Melbourne Leather Pride Association [Edit]

Melbourne Leather Pride Association had its first meeting at Nuggets Bar, The Laird Hotel on Monday 16th August 1994. The aim of the pansexual group was to promote and educate on the leather lifestyle. This was done by holding monthly workshops and by organising and running “Melbourne Leather Pride Week”. The culmination of the week of movies, fashion parades and workshops was the “Inferno Dance Party”.

The first elected co-presidents were Louise Hickman from The Piercing Urge) and ?? from MLM (Melbourne Leather Men). Australian Drummer Boy, Steven Andrews and Laurie Lane, were also on the committee.

MLPA also ran the “Mr & Ms Melbourne Leather” competition in 1995 and 1996 where a panel of judges selected from local “leather” businesses would select a male and female winner.  The first competition had  6 entrants (3 male, 3 female), the second only had 3 in total, and the competition was not subsequently re-run.

Initially there was huge interest in MLPA but by 1996 the the committee had run out of drive and the association faded into history.