DPF, Diaper Pail Fraternity - and, later, Diaper Pail Friends - is, literally, the granddaddy of the ABDL community. It got its start as an organization in the late 1970s, grew in the 1980s and 90s, and became the website we know as DPF.com in December 1996. DPF.com ceased activity sometime around April 2009.

FROM KENT PERRY:

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM KENT PERRY. SEE MORE AT HIS FETLIFE PAGE.

I had been wearing and making diapers, plastic pants and baby clothing since I was a kid and was enjoying all of this by myself. I was having fun, but I was very lonely. I knew I couldn't be the only person doing this. I knew there had to be others out there, although the fetish literature I was viewing in New York City did not reflect my interest in any way. I was finally free of roommates in late 1970 and underground newspapers became very popular and they began publishing personal ads, more often than not dealing with fetishes, which no one before had published. Each week new boundaries were crossed and people with unusual kinks burst out of their closets it seemed. It was the 70s and sexual freedom was everywhere. But where was any mention of diapers? I took a deep breath and decided to place an ad sometime around the beginning of 1971 I remember. I chose a newspaper as far away from me as possible, the "LA Free Press," which was printing these personal ads out of Los Angeles. I sent them my ad, which was rather generic and innocent, asking that people contact me at my newly rented postal box (for protection) and sent my ad with payment off to Los Angeles. I was very nervous. I received a reply quickly and opened the envelope to read a terse note from a woman who seemed to be shocked that I'd place an ad to have "sex with a baby." I was horrified, as that was not at all what I intended, of course, or what my ad expressed. I sent her a quick explanation, which she accepted (sending me a note of apology) and my first ad was published.

The day I received my first responses was earth shaking for me. I think I got three or four letters forwarded to me and I rushed home (luckily only a block away) to rip them open. I found letters from three or four men telling me that they never thought they would ever see an ad like mine which matched their interest so exactly. They all thanked me for being the first to have the guts to do this. I made three or four new friends and I was energized and excited, placing more ads, both in this publication and in "The Advocate," a gay paper and later in both "Screw" and "Fetish Times." I received more and more responses and I introduced people to each other during this period. In several cases people lived in the same neighborhood, never thinking they'd find a new friend so close. Our little community grew and grew during the early seventies.

I should mention two people whom I met, actually the first and the second. From my second ad in the "Los Angeles Free Press" I heard from an eighteen year old male from San Francisco who just happened to be in New York City to audition for the original Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR. He was staying half a block from my previous residence with a friend and he asked me to meet him at this apartment, which I agreed to do. I approached the door with anticipation and rang the bell; he opened it and was wearing a diaper and plastic pants and nothing more. My mouth hung open, I remember! Not only was he very handsome, but he was the first person I saw in my life wearing a diaper other than myself in a mirror, or someone in an incontinent ad. I can't begin to relate how exciting this was. His name was Willie Windsor and even though he didn't get the part of Jesus in the new musical, he was chosen to replace the leading character in the then current Broadway musical HAIR, where he remained employed for several years. That evening after the initial shock of seeing someone else wearing what I had spent most of lifetime wearing and hiding, we became fast friends. That evening we went to Central Park where he removed all his clothes and walked around for an hour or so wearing only a diaper and plastic pants. I followed him, way behind, carrying his clothes. I was in shock and totally out of my comfort zone, but amazed that no one really noticed him or at least reacted as they had. This was the beginning of many exploits with Mr. Windsor. We remained good friends for about twenty years and then he disappeared, until sometime around 2005, he resurfaced in Phoenix living full time and out in public as a baby girl. He had discarded most of his adult clothing and walked the streets in baby dress with diapers underneath. He attracted the media and was the star of many YouTube videos. Sadly, he was found dead in his apartment a couple of years later.

The second person I met was a very popular man named John C. He is also deceased, but he answered the ad which I placed in "The Advocate," a gay paper. He was eager to meet me as he too had never met anyone doing what he also had done for many years, so he was kind enough to send me a round trip air ticket so that I could fly to Sarasota, where he lived. As I was a very poor actor at this point, I accepted his offer and off I flew. We spent a long weekend mainly on a beautiful sailboat in the Gulf of Mexico, wearing nothing but diapers. It was pure heaven until I became seasick and then spent two days ill in his bed. John remained a dear friend and was extremely active hosting parties and gatherings in his beautiful home for many, many years. He is missed by many.

Gradually many of us were able to meet in person which helped establish our community. Two of the most important men during this period became known to us. One was Eugene C. and the other was Thomas S. Both, it turned out, lived in or near San Francisco. Gene C. established a club which he called Lil' Wrangler where he not only sold pictures of young men (legal age of course) diapered. He also had a mailing list and held parties in his home for his friends and folks who subscribed to his pamphlet which he published and were members of his club. He was a wonderful man and we became very good friends. Unfortunately he became ill with heart problems in his late fifties, I believe, and passed away. He wrote me a long letter the morning he died, giving me advice and encouragement.

Mr. S., whom I shall refer to as Tommy, became an acquaintance around 1976 and we got to know each other well when he traveled to New York City several times on business. He was quite conservative in dress and appearance, married with two children, but his imagination and ideas were quite the opposite; I don't think I've ever met anyone who comes close to his adventurous and liberated activity. In 1979 Gene C. was hosting Saturday afternoon gatherings at his house with a strictly invited guest list. Tommy was not invited to these parties, or at least was not invited at this point; he might have attended in the beginning, but must have rubbed [Gene] the wrong way, as they were no longer friends. One afternoon Tommy called me, as he often did, bemoaning the fact that no one seemed to like him, particularly [Gene]. I already knew this having heard from Gene as well. I flippantly told Tommy that what he needed to do was to start his own club so that people would have to come to him. He was immediately excited by this idea and called me several days later telling me he was going to do exactly that, start a club. As we all know, he began DPF, or Diaper Pail Fraternity (later to change its name to Diaper Pail Friends) in late 1979, with the first issue in the fall of that year.

Most of you know the rest of DPF's history, but our ABDL community has continued to grow and grow. I am very proud of my twenty-seven year old self who had the courage to place the first ad and help so many people feel a bit more comfortable sharing what they had hid, many for a lifetime.

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION. SPECIAL THANKS TO KENT PERRY. READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

COMMUNITY MEMORIES

Do you have memories to share from the DPF or DPF.com days? Please contact Cwis to help… abysitter@gmail.com