About

Hi. I'm Ley (she/they). It's pronounced "Lee."

When I'm feeling fancy, I go by Ley David Elliette Cray, PhD, CSC, ABS, RYT. I'm an autistic, asexual, aromantic, non-binary transgender woman living in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

I'm other things, too.

For example, I'm a sexologist, author, educator, bodyworker, coach, and consultant specializing in gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity.

Additionally, I'm a researcher working in philosophical aesthetics and comics studies. Currently, I'm serving as the Vice President of the American Society for Aesthetics, Rocky Mountain Division.

My full CV is available here.

Note! If you ever read anything by Wesley D. Cray: that's me, too! 'Wesley' is still my name, but unless you're either citing me or dating me, please don't use it.

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•Certifications•

Ph.D., Philosophy (with over a decade of  teaching and research experience)

Certified Sexologist (certified through the American Board of Sexology)


Sexuality Counselor (certified through the Sexual Health Alliance) 


Mindfulness Instructor (certified through the Center for Koru Mindfulness)


Philosophical Consultant (certified through the Logic-Based Therapy & Consultation Institute and National Philosophical Counseling Association)

Therapeutic Game Master (certified through Geek Therapeutics)


Trauma-Informed & Accessible/Adaptive Yoga Instructor (RYT-200, registered through the Yoga Alliance)

Consulting Services

If you're an organization or solo professional looking for education or aid as you work toward building and sustaining affirming and inclusive work practices, please feel free to reach out.

Over the last several years, I have developed and delivered dozens of (synchronous and asychronous) group trainings and educational experiences for a variety of organizations; and provided accessible and enriching consultation on LGBTQIA+ concepts, communities, and care to hundreds of professionals in a variety of fields. (both clinical and non-clinical).


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Some examples of group trainings and educational experiences I currently offer include:

Cultivating and Maintaining an Affective, Curious, Effective Allyship Practice

Debunking the Social Contagion Conjecture: Gender Dysphoria, Epistemic Injustice, and the Life-Saving Importance of Affirming Care

Gender and Transition in the Workplace

How to Talk to Your Kids About Consent

Navigating LGBTQIA+ Affirming Care and Personal Ethics

Pride: Past, Present, and Future

Pronoun Proficiency and Why It Matters

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All rates are negotiable, and I can likely work within your budget—especially if you are a small organization or mutual aid group.

To set up a time to discuss ways we can work together, please reach out here.

Coaching Practice

Are you struggling with questions of identity? Of meaning and relation, of purpose and place? Do you want to cultivate a more radical and aligned sense of self and of community?

Let's talk.

Through queer-affirming, sex-positive, trauma-informed coaching and consulting sessions, we can explore:


As a coach, I neither diagnose nor pathologize. Instead, you can expect our sessions to integrate mindfulness, contemplative embodiment, and philosophical exploration in an individualized combination that best suits your particular needs.

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When you're reading to start our work together—or just want to chat to see if we're a good fit—you can schedule a free initial consultation through my Calendly.

All sessions are held on Zoom.

Session pricing is available in three tiers:


Community (C): for clients who would benefit from a little financial assistance.

Regular (R): default price.

Benefactor (B): for clients who would like to chip in and aid in others receiving affordable care.


Per Session — $50 (C) | $70 (R) | $90 (B)


4 Sessions — $175 (C) | $245 (R) | $315 (B) 


8 Sessions — $325 (C) | $455 (R) | $585 (B)

Embodiment Practices

Public yoga classes can often be very conventionally gendered spaces, rendering them less accessible or even inaccessible to those of us who struggle with gender dysphoria.

Similarly, mindfulness practices—including that which is often incorporated into public yoga classes—are often facilitated in manners that center neurotypicality and leave many persons of other neurotypes (autism, ADHD, etc.) feeling excluded or left behind.

As a mindfulness and yoga instructor, I have specialized for years in practices centered on transgender communities. And as an autistic person with ADHD, I ahve spent much time adapting mindfulness practices for purposes of neuroinclusivity.

I'm happy to offer these practices and this expertise to my neurodivergent and gender-expansive community, either in person at Downtown Desert Yoga or virtually, no matter where you are.

To get started, just book an initial consultation and we can go from there. Alternatively, you can DM me over on my instagram dedicated to this work.

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I also offer personal Reiki sessions by appointment at Downtown Desert Yoga. Pricing is negotiatiable, with a suggestion of $60-75 for an hour session and $35-50 for a half-hour session.

To book, please DM me here.


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For more yoga and mindfulness practices, see "Classes & Events" below.

Classes & Events

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•Regular Events•


Queer Mindfulness
Virtual Meditation Practice
Every 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:00 PM Mountain
Register here

Mindfulness for Kinksters
Virtual Meditation Practice
Every 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:00 PM Mountain
Register here


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•Other Scheduled Events•


Mindful Kink and Kinky Mindfulness
Virtual Class w/Pragmatically Kinking
June 14th, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Mountain
Register here

Intro to Lifestyle BDSM: Solo-Play & Self-Consent
Open Class at Dungeon Hell Paso
June 17th, 4:00 - 7:00 PM Mountain

Register through DHP website


Negotiation Basics and Beyond: Power, Consent, and Meta-Negotiation
Transentience Webinar
June 23rd, 6:30 - 8:00 PM Mountain
Register here


Buddhism and BDSM
Virtual Class w/Pragmatically Kinking
August 24th, Time TBA


Sex Coaching: How and Why to Get Started
Virtual Class w/Pragmatically Kinking
November 25th, Time TBA

More events available to members of the Transentience Patreon community.

