APPLICATION FOR FULL BROTHER MEMBERSHIP 2026-2027

Applications for the next Pledge Class for Full Brothers are being accepted from August 1 through September 20, 2026 (11:59 PM). In person interviews are tentatively set for Saturday, October 17, 2026 and if necessary Sunday, October 18, 2026.  Times and location within the DMV will be announced soon.  You must be present for an interview to be considered.  No Exceptions.

Make sure you review our "membership" page and any linked documents at:  https://www.onyxma.com/membership/

Note:  This is not an application process for Associate Membership.  The application timeline for Associate Membership will be determined later in 2026.

In accordance with the by-laws of our chapter, to become a Full Brother, you must be at least 21 years old, identify as a queer, person of color, be a resident in the ONYXMA defined territory and successfully complete a pledge process that lasts approximately 6 months.  A formal degree is not a requirement.

The purpose of the pledge process is to:

1. Provide the pledge with a knowledge base to be a resource to all people, particularly people of color, who seek to know more about the leather / fetish / kink community.
2. Provide the pledge with tools to advocate for the leather / fetish / kink community and people of color in the community.
3. Facilitate the pledge’s personal journey by providing them with Brotherhood and bonding opportunities, and broadening their leather / fetish / kink horizons through experiential and academic learning opportunities.

Studying the history of the Leather Community, Men of Color in that Community, and the history of ONYX and ONYX Mid-Atlantic are required components of completing the ONYX Mid-Atlantic Pledge Process. Pledges are given opportunities to learn about and explore various kinks and fetishes.

Finally, pledges are expected to complete several group projects that will prepare them to become members of the chapter and Community.

Full Brothers have voting rights and other privileges within the chapter, as well as being allowed to wear an ONYX back patch (demonstrating to the community that one is a member of the ONYX family). Full Brothers are expected to be active participants in all club functions and in the community.

Please take the time to consider your answers before submitting your application.

Applicants will be evaluated on the quality and thoroughness of the responses provided in their application. Applicants invited to participate in the interview process will be asked additional questions that will be considered in the evaluation of their application.

You may edit your application responses until the submission deadline at 11:59 pm EST on September 20th, 2026. An email with a link to your application will be provided after your initial submission.  Check your email Spam / Junk folder if you do not see it in your Inbox.

Note:  Your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) will not be shared outside of the President, Vice President, Pledge Master, and Assistant Pledge Master without your permission.  This includes your legal name, address, phone number, social media tags, school attended, employer name, date of birth and photo. 

Once the application process is complete, all applicant information is fully removed and destroyed from our data collection tools and processes.  This information is never retained by ONYXMA and is not used as part of the pledge process.

Your first test will be how well you follow these instructions and direction for completing this application.  Please direct all questions about the application process to the Pledge Masters at:  join@onyxma.com

You must provide a valid phone number and email so we can reach you.  The email address you provide will also be used to send you a copy of your application and provides you a link to edit the application unlimited times until the due date.

All applicants must be 21 years of age at the time of their application.  The ONYX Mid-Atlantic Pledge Masters reserve the right to validate that you are over 21 years old by visual examination of your date of birth using a valid Government ID (driver’s license, passport, birth certificate, etc.).  You exact DOB will not be shared with membership in the assessment of your application.

Applicants must provide the name of at 2 ONYX Mid-Atlantic brothers who will serve as a sponsor for your application.  Both sponsors MUST be from ONYX Mid-Atlantic.  The sponsors you provide should be persons who know you well and with whom you have engaged with in significant conversations regarding ONYX.  It is your responsibility to identify and setup discussions with your sponsors before submitting the application.

Applicants are reminded that both ONYXMA sponsors must be Full Brothers or Alumni Members in good standing and not an Associate level member. Note that the listed Sponsors will be contacted for a personal reference. Applicants not providing 2 ONYX Mid-Atlantic sponsors will not be considered for interviews.

YOU MUST check with the ONYX Mid-Atlantic sponsors you list below BEFORE you submit the application to ensure they are willing to serve as your sponsor.

Application Questions

The quality of your responses are extremely important. You must answer every question.

Please be thoughtful, detailed and complete in all answers to the questions. Provide specifics, such as examples, durations, dates, etc.  We expect your content to justify your points.

Short responses of several sentences are generally NOT detailed enough for you to receive a favorable review on your application.

The number under each block shows the maximum number of words you can enter (ex: 0/500 means there is a 500 WORD limit).

Before submitting your application, we want potential pledges to be aware of the following requirements that you must be able to meet should you be selected to join the pledge line. 

These requirements include:

Attendance / Participation

1. Participation in pledge classes (generally 1-2 Saturdays per month from November – Early June). Pledge classes require in-person attendance unless the entire class is designated as a virtual class.  Pledges must be on camera for any virtual classes.  A DRAFT schedule for the pledge process can be found at:  DRAFT 2026 - 2027 Pledge Process Schedule
2. Participation in the Mid-Atlantic Leather (MAL) Weekend 2027 from Friday January 15 (3 pm) through Monday January 18 (11 am).  Accommodations at the host hotel will be provided for all pledges at no additional cost to the pledge.  Pledges must stay in the provided host hotel accomodations the entire duration (there may be up to 4 persons in a pledge room (2 double beds per room).  Pledges will have several required "work" activities during MAL, as well as down-time.
3. Participation in 5 Pledge bonding / educational events (Social, Community Service, Photoshoot, TEACH, Pledge Bar Night) with your pledge line brothers.  The Community Service, TEACH and Pledge Bar Night are work events.
4. Attendance at a least 3 ONYXMA Business Meetings held monthly, generally on the 2nd Saturday of a month from 1 - 3 PM.
5. Attendance at the ONYXMA Holiday Luncheon in the DMV, most likely to occur on December 5th or 6th, 2026.
6. Attendance at the ONYX Bar Night on January 30, 2027 at the Green Lantern.
7. Attendance at ONYX University as part of DC Black Pride, anticipated to occur on May 22, 2027
8. Pledges must strictly adhere to the ONYXMA Pledge Dress Code.

 Financial Commitment

1. There is no fee for submitting an applicaiton.
2. The pledge process requires a financial commitment of approximately $450 – $550 if you are accepted onto a pledge line. This is comprised of $55 (MAL Weekend Package, typically paid in November / December), $200 (Pledge Fee, typically paid $100 at the start of the pledge process and $100 near the end of the pledge process), and $100 Pledge Formal Wear (purchased in December / early January). Other expenses, such as $50 for the Holiday Brunch may occur within the $450 - $550 limit.
3. The Pledge Fee includes first-year dues for Full Brothers. Dues are currently set at $120 per year.  First year dues for this pledge line will be due between October 1, 2027 and December 31, 2027 for the year 2028.

Conduct Commitment

1. Pledges must read and adhere to the Chapter Bylaws.
2. Pledges must read and adhere to The ONYX Code.
3. Pledges must read and adhere to the Pledge Code of Conduct.

By submitting this application, I acknowledge that ONYXMA reserves the right to:

1. Decline an application in its entirety.
2. Reject an application if the applicant does not reside in our territory.
3. Limit the number of slots available for the upcoming pledge class.
4. Remove a pledge at any point during the process.
5. Offer an applicant a class of membership other than that for which they applied.

I also acknowledge that if I am accepted as a pledge and voluntarily quit the process or are dismissed from the pledge process by the Pledge Masters, I must re-apply for another year, with no guarantee that my application will be accepted.  Pledges who exit the process for any reason will not be reimbursed for any funds already incurred.

Additional information will be provided once the application is received. Thank you for your interest in ONYX Mid-Atlantic.