Studies: What is it, What could it be?; Exploring Alternative Sexuality in Rural Contexts; An Autonomous Theory of Leather and Kink?; Intersectionality of Kink and Neurodivergence; Mid-Century Beefcake and the Emergence of the Male Spanking Subculture; Subspace, Topspace, and the Brain: A Deep Dive into Altered Mental States; Consent Negotiating Strategies Amongst BDSM vs. non-BDSM individuals; Affirming Non-monogamy in Therapeutic Spaces; Poppers Culture from the 19th Century and Today; An empirical examination of self-definition of Breeding Kinks by community members; Issues and emerging approaches to treatment for BDSM clients who have experienced trauma; Using archival sources to explore historical kink practices and fantasies; Adapting Relationship Therapy Models for Kink; an examination of the current BDSM communities in Czechia and Slovakia.

In addition, CARAS, in collaboration with the Leather Archives and Museum, will offer 2 two-hour training workshops for community members on how to collect oral histories from members of kink, leather, and other LGBTQI+ communities.

Psychologists and other healthcare professionals may earn up to 8 Continuing Education (CE) credits. Please refer to the C2C-East 2026 Continuing Education Supplement for additional information:

https://caras-researchlink.org/c2c_east_2026_ce-info

C2C Conference Registration

C2C attendees should register via a designated registration link that will be posted in early 2026. C2C attendees are also registered for the CLAW 26 event. The C2C is an "in person" event.

C2C Conference Volunteers

CARAS subscribers may volunteer for 6 hours of C2C support and receive a complimentary registration for CLAW+C2C. Please contact c2c@carasresearch.org if you are interested in volunteering to support the conference.

Continuing Education (CE) Credit

CARAS is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CARAS maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

C2C Contact information and links:

To download the current C2C Program Summary, please visit: https://caras-researchlink.org/c2c_east_2026_program

For information about the CLAW 26 event, please visit: https://clawinfo.org

To join CARAS, please visit: https://carasresearch.org/subscribe

We suggest that you join the CARAS Announcements Listserv for updates regarding the C2C.

For current information regarding the C2C (this page), please visit https://carasresearch.org/c2c-east

For questions regarding the C2C, please email c2c@carasresearch.org 

For information about the CARAS Education Program, please visit https://caras-researchlink.org/education