Research & Scholarship


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•Book•


Philosophy of Comics: An Introduction (with Sam Cowling). 2022. Bloomsbury Press


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•Scholarly Articles•


LGBGTQIA+ Adapted Telehealth Intensive Outpatient Program for Youth and Young Adults: Subgroup Analysis of Acuity and Improvement Following Treatment (with Kate Gliske, Katie Berry, Claire Schmidt, Michael Killian, and Caroline Fenkel). 2023. JMIR Formative Research. doi: 10.2196/45796


Batman: A Case Study in Ontology and Appreciation. 2022. Bloomsbury Contemporary Aesthetics


Some Considerations Regarding Adornment, the Gender "Binary," and Gender Expression. 2021. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 79(4): 488-492


Aesthetics from the Closet. 2021. American Society for Aesthetics Newsletter 41(1): 1-3


Some Ideas About the Metaphysics of Stories. 2019. British Journal of Aesthetics 59(2): 147-160


Transparent and Opaque Performance Personas. 2019. Journal of Aesthetics of Art Criticism 77(2): 181-191


Psychologism about Artistic Plans: A Response to Rohrbaugh. 2018. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 76(1): 101-104


How to Be Omnipresent (with Sam Cowling). 2017. American Philosophical Quarterly 54(3): 223-234


Abstract Generationation: A Response to Friedell. 2017. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 75(3): 289-292


A Return to Musical Idealism (with Carl Matheson). 2017. Australasian Journal of Philosophy 95(3): 702-715


Unperformable Works and the Ontology of Music. 2016. British Journal of Aesthetics 56(1): 67-81


An Ontology of Ideas (with Timothy Schroeder). 2015. Journal of the American Philosophical Association 1(4): 757-775


Yellowism and Ontology: A Skeptical Analysis. 2015. Contemporary Aesthetics 13


Conceptual Art, Ideas, and Ontology. 2014. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 72(3): 235-245


Team-Teaching the Atheism-Theism Debate (with Steven Brown). 2014. Teaching Philosophy 37(4): 465-480


Inconstancy and Content. 2014. Dialectica 68(3): 337-353


Omniscience and Worthiness of Worship. 2011. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 70(2): 147-153


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•Scholarly Book Chapters•


The Karmic Tragedy of Bruce Wayne: Batman as Anti-Buddha. 2022. In Theology and Batman, Brake and Robertson, eds., Lexington Press 


Sabbath Doesn't Need the Ozzman. 2012. In Black Sabbath and Philosophy: Mastering Reality, Irwin, ed., Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 126-139


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•Scholarly Book Reviews•


Review of Uncommon Sense: Jeremy Bentham, Queer Aesthetics, and the Politics of Taste. 2023. British Journal of Aesthetics. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesthj/ayac051


Review of Sonic Flux: Sound, Art, and Metaphysics. 2020. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 78(1): 126-129


Review of The Aesthetics of Videogames. 2018. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews


Review of The Aesthetics and Ethics of Copying. 2017. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

Other Writing

Interviews & Press

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•Videos & Podcasts•

A Fleeting Exhibition.. 2023. Cum with KC

Transentience Rising.. 2023. The Flaming Yoni

Sexplorations with Sexologists. 2022. Sacred Sexual Science

Gender Euphoria, Queer Magic. 2022. Wild & Sublime

Personas, Bowie, and Taylor's Versions. 2022. Philosophers Discussing Art

Autosadomasochism and Self-Consent. 2022. Consent Dojo with Midori

Raising LGBTQIA+ Kids & Fostering Resilience. 2022. Be a Part of the Conversation

The Search for Identity (and Freedom from Expectations). 2022. Be a Part of the Conversation

The Metaphysics of Bands (Part 1 & Part 2). 2021. Philosophers Discussing Art

The Metaphysics of Fictional Characters (Part 1 & Part 2). 2021. Philosophers Discussing Art

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•Print•

Why LGBT+ Kids Need Out LGBT+ Teachers and Mentors. 2022. Healthline

Interview: Meet Ley David Elliette Cray, PhD. 2022. Canvas Rebel 

Yoga & Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth. 2022. Yoga Digest

Gender Creative Parenting: What is it and is it Right for You? 2022. Care.com

Reflecting on Pride Month, Industry Leaders See Progress—and Persistent Challenges—for Better LGBTQIA+ Healthcare. 2022. Fierce Healthcare

What Does It Mean to Be Panromantic? Sexuality Experts Explain. 2022. Mindbodygreen

6 Science-Backed Reasons Why Trans Youth Need Gender-Affirming Care. 2022. Verywell Health

A Guide to Neopronouns, From Experts & People Who Use Them. 2022. Mindbodygreen

Patreon

If you'd like to support my work or get even more involved in this growing community centered on radical affirmation and queer embodiment, please consider checking out the Transentience Patreon.

With several subscription options (and the ability to cancel at any time), community members gain access to essays, ebooks, social events, webinars, personalized Tarot readings, and more.

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If you can't commit to a monthly subscription of if Patreon just isn't your thing, you can also support my work by buying me a coffee via Ko-Fi.