Who was Steve Maidhof - Living In Leather

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Steve Maidhof
(b. 20 October, 1949 - d. 11 November, 1991)




Steve Maidhof, loving known as NLA's "Daddy," was a BDSM activist and the founder of National Leather Association International. Steve served as President of NLA from 1986 to 1988. His organization soon expanded across the country, North America, and eventually overseas becoming a leading force of BDSM advocacy.
 

Steve was born in Riverside, California, attended High School in Palm Springs and was active in the SF leather community in the 1970s. After caring for his lover in the early 1980s, who passed from AIDS, Steve moved to Seattle. It was there that he joined the Seattle Men of Leather and ran for the Washington State Mr. Leather title, he put his efforts into unifying the local community and direct them toward political activism. Whether Steve was already formulating the idea of NLA before his attending IML, or after, is still not clarified. However, along with four others, Wayne Gloege, Jan Lyon, George Nelson, and Vik Stump, he would achieve it. Steve would also have an article appear in Drummer Magazine issue 110, where he would bring to print the conversation of "New Leather vs. Old Leather", what can only be considered a predecessor of "Old Guard vs. New Guard," a phrase developed soon after. Were it not for Steve, many organizations, events, contests, and the future of many now-famous organizers would never have happened.

We re-named our Man of the Year award for Steve, to honor those that do great work International or Nationally as he spent his life doing!


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