NCSF Media Updates are a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics. These stories may be positive, negative, or anywhere in between.
Media Updates
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Media Update Digest - December 9, 2009
Written by Administrator1. Community Standard or Double Standard?
2. Women Who Want to Want
3. Swinging one's vows to the limitNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update Digest
December 9, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To read NCSF Media Updates on a daily basis, visit our blog at: http://ncsf.wordpress.com
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and
selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and
topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Community Standard or Double Standard?
New York Times
Mr. Lambert's context was different, mostly because he is gay and his song "For Your Entertainment" is
graphically sexual, with intimations of sadomasochism ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/arts/television/26watch.html?_r=1
Women Who Want to Want
New York Times Magazine
by Dan Bergner
The section on deviant desires, to take one example, is denounced by advocates for alternative sexuality
as stigmatizing those whose lusts, no matter how unusual, are harmless, or those whose erotic play, no
matter how unsettling, is consensual. Should a man with a foot fetish be branded as mentally ill? Should
a woman who finds ecstasy in being elaborately bound and enduring denigration or pain? Should such
people be labeled with psychiatric diseases, though the rest of their lives have no serious dysfunction?
Until 1973, homosexuality was among the D.S.M.'s disorders, and critics of the present chapter point to
the condemnation the volume once inflicted on gay men and lesbians' condemnation that both reflected
and bolstered the prevailing cultural perspective by way of arguing that the current manual, the
D.S.M.-IV, is full of unfounded and damaging sexual judgments. Many on the panel, which probably won't,
in the end, do much in the way of deleting conditions, maintain that the chapter on sexuality and gender
identity doesn't brand people too readily with disease. They note that, aside from exceptions like
patients with pedophilia, only those who are distressed meet the threshold for diagnosis. In turn, the
critics respond that such distress stems not from within the individual but from the infliction of
societal standards, from the culture's disapproval and aversion and therefore, in part, from the D.S.M.
itself. This, they emphasize, was why the A.P.A. finally removed a last remnant of the homosexuality
diagnosis what was known as "ego-dystonic" homosexuality in 1987.
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/magazine/29sex-t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1
Swinging one's vows to the limit
Minnesota Daily
A simple Google search led me to Club H, a local swingers' organization in Minneapolis. When I called, I
was politely asked by the associate on the other ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.mndaily.com/2009/12/06/swinging-one%E2%80%99s-vows-limit
###National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
media: (917) 848-6544
office: (410)539-4824
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org
www.twitter.com/ncsf
http://ncsf.wordpress.com -
Media Update - November 13, 2009
Written by AdministratorNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update Digest
November 13, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. Why enable pornographers?
2. Library employees fired over censorship of graphic novel
3. Courts Divide Over the Constitutionality of Sex Toy Bans
4. Sex toy research causes a stir at Duke
5. Suburban Swingers Club Outrages Neighbors
6. Lawsuits filed over professor posing on sex site
7. Donn Esmonde: Hands off swingers weekend
8. Sex positivity finds a social 'center'National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update Digest
November 13, 2009
To read NCSF Media Updates on a daily basis, visit our blog at: http://ncsf.wordpress.com
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and
selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and
topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Why enable pornographers?
Washington Times
Washington, DC
At the time, as deputy attorney general, Mr. Holder boldly called for stronger enforcement of
pornography and obscenity laws, saying: "Priority should be ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/01/why-enable-
pornographers/
Library employees fired over censorship of graphic novel
McClatchy Washington Bureau
Washington, DC
As to the charge about Cook's concern that the library was in violation of the state obscenity laws?
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, acting director of the ALA's ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/nation/story/78655.html
Courts Divide Over the Constitutionality of Sex Toy Bans
FindLaw
Mountain View, CA
In 1998, the Alabama legislature passed an amendment to the state's obscenity laws that made it a crime
to distribute "any device designed or marketed as ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://writ.news.findlaw.com/grossman/20091110.html
Sex toy research causes a stir at Duke
The News Observer
Durham, North Carolina
At Duke University, a school that likes to tout its cutting-edge research, a sex toy study being
conducted by a behavioral economist and student health workers has roused criticism.
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/177501.html?
story_link=email_msg
Suburban Swingers Club Outrages Neighbors
WLWT
Cincinnati, OH
Cobra Cincinnati is not the first swingers club in the Tri-State area, but it has become one of the most
controversial because of its location -- quiet New ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.wlwt.com/news/21531473/detail.html
Lawsuits filed over professor posing on sex site
UNM Daily Lobo
Albuquerque, NM
In-person meetings consist of legal BDSM activities. PEP has been in business for over 20 years. Would
PEP still be operating particularly after the last ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2009/11/lawsuits_filed_over_professor_posing_on_sex_site#
Donn Esmonde: Hands off swingers weekend
Buffalo News
New York, NY
The doors are swinging open for bEntice the Falls,b an annual swingers convention billed as bFour Days
of Wicked Temptation.b There is a predictable cry of ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/829464.html?imw=Y
Sex positivity finds a social 'center'
Seattle University Spectator
Seattle, WA
The group was originally conceived as a safe space for the adult BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and
masochism) community, but according to Gabosch, ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.su-spectator.com/features/sex-positivity-finds-a-social-center-1.895742
###
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
Media: 917-848-6544
Office: 410-539-4824
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org
www.twitter.com/ncsf
http://ncsf.wordpress.comTags: MediaBe the first to comment! Read 18174 times -
Media Update - November 23, 2009
Written by AdministratorNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update Digest
November 23, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. Lolita Wolf: The Kinky Lover
2. A Kink in the Campaign
3. Hello Pell? Itbs Me Mell, and I am Really Mixed Up About This Election Thing
4. Swingers arrested in Iran
5. Sex game beatings bring long prison term
6. Progress Through Education
7. Shackle your judgment: BDSM deserves respect
8. Playing with Desire: UNH students push sexual boundaries
9. Getting into the swing of things
10. Sex toy research causes a stir at Duke
11. Mate debate: Is monogamy realistic?
To read NCSF Media Updates on a daily basis, visit our blog at: http://ncsf.wordpress.com
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and
selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and
topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Lolita Wolf: The Kinky Lover
New York Times
For me, having found BDSM it's not just about sex. I find very fulfilling that I can educate people,
because it's something I needed. So many people have come to tell me that I made them feel 'not
guilty'...
To read this article, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html#/lolita_wolf
A Kink in the Campaign
Chicago Reader
But he says he raised $1800 at one leather party, and he pitched members of the Next Generation Chicago,
a pansexual BDSM group for the 18-34 set, ...
To read this article, go to:http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/joe-laiacona-challenges-deb-mell-in-democratic-primary/Content?oid=1236242
Hello Pell? It's Me Mell, and I am Really Mixed Up About This Election Thing
Chicago Reader
He wrote for Gay Chicago magazine for 17 years, penning a "Leather Views" column under a pseudonym.
Expect the content of those articles to be a huge campaign issue. ...
To read this article, go to: http://www.cdobs.com/archive/featured/hello-pell-its-me-mell-and-i-am-
really-mixed-up-about-this-election-thing,92492
Swingers arrested in Iran
Straits Times
TEHERAN
IRAN'S moral police have arrested a dozen couples for engaging in illicit sexual acts, including
swapping of partners. Extra-marital sex is illegal in Iran where Islamic sharia law is the principal
source of legislation. If found guilty of adultery, those arrested in the crackdown face being stoned to
death. ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_457999.html
Sex game beatings bring long prison term
Hillsboro Argus
OregonLive.com
"If you know anything about (sadomasochism), both parties are getting pleasure," Knapp said. "I don't
believe it was sadomasochistic at all. ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/hillsboroargus/2009/11/sex_game_beatings_bring_long_p.html
Progress Through Education
Justice
Brandeis University
Transgender, polyamory, sadomasochism and asexuality are topics that still need to be introduced into
the dialogue. "There's no overt prejudice,...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://media.www.thejusticeonline.com/media/storage/paper573/news/2009/11/17/Features/Progress.Through.Education-3834004.shtml
Shackle your judgment: BDSM deserves respect
UNH The New Hampshire
Durham, NH
It is a little hard to imagine the person sitting next to you in class choosing to wear a diaper and
roll around like a baby, but BDSM is just as unique as ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.tnhonline.com/opinion/shackle-your-judgment-bdsm-
deserves-respect-1.898694
Playing with Desire: UNH students push sexual boundaries
UNH The New Hampshire
Durham, NH
Courtney Jane, or CJ, is the creator and coordinator of UNH's BDSM group; ... CJ, a grad student at UNH,
began exploring BDSM last January on her own, ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:http://www.tnhonline.com/playing-with-desire-unh-students-push-sexual-boundaries-1.898361#5
Getting into the swing of things
Las Vegas Weekly
After a few minutes of trying to remember which men were emotionally committed to which women, I
remembered something more important: I was at a swingers ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/the-
playground/2009/nov/16/swingers/
Sex toy research causes a stir at Duke
News Observer
Durham, North Carolina
At Duke University, a school that likes to tout its cutting-edge research, a sex toy study being
conducted by a behavioral economist and student health workers has roused criticism. For much of
October, researchers recruited female Duke students to take part in a "sexually explicit" study on
Tupperware-style parties in which sex toys, not kitchenware, are the draw.
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/177501.html?
story_link=email_msg
Mate debate: Is monogamy realistic?
CNN
For some, even serial monogamy seems too restrictive. The 1970s introduced the concept of "open
marriage" in which couples stayed married but were free to date other people. More recently, polyamory b
the practice of having romantic relationships with multiple people at the same time with the full
knowledge and consent of all involved b has been getting a lot of attention. ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/10/28/monogamy.realistic.today/index.html
###
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
Media: 917-848-6544
Office: 410-539-4824
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org
www.twitter.com/ncsf
http://ncsf.wordpress.com -
Media Update - November 9, 2009
Written by Administrator1. Joe Laiacona takes on Deb Mell
2. Change of Subject: On second thought....
3. Rep. Deb Mell may be off re-election ballotNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom - SPECIAL Media Update
November 11, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To read NCSF Media Updates on a daily basis, visit our blog at: http://ncsf.wordpress.com
The following Media Update concerns the leather community's own Jack Rinella, who is running as a
Democratic for a seat as a Delegate in the Illinois statehouse. He is running under his real name, Joe
Laiacona, however he has been out about his writings as Jack Rinella. He has published LeatherViews for
Gay Chicago magazine for the past 17 years and has written numerous BDSM books including the Master's
Manual. His websites are: www.friendsforjoelaiacona.org and www.leatherviews.com
"Joe Laiacona takes on Deb Mell"
Windy City Times
Joe Laiacona is taking on incumbent state Rep. Deb Mell in what is shaping up to a very intriguing race
in the state's 40th District. Does Laiacona realize the magnitude of the task before him? Absolutely. Is
he intimidated? Hardly.
In a talk with Windy City Times, the openly gay Laiaconabwho teaches at Columbia College and is an
amateur genealogistbdiscussed his platform, Mell's interview with this publication and his reason for
not being more "out" on his campaign Web site. ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?
AID=23220
"Change of Subject: On second thought...."
Chicago Tribune
When I wrote last week that sexual orientation is unlikely to be an issue in the upcoming Democratic
primary race on the Northwest Side between incumbent Rep. Deb Mell and challenger Joe Laiacona (they're
both gay, a first at this level of politics in Illinois) I did so having not pursued a tiny clue buried
in the Windy City Times interview with Laiacona: that he formerly wrote a column under the pen
name "Jack Rinella" for Gay Chicago magazine.
Capitol Fax publisher Rich Miller called my attention to a brief article from the Windy City Times in
June noting: "Laiaconabwho wrote the column "Leather Views" for Gay Chicago magazine for many years
under the name Jack Rinella...is also on the board of directors of the Leather Leadership Conference,
Inc." ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2009/10/on-second-thought.html
"Rep. Deb Mell May Be Off Re-election Ballot"
Chicago Tribune
Another big piece of bad news is hitting Chicago's Mell/Blagojevich political clan.
Northwest Side State Rep. Deb Mell may have screwed up her nominating petitions, with a real risk
that she'll be knocked off the February Democratic primary ballot.
A challenge filed Monday afternoon by an attorney for Joseph Laiacona, the only other remaining
candidate in the 40th District race, contends that Ms. Mell is not registered to vote at her apparently
new address. By law, all candidates are supposed to be registered at the address they use for their
nominating petitions. ...
To read the rest of this article, go to: http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/
###National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)
TheNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
Office: (410) 539-4824
Media: (917) 848-6544
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org
www.twitter.com/ncsf
http://ncsf.wordpress.com -
Media Update - October 28, 2009
Written by AdministratorNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom
Media Update Digest
October 28, 2009
1. In Defense of Extreme Pornography
2. Highlighting the blight of porn
3. New Swingers Club Raising Questions
4. Professor's lawsuit alleges cover-up, retaliation
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and
selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and
topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
"In Defense of Extreme Pornography"
Reason Online
Los Angeles, CA
Had Zicari and Romano stuck to just rape and murder, with some R-rated nudity to complement artful
scenes of mutilation and dismemberment, as Hollywood does in movies like Hostel and House of 1000
Corpses, they couldbve avoided a lot of trouble. Likewise, had they focused on hardcore sex and kept the
violence and puke out of it.
