Organizing Catalyst of NLA / Living in Leather–era activism (1986–1991)
Steve Maidhof (Oct. 20, 1949 – Nov. 11, 1991) is widely remembered as the founding “Daddy” whose vision and organizing drive helped ignite a national (and later international) wave of Leather/BDSM education and political activism through the National Leather Association (NLA) and its flagship conference, Living in Leather (LIL).
Early life and service-minded foundation
Obituary material preserved by LGBTQ+ historical archiving projects describes Maidhof as a Palm Springs native, educated in dramatic arts (Cal State Los Angeles), and later devoted to community care work, including hospice nursing—a through-line that mirrors how he approached Leather organizing: practical, human-centered, and protective of people at the margins.
The catalyst moment: IML 1986 → “We need more than a contest”
Multiple historical accounts point to International Mr. Leather 1986 as the spark. After competing, Maidhof returned to Seattle determined to create something different: a gathering focused on education, rights, and coordinated response—not just pageantry or bar-to-bar social life.
Founding NLA and launching Living in Leather
In 1986, Maidhof and Seattle-area leaders organized what became the National Leather Association (NLA) and held the first Living in Leather conference in Seattle. LIL quickly became an annual convening point where people could learn skills, discuss ethics, and build strategy across geography, genders, and orientations—an early model of Leather coalition politics.
A notable theme in accounts of NLA’s growth is that it evolved beyond a narrow demographic label into a pansexual Leather organization—bringing together gay leathermen, lesbians in SM, straight and bi kinksters, and trans sadomasochists under one banner of mutual defense and education.
Activism priorities in the Living in Leather era
The historical record of NLA’s purpose situates Maidhof’s work inside a period when kink communities faced censorship pressures, prosecutions, and stigma. NLA formed as an “organized answer” to those pressures—helping create shared infrastructure for fundraising, public advocacy, and community self-definition.
Cultural impact: naming the generational conversation
Leather historian Andy Mangels notes that Maidhof wrote about “Old Leather” and “New Leather” in NLA’s Chain Link newsletter—language that fed later, wider use of “Old Guard vs. New Guard” as writers and publishers refined the terms.
Legacy and honors
NLA’s ongoing awards include the Steve Maidhof Award, given for service and impact at broader-than-local scope—an institutional reminder that his legacy is measured in organizing work and community stewardship, not personal celebrity.
Timeline (quick reference)
- 1986: Competes at IML; returns to Seattle and helps organize NLA and the first Living in Leather.
- 1989: His “Old Leather / New Leather” framing is cited as influential in later “Old Guard / New Guard” language.
- Nov. 11, 1991: Dies (commonly cited as AIDS-related complications).
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