Leather Conference Coming to LA This Weekend

Southern California is considered the birthplace of the leather community, so it is only fitting that Los Angeles should host the 15th annual Leather Leadership Conference. Several hundred leather men, and leather women, from across the country will gather Downtown this weekend for workshops, discussions and networking.

“The leather community and the LGBT community had its origins at the same time. We’ve been going strong for more than 50 years. And that’s thanks to good organizations having good leadership,” said Steve Ganzell, chair of the LA committee putting on the event. “This conference is about teaching leadership, sharing ideas, mentoring the next generation so the leather community continues to thrive.”

Ganzell's love of leather goes back to childhood. “I knew I was kinky before I was a Boy Scout,” he laughs. “And I knew there were a lot more fun things you could be doing with those knots than the ones they were showing us."

He has served for the past five years on the board of directors for Christopher Street West, the organization responsible for putting on the annual gay pride festival each June in West Hollywood, on San Vicente Blvd. from Santa Monica Blvd. to Melrose Ave. Ideas he picks up at the leadership conference will likely be incorporated into this year’s Pride festivities, he said.

While there will be some serious learning going on, this conference is meant to be fun, Ganzell said. The theme of the conference is Lost Angels – a play on the name Los Angeles, and workshops are designed around the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins.

“All the workshops we wanted to do just sort of fit into one of those seven categories,” explained Ganzell. “Talk about finances, that would be greed. If you say ‘Yes’ to everything, that would be gluttony.”

Other topics on the schedule include aging within the community, changing social mores about sex, and transgender as "friendly." There is even a workshop, “Kinksters for the Ethical Treatment of Labels,” about avoiding labeling groups or individuals.

Reknonwned LA-based psychotherapist, leather activist and author Guy Baldwin, who served as 1989’s International Mr. Leather, will be offer his thoughts on leather relationships in a keynote speech. San Diego’s Annie Romano, Ms. World Leather 2001, is also scheduled to give a keynote address.

While the leather community will be the most prominent, the conference will also have contingents from the S&M/B&D communities, as well as the kink and fetish communities. Ganzell acknowledges the overlap between the various contingents. “We’re a very diverse group,” he said. 

The conference will also see plenty of heterosexuals. Ganzell estimates half will be straight. “The great thing is, gay, straight, and all the various sub-groups—we all get along,” Ganzell said. “We’re a very inclusive community.”

Los Angeles previously hosted the Leather Leadership Conference back in 2002. While that one was quite successful, Ganzell promises this one will be even better. He and his organizing committee have been working on this conference for the past two years.

“This has been so much fun,” Ganzell said. “It’s the chance to do all sorts of creative things.”