Unfortunately, Romano and Zicari had the audacity to mix genres of entertainment that, while permissible
on their own, are apparently not allowed to be combined. And thus they managed to achieve what not even
John Waters ever accomplished: They were sent to prison for having bad taste. ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://sitemail.hostway.com/sitemail/parse.php?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Freason.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fin-defense-of-extreme-porn
"Highlighting the Blight of Porn"
One News Now
Tupelo, MS
"[S]pecifically to get federal and state obscenity laws enforced," he states. "The white ribbon is
intended to be a symbol of community standards of decency ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://sitemail.hostway.com/sitemail/parse.php?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onenewsnow.com%2FCulture%2FDefault.aspx%3Fid%3D739554
New Swingers Club Raising Questions
WKRC TV
Cincinnati, OH
That business is a swingers club, an operation where people pay a fee to join and then can swap partners
for sex. Local 12's Rich Jaffe joins us now with a ...
To read the rest of this article, go to:
http://sitemail.hostway.com/sitemail/parse.php?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.local12.com%2Fmostpopular%2Fstory%2FNew-Swingers-Club-Raising-Questions%2F6nq-scfzJE6GExFnoRZHgQ.cspx
Professor's lawsuit alleges cover-up, retaliation
KOB.com
Albuquerque, NM
Chavez posed on a sadomasochism website as "Mistress Jade" in sexually suggestive photos with at least
one of her graduate students. ...
To read the rest of this article go to:
http://sitemail.hostway.com/sitemail/parse.php?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kob.com%2Farticle%2Fstories%2FS1200035.shtml%3Fcat%3D504 -
Media Update - October 16, 2009
Written by AdministratorNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update Digest
October 16, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. Supreme Court To Hear Case About 'Sex Slave' Website
2. Top Court To Review S&M Sex Trafficking Case
3. Body Painting's Out, But Swingers Can Still "Swing" At Upstate Hotel
4. "Swingers" Convention Coming To Grand Island
5. Swingers Meet In The Southern Tier
6. Swingers Convention Follows Town Codes
7. Grand Island Holiday Inn Books Swingers Convention
8. Swingers Go Wild For Bill Plympton
9. Lytton: Sexual Lifestyles Deserve Respect
To read NCSF Media Updates on a daily basis, visit our blog at: http://ncsf.wordpress.comNCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and
selected websites containing significant mention of BDSM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and
topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate b or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE ABOUT 'SEX SLAVE' WEBSITE
CNN.com - Washington DC
The Supreme Court will delve into the shadowy world of sadomasochism next year as it looks into the case
of a sex trafficker, known as the "S&M Svengali," whose criminal conviction had been set aside. ...
To read this article, go to:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/13/scotus.sex.trafficking/index.html
TOP COURT TO REVIEW S&M SEX TRAFFICKING CASE
Leagle, Inc.
During these visits, Marcus engaged in BDSM activities with Jodi and Joanna, and sometimes other women.
These activities included branding Jodi, ...
To read this article, go to:
http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/news.do?feed=yellowbrix&storyid=1000038234
BODY PAINTING'S OUT, BUT SWINGERS CAN STILL "SWING" AT UPSTATE HOTEL
USA Today
The Holiday Inn hotel in Grand Island, NY, became the center of controversy this week after residents
learned that it's hosting a swingers convention this ...
To read this article, go to:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/hotelcheckin/post/2009/10/68501081/1
"SWINGERS" CONVENTION COMING TO GRAND ISLAND
WGRZ-TV b Buffalo, NY
Many residents on Grand Island are upset after learning a swingers convention will take place this
weekend at a local hotel. The "Entice the Falls" event ...
To see this video, go to:
http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70986&catid=13
SWINGERS MEET IN THE SOUTHERN TIER
WIVB - Grand Island, NY
There's a lot of outrage in a small southern tier community where a veterans post is doubling as a
hangout for swingers. It's a very controversial lifestyle ...
To read this article, go to: http://www.wivb.com/dpp/search/Swingers_meet_in_the_southern_tier_20080221
SWINGERS CONVENTION FOLLOWS TOWN CODES
WIVB - Grand Island, NY
There's a greater effort Wednesday night to stop a swingers convention from coming to a Grand Island
hotel. ...
To read this article, go to:
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/offbeat/Neighbors_fight_swingers_convention_20091014
GRAND ISLAND HOLIDAY INN BOOKS SWINGERS CONVENTION
WBFO - NY
A pastor says they have learned it is a swingers convention for couples. Click the audio player above to
hear Eileen Buckley's full story now or use your ...
To read this article, go to:
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1565810/WBFO.News/Grand.Island.Holiday.I
nn.Books.Swingers.Convention
SWINGERS GO WILD FOR BILL PLYMPTON
Willamette Week
Not that bswingersb are unsavory either. Am I digging myself a hole here? I will admit, I was a little
nervous when I walked into the club, ...
To read this article, go to:
http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/10/13/swingers-go-wild-for-bill-plympton/
LYTTON: SEXUAL LIFESTYLES DESERVE RESPECT
University Daily Kansan b Lawrence, KS
But in 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV changed its criteria so that
consensual sadomasochism b a mixing of pain and ...
To read this article, go to:
http://www.kansan.com/news/2009/oct/12/respect/
###
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the BDSM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
(410-539-4824 (office)(917) 848-6544 (media)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org
www.twitter.com/ncsf
http://ncsf.wordpress.com -
Media Update - October 8, 2009
Written by AdministratorNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update Digest
October 8, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. City spanks Power Exchange
2. Sex club spanked with lawsuit from patron injured during bondage play
3. The Student Sex Column Movement
4. Councilmembers hear community outrage over Eagle raid
5. Social group visits board
To read NCSF Media Updates on a daily basis, visit our blog at: http://ncsf.wordpress.com
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US newspapers, magazines, and
selected websites containing significant mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and
topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate or anywhere in between. NCSF publishes
the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what media outlets are writing about these
topics. NCSF permits and encourages readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
CITY SPANKS POWER EXCHANGE
San Francisco Bay Guardian , San Francisco, CA
Power Exchange isn't just a venerable sex club, it's a popular gathering place for the transgender and
BDSM communities and a hub for unfettered sexual fun ...
To read this article, go to: http://www.sfbg.com/entry.phpentry_id=9253&catid=&volume_id=452&issue_id=453&volume_num=44&issue_num=01
SEX CLUB SPANKED WITH LAWSUIT FROM PATRON INJURED DURING BONDAGE PLAY
SF Weekly b San Francisco, CA
A devotee of San Francisco's BDSM scene, Nevraumont was attending the Power Exchange sex club, then
located on Otis Street; her male companion had strung ...
To read this article, go to:http://www.sfweekly.com/2009-10-07/news/sex-club-spanked-with-lawsuit-from-patron-injured-during-bondage-play/
THE STUDENT SEX COLUMN MOVEMENT
The Nation :New York, NY
They can decide to thoughtfully address taboo topics like BDSM, fetishism and orgies, as Virginia
Dalloway did in her Free Press column, ...
To read this article go to: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091012/dibranco
COUNCILMEMBERS HEAR COMMUNITY OUTRAGE OVER EAGLE RAID
Creative Loafing
by Thomas WheatleyMembers of Atlanta's gay community came to City Hall Tuesday afternoon to voice
outrage over and demand answers about the controversial Sept. 10 police raid at the Atlanta Eagle ...
To read this article, go to:http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/09/16/councilmembers-hear-community-outrage-over-atlanta-eagle-raid
SOCIAL GROUP VISITS BOARD
Glens Falls Post-Star
By Dayelin Roman Thurman.After the leader of a so-called swingers club said club members are normal people, residents at Tuesday night's Town Board ...
To read this article, go to:
http://www.poststar.com/articles/2009/09/15/news/local/doc4ab055cbcf4f2839161663.txt
THE BIG MEETING IN THURMAN
Glens Falls Post-Star
Thurman Supervisor Red Pitkin paid me a visit this week and invited me to attend Tuesday night's town
board meeting. I was happy to oblige. ...
To read this article, go to: http://www.poststar.com/blogs/?p=30964&cat=49
###
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)
The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is committed to creating a political, legal, and social
environment in the United States that advances the equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms
of alternative sexual and relationship expression. NCSF advances the rights and advocates for consenting
adults in the SM-Leather-Fetish, swing, and polyamory communities. We pursue our vision through direct
services, education, advocacy, and outreach in conjunction with our partner organizations to directly
benefit these communities.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom(410) 539-4824 (office)
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www.ncsfreedom.org
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Media Updated June 21, 2009
Written by Administrator1. Swiss court jails lover for murder of banker
2. Exclusive: South Africa joins leather nation
3. A kinky conference
4. Bruce Willis Goes S&M With New Wife
5. Kids attend prom from 'sexual hell'National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
June 21, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. Swiss court jails lover for murder of banker
2. Exclusive: South Africa joins leather nation
3. A kinky conference
4. Bruce Willis Goes S&M With New Wife
5. Kids attend prom from 'sexual hell'
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Swiss court jails lover for murder of banker
by staff writer
AFP (news service)
June 18, 2009
A Swiss court on Thursday sentenced the lover of a prominent French banker
to eight years and six months in jail for killing her partner during a
latex clad sado-masochistic sex session.
Cecile Brossard had faced a jail term of up to 20 years after she was
found guilty on Wednesday of murdering 50-year-old high society figure
Edouard Stern, a golden boy of the French financial world.
But defence lawyers said after the high court announced the sentence that
Brossard could leave prison by the end of 2010 thanks to eventual
remission.
The jury said that it had taken account of Brossard's psychologically
frail personality and the "profound regret" she expressed during the
trial, which exposed a lurid, mutually manipulative and turbulent
relationship.
She had pleaded guilty to killing Stern, whose circle of friends included
now-President Nicolas Sarkozy, during one of their passionate encounters
at his flat on February 28, 2005.
Stern's corpse was found the day after he was killed, dressed in a
full-body latex suit with two bullet holes in his head and another two in
his torso.
The court ordered the destruction of the weapon, photographs taken during
the investigation as well as all the "accessories" and the latex suit that
transformed the story.
The week-long trial made international headlines thanks to its heady
cocktail of sex, power and money.
Geneva's chief prosecutor, Daniel Zappelli, had asked for an 11-year jail
term.
But Brossard's defence team sought a "compassionate sentence" that would
have allowed her to leave prison swiftly after four years already spent
behind bars.
While calling her crime "particularly cowardly," the 12 jurors
acknowledged the "tumultuous" nature of the relationship and Stern's
"humiliating, harassing and occasionally cruel" behaviour.
Yet, only the day before, the same jury had denied Brossard the
extenuating circumstances of a crime of passion, underlining that she had
coldly cleaned up the crime scene and lied afterwards to investigators as
well as her own sister.
Her defence argued she was driven by love and snapped under the pressure
of the four-year relationship with Stern, whom they portrayed as a
"narcissistic pervert" and deeply manipulative.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hvovw2BceScIFavoEK1xlambHgxg
Exclusive: South Africa joins leather nation
by Mister Marcus
Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco, CA)
June 18, 2009
It was at the 2005 International Mr. Leather when it was first
acknowledged that leather/bdsm was part of that nation's culture when
Michael Egdes, a native of South Africa living in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, was chosen the winner. He was living and working as a real estate
agent in Florida with two husbands and several Pomeranian dogs.
It was another one of those good IML years with Egdes. He did a fantastic
job with the title (and gave some memorable speeches) and of course, it
did not fall on deaf ears that he was from South Africa.
So what happened in Johannesburg on Friday, May 29 at the Station bar? In
a field of nine contestants, Cape Town-based Jaco Laurens was named South
Africa Leatherman 2009 and will represent that country at IML 2010 in
Chicago. He will be the first-ever representative for his country in the
IML competition.
The first runner-up was Richard Tasker of Magaliesig and the second
runner-up was Tertius van Niekerk of Cape Town. Van Niekerk was also
awarded the Heins Leather Community Service Award for his contributions to
the South Africa leather community. The beneficiary for all this was Gay
and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA), and was dutifully accepted by Anthony
Manion, CEO of the group.
And so, IML becomes more internationally renown as another country's
leather tribe joins the world's biggest leather competition. I am sure
Chuck Renslow never in his wildest dreams could have predicted IML's
growth.
There are still many countries not represented. With the revelation that
there are more leather people out there than we were aware of, it was
surprising and great to learn of the big leather population in South
Africa.
There have been at least two Mr. Leathers of Mexico, but neither winner
appeared in the IML competition. There has been no word if the contest was
ever staged since then.
