New England Leather Alliance

Dear New England Leather Alliance Associates and Community Members,

We, the NELA Board of Directors, are writing to share news that the organization officially ceased operations December 31, 2021. The decision was not an easy one to reach nor was it made lightly.

New England Leather Alliance has served BDSM, kink, leather, and curious adults since 1993, offering events and classes, advocating for, and defending those in need, and supporting community organizations all in the hopes and need for creating a safer space for such a diverse population.

For nearly 25 years, NELA’s Fetish Fair Fleamarket® built up to become the largest and most comprehensive kink-based conference in New England through the expertise of hundreds of presenters and the resources of thousands of volunteers.

When we paused the Flea in March 2020, we hoped it would be temporary. However, Board Members' terms came to their end with unanswered calls for new, qualified leadership, combined with the ongoing global pandemic causing substantial disruptions that we have struggled to overcome.

A final accounting will be forthcoming once the accountant and CPA file the FY2021 tax report with the IRS in 2022. All remaining physical assets and any remaining funds after outstanding obligations are met will be donated to organizations within our community so they may continue their good works that we support so very much. Once complete, a summary of the distribution of assets will be made public on our website.

In the coming weeks, we will update nelaonline.org website to reflect our change in status and set it up as more of a resource site with links to other organizations within the community.

There are not sufficient words to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to all our volunteers, presenters, vendors, former Board Members, Associates, and supporters who contributed to our achievements. We could never have come this far without all of you.

Sincerely,
New England Leather Alliance Board of Directors