Avery (he/him) has been at PATD events since the very beginning. Currently living in Virginia, Avery was born and raised in South Carolina. He works as a Desktop Engineer, which is a fancy way of saying that he is the guy that answers the phone when you call IT to reset your password. Outside of work, you can find him playing videogames - currently suffering mild addiction to Baldur's Gate 3, hanging out with friends, and discussing cars. Avery is very active on the Discord channel, so feel free to reach out and say hi! He basically runs on caffeine, notes that Pepsi is delicious, but Dr. Pepper is gross. Pineapple belongs on pizza and olives are gross. Avery recalls getting interested in cars when the ignition fell out of his mom's steering column in her Mk4 Volkswagen Jetta. He was 6and recalls them having a button installed to start the car instead. Today you will find him enjoying his Toyota GR86. He does dream of other cars, and this can change month to month. If money is no object, he would add an E38 740i and drop in the engine and transmission from a E39 M5. Alternatively, he would love the current model year Bentley Continental GT. Ask me again in a few months and he’ll have different answers. He joined the Gaymmittee after PATD4 when he saw how nice it was to help bring people together at the firepit. He said that so far, it's been awesome. He’s really looking forward to seeing the organization grow even further and help bring even more LGBTQ+ car enthusiasts together.

Ben (he/him) was a newbie at PATD4. This year he has joined the Gaymmittee because his experience last year was incredibly life changing. Never had he felt such a level of freedom and acceptance, not to mention a ZFG energy he'd never experienced before by being his most genuine self. It resonated so strongly that he immediately expressed interest in wanting to help facilitate for others what blessed him at the time he needed it most. He is looking forward to meeting new people, reconnecting with others, and having some fun with people he identifies strongly with. He fell in love with his plebeian Jetta R-line last year and can't wait to love that car more! If it wasn’t the VW, he dreams of a Pontiac G8 GXP and a 991 911 Targa GTS. Ben found the love of cars as most of us did playing with hand-me-down Matchbox and Hot Wheels that he got from his cousins. Originally from the mountains east of Pittsburgh, Ben currently resides in Nashville, where he is a server to make ends meet and loves screenwriting when not at work. He loves PATD for the diversity our event displays, the people from all walks of life and backgrounds with different interests. He closed by saying, “This community is like no other and is truly an international one! With expecting over 300 attendees this coming year, if you're a first timer, rest assured that you will be welcomed with open arms just like I was. I really hope that this year is as impactful for others as it was for me on my journey.”

Gunar (he/him) will make the 4000 mile round trip from Salt Lake City to his second Pride at the Dragon this April! While he was waiting for a 2024 Elantra N, he let the Hyundai ship sail and bought a 2024 GTI Autobahn in early February. His excellent time at PATD4 and relevant event organizing experience inspired him to join the Gaymmittee and help plan last year’s 2023 Finish on the Back of the Dragon event. While we’ll all see him in the new Golf, he’ll still be dreaming of the RS3 he wishes was parked in the driveway. Coming home from the hospital as a gay little baby in a Mk3 Jetta, his family has long Volkswagen roots and his car obsession started with a ride in a then-new Mk4 R32. During the day you’ll find him managing virtually everything as an Executive Assistant at an AI startup, some nights he’s keeping the rest of us focused on planning PATD5. This year he’s looking forward to having a car with tread on the tires (ask him what he thinks about Turo if you want an ear-full) and not “walking [his] ass back and forth from the lodge.” He’s a big fan of beer, keyboard shortcuts, and petting dogs, be sure to say hi when you see his tall ass around!

John (he/him) was a newbie to PATD4 but loved it so much he volunteered to bring his experience with other LGBTQ+ non-profits to support the future of PATD. By day, he works with Technology at a Fortune 50 company in Charlotte, but he longs to be away traveling by road or air, hiking, camping, and enjoying his JL Rubicon, Element SC or his S2000. Someday John would like to add a NA1 NSX to the garage, but more likely to come next will be a Honda Beat. You can find him regularly spending time online looking for those. He was born and raised in Virginia and often thinks back to his first memories of loving cars. The neighbors had two grown sons who both had late 60s model Dodge Challengers. His interest in those and the myriad Matchbox cars (which he still owns) were clear signs of his love of cars - plus his mom always said that his first sounds were engine noises. John is very much looking forward to helping PATD grow. He loves meeting new people and has enjoyed making some great friends through the events of the last year.

Tatiana was born and raised 3.5 hours away from the Tail of the Dragon in the suburbs of south Atlanta, where they live today. However, it wasn’t until the age of 32, after coming back home from some time living in California, that they were invited to a Tail event for the first time. Missing the mountain runs they used to organize throughout NorCal, they were hooked after just one day at the Tail and knew that they would be planning vacations to be near the iconic road from then on. A city slicker for the most part, the annual pilgrimage to the Tail feeds the part of Tatiana’s soul that loves being in the mountains and the challenging driving that comes with being up there. Outside of planning PatD and goofing off in the PatD Discord, Tatiana can be found doing broadcast commentary for sim racing championship GT Champions, cursing at opponents on their own gaming Twitch stream, or cuddling with their big furry cat, Magyc.

Xiek (or Jason or Jay), from Orillia Ontario, is an Aries who enjoys long walks on the beach and long road trips as well. Hailing from East York Ontario, he manages an auto repair shop. When not there, you can find him enjoying his Mini Cooper JCW and sometimes dreaming of having a Bentley with a chauffeur that he may let drive on occasion. His early love of car culture came from riding on his dad’s motorbike and riding shotgun in his Old Chevy. He joined the Gaymmittee with experience from other events and he loves The Dragon. He’s been annually with his Mini group since 2006 and has been at PATD every year too. He most looks forward to meeting new people and catching up with old friends.