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Bryan Knight
1984–2023
Bryan was born as a first-generation American, with dual citizenship between the USA and Argentina. Growing up with ADD / ADHD, Bryan struggled through a difficult childhood of specialty schooling in an attempt to help his condition. After graduating his high school, in a class of less than 10, he went on to college where he beat the odds and graduated with a B.A. in Biology & M.S. in Environmental Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Bryan is widely known for his massage therapy, as well as his later profession as an actor in the adult entertainment industry. Additionally, Knight engaged in a plethora of interests, including literature, bodybuilding, activism, travel, baking, and ancient mythologies.
His comic book series, Velvet Collar, told stories of people in the sex work industry. These stories, couched in the form of science fiction, narrated the real-life everyday elements that led some people to the profession voluntarily, while touching on topics of autonomy, power dynamics, liberation, and sexual identity.
His comic series, along with much of his work, were connected from the various life experiences he embraced in his life. Knight embraced many experiences from visiting celebrity graves, to advocating for decriminalizing sex work. He also was known for his inclusive attitude, gentleness (despite being 6ft & 6in), and iron will to pursued the projects and goals he was most passionate about.
In the early morning hours of September 4rd , 2023, Bryan Knight died of a heart attack in his sleep. His husband, known as Snake, has archived all his creative works, conceptual pieces, and unfinished projects.
Much of my work is inspired by my life, my relationships, and my connections with people. Each life carries with them an entire universe of experiences, beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and stories.
I fell in love with stories when I was very young. From The Wizard of Oz series to Odysseus, stories fascinated me and stirred my imagination. As I watched the world start changing, with the voices of oppressing marginalized communities re-emerging from the past, I knew I needed to say something. So I started writing stories myself. In doing so, I knew I had to tell some of the many stories that I had the privilege of knowing. Whether it was the stories my husband and I came up with of our life together, to stories friends have shared, I knew I wanted to share them. When the dog whistle of FOSTA-SESTA came into being, I knew I had a calling. I knew I needed to tell the stories of sex workers from their perspective, where those who chose to do the work was a voluntary act and not one of force. Where the work was personally empowering, rather than being portrayed as a constant victim inside an ever-growing puritanical nanny state.
My life, and my work have always been in service to people. The beauty and messy complexities of the human condition inspires and fuels my work. Through relationships and shared experiences, I explore themes of power, liberation, love and adventure through storytelling. What moves me most is telling the story of those historically unheard, forgotten, ignored, and overlooked.
(The following was written posthumously by Snake & Jordan Robinson)