Of course, there is no doubt that leather is alive and well in Canada,
where there are more organizations thriving with leather people than you
can imagine.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=mrm&article=218
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
A kinky conference
by Thomas Q. Johnson
The Minnesota Daily (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
June 16, 2009
In the vanilla world, the world most of us upstanding, everyday citizens
inhabit, what healthy sex looks like is for the most part agreed upon, but
term used by the fetish and BDSM (Bondage Domination Sadism and Masochism,
At Sexy Spring 6 , a sexuality conference held recently in Ford Hall, all
kinds of people that the vanillas may have considered perverts showed up
to talk about sex toys, bondage and the sex industry. Excited and happy
faces walked though the halls to the various workshops dealing with
sexuality.
I decided to attend an hour-and-half-long workshop on BDSM, taught by two
sex therapists and members of the Department of Family Medicine and
Community Health at the University . I introduced myself as a noob to the
community but was still allowed to participate equally in their
discussion. The participants were diverse in age and appearance, sexual
orientation and relationship status. Some of the participants had been
involved with the BDSM community before, and for others like me the
experience was their first.
As group members went into their personal thoughts on the values of the
vivid. My vanilla self became aware of an expanded definition of healthy
sex, outside the confines of social normalcy.
Two values repeatedly brought up during the workshop by the participants
included the values of trust and mutual enjoyment. The issue of trust in
particular was taken especially seriously. The participants mostly agreed
that selecting the proper dom (dominant) or sub (subservient) partner was
a process that could take a long time. The relationship between the sub
and the dom has so many subtle aspects to it, one member said. Not only do
you have to watch for the safe word and be able to immediately stop, but
you also need to be able to pick up on the nonverbal language of the sub
and pick up when he or she is incapable of using that safe word. Another
big issue in any kind of power play or violent situation is that one
partner may only be experiencing the fear that is the pleasure. This also
takes a good relationship between the partners as well as some explicit
acknowledgement before the play, explained one of the workshop
facilitators.
Though it would be easy to write off the sexual lifestyle of those in the
BDSM community as bizarre and unhealthy, there were many times when it
appeared to me that if the vanillas wanted to learn about what makes
healthy sex, they should take a lesson from the people attending the
conference. Compared to the one-night stands and mostly the meaningless
sex that is all-too-common in the vanilla world, the significance placed
on sex by the BDSM community is refreshing. It seems to me that the people
subculture.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.mndaily.com/2009/06/16/kinky-conference
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at http://www.mndaily.com/contact or comment at bottom of the
article
Bruce Willis Goes S&M With New Wife
by Jennifer Cady
E Online
June 15, 2009
Bruce Willis and Emma Heming were married just a few months ago in a
relatively quiet Caribbean ceremony. It's always nice when celebrities
keep something like that low-key.
But now the couple is featured in the July W posing for an S&M honeymoon
and participating in an article meant to justify their relationship, as if
we even needed such a thing.
The 54-year-old action star starts by explaining how he went from
divorcing Demi Moore to shunning monogamy to remarriage...
"I hear so many people in relationships say, 'I just need a couple of days
away, or even an hour away, ' " Bruce says. "But I don't want to be away
from Emma at all. It's the most singular relationship I've ever had in my
life."
Now, let's leave them be so they can have sex in the kitchen and when
they're through with that, Bruce will need a shower. Then he'll change
into his nude panties while his wife will get topless for this thing.
Oh, they're just playing around, everyone's fine, but how about a quick
stop at the hospital anyway just to be a safe?
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b129228_bruce_willis_goes_sm_with_new_wife.html
To respond, write to: comment at the bottom of the article
Kids attend prom from 'sexual hell':
You won't believe how children as young as 12 years old partied
by Chelsea Schilling
WorldNetDaily
June 12, 2009
Family advocates are outraged by a prom held at Boston City Hall that was
open to children apparently as young as 12 featuring crossdressers,
homosexual heavy petting, suspected drug use and a leather-clad doorman
who teaches sexual bondage classes.
Children from middle schools and high schools across Massachusetts on May
9 attended a Youth Pride Day event ending with a prom inside of Boston
City Hall sponsored by the Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender Youth, or BAGLY, a group seated on the Massachusetts
Commission for GLBT Youth.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino issued a proclamation welcoming homosexual and
transgender youth to the celebration. A man in drag introduced a
homosexual activist from Menino's office to read the letter.
MassResistance, an organization that describes itself as a pro-family
action center, sent a 20-year-old college student named Max to the prom to
take pictures and learn more about what Massachusetts children were doing
there.
Brian Camenker of MassResistance said Max was astonished by the number of
children who appeared to be between 12 and 14 years old.
"They look pretty darn young," Camenker told WND. "He said there were a
lot of middle school kids there. It really bothered him."
The day's events began with a transgender Elvis and a parade. Attendees
were given condoms and pro-homosexual material such as a bookmark for kids
on how to get involved with several homosexual groups and "Transgender
Rights Now" stickers. Then many children attended the prom that evening at
City Hall.
He said three middle-aged women with military haircuts shouted from
megaphones at the more than 300 youth attendees in line for the event.
They barked: "If we find you bringing alcohol, you're going home!"; "Don't
have sex on the dance floor!" and "Are you ready to party?"
Two men helped the women herd youth into City Hall. One of the men
reportedly wore exceptionally tight pants and eyeliner while calling the
children "sweetie" and everything around him "fabulous." The other man
wore leather bondage gear.
While BAGLY advertised the event for youth 22 and younger, Max said
than 22.
A doorman, with a Mr. Boston Leather sash, had BAGLY's official chaperone
credentials around his neck, Camenker noted. He identified himself as a
"leather BDSM (bondage discipline and sado-masochism) fetishist" and
handed out business cards to youth.
His card asked, "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious
life?"
Mr. Boston Leather's MySpace profile describes him as a single,
middle-aged gay male who attends spanking parties and waxes for leather
dancing events.
"Starting in April I am teaching month BDSM classes at the MALE Center in
Boston, and I will be running an event called Kinky Kamp ... in Upstate
New York at Easton Mountain Retreat Center," it states.
Max said he also saw a prominent transsexual activist who specializes in
recruiting middle and high school children enter the building.
As Max moved through the crowd, he said he observed several adult
homosexuals wearing T-shirts with "recruiter" written in rainbow colors.
"The intention of these individuals, and of the entire event, is made
plain by the slogans on those shirts," he noted.
Camenker told WND this event takes place every year and the state of
Massachusetts originally budgeted $850,000 last year for the Massachusetts
Commission for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth. He said
members, such as BAGLY, usually receive funding from that commission.
However, that funding for the homosexual lobby was later slashed as part
of an effort to cut costs in response to the state's budget shortfall.
The Massachusetts Commission for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Youth sponsors programs in public schools such as Gay-Straight Alliance
clubs, he noted.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100806
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a national organization
committed to altering the political, legal, and social environment in the
U.S. in order to guarantee equal rights for consenting adults who practice
forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily focused on the
rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory
communities, who often face discrimination because of their sexual
expression.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
822 Guilford Avenue, Box 127
Baltimore, MD 21202-3707
410-539-4824
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org -
Media Update - May 24, 2009
Written by Administrator1. Real estate agents file $6-million suit over 'CSI' episode
2. Event Offers Sex Info, Activities, Free Condoms
3. How Rough Is Too Rough Between the Sheets?
4. Beyond Vanilla Sex
5. Outside the bedroom, BDSM practitioners can't take punishmentNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
May 24, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Real estate agents file $6-million suit over 'CSI' episode
by Harriet Ryan
The Los Angeles Times (CA)
May 23, 2009
When married real estate agents Scott and Melinda Tamkin read about an
episode of the hit crime drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that
featured dirty-dealing, S&M-loving real estate agents named Scott and
Melinda Tamkin, they didn't need to consult a forensic expert for an
explanation.
A house sale involving the Tamkins and a "CSI" producer had fallen apart
four years before, and the producer was listed, in the same online
description, as the co-writer of the episode.
On Friday the Tamkins filed a $6-million defamation and invasion of
privacy suit against the producer, Sarah Goldfinger, saying she humiliated
them and cost them potential business "by creating from whole cloth
characters engaged in a reckless lifestyle of sexual bondage, pornography,
drunkenness, marital discord, depression, financial straits and possibly
even murder."
The couple contacted CBS after Scott Tamkin did an Internet search for his
name and discovered the "CSI" episode descriptions. The network tried to
remove some of the postings, including pages where references to kinky sex
ascribed to the fictional couple linked to pornography sites, said the
Tamkins' lawyer, Anthony Glassman.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-csi-realtors23-2009may23,0,964767.story
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Event Offers Sex Info, Activities, Free Condoms
by Jordanne Pascual
The Daily Nexus (University of California, Santa Barbara)
May 21, 2009
Dildos, vibrators, whips and handcuffs adorned the Student Resource
Building lawn yesterday for the annual UCSB Sex Affair, which cautions
students against unhealthy sexual practices.
Reaching its climax only once a year, the annual event is put on by Sex
and Relationship Peer Health Interns to provide students with information
on sexual health. Topics up for discussion ranged from available birth
control methods and information about STIs, to suggestions for making anal
sex work in a relationship.
Moreover, participants at the event were offered the chance to tickle
their fancies with kinky sex toys and S&M bondage gear and were quizzed on
the different sex organs.
Dulce Sotelo, a first-year undeclared student who partook in the event,
said she had fun experimenting with the various sex toys.
"[My] favorite table was the [Kink University Fetish Fellowship] table
because there is a lot of different toys that seem like it hurts but is
arousing", Sotelo said. "People are not too embarrassed and are willing to
answer questions and give us information on sex".
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=19074
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or
comment at the bottom of the article (registration required)
How Rough Is Too Rough Between the Sheets?
by Judy McGuire (advice and opinion)
Seattle Weekly (WA)
May 19, 2009
[Q.] Dear Dategirl,
My girlfriend and I are starting to realize that she is a masochist, or at
least interested in very rough sex. We are both pretty open-minded people,
so experimentation in bed is not uncommon. However, in recent days, we
have talked about rougher sex. She seems very into the idea. I won't lie,
I can't help but feel turned on by her wanting to be fucked harder. But
I'm no sadist and feel totally lost when it comes to giving pain. She
clearly wants to be hit, but what does that mean? (Spankings are already
in my tool bag, FYI.) What are my limits? I tried asking her, but I get
the feeling that she doesn't know, and the act of talking it out and
planning it takes away from the whole point.
-Over My Head
[A.]
One thing I'm certain of is that good communication is generally the key
to great sex, but it's never as important as with BDSM. I mean, someone
could get hurt! Because I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to rough stuff,
I called in an expert to help you kids figure things out.
Lolita Wolf is an emeritus board member of the Eulenspiegel Society, and
has been an active member of the BDSM scene since you were in short pants.
Not only that, she's written two books - one on cock-and-ball play, in
case your girlfriend gets the urge to turn the tables. You can check out
her blog at www.leatheryenta.com.
Of your girlfriend, Wolf says, "Just liking rough sex by itself does not
make her a masochist. Not everyone gets off with gentle loving. Some of us
need a bit more stimulation."
Hear that? Don't be so quick to classify. But whether that stimulation
comes from nipple clamps or an inner-thigh flogging, what's clear is that
by not talking about what you expect from each other, you're asking for a
world of pain. (Not the kind that gets you off.) Wolf agreed, saying there
has to be an agreement between you two: "If they are doing resistance
play, then a formal safeword is a good idea. If she likes to resist and
say 'Stop! Stop!' but doesn't really mean it - and that can be very
exciting - then they need a word like 'red' or 'aardvark'...something that
makes it clear that the action has to stop."
Wolf understands your discomfort with inflicting pain. "All their lives
guys have been taught to not hit girls. But some women want to be
manhandled!" She suggests that you "remember that there is a difference
between hurt and harm." When you give your girlfriend what she's asking
for - even if it looks uncomfortable to you - you're making her happy.
Just be sure you don't cross the line and harm her while you're hurting
her. Capisce?
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/2009-05-20/diversions/abc-s-of-bdsm/
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or contact the editors, go to:
http://www.seattleweekly.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Beyond Vanilla Sex
by Jordan Osserman
The Dartmouth (Dartmouth College)
May 15, 2009
A few days ago, Dartlog (The Dartmouth Review's blog) pasted the text of
the mass e-mail advertising "Bondage 101", a rope-tying workshop organized
by a number of student groups on campus. Brian Nachbar '12, the author of
the blog post, wrote, "Note that the event is funded by [the Council on
Student Organizations]- I'll leave it to the reader to assess how
responsible a use of the College's money this is".
Having helped to organize the workshop, I was actually happy to see the
blog post - as they say, all publicity is good publicity, and I don't
doubt that Dartlog contributed to the enormous turnout Tuesday night.
