Chris Kelley

Chris Kelley

Mr. Eagle NYC 2023

CHRIS KELLEY (he/him/his) is a set decorator and kink educator currently based in New York. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Chris cut his teeth in LGBTQIA+ engagement and stewardship while at college in Ithaca, NY — co-founding the first collegiate branch of ATHLETE ALLY, an international organization advocating for equal representation in sports.

As a set decorator, Chris worked on the most recent season of ‘American Horror Story,’ with sets focusing both on queer art and tracing the origins of our shared kink history. Notably, he recreated The Mineshaft bar (featured in ‘Cruising’) inside The Eagle — complete with classic period-correct details. His work aims to honor the legacy of our New York leather lifestyle through a respectful, non-judgmental lens. Frequently, mainstream Hollywood turns the kink/fetish communities into a punchline, and Chris made sure that everything on set for ‘American Horror Story’ was well-researched and accurately represented. His work for the season is featured on Chairish.

As a kink educator, Chris has worked with MMX to help co-facilitate various kink demos (including impact play, bondage, and fisting) — he aims to demystify the taboos of kink through access to education and history.

Chris believes that no singular space belongs to one group: “We in the various queer, kink, and fetish communities cannot thrive unless we all feel safe and free from harm.”

You can find him at the Eagle flagging red, grey, black, and hunter green — all in the right pocket.