I've been reading about the history of BDSM and I'm confused about old guard versus new guard. Does this distinction still matter in practice today?

The old guard refers to the post-World War II leather culture that developed primarily in gay male biker communities in North America, characterised by hierarchical mentorship structures, formal titling systems, earned progression through experience, and specific protocols around equipment, presentation, and conduct. Practices and traditions were transmitted through direct mentorship from experienced practitioners to newcomers, and entry into the community required demonstrated commitment and respect for tradition.

New guard is a looser term for the shift that accelerated through the 1980s and 1990s, as the internet made kink information more broadly accessible and the community expanded beyond its original demographics. The new guard is more inclusive, less protocol-bound, more self-directed in how practitioners learn and develop, and less rigidly hierarchical.

The distinction still generates genuine debate. Practitioners who value old-guard traditions argue that the erosion of mentorship and protocol has reduced the accountability and craft standards that made the community safer and more coherent. Practitioners with a new-guard orientation argue that the old system was exclusive, gatekeeping, and often not accessible to women, people of colour, and queer people outside the specific demographic that created it.

In practice today, both traditions are alive. Old-guard traditions are maintained most strongly in leather organisations, at titling events, and in specific community structures that trace direct lineage to those roots. New-guard approaches dominate the larger online kink community and most general play spaces.

Knowing the history enriches your engagement with either tradition, regardless of which you personally identify with.