Nevertheless, the workshop was only one part of a larger conversation
about sex that needs to happen on campus, and I'd like to contribute to
that by responding to criticisms like Nachbar's.
For starters, if Nachbar wants to curb excessive College spending, he'd do
better leaving the kinksters alone. Putting together the entire event -
paying for rope, publicity and the trainer's fee and lodging - cost just a
little over $400 in total.
To contrast this with another College-sponsored event, consider the
undergraduate advisor program: Dartmouth spends thousands upon thousands
of dollars each year to feed, house and train UGAs - many of whom are
returning for a second year in the program - in a weeklong training
program that many argue could be condensed into a day or two.
But I know that's not what Nachbar is really getting at. Why, he wonders,
should the College even spend a dime on an event like the one I helped
organize? The answer is simple: because our student body has a
pathetically low IQ about sex and sexuality, and it's about time Dartmouth
allocates some student activities funds to educate a campus that is,
paradoxically, both hyper-sexualized and sexually clueless.
At its core, bondage is about playing with power - about dominance and
submission, pain and pleasure. As such, it can potentially be problematic
- the risk of abuse and harm is real, and should not be ignored. But, like
all sex, bondage can also be a source of liberating ecstasy.
Sex does not have to be egalitarian in order to be "acceptable". Power
dynamics and differentials will always exist within sex, and as sexual
beings, we owe it to ourselves to carefully explore how we want to utilize
power in our erotic lives. Bondage certainly is not the answer for
everyone, but for some, it can provide an opportunity to channel
experience with control and subordination into sexual satisfaction.
The key is for participants to know what they're doing and know what they
want. Tuesday night's workshop addressed a part of that - it taught
students some basic ways to tie their partners up with rope, while also
addressing important safety and consent issues.
Heterosexual students interested in practicing basic, vanilla sex don't
have to look very far for guidance - though it can be an awkward subject
for some, it's not particularly difficult to get a group of friends to
talk (or brag) about their sex lives. Beyond that, however, learning about
sex at Dartmouth can get a little tricky. A great deal of stigma and shame
surrounds gay sex, kinky sex and BDSM, and it's often only the brave who
are willing to own up to their non-normative sexual desires.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://thedartmouth.com/2009/05/15/opinion/osserman/
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Outside the bedroom, BDSM practitioners can't take punishment
by Matt Smith
SF Weekly (San Francisco, CA)
May 12, 2009
When pondering ... signs of American weakness, I used to say to myself:
"Thank goodness for sadomasochism porn enthusiasts." These brave heroes
are willing to be blindfolded, tied up, choked, hung by their pierced
nipples, smacked, pinched on their genitals with live battery clamps,
bludgeoned with chains and clubs, half-drowned, impaled with motorized
nightsticks - and come back begging for more. As long as America had these
hard-bitten souls among our ranks, I imagined, we'd dominate a submissive
world.
At least that's what I believed until April 21, day one of the Great San
Francisco S&M Whine-Fest, when seemingly tough-as-nails bondage and
discipline specialists became a squawking gaggle of unwilling victims.
Their supposed tyrant was a newspaper column that used the apparently
verboten term "torture porn" to describe performances such as videotaped
waterboarding.
"You are the one doing victimization here," the first of hundreds of
outraged Web commenters wrote. "We who live in San Francisco are proud of
our diversity, which includes [the] BDSM lifestyle."
The reaction splattered from Internet comments to angry columns on several
local blogs, a local TV news segment documenting the pornographers'
outrage, posters announcing an SF Weekly boycott, at least two T-shirts on
sale condemning SF Weekly, plus dozens of articles, essays, blog posts,
and other infuriated Internet flotsam demanding "accountability" for
supposedly "irresponsible journalism."
The column in question ["Whipped and Gagged," April 21] noted that local
S&M pornographer Kink.com had finagled nearly $50,000 in employee training
subsidies from the state government. After my inquiry, the state Employee
Training Panel halted the funding - which Kink.com employees had used to
learn to better produce and edit porn videos - because the agency didn't
previously know the nature of the company's business, and its rules
expressly discourage sponsoring training for pornographers. My column
parsed the question: Was it right for the government to halt the porn
subsidy? I quoted three pro-porn-subsidy people, one anti-porn-subsidy
person, and three law professors who discussed whether the government was
permitted to discriminate against pornographers.
The funny thing is, I don't really care if people do this kind of porn. I
have no aversion to pornography in general, and that's why I didn't
condemn it in the column.
But it was a legitimate - and funny - news story that a state agency was
paying to train S&M pornographers. I used the word "torture" in that story
because it's a realistic way to describe people being strapped to a table
and shocked on their genitals.
Judging from the response, a lot of people with the guts to withstand
clubs and electrode punishment have thin skin when it comes to tolerating
anything but the PC jargon term "BDSM." Even wimpier was a line of
critique that said I should not have revealed Kink.com's state subsidy
because agency officials' decision to rescind it "harmed the community."
It was as if any act that didn't adhere to an alternative lifestyle
community's party line was somehow an attack.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.sfweekly.com/2009-05-13/news/unsafe-words/
To respond, write to: the author at
http://www.sfweekly.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee/?to=306110
or the editors at
http://www.sfweekly.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a national organization
committed to altering the political, legal, and social environment in the
U.S. in order to guarantee equal rights for consenting adults who practice
forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily focused on the
rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory
communities, who often face discrimination because of their sexual
expression.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
822 Guilford Avenue, Box 127
Baltimore, MD 21202-3707
410-539-4824
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org -
Media Update - April 16, 2009
Written by Administrator
1. Wanna Race?
2. U.S. Postal Services Refuses to Mail Anchor Bay "Look" Postcards
3. San Francisco hosts celebration of kink
4. Kink, taboos & fetishes, Oh my!
5. 'Superman' wasn't Shuster's only comic, book revealsNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
April 16, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Wanna Race?
by Mistress Matisse (via opinion column "Control Tower")
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
April 7, 2009
There are taboos in kink - and then there are taboos in kink. You want to
make kinky people unhappy? Be a white dominant with a black submissive and
use the word "nigger" in your BDSM scene. The edgiest pervert in town will
be up in your face, telling you you've gone too far.
And they'd be right, wouldn't they? I've been asked to be the dominant in
race-play scenes, but I have firmly declined. I'm perfectly comfortable
being a bitchy sadist, but to pretend to be superior to someone of color
just because I'm white? Utter hateful racist epithets or hold a mock slave
auction? No way! What kind of girl do you think I am? That's just wrong!
But Mollena Williams (www.mollena.com) sees it differently. Williams is an
African-American writer, performer, and BDSM educator. She's also a
submissive who does BDSM race-play scenes, and she's challenging BDSM
people to examine that taboo. I asked her to tell me her take on it.
How do you do race-play scenes and feel okay about it afterward? "You have
to know why you want to do this play. If you, as a white person, are
overeager in approaching me with your fantasy of domination and
oppression, my hackles go up. As the person taking the hit, I need to feel
in control of the process up until I relinquish control... Those who do
not know why they want this scene, who want 'payback,' who have deep
hatred - I see them as very risky partners in a race-play scene. Open
communication, plenty of negotiation, and lots of aftercare are
essential."
Doesn't it trivialize racial inequalities to do a BDSM scene around them?
"Some kink is light and fluffy, but a great deal of kink revolves around
taboos, pain, and triumphing over adversity. If you think that doesn't sum
up the human condition, then you aren't paying attention... Trust your
partner enough to let him or her into your darkest fantasies. Of course we
should do what feels dangerous and risky! Surviving danger galvanizes the
soul."
Don't you feel that doing race scenes keeps negative stereotypes alive?
"Absolutely. That is one reason I dive into those waters. I am of the
post-Jim Crow generation. I didn't live when racism was institutionalized.
However, I live in a society where racism is endemic. It is absolutely
vital to tap into the past in order to handle the present and remain open
to the future."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/control-tower/Content?oid=1220581&hp
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at the bottom
of the article
U.S. Postal Services Refuses to Mail Anchor Bay "Look" Postcards
by Chris Tribbey
Home Media Magazine
April 7, 2009
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night prevents the United States
Postal Service from delivering the mail - unless that mail is considered
too sexually suggestive.
Anchor Bay Entertainment and Sue Procko Public Relations found that out
this week after the USPS refused to mail 800 postcards promoting the May 5
DVD release of Look. The postcards feature a man in his boxers with his
pants around his legs, a woman's legs wrapped around him, as they fool
around in a retail warehouse. There is no nudity in the scene, which has
"It is LEGAL for your company to get permission to install HIDDEN CAMERAS
IN THE WORKPLACE!" written above it.
The mailing house that was sending the cards received a letter from the
USPS, telling them the postcards could only be mailed in envelopes, citing
United States Code Title 39, Section 3010, Paragraph D, which prohibits
the mailing of any "sexually oriented advertisement, meaning any
advertisement that depicts, in actual or simulated form, or explicitly
describes, in a predominantly sexual context, human genitalia, any act of
natural or unnatural sexual intercourse, any act of sadism or masochism,
or any other erotic subject directly related to the foregoing".
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/anchor-bay/us-postal-services-refuses-mail-anchor-bays-look-postcards-15275
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at
the bottom of the article
San Francisco hosts celebration of kink:
International Ms. Leather 2009 event draws quirky participants
by Courtney Nuding
The Mills Campanil (Mills College, Oakland, CA)
April 6, 2009
Windbreaker-clad and comfort sneaker-wearing tourists at the Holiday Inn
on Van Ness Avenue were overtaken Mar. 19-21 by the corseted, studded,
bare-assed, booted, crop-toting and pasty-wearing kink congregants of
International Ms. Leather and Ms. Bootblack 2009.
Leather encompasses a wide array of fetishes and kinks associated with
BDSM: Bondage and Discipline (B/D), Dominance and Submission (D/S) and
Sadism and Masochism (S/M). It includes all gender and sexual
orientations, say its adherents. What unifies the community of "players"
is the erotic exchange of power, as well as ideals of integrity and
camaraderie.
Glenda Rider, the executive producer of what everyone calls IMsL (which
stands for for International Ms. Leather and is pronounced "im-zuhl"),
said the community "focuses on honor and respect, these really
old-fashioned values, but expressed in edgy, kinky ways. We have a thing
for ceremony and rituals."
The centerpiece ceremony of the weekend was the competition for
International Ms. Leather, in its 23rd year, and the 11th annual
International Ms. Bootblack. Both serve as representatives of the leather
community at events in the U.S. and abroad, educating outside groups about
their community, and raising awareness and money for causes important to
the community.
A person who goes by "Olga's blu boi" said those who compete for the
titles have proven themselves to be community service leaders and have
raised money for services for all kinds of groups, including those
advocating for children, AIDS and cancer patients and survivors of abuse.
Slave Tabitha, who competed for the bootblack title, explained
bootblacking as the expert and devoted cleaning and care of leather boots
as service, eroticism, or both. A bootblack can be a top (one who "does")
or a bottom (one who "is done to") in sexual or BDSM play.
Boi Moe, who taught Slave Tabitha how to bootblack, said, "I want to
connect with the person in the chair through their leather."
The title went to Pony, who is also an ordained Christian minister.
Winning titles, and their accompanying studded Leather sashes, were
certainly a focal point, but the weekend was also about learning through
workshops on safety, recovery, play principles and techniques. Maybe more
importantly, it is "a family reunion," according to Mina De Sade-Fatale, a
Ms. Leather competitor this year.
"We come from different countries, different states, to find people like
ourselves," she said. "It's a family environment."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://media.www.thecampanil.com/media/storage/paper936/news/2009/04/06/Art/San-Francisco.Hosts.Celebration.Of.Kink-3697300.shtml
To respond, go to:
http://www.thecampanil.com/home/lettertotheeditor/
or comment at the bottom of the article
Kink, taboos & fetishes, Oh my!
by Judy Barton
The Examiner
April 3, 2009
Let's face it we have all had thoughts, dreams and fantasies of kinky
unconventional, atypical sexual experiences. Our weakness for the
forbidden dates back to the beginning of time, yet no matter how
intriguing and compelling our secret desires become, we usually hold them
captive in our unconscious mind. We allow our fears, pre- programming and
the prejudices of others to dictate permission to experience our ultimate
sexuality. Who made the rules and banned the good stuff? Whose rules are
broken if we choose to meet our sexual needs and desires through methods
deemed to be outside the box?
Kink is considered abnormal sex and is often seen as profane or deviant,
but kink is in the eye of the beholder. One man's kink is boring sex to
another. Most everyone has tried sex with one partner wearing a blindfold,
which can hardly be considered a profane or deviant act, but is held on
the list of kinky things to do. A blindfold offers the excitement and
thrill of anticipation, a sensual feeling of vulnerability and lends
itself to a subtle but effective power exchange. It's erotic and provokes
intense and powerful orgasms. Is it kinky or an aberrant sex practice?
Actually it's just hot, steamy fabulous sex without any evil attached.
