Bating Bliss with BateOff Contestant Kaelan Strouse

Kaelan Strouse shows up for our Zoom call as he does for his social media posts: Shirtless, relaxed, and with a welcoming smile. The conversation we enjoy is easy, authentic, stigma-shedding, and enormously fun. It's instantly obvious that Kaelan has got a huge heart. What becomes clear with a glance at his Bluesky account is that's not the only huge thing about him. (Caution before you click: Many of his posts are NSFW.)

Kaelan is a yogi, an author, an influencer and coach, and a deeply thoughtful, spiritual man. He's also an OnlyFans creator, with accounts of varying explicitness at X, Instagram, and YouTube. (See his LinkTree for a full index of his online presence.)

He's also among this year's six contestants for BateWorld's annual Great BateWorld BateOff, taking place throughout May (which is, not coincidentally, Masturbation Month). Competing under the moniker Kae Ecstatic, he will be joined in competition by Gooner Sunny, Parker Woods, Outdoor Bator, Rickey Rick, and Field of Honey.

The competition's format is pure reality show entertainment, hosted by last year's champ, Colby Jaxxx. Six contestants take on a variety of challenges, from "Hands Free Fun and "Post Workout Play" to "Getting Verbal with Yourself" and "Bulge 'N Briefs Display." There's also "Kiss from a Rose," a challenge centered around sex toy The Male Rose.

The sexy solo fun starts May 1, with new episodes available weekly on BateWorld.com. Ranked interactive voting means viewers have a voice in determining which of the cute, charismatic, and cocksure contestants will claim the title Master Bator during the live-streamed June 5 finale.

As contradictory as spiritual practice as explicit online posts may seem, they harmonize well in Kaelan's case. He's a model for how healthy queer sexuality can mesh with spirituality, and he expresses that in his books, 2020's "Journey to the Ecstatic Self," 2022's "I Dreamt of Flight," and his upcoming third book, which is due out at the end of May. "The new one is '48 Gateways to the Ecstatic Self,'" Kaelan says, explaining that the title explores "that idea of, "How do we reclaim who we are, our authentic self and own that ecstatic, joy-filled, mediated, blissful state of being in every capacity?"

As for his career as an influencer and coach, "A lot of people find a naked photo or video of me online, and they're like, 'Who is this guy? I'm not used to seeing somebody naked and saying nice things and talking about body positivity and demonstrating body touch in a way that isn't judgmental or focused just on gratuitous pleasure,'" Kaelan recounts. "I have a lot of people who end up working with me as a spiritual coach one on one because of that – not that the work is necessarily on anything sexual, but that's what created the doorway. This is my life, helping people on their journey of self-connection."

EDGE: Tell me about your masturbation journey. What brings you to BateWorld and this year's BateOff?

Kaelan Strouse: I'm somebody who identifies much more as a side than top or bottom, but I always had a very strong sexual connection with myself. I kind of view masturbation as actually being a meditative tool for self-connection.

EDGE: What was it like to make an audition video for the BateOff competition?

Kaelan Strouse: It's a little intimidating. I don't think anybody in their life ever thinks is going to be critiqued on their masturbation habits. I mean, I do show up online in very sex positive way. I have a naked X account, a Bluesky account, and an OnlyFans, but whenever I present myself on those platforms, it usually comes in the context of masturbation being a tool for self-connection and personal growth. For this to be viewed in a slightly different angle of it being about masturbation first was a little daunting, but I felt like it could be a great platform to articulate how we all have sexual desire. Pretty much everybody has sex with themselves, and to let go the stigma and shame around that, to learn to celebrate our bodies and celebrate what makes us being human, I thought that could be a wonderful opportunity.

EDGE: There are a lot of different contests that are involved here: Vocalizing to yourself, after-workout masturbation, and even playing with a sex toy. What kind of fun are you having with these contests?

Kaelan Strouse: I love the power of a good story, so in each of these challenges I wanted to put it in the context of the larger narrative, because I think that makes it more interesting. Let's take the conversation with myself in the mirror: For that challenge, I did something where I'm getting dressed and feeling a little discontented. I'm like, "Why isn't life a little bit more magical?" Then I'm digging through the laundry basket and pulling out a costume and masturbating in my costume, and then changing costumes, going from being a Spartan gladiator to a wizard in a Harry Potter robe to a himbo archetype. I shot the Post-Workout Challenge yesterday, and it was me doing yoga practice – I had my foot behind my head, masturbating. You want it to be something that's unique and memorable, but it's important that it's authentic. How can I show that this can be connected to something greater than just the act itself, without me explicitly being like, "Breathe into your heart?"

EDGE: Your social media accounts are a blend of positive messaging and explicit content. That's quite a combination!

Kaelan Strouse: Absolutely! I think a lot of people who identify as being meditative tend to think that we have to reach an enlightenment or purification or some state of Nirvana, as opposed to realizing that, ideally, a spiritual practice should make us more authentically human in our totality and accept all of our humanness and see it as a gift. I grew up a kid who wouldn't even take my shirt off in public. The first time I ever got naked with anybody or even kissed anyone, I was 25 years old. I knew that a big part of me finding wholeness was about reclaiming my body and my sexuality. To reclaim our bodies as sacred and holy, to reclaim our sexuality is something beautiful, is very much my vocation.

EDGE: Have you had others give you a hand, so to speak, in developing your techniques and helping you explore your connection with yourself?

Kaelan Strouse: I would say my husband has been my biggest collaborator and inspiration. We've been together for 10 years, and he's somebody who also identifies as being very masturbation-focused, so the majority of our lovemaking is masturbation-focused. I would say that was probably the first time that I ever met somebody who I felt that I could be 100% fully vulnerable with and open with, and that allowed me to start to unpack and explore a lot more so I could start to explore those things more deeply. I don't know if I would ever have reached this point without his love.

EDGE: Of your fellow competitors, who's got more mastery over the form?

Kaelan Strouse: I watched through all of the audition videos, and I thought everybody had something really beautiful and interesting to offer. I wouldn't say it's a hierarchy as so much as different flavors. You're going to see people who lean into like Gooner culture, drooling and cross-eyed. You're going to see people who view it as more of like a modeling thing, and they're looking to show off their body. You're going to find people who are leaning into a dad archetype. It's going to be more about what kind of style, esthetic, approach, mindset people resonate with.

EDGE: For guys who are interested in submitting an audition tape and being part of this contest, what tips would you offer?

Kaelan Strouse: Have fun! People love to watch someone who is having a really good time. If you show up holding on to shame, feelings of not being worthy, or feelings like this is dirty or wrong, people are going to read it. If you show up as authentically you and saying, "I'm going to invite you to have fun with me," I think that's irresistible.

EDGE: The current moment in America is tough for queer people, as it is for so many others. What is your response to what's going on?

Kaelan Strouse: This administration wants to take away our joy and wants us to feel uncentered, ungrounded, angry, fearful – they feed off of that. I think it is an act of defiance to say, "No, you don't get my peace. You don't get my joy. I am going to continue to shine and continue to live a wonderful life and not letting you take that away from me." If you're kinky person, great – go be kinky. If you're a quiet person, go be quiet. Go be you in the face of a culture that wants to take away your agency to be vibrantly and authentically yourself, and don't give up your power by becoming afraid.

For more on Kaelan, visit his Instagram page.

The Great BateWorld BateOff begins May 1, with new episodes available weekly on BateWorld.com.