Patrick Califia (born March 8, 1954) is a writer, activist, sex educator, and therapist widely regarded as a foundational figure in modern Leather, queer, and sex-positive feminist history. Rising to prominence during the Feminist Sex Wars of the 1970s, Califia became one of the most outspoken defenders of consensual BDSM, erotic power exchange, and butch/femme identity.

In 1978, Califia co-founded Samois, one of the first openly lesbian BDSM organizations in the United States. Samois focused on education, safety, consent, and political advocacy, helping to legitimize kink practices within feminist and queer communities while shaping early Leather discourse around negotiation and responsibility.

Califia’s influential works include Sapphistry: The Book of Lesbian Sexuality (1980), Coming to Power (1981, contributor/editor), Macho Sluts (1988), and Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism (1997). Across more than twenty books of nonfiction, fiction, and erotica, Califia argued that sexual autonomy, consent, and accountability are essential to ethical erotic expression.

In the late 1990s, Califia publicly transitioned and adopted the name Patrick Califia, identifying as a bisexual transgender man. He later trained as a licensed marriage and family therapist, integrating decades of activism and scholarship into clinical work. Patrick Califia’s legacy within Leather culture is complex but enduring. His defense of consensual power exchange preserved space for Leather traditions to survive and evolve, influencing generations of educators, activists, and community leaders.