Kink offers a higher level of sensuality, eroticism and increased arousal.
The added spice allows us to visit the many different levels of altered
states. The list of kink ranges from the subtle to the serious and
includes such activities as masturbation (mutual or solo), bondage and
restraints, spanking, role-play, BDSM activities and the use of toys and
gadgets to tweak and incite the body and mind. Each adaptation provides
its own set of valuable assets. Sexual experiences spiced with kink reach
far beyond missionary style sex and a kiss goodnight to create a memorable
sexual happening.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.examiner.com/x-3719-Denver-Sex--Relationships-Examiner~y2009m4d3-Kink-taboos--fetishes-Oh-my
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at
the bottom of the article
'Superman' wasn't Shuster's only comic, book reveals
by Michael Sangiacomo
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Celeveland, OH)
April 2, 2009
Wait a minute.
Is that a shirtless Superman chained to a table being whipped by a Lois
Lane in lingerie?
Yes and no.
It's the cover of "Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Creator,
Joe Shuster" ($24.95, Abrams ComicArts) and one of the book's more mild
art works.
Shuster, the former Glenville boy who created Superman with Jerry Siegel
in the 1930s, drew for a limited-edition publication called "The Nights of
Horror" in the mid-1950s under a pseudonym. The undersized magazine
contains stories of sex, sadism, torture and any other kind of kink
imaginable.
Shuster drew illustrations to accompany the sordid words.
It came at a time when Shuster's eyesight was failing and he was
struggling. The co-creator of the most recognized fictional character in
the world was barely surviving working as a delivery man in New York. He
had lost his battles with DC Comics over the rights to Superman. He needed
the money, and a job was a job.
"The Nights of Horror" was an amateur publication run out of a guy's
basement in Queens. It was sold in New York newsstands, or under them, for
$3 and lasted 16 issues. The magazines, smaller than a modern comic book,
are among the rarest of "comics."
In fact, few even knew they existed.
It must have given Shuster a bit of a thrill to use his skills to make the
characters in the sado-masochistic drawings resemble Superman, Lois Lane,
Jimmy Olsen and Lex Luthor. Perhaps it was a way to strike back at the
comics company he felt had wronged him.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2009/04/joe_shuster_deviated_just_a.html
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at
the bottom of the article
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a national organization
committed to altering the political, legal, and social environment in the
U.S. in order to guarantee equal rights for consenting adults who practice
forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily focused on the
rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory
communities, who often face discrimination because of their sexual
expression.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
822 Guilford Avenue, Box 127
Baltimore, MD 21202-3707
410-539-4824
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.ncsfreedom.org -
Media Update - March 5, 2009
Written by Administrator1. LLAMA SUTRA: BDSM, Roommate Crush
2. Sunrise Prostitution Sting Details Emerge
3. Absolute Domination: Mistress Absolute Whips Through L.A.
4. Whip Smart
5. Attorney for Lynn 'dominatrix' lashes outNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
March 5, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
LLAMA SUTRA: BDSM, Roommate Crush
by Dan Copulsky and Kat Corcoran
The Llama Ledger (Bard College at Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, MA)
March 4, 2009
[A] BDSM, often distinguished from "vanilla sex", is triple acronym that
stands for Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism
and Masochism. It is an umbrella term that includes a wide variety of
sexual activities that often overlap and can be practiced with a wide
range of intensity, some of which may be erotized rather than overtly
sexual. These activities usually take place within a defined "scene".
Bondage is the use of tying up, handcuffs, or other restraints. Discipline
is the use of rules and punishment, which can include physical pain,
humiliation, or loss of privileges. Dominance and submission is the
control of one party over another. Sadism is gratification from inflicting
pain or humiliation. Masochism is gratification from receiving pain or
humiliation.
BDSM usually involves unequal roles. Typically, those who are active and
in control are known as dominants, doms, tops, or masters and those who
are passive and controlled are known as submissives, subs, bottoms, or
slaves. Those who may take on both these roles are known as switches.
To keep activities safe, participants in BDSM use pre-negotiation of
scenes, safewords, and heightened knowledge of the body's and mind's
limits. Many measure activities against the yardstick of "Safe, Sane, and
Consensual" (SSC). Others hold a more permissive idea of "Risk-Aware
Consensual Kink" (RACK), believing that anything done between fully
informed consenting adults is acceptable.
[continued]
To read this entire article, click here.
To respond, write to the authors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sunrise Prostitution Sting Details Emerge:
Police Report Finding Sex Toys, Whips Chains, And A Human Cage
by Carey Codd
WFOR-TV (Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fl)
February 27, 2009
SUNRISE (CBS4) -- A month after CBS4 cameras watched Sunrise police bust
an alleged house of prostitution, we are learning the lurid details of the
sex acts that allegedly took place there.
The report details whipping and bondage and lists a number of items police
found in the home, like ropes, chains and even a human cage.
Sunrise Police arrested two women on January 28 -- Katherine Eby and Chu
Tang -- for prostitution. Timothy Moon was arrested for battery on a law
enforcement officer and failing to appear on a child neglect charge in
Missouri.
According to the report, the women enticed men to the home through an
online ad.
Katherine Eby told police the economy forced her into a life of
prostitution. She told police "she was a real estate agent and was unable
to earn a steady income from that profession due to current market
conditions."
An undercover officer pretended to be a customer and arrested Eby after
she began performing a sex act on him for $140.
While Eby was in a room with the officer, the officer heard strange noises
emanating from a nearby room. The report says Eby told the officer "Tang
was whipping" a man.
The report says Eby gave a cut of her earnings to Tang, who rented the
house with another woman for $1200 per month. The report says Sunrise
Police learned about the house from an anonymous person complaining about
the amount of men going in and out of the house several times a day.
As police officers led the suspects out of the home in handcuffs, nearby
residents cheered.
"They did a great job," the neighbor said who asked to remain anonymous.
"I don't want that scum here. Drags everybody's property values down."
...inside the house police found a plethora of sex items, including "an
assortment of various sex toys, dominatrix business cards, sex videos,
assortment of condoms with money, restraining furniture, human cage,
ropes, chains, whips, paddles...."
The report details one man they found in the home, naked and bound by rope
to the frame of a table.
Chu Tang told detectives she and Moon operated a "sex content web site."
She said they filmed several movies for the website at the house.
[continued]
To read this entire article, click here.
To respond, write to: the reporter at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the editors
at http://cbs4.com/contact
Absolute Domination: Mistress Absolute Whips Through L.A. to Teach Torture
for Pleasure at Coco de Mer on Melrose
by Gendy Alimurung
LA Weekly (Los Angeles, CA)
February 25, 2009
When the dominatrix was a little girl, she was constantly locking people
in cupboards. In the bathtub with her brother, she would instruct her
sibling to close his eyes and open his mouth.
"But you'll put the bar of soap in it", he'd say.
"No I won't. I promise".
"Aaah", went his mouth. In went the soap.
It's one of those classic dominatrix stories with a foregone conclusion.
Hannah, or Mistress Absolute to those with whom she is on whipping terms,
has a naturally domineering personality and has, in a sense, been
tormenting people her entire life. "When I told my mum what I was doing
for a living, she said, 'Oh, darling, you've always been like that'".
Mistress Absolute, who prefers her last name remain private, is lounging
on a leather chair in the dressing room before the "Art of Restraint"
class she teaches at the only U.S. branch of the elegant little sex shop
from London called Coco de Mer, a gilded, luxe place on Melrose with
naughty toys in Victorian cabinets where you can pick up $10,000 gold
vibrators and almost-as-expensive La Perla lingerie. Mistress Absolute is
herself an elegant, slinky person, with pale skin, red lips, long black
hair, and a fun-loving, puckish air, without which she would be scary. She
lives in London, but regularly includes Los Angeles on her teaching
circuit (she returns in April), and when her flight to LAX got in, a
female slave met her at the baggage carousel wearing fishnet tights, a
tailcoat, a leather chauffer's cap, a sign that said "Mistress Absolute"
and a huge grin.
"There's a school of thought that says you should start out submissive
before you become dominant", the dominatrix says as students begin to
arrive. "That if you don't know what it feels like, how can you do it to
someone else? I don't follow that thought. I don't have a set of balls,
but I torture balls".
She is 33 years old, and found her calling at 23. She went to a fetish
club for the first time on her own. She bought her first rubber dress,
strapped on her first pair of boots. "Within 15 minutes I was giving
somebody a caning. I was somewhere I fitted. Finally I had a name for how
I am".
These days, when people in session confess their desires, she sees a
weight come off their shoulders. "It's about being able to release a side
of somebody that they kept hidden, and not judging them. They tell me
about their fetish, and maybe it's something they haven't told their wife,
they haven't told their best friend, they aren't even sure they should be
telling me. So when they say to me 'I just love to be spat on or kicked
about. Is that normal?' I say, 'Well, define normal'".
[continued]
To read this entire article, click here.
To respond, click here or comment at bottom of the article
Whip Smart: A documentary explores the dark, kinky world of online BDSM
by Linnea Covington
New York Press (NY)
February 25, 2009
The girl looked like an amputee. Positioned on all fours atop tall, metal
pedestals, her eyes were wild as she moaned through a ball-gag. Short,
brown locks framed her face, and her white limbs were encased in
bright-yellow latex, binding the hand to the shoulder, the foot to the
thigh. She wore a matching corset under her dangling breasts. Artist
positions, crippled or beaten came to mind. But this girl was real. And
she was just a piece of the larger world of fetish from the now-defunct
website, Insex.com.
Started in 1997, Insex.com was a way for Brent Scott, aka Pd, to further
his erotic bondage art after leaving a teaching job at Carnegie Mellon.
His art showed vivid paintings of women in various BDSM positions - and
wasn't well-received among the community. Bondage had long been an
obsession for Scott from the time he was tortuously tickled into his first
orgasm as a child. He began to think of his fetishes as wrong because they
weren't socially acceptable, but through art, he found a way to live
them.The workings behind the website can now be seen in a new documentary,
Graphic Sexual Horror, which premiered as the highest rated film in Utah's
Slamdance Film Festival in mid-January and is included in the Cinekink
film fest this week. Two women direct the film: novelist Barbara Bell and
photographer Anna Lorentzon.
Both Lorentzon and Bell worked for Insex.com, never as models, but as a
photographer and screenwriter respectively. Lorentzon first met Scott at a
fetish store and later at a bondage demonstration. She reached out to him
coincidently on the same day he needed a photographer, so she joined the
team and stayed there for six years. Bell got into Insex.com through
Lorentzon and began writing short screenplays for his scenes. Both women
enjoyed their time there, but some of their encounters bothered them, like
Scott's pushiness when he wanted the models to "play" with him after their
set. Lorentzon said making this documentary became a way for her to
decompress everything she experienced in the studio.
As the two female directors explain in the film, Scott's fascination with
bondage isn't as unusual as one might think. Insex.com had 35,000 members
who paid $60 a month to sign on. "It was almost as if everybody was
waiting for this site to come up", Scott says in the documentary.
The interest Insex.com received, however, shouldn't be so surprising.
Scott put a lot of time and effort into creating scenes that were both
convincing and horribly graphic. He hired models at around $300-anhour to
be placed in shackles, in cages, tied up, whipped, dunked in water and
ball-gagged. He created leather masks, steel stilettos, cuffs and iron
casings. And for seven years he produced short films, live feeds and
images of pretty girls getting tortured.
While the documentary touches on the closing of Insex.com, the purpose is
to show a side of the business that the regular customer or sexually
stifled viewer never saw - what the girls actually thought of their work.
Near the beginning of the film, Scott explained that his purpose to being
there was to "give the girl an orgasm". There was a part in the movie
where a girl, tied to post, is whipped with a switch. She has large, red
welts over blackening bruises down her backside. After they stop filming,
the girl looks high and, with a gentle smile, explains to her questioner
that she felt "really good".
Lorentzon, the cinematographer, explained that the girl's reaction was due
to the adrenaline pulsating through her body. "When feeling enough pain,
the body produced endorphins and adrenaline, which makes you feel high",
says Lorentzon. "At that point, you don't feel the pain anymore. Not all
models were willing and able to go that far".
[continued]
To read this entire article, click here.
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Attorney for Lynn 'dominatrix' lashes out
by Dan O'Brien
The Daily Item (Lynn, MA)
February 19, 2009
LYNN - The lawyer for a Lynn dominatrix arrested for sodomy and rape
lashed out at the victim and police Wednesday, saying Ariana Murrell's
boyfriend only filed cha-rges after she kicked him out of her house the
night before.
Attorney Elaine Whitfield Sharp of Marblehead, who also represents Murrell
in a lawsuit against the Lynn Police Department that is pending in U.S.
District Court, says the 46-year-old alleged victim is a bipolar, illegal
immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was allowed to leave Murrell's
home in the three years he's lived there.
