Get Involved

How Do I Join UPAH? #

To join UPAH, all you have to do is attend one of our munches. From there, you’ll be added to our Discord server, where you can stay up to date with other members and UPAH events. If you’d like to attend UPAH’s moshes, you can proceed to complete our vetting process by attending our BDSM and Pet Play 101 Orientation and obtaining an event sponsor for your first mosh.

Munches #

Munches are casual social events intended to allow members new and old to get to know the humans under the gear. UPAH typically hosts a munch each month (with the exceptions of November and December, when we take a hiatus for the holidays) on the first Saturday of the month.

Moshes #

Moshes are your opportunity to express your pet, Handler, or Trainer side, like taking a dog to the dog park or (if you’re a pet) going to the dog park or another social setting. Moshes can include active play (e.g., running around, playing fetch) as well as more passive play (e.g., cuddling up with a pet or Handler). UPAH typically holds a mosh each month (with the exceptions of November and December for our holiday hiatus) on the last Sunday of the month.

Eligibility for Moshes #

In the interest of the safety of our members, the group as a whole, and our venues, we require all members attending a UPAH mosh to first complete our three-step vetting process. This process allows us to get to know each attendee better and to ensure all participants in a mosh have a common understanding of consent and safety practices.

To become eligible to attend UPAH moshes, simply complete the following and you’re good to go:

Attend a UPAH munch.
Complete UPAH’s BDSM and Pet Play 101 orientation.
Obtain a sponsor, who will vouch for you and serve as your guide at your first mosh (you only need to obtain a sponsor for your first mosh).

Educational Workshops #

As part of our mission to enrich the community through education, UPAH offers educational workshops to its members and the broader community.

BDSM and Pet Play 101 Orientation #

We require all members that wish to attend a UPAH mosh to first complete our BDSM and Pet Play 101 orientation. This orientation provides an introduction to key concepts in BDSM and pet play that creates common ground for critical concepts like consent and allows opportunities to discuss questions about pet play and BDSM. The class is provided monthly through UPAH’s Discord server in the education voice channel, typically the same day as a given month’s munch.

Sponsorship #

Sponsorship is a critical component to the process we use to vet member eligibility for UPAH moshes. By including sponsorship in our vetting process, we create a system of accountability that encourages sponsors to be cautious about who they vouch for and discourages bad actors (as misbehavior will affect them and their sponsor).

The best way to get a sponsor is to get to know people at munches and in the broader community. If you have a friend that’s already completed our vetting process, even better! When choosing who to ask to sponsor you, make sure you ask someone who knows you and is comfortable vouching for you.

If you need a sponsor for an upcoming mosh and are having a hard time finding one, reach out to one of UPAH’s mods and they can help.

To be able to sponsor a new member, you must first complete UPAH’s vetting process (see “Eligibility for Moshes” above) and attend a mosh yourself. Once you’ve done this, you can sponsor new members as they work to attend their first moshes!

We ask that members be cautious about who they sponsor, and consider sponsoring only those who they would trust their reputation with. If someone you sponsor misbehaves or breaks our rules, you’ll be held accountable as well.

You can sponsor up to two people for each mosh. When RSVPing to a mosh, make sure to list who you’re sponsoring so mosh organizers are aware.