Steve Maidhof was a BDSM activist and the founder of National Leather Association International. President of NLA from 1986 to 1988, Maidhof founded NLA after his unsuccessful candidacy in the International Mr. Leather Contest, and gained attention from Pat Califia, who later became the keynote speaker at the association's foundation. His organization soon expanded across the country and became a leading force of BDSM advocacy. Maidhof died in 1991 of AIDS.