Murrell, 40, even bought the victim a plane ticket to the Dominican
Republic a few months ago but he declined to accept it, said the attorney,
who forwarded The Item an electronic copy of the plane ticket for a flight
that departed from Boston on Jan. 20.
Now, Whitfield Sharp says Murrell is "humiliated" and lost custody of her
two grandchildren Wednesday only 14 days after they were awarded to her by
Judge Nelson Dillday of the Salem Probate Court.
In addition, Whitfield Sharp provided copies of court records showing
Murrell has a pending assault and battery case against the victim after he
allegedly attacked her and a handyman inside her 35 Baltimore St. home in
2007. Murrell filed a separate police report against the victim after he
was allegedly caught on video stealing Murrell's credit cards, which were
later used fraudulently, from her pocketbook.
"He is not a reliable source," she said. "The night before he went to the
police Ariana said she intended to be a witness against him... She told
him to get out of the house." Police arrested Murrell on Monday at her
workplace, a Lewis Street tax preparation business, and charged her with
sodomy, rape, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and
battery.
The victim says, among other allegations, that Murrell sodomized him when
he didn't agree to photograph himself naked to post on the Internet. She
also allegedly forced him to wear costumes and participate in bondage
sessions with other men.
Murrell filed trespassing charges against city workers in June after when
they tried to impose a cease and desist order because she was building an
illegal room on her house. The victim tells police the room was being
turned into a dungeon, according to police reports.
[continued]
To read this entire article, click here.
To respond, click here, or comment at the bottom of the article
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF -
Media Update - January 13, 2009
Written by Administrator1. Man of Steel, Woman of Bondage
2. At Pasco Clothing-Optional Resort, Hers Is A Well-Known Face
3. Recession romance, bondage bonding and addressing one's ass
4. N. Woodmere man in federal sex case out on bail
5. Appleton man faces sex charges
6. Establishment Owners Repond to ProtestersNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
January 13, 2009
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Man of Steel, Woman of Bondage
by Graeme McMillan
io9.com
January 12, 2009
It's not looking good for the Man of Steel. [Here] comes news of a book
that unveils his sordid fetish life, as chronicled by his creator.
The book in question is called Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of
Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster, and it's part of ComicArts, the new
graphic novel imprint from publisher Harry N. Abrams. Centering around
Superman co-creator Shuster's relatively unknown 1950s sideline at
illustrator for S&M magazine Nights of Horror, the heavily-illustrated
book is sure to make you think twice about what Superman does when he's
not saving the world.
Charles Kochman, Executive Editor of the imprint, explains:
"They are undoubtedly the work of Joe Shuster, but nobody connected the
dots at the time to say this looks like Superman, or Lois Lane, or Jimmy
Olsen, or Lex Luthor... The material was banned by the U.S. Supreme Court,
and although the publisher and the printer both went to jail, nobody came
after Shuster because somehow they never made the connection to Superman
or to Shuster as the artist... Also involved were a group of neo-Nazi
thugs called the Brooklyn Thrill Killers, who whipped innocent women and
set fire to vagrants and murdered them. These kids were interviewed by
[anti-comics crusader Dr. Frederic] Wertham when 'Nights of Horror'
magazines were cited as inspiration for their crimes. The whole story and
the art are revealed here by Craig Yoe for the first time. This is going
be an amazing book. If you like Lois Lane, wait until you see someone who
appears to be her whipping a man who looks very much like Clark Kent"!
[continued]
[editor's note: article contains illustrations that may not be safe for
reading at work]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://io9.com/5128494/man-of-steel-woman-of-bondage-%5Bnsfw%5D
To respond, write to: comment at the bottom of the article
At Pasco Clothing-Optional Resort, Hers Is A Well-Known Face
by Geoff Fox
The Tampa Tribune (FL)
January 12, 2009
LAND O' LAKES - Angye Fox wasn't sure she would be comfortable at a nudist
resort.
That was four years ago.
Now, she is public relations director for the opulent, clothing-optional
Caliente Resorts off U.S. 41 in Land O' Lakes. The owner of AdSizzle Inc.
Marketing & Public Relations in Odessa, Fox obviously enjoyed her initial
nudist experience.
"The mindset of a clothing-optional person is to be embraced," said Fox,
37, a Green Bay, Wisc., native. "It's very open-minded and friendly."
Caliente's high profile - it was once featured on "The Simple Life"
reality show that starred Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie - makes her one
of the most recognizable faces in one of the world's largest nudist
communities.
Pasco County is home to at least 14 nudist or clothing-optional resorts or
retreats - and about 12,000 "nude votes," state Sen. Victor Crist,
R-Tampa, estimated last year.
News out of Caliente isn't always light and fun, though.
Last year, the resort withdrew its membership with the American
Association for Nude Recreation, which offers lobbying and marketing
leverage to member resorts, after AANR began investigating rumors of sex
parties at Caliente.
Some residents and members also were angry that Fox spoke at Swingfest
2008, an adult trade show in Hollywood, Fla., where she led a workshop
promoting the co-existence of swingers and nudists.
To an outsider, nudists complaining about swingers might sound as
ridiculous as a homeowner's association grumbling about people keeping
their grass too short.
But many nudists have long sought to disassociate their lifestyle with
scenes from "Caligula," which is how many people who have never been to a
nudist resort probably assume they live.
Regardless, Fox defended the Swingfest appearance as a means of
introducing younger people to the clothing-optional lifestyle, which is
imperative if the industry hopes to survive.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jan/12/pasco-clothing-optional-resort-hers-well-known-fac/news-metro/
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at bottom of article
Recession romance, bondage bonding and addressing one's ass
by Jamie Bufalino
Time Out New York
January 8, 2009
[Q] I'm a 19-year-old guy who's already pretty deep into the bondage
scene. I'm not sure where this came from, but I love being dominated by a
woman. Just last night, this girl I've been seeing strapped me to a table
and then fucked me with a strap-on. Hot, hot, hot. The sex part I've got
down cold, but it's the time after sex I have an issue with. I'm just not
into the cuddling thing. In fact, since I like my women to be strong and
domineering, it's kind of a turnoff to suddenly have them be all needy and
clingy. So I'm confused about what I could do after sex that wouldn't seem
too cold but that didn't involve a lot of hugging and heartfelt
conversations. Any ideas?
[A] So far I've heard about the things that you have done to you sexually,
but I haven't heard a thing about what you do to the women you're with. As
my mother used to tell me: Just because you've been table-fucked to orgasm
doesn't mean the sex is automatically over. If you're not into cuddling,
then the least you could do is take that strap-on out of your ass, bring
the woman over to a bed and do whatever it is she orders you to do with
your tongue, hands or whatnot. Now I know you're only 19, but if I were
you, I'd start working on those intimacy issues. At your age it's still
permissible to be all about the sex, but the day will soon be coming when
being that emotionally unavailable will make you an extremely unattractive
mate. I get that you like your women to be domineering during sex, but you
can't expect them to be completely emotionless sexual automatons. And
cuddling does not necessarily equal clingy. You've just had an extremely
intimate encounter on the kitchen table; frankly, I think a little huggy
time would make a nice counterpart to that. And by the way, why is it okay
for you to be so needy sexually ("Tie me up, fuck me, treat me like your
slave"), but when a woman wants something from you it suddenly becomes a
turnoff? I don't mean to get on your case, but instead of trying to figure
out ways to avoid those intimate postcoital moments, I think you should be
pushing yourself to expand your emotional horizons.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/sex-dating/70449/aint-sayin-shes-a-gold-digger
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
N. Woodmere man in federal sex case out on bail
by Anthony M. DeStefano
Newsday (NY)
January 8, 2009
A North Woodmere man who was the central figure in a sensational federal
sadomasochism case was freed on bail yesterday to live with his parents
while his conviction is under review.
Glenn Marcus, 55, was let out of a federal jail after his parents put up
their home on Mulberry Place to secure a $1-million bond.
Marcus will be under home detention and electronic monitoring and will not
have access to a computer, said Magistrate-Judge Roanne L. Mann in
Brooklyn.
Dubbed by investigators as a "god" in the world of sexual bondage and
dominance, Marcus was convicted in 2007 of sex trafficking and sentenced
to nine years in prison.
Evidence at trial showed that Marcus dominated and abused a girlfriend
identified in testimony only as "Jody."
At the trial in Brooklyn, Jody testified that while her submissive
relationship with Marcus started out as consensual in 1998, he coerced and
tortured her into working on his sex Web site.
But last August a federal appeals court reversed Marcus' conviction and
ordered a new trial because some of the evidence introduced at the trial
involved actions that took place before the passage of the federal
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/crime/ny-nysex08jan08,0,2066201.story
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Appleton man faces sex charges after leaving duffel bag with handcuffs,
straitjacket, diapers and wallet at Kimberly home of teenage girl
by staff writer
The Post-Crescent (Appleton, Wisconsin)
January 3, 2009
APPLETON - A man faces child enticement charges after he left a duffel bag
containing handcuffs, a gag and his wallet at the home of a Kimberly girl.
The girl told police the two arranged a date over the Internet.
Jason D. Lanser, 29, 1601 E. Roeland Ave., Appleton, was released from the
Outagamie County Jail on Monday after posting a $5,000 cash bond on a
charge of child enticement.
Lanser, who used the computer name "diaperboy73," struck up a conversation
with the 16-year-old Kimberly girl on the Internet and the two agreed to
meet at her home on Dec. 21, according to the criminal complaint.
Lanser and the girl gave differing accounts to police of what happened
when they met.
The girl told police she and Lanser had met two years previously at his
apartment, where he got her drunk and talked about sex before she "freaked
out" and left.
She said he contacted her by instant messaging Dec. 21, and she gave him
her address in Kimberly. The girl told police she and Lanser shared a
bottle of rum after he arrived, and the two talked about sexual matters,
including bondage. He then grabbed her by the hair, tried to kiss her and
touched her on the leg. She fled to the bathroom and locked the door, and
Lanser was gone when she finally opened the door.
She called police and turned over a duffel bag he left behind containing
five restraints, a set of handcuffs constructed of fabric, several
adult-sized disposable diapers, a ball gag, a roll of fishing line, a
blood pressure cuff and a white belt investigators think is part of a
straitjacket. Police also recovered a wallet containing Lanser's driver's
license and credit cards.
Lanser called police the same day to seek their help in recovering the
duffel bag, which he told them contained "bondage toys." He said he
thought he was meeting a woman in her 30s when he went to the home, though
he acknowledged the girl did not appear to be over 18. He said he did not
recognize her as the girl who had been at his apartment two years ago.
He said the girl agreed to put him in the straitjacket, then spanked him
at his request, and while doing so she took his wallet out of his back
pocket because it was in the way.
The girl then "flipped out" and began hitting him with a broom, he told
police, and he fled the residence. He told police he was able to free
himself from the straitjacket because it was not secured.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090103/APC0101/901030483/1003/APC01
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at the
bottom of the article
Establishment Owners Repond to Protesters
by Patti Carter
KFDA TV (Amarillo, TX)
January 1, 2009
The owners of a downtown Amarillo establishment are responding to
protesters who say they are running a swingers club.
"Swinger" is a term typically used for couples who are openly intimate
with more than one partner.
About two dozen protesters stood outside the building last night where
they say deviant sexual behavior was going on.
The protesters say they plan to continue demonstrating each night a party
goes on until the establishment is closed down.
The building owners are responding with a written statement this
evening...
It says, "There is nothing illegal going on in this building. The
donation at the door helps take care of building payments, utilities,
taxes, and the up keep on the building.
Activities that happen at the building during these parties is between
consenting adults. There is no pressure. It's a place for like minded
adults to meet and socialize without judgement."
[continued]
To read this enire article, go to:
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=9605797
To respond, write to: comment at the bottom of the article
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF -
Media Update - December 1, 2008
Written by Administrator1. An Interview With A Real Life NYU Dominatrix
2. Modern Sex: Power-Play 101
3. Bloggers Strike Back over KOMO's Sexphobic Smear
4. Behave! Toeing the legal line with a dominatrix
5. Rape or consent to sex?National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
December 1, 2008
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
An Interview With A Real Life NYU Dominatrix
by Jessica Roy
NYU Local (NY)
December 1, 2008
Some people spend hours at shitty work-study jobs pretending to look busy
while actually browsing Facebook, but one NYU student - who goes by the
name Mistress Ava - wears leather, humiliates people and gets paid for it.
Here's what she had to say about working as a dominatrix this summer.
JESSICA: What made you decide to work as a dominatrix?
AVA: I've always considered myself sexually open and so when, several
summers ago, I found myself living with a seemingly normal girl who worked
in this line of business, I was quick to become fascinated. I asked a lot
of questions and wasn't freaked out by any of it and thus my curiosity was
piqued. When I came back to NYC, I started making a few bucks here and
there off Craigslist and when classes ended and I was without a job, I
made the decision to apply to dungeons and make it official.
J: How easy was it to break into the business?
A: It was rather easy because I fit the role, but emotionally it was
incredibly taxing. First I had to be sure that, with every possible tool
of the trade suddenly at my whim, I was really comfortable with what could
possibly happen and then, when I started and I was actually okay with it,
I had to really look into myself and figure out what the hell was wrong
with me that I wasn't freaked out. Sure, I got a great job right away, but
it wasn't easy on my demeanor.
J: What kind of things did your job entail?
A: One of the first things I did was sit down and write out my bio and a
list of do's and dont's. According to my boss, I had a very open mind but
there were a lot of things I wouldn't do because I found them sexual. My
do's were all things that, though I might do in my private life, I knew I
could mentally disconnect from and find completely un-erotic. My dont's
were those things that were too close to actual sex for me not to see them
that way. For instance, anything involving penetration on a male. There is
no sex involved whatsoever but they can ask for strap-on play and that was
never on the menu with me. I also avoided any touching with my hands
because that felt a bit too "real sex" for me. A lot of girls are
genuinely into dominating a man and while I find it extremely fun, it is
not a sexual thing for me, which is why I couldn't stick with it.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://nyulocal.com/entertainment/2008/12/01/an-interview-with-a-real-life-nyu-dominatrix/
To respond, write to: comment at the bottom of the article
Modern Sex: Power-Play 101
by Kama Yama
The Bi-College News (Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges)
November 30, 2008
Have you ever wanted more? Wanted it harder, faster, and more aggressive?
Or did you want to be dominating, pushing and testing your lover's limits?
Or the other way around - wanting your partner to push your limits?
Power-play, also known as bondage, S/M, discipline, and role-playing,
among other names, can be extremely erotic. Sexual power-play can be mild
with light nibbles to extreme with hard bites. It can range from light
spanking to whipping. It can involve special equipment, or it can be done
with everyday items.
Power-play is not about pain, humiliation, degradation. Power-play is
always consensual and about trust. The dominant person does not want to
hurt or harm the submissive partner. The dominating partner trusts that
the submissive partner will communicate vocally or through expressions
what they are feeling.
Meanwhile, the submissive partner trusts that the dominant partner will
pay close attention to every detail of every expression, both vocally and
physically, and act in an appropriate manner. It's about communication and
lust. When aroused, what would normally be painful is pleasurable and
heightens the arousal level. Power-play can also be about empowerment and
doing something you would not ordinarily do, just to do it because you
want to try it.
The draw to power-play is often about stepping outside of one's daily role
and trying something different, and afterwards, not having any expectation
from your partner to be on top or to be on the bottom. It is not referred
to or brought into daily life, except in its own context. It is an escape
from reality. Some people follow a specific script or a predetermined
scenario, while others just go with the flow. No matter what the situation
is, it is always a good idea to have a safety word, phrase, or gesture
that signals the other partner to stop. Both partners must trust each
other to communicate any pain or discomfort during play.
Another point about power-play is that it does not necessarily involve
penetrative sex, even among heterosexual couples. It can be about either
partner's pleasure, or enjoying your partner's pleasure at what you do for
them in either a dominant or submissive position. Sometimes, the
dominating partner does everything possible to bring the submissive
partner to orgasm but then stops just before the orgasm, thus torturing
the submissive partner until they experience an explosive orgasm.
[continued]
To read this entre article, go to:
http://www.biconews.com/?p=12490
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at the bottom of
the article
Bloggers Strike Back over KOMO's Sexphobic Smear
by Dominic Holden
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
November 25, 2008
Until recently, a TV station could hype an erroneous news story about a
raunchy controversy, grab a few viewers at 11:00 p.m., and titillate them
with scandal - without any re-percussions from anybody. But lately, thanks
to the internet, the mainstream media is finding it harder to get away
with hack reporting.
Case in point: On November 17, KOMO 4 News ran a "Problem Solvers" segment
about the Center for Sex Positive Culture, a private sex club with 2,500
active members and a sister organization that teaches classes on having
better sex. News anchor Dan Lewis announced that Allena Gabosch, the
organization's executive director, "is seeking state and federal money
to
finance part of her sex organization."
Cut to KOMO's Marlee Ginter - the aforementioned "problem solver"
- taking
a tour of a windowless sex room. "I went to the club on one of its busiest
nights. I saw people naked, fondling, flogging," says Ginter. Then,
lilting her voice: "And even having sex."
But the problem for this "problem solver" was supposedly with the center's
funding. The organization's club is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit. Its tax
exemption, Ginter argued, is the equivalent of a government giveaway.
"She obviously found a way around the system," says a random woman in
Ginter's report - included, presumably, to demonstrate public outrage
about the center's finances.
However, Gabosch tells The Stranger, "We do not get money from the
government or from tax dollars" to fund the club or the organization's
sex-education wing. Indeed, IRS rules for (c)(7)s state that "a club
should be supported solely by membership fees, dues, and assessments,"
which are not tax deductible. And the sex-education wing of the
organization is a separately funded 501(c)(3), which also receives no
government funding.
In her report, unsurprisingly, Ginter never cites IRS rules. Instead, she
focuses on sexual taboos like bondage beds. In an apparent effort to prove
the state is failing to regulate the club, she interviews Tabitha
Blacksmith, a spokeswoman for the Charities Program of the Washington
Secretary of State, which only tracks nonprofits' contributions. Ginter
asks, "So you guys won't even determine... you're not a charity, you're
a
sex club." Blacksmith explained to Ginter that was outside the state's
purview.
"We don't have anything to do with [verifying] the (c)(3) or (c)(7),"
Blacksmith told The Stranger a week after the interview. "That's the IRS."
According to IRS rules, in order to qualify as a 501(c)(7), organizations
must maintain "personal contact, commingling, and face-to-face fellowship.
Members must share interests and have a common goal directed toward
pleasure, recreation, and other nonprofitable purposes."
By the IRS's standards, in other words, it practically has to be a sex
club.
But Ginter never brings up the tax rules governing groups like the center
- probably because citing what those rules actually say would undermine
the premise that there is a "problem."
The morning after KOMO's sexposC) aired, Stranger editorial director Dan
Savage launched an online assault on KOMO for its "sex-negative posturing"
and called on readers of Slog, The Stranger's blog, to e-mail complaints
to Ginter. The post was linked on numerous websites. Meanwhile, the video
of the segment went up on YouTube.
KOMO pulled the piece from its website the next day. But the controversy
was a dozen blog posts and thousands of YouTube views from being over.
"KOMO's Marlee Ginter Might Be Sucking Off Goats," two headlines readba
reference to Ginter's insinuation that the center "might be" getting
money
from the government. After all, it was just as true that Ginter "might be"
blowing goats as it was that the Center "might be" getting government
funding.
Within a day, that headline became the second Google result for Ginter's
name.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=787697
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at the
bottom of the article
Behave! Toeing the legal line with a dominatrix
by Briam Alexander
MSNBC
November 24, 2008
Is it legal to hire a dominatrix as long as you don't actually have sex?
And what does it mean exactly when a woman happily partnered with a
longtime boyfriend suddenly starts longing for a lady lover? Sexploration
answers your most intimate queries. Got a question? E-mail us.
Q: Paying for sex is illegal in most of America, but what about paying for
fetish services? Can you legally hire a dominatrix or escort for any of
the countless things besides intercourse? Where is the line drawn?
A: If you have a hankering to strap on a codpiece and pay a woman for the
privilege of scrubbing her floors while she drips hot wax on your back,
the legal line is drawn at the border of the state or country in which you
live.
If you live in the United Kingdom, you can scrub away. Formula One
president Max Mosley may have been embarrassed when spy pictures taken of
his professional interactions with dominatrices popped up in a British
tabloid, but he wasnbt doing anything illegal by paying them for a stern
scolding and a little spank.
But if you live in Arizona, where the law defines paying for "flagellation
or torture by or on a person who is nude or clad in undergarments or in
revealing or bizarre costume or the condition of being fettered, bound or
otherwise physically restrained on the part of one so clothed" as illegal,
you can wind up in trouble.
In New York City, you probably wouldn't. But across the river in New
Jersey, you would. Get the picture? Even within states, laws can vary from
town to town, says Susan Wright, spokesperson for the National Coalition
for Sexual Freedom. "It is a big gray area", Wright explains. Often, she
says, "it depends on how the district attorney wants to interpret the
prostitution laws and how they define sexual conduct".
Some states are so specific they make sex read like an instruction manual
for assembling an IKEA bookcase. But some leave it vague. Generally, if
money is changing hands and somebody is inserting anything into anybody
else or touching genitals, it's probably against the law. Beyond that,
though, you have to research the laws where you live. You may wish to skip
the money and get to know people happy to participate free of charge by
attending a convention, or searching the Web. Many fetish enthusiasts I
have interviewed found each other on social networking sites.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27846842/
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Rape or consent to sex?
Prosecution: Man had history of bondage with 2 women
by Ed Palattella
The Erie Times-News
November 20, 2008
A Venango County man is claiming he and a woman were engaged in consensual
sex when he bound and gagged her with duct tape inside a Millcreek
Township motel room on March 6.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office is contending that the
defendant, Paul J. Sweetapple, 29, committed rape. And the prosecution --
at a trial that continues with jury deliberations today -- presented
evidence from two women to try to prove its case.
The first was the woman in the March incident, who was 27 at the time and
is the mother of Sweetapple's son.
The second was a woman who said Sweetapple engaged in similar behavior
with her in Franklin in 2004, when she said he tied her up with a
telephone cord during what the prosecution also characterized as forced
sex.
"It's a common plan," Assistant Erie County District Attorney Erin
Connelly told the jury of Sweetapple in her closing argument on Wednesday.
"He's going to get his sex however he can. He's into bondage.
"He did it once, and he did the same thing again."
Judge John Garhart, who is presiding, agreed with the prosecution and let
the jury hear about the other woman's experience with Sweetapple, which
she had documented in a protection-from-abuse complaint.
Connelly told the jury the testimony of both women supported physical
evidence that showed the woman in the March incident suffered from
reddened and damaged skin and genital bleeding shortly after Sweetapple
had sex with her at the El Patio Motel, 2950 W. Eighth St., where he was
living, on March 6.
Sweetapple, of Kennerdell, south of Franklin, took the stand in his own
defense and said the sex was consensual, and that he and the woman had
participated in bondage during sex before.
"It was our thing, ma'am," he told Connelly during cross-examination.
Sweetapple said he was paying child support to the woman -- she said he
was behind -- and that he would pay her extra money if she performed
sexual favors on him. He denied that woman's testimony that he bound the
woman, stuffed her underwear into her taped mouth and that he threatened
to put a plastic bag over the woman's head and kill her if she did not
have sex with him on March 6.
"The whole thing is not true, ma'am," Sweetapple testified.
The trial, which started Tuesday, was filled with jarring testimony of
what the prosecution said was Sweetapple's violent and extreme sexual
behavior.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081120/NEWS02/311209857
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF -
Media Update - November 19, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Etiquette, Bigotry, and Fetish Modeling
2. Duncanville police arrest third person in Cherry Pit case
3. Pick your pleasure
4. Seminar To Whip Out S&M Truths
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
November 18, 2008
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Etiquette, Bigotry, and Fetish Modeling
by Dan Savage
syndicated column (via East Bay Express, CA)
November 19, 2008
[Q.] For the past year, I've been a submissive in a D/s relationship with
my boyfriend. I love him VERY much, and he is more respectful toward me
than any other man I've been with. Lately, we've been toying with the idea
of creating a fetish-modeling web site. I do not want to be shot nude or
have sex on camera, but I LOVE the idea of bondage photos and pursuing
this as a career, and so does he. From the photos I've done so far, I'm
pretty sure this could pay off AND be more personally satisfying than a
job at a newspaper. But I'm nervous about what my family and friends will
say.
[A.] Journalism or fetish modeling, journalism or fetish modeling ,gee,
which career is right for you? If you bothered to read newspapers you
would know that times are tough at daily newspapers. The Internet ate
their business model, and right now, it's all layoffs and buyouts all the
time. If you care so little about journalism that you're tempted to make a
career of posting bondage pictures to a web site instead, KC, then don't
go into journalism. Leave the few jobs that remain at newspapers to people
who have some passion for the field.
So it's fetish modeling for you, right? Not so fast, kinkster. Porn
companies, large and small, are experiencing similar financial
difficulties. Just as many people are willing to write for free online,
many millions of people are willing to post everything from "tasteful"
fetish shots to hardcore porn online for free. So while there may be a
handful of people out there who'll pay to see you tied up, you're probably
not going to make enough money as a fetish model to support yourself. So
you might want to think of some other line of work b perhaps banking or
real estate?
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/artsculture/etiquette__bigotry__and_fetish_modeling/Content?oid=868444
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Duncanville police arrest third person in Cherry Pit case
by Brian Allen
Best Southwest Citizen (via Pagasus News, Dallas/Ft. Worth TX)
November 4, 2008
Duncanville police have made a third arrest related to the Cherry Pit
swingers club. Deena Clingman, 37, has been arrested on suspicion of
engaging in organized crime. That could bring a sentence of anywhere from
5-99 years or life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
According to police reports Clingman was an employee of the Cherry Pit and
received bfun moneyb and tips from patrons. Fun money is reportedly used
to purchase sexual favors at the club. On Oct. 28, a jury found club owner
Jim Trulock guilty on all 10 counts brought against him. The battle is far
from over and there are additional charges pending against the club
ownership. Also, comments from Cherry Pit attorney Ed Klein seem to
indicate an appeal is likely.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/nov/04/duncanville-police-arrest-third-person-cherry-pit-/
To respond, write to: the author at
http://www.pegasusnews.com/contributor/brian-allen-best/contact/
Pick your pleasure
by Kelly Miller (opinion column)
The Daily Wildcat (University of Arizona)
October 29, 2008
Many people like to spice up their sex lives every now and then.
It's not uncommon for couples to experiment in the bedroom, from tying a
partner up with a fuzzy pair of handcuffs to wearing a costume for
role-play - especially in college.
Still, many don't want to think that their bedroom antics may fall into
the category of bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism (BDSM), which is
not seen as common bedroom behavior.
Scott Marshall, a business management senior, doesn't like to think using
handcuffs with his partner during sex is a form of bondage.
"I think of BDSM as black leather and handcuffs in like a small room,"
Marshall said. "Ball-in-mouth type of thing - violent."
From using simple restraints like handcuffs and scarves to spanking, BDSM
consists of a wide range of activities usually involving one partner
giving up control and submitting to the requests of his or her partner.
The payoff is pleasure - whether comfortable or not.
Like any sexual activity, however, the satisfaction of participating in
BDSM activities is more than meets the eye.
Justine Pigott likes to be the submissive partner during sexual play and
often finds herself tied up.
"Being submissive means that you get treated like shit," said Pigott, a
psychology senior. "The dominant partner tells you what to do and how to
do it. You theoretically have absolutely no control over what happens with
your own body."
For many like Pigott who experiment with BDSM, the pain can be just as
pleasurable as sex.
"It's like when you get a piecing or tattoo; there's an adrenaline rush,"
Pigott said. "It's the same thing. You feel alive."
In the world of BDSM, Pigott said that she is a "switch," which means that
she can take the dominant or submissive role. Still, she said the biggest
issue is not whether she is in control but whether she is comfortable with
her partner.
"It depends how much you trust your partner," Pigott said. "If I don't
trust someone very much then I'll do light bondage - handcuffs, whatever -
but if it's someone you really trust, then there really aren't any
limits."
At Desert Dominion, a Tucson BDSM club, the mind is the only limitation
when it comes to pleasure, something that's evident by the furniture
scattered around their clubhouse. From the variety of cages throughout the
room to the coffin resting against a wall, members participate in a wide
range of play to help each other fulfill their innermost fantasies.
For many members, BDSM means nothing more than using simple restraints
such as handcuffs or role-play. But to some Desert Dominion members, BDSM
allows them to engage in activities that are seldom discussed in public,
such as play that involves fear or pain. It is not unusual for members to
use props and tools such as whips and needles during BDSM activities to
give each other pleasure.
Jefferson James, a Tucson resident and Desert Dominion's BDSM education
director, said the biggest challenge for people unfamiliar with BDSM is to
accept that pleasure can be derived from activities that are not sexual in
nature.
"A lot of people don't understand how pain can give you pleasure," James
said. "I resisted needles and hooks for the longest time because I didn't
get it. Then I tried it. One of the analogies we use is like it's trying
to describe sex to a virgin. You don't know what it is and what it does to
you. That is the biggest obstacle to overcome. There are people out there
that the idea that pain can be pleasurable is such an oxymoron that they
can't understand it. It's a specific, erotized pain in an (intended) way."
While some BDSM participants will seek out situations that cause some sort
of discomfort or pain in their quest for pleasure, many agree BDSM is
about much more than physical satisfaction.
For James and Pigott, the greatest pleasure often comes from helping their
partners - not themselves.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/media/storage/paper997/news/2008/10/29/Wildlife/Pick-Your.Pleasure-3512402.shtml
To respond, go to:
http://wildcat.arizona.edu/home/lettertotheeditor/
or comment at bottom of article
Seminar To Whip Out S&M Truths
by Richard Lau
The Daily Nexus (University of California, Santa Barbara)
October 29, 2008
Students who have ever fantasized about being strapped down, forced into a
leather gimp mask and flogged by someone in ass-less chaps will find
themselves in leather-bound heaven tonight.
Starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Resource Building, the campus
organization Kink University: a Fetish Fellowship will host a free seminar
on safe BDSM practices. Free pizza and sex toys will also be on hand at
the seminar.
BDSM b short for Bondage, Discipline, Dominance-Submission and
Sado-Masochism b is an overarching category that describes a variety of
activities, which may or may not be sexual in nature. What these
activities do have in common is a universal goal of deriving pleasure from
pain and/or the taking or relinquishing of power.
KUFF President Shaun Ballou, a fourth-year chemical engineering major,
said the seminar and the group aim to convince students BDSM is a normal
leisure pursuit that can be practiced in a healthy manner.
bItbs our goal to teach people that [if they] think getting spanked in the
bedroom is fun then that is okay,b Ballou said. bAnd [we also want to
teach] how to go about that in a safe, sane and consensual manner.b
Ballou said he hopes the seminar will clear up myths and misconceptions
surrounding BDSM and show the practice is not confined to bfreaks.b
Ryan Yoshinaga, a UCSB alumni and vice president of KUFF, said science can
be used to explain why BDSM feels good to some people.
bEnduring pain provides endorphins to be released into the body,b
Yoshinaga said. bJust like when an athlete has an intense practice session
or a body building has a rigorous workout session, they will receive this
bendorphin rush.bb
Corrine Tritz, a graduate student in the Theater Dept., said KUFFbs
programs are beneficial to college students just beginning to explore
their sexualities.
bPersonally, I find a lot of the stuff that goes on at parties in [Isla
Vista] much more dangerous and disturbing than the BDSM activities I
practice,b Tritz said.
The seminar will also focus on what is referred to in the BDSM community
as bimpact play,b an activity that involves various techniques for
striking the body.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=17591
To respond, write to: the editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or
comment at the bottom of article.
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF -
Media Update - October 20, 2008
Written by Administrator1. First Person: Open (-Minded) Relationships
2. Hey Buckle Down! It's Time to Learn About K.C.'s Leather Community
3. An Adult Haunted House
4. Officials say it's no church
5. Suspected sex club no 'church,' board rules
6. Fircrest man's sex conviction overturned
7. Papers show Duncanville swingers' club organized, profitable
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
First Person: Open (-Minded) Relationships
by Madalene Mandap
The Synapse (University of California, San Francisco)
October 20, 2008
As we first-years settle into our new lives here, I take a look around.
Many of us come from diverse backgrounds and locales, even as far as the
exotic lands of Southern California. A transplant myself, I've been
getting comfortable testing the waters of this new city, resurrecting
cold-weather clothes I haven't seen in years. Along with these
necessities, many of us have managed to squeeze into the U-Haul the added
load of relationships. Judging from my fellow classmates (with the help of
Facebook relationship statuses), many are already "taken". Starting
professional school and moving into The City is stressful enough. Throw in
a significant other into the mix, and you've quite possibly got your work
cut out for you.
As for me, I don't do well with LDRs, and neither does my significant
other. We knew this going into our relationship earlier this summer. In
fact, we embraced the idea that, come September, I would leave, and that
would be that. It was a way to keep things light-hearted and casual. No
pressure to take things to the next level. But life, with its devilish
sense of humor, decided to reveal how compatible and head-over-heels we
were for each other. At summer's inevitable end, we were faced with a
decision neither of us wanted to make: Break up or brave an LDR. Moving to
be together was not an option. There was, however, another alternative -
one I had never considered before.
"What about an open relationship?" posed my significant other.
I only had a vague understanding of what this was, and "swinger" came
to
mind. Upon further inquiry, I found out that an open relationship is a
commitment and understanding between two people who give each other the
freedom to see other people (casually or more so), but remain committed to
the "primary" relationship. The exact terms of the open relationship have
to be discussed and agreed upon beforehand.
These include, but are not limited to: the extent of outside physical or
emotional interaction allowed and how much detail should be shared about
outside encounters or relationships. If this seems like a handful, look up
"polyamory". This is the practice of sustaining more than one relationship
(all parties consenting), with the belief that one can be in love with
and/or love multiple people simultaneously.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://synapse.ucsf.edu/articles/2008/october/9/firstperson.html
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Hey Buckle Down! It's Time to Learn About K.C.'s Leather Community
by Janet Ryan
KC Camp (Kansas City, MO)
October 17, 2008
One of the most committed and intriguing segments of our big gay family is
the leather community. You may have noticed men in motorcycle gear wearing
leather vests with interesting back patches. Maybe you've wandered into
the Leather Shop upstairs at Missie B's and had a chance to try on
something racy. Perhaps you've thought about experimenting with something
kinky in the bedroom and didn't know where to start.
Some people compare their coming out in leather to their experience of
coming out as gay. It is a process of self-discovery and acceptance,
finding community, and living your fantasy. Kansas City has a rich and
varied leather community that sponsors many events. All the clubs accept
members of any gender and orientation and work together on events like the
leather contests, which are similar to pageants, and the leather/uniform
night upstairs at Missie Bbs. Most leather folk are very approachable and
friendly in spite of the black leather and tough exterior! Most believe in
a code of ethics that include a safe, sane and consensual approach to
sexuality.
The first club to come onto the Kansas City scene was the KC Pioneers in
1974. Full members go through a pledge period and take leadership roles in
the club. Associate members are friends and supporters who join the club
for events. Originally the club was centered on riding motorcycles and
socializing. These days it's less of a motorcycle club and more of a
leather/Levi club or a back patch club, which is somewhat like a
fraternity. Pioneers still refer to each other as club brothers.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.campkc.com/campkc-content.php?Page_ID=1016
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
An Adult Haunted House
by Inara Verzemnieks
The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
October 16, 2008
This is the season of haunted houses -- grand spectacles of blood and
entrails and raw-throated screaming that come to occupy weeks, if not
months, of their organizers' lives.
On a recent Saturday, I drove out to Gresham to visit one such haunted
house. It was held at an old Grange Hall and was put on by a couple I had
met in another capacity in their other lives, which is presenting
children's puppet shows.
The last time I saw Jason Ropp and Shawnna Cady they were showing me
Jason's latest creations: a host of sweet-natured articulated bugs (a
dragonfly, a praying mantis, a ladybug, a flea), the newest characters in
one of Jason's traveling puppet shows, which he and Shawnna take to
libraries, classrooms and community centers around the country.
When the call came a few weeks ago, inviting me to see the haunt that they
had come up with this year, I don't know, I suppose I was still thinking
about the bugs. That was my last good reference point, really. So you can
probably understand why it threw me just a bit when, by the end of the
evening, I was interviewing a topless woman, her legs up in stirrups, who
had just simulated giving birth to a mutant child, while nearby, a man in
a bondage outfit took a break, jockstrap peeking out from the edges of his
leather codpiece.
Dissonance.
There is no other word for it.
Extreme dissonance.
The distance between what you expect and what you find.
Sometimes when you go way out, you end up farther than you ever imagined.
Shawnna and Jason had created two haunts -- one suitable for all ages,
featuring black-light artwork and 3-D glasses -- and another suitable only
for those 18 and over. This, obviously, was the one I happened to catch,
although on my particular visit I missed the suspension artist, a pedicab
operator who had offered to spend the occasional night hanging from the
ceiling of the haunted house on hooks carefully threaded through his skin
by a man known as Dale the Nail. Jason brought out a video camera to show
me how it looked the previous night, the skin separating, stretching from
the suspension artist's back. Jason's hands were spattered with fake
blood. He had just finished adjusting the pregnant character's prosthetic
belly, trying to make it rounder.
"Jason and I are both Christians -- believe it or not," Shawnna said,
laughing. She was wearing a T-shirt that read, "Will Scare For Candy."
More things to try to square. I was having a hard time keeping up: The
sweet blonde who spoke to me from inside an animal cage, her head sticking
through the front opening; the fact that there was a fundraising function
to all of this. The blood, breasts, bare bottoms and body modification
were helping to raise money for Gresham Little Theater, which calls this
Grange, with its failing roof and antiquated electrical system, home.
Shawnna and Jason had promised to donate a percentage of their take to
this cause.
After we had walked the haunt and I had interviewed all the principals --
"I'd shake your hand, but I'm tied up right now," said the evil
doctor;
"It's nice to be a main attraction," said the naked pregnant woman,
sitting in a pool of blood -- Shawnna realized there was one more person
she would like me to meet.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/10/an_adult_haunted_house.html
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at the
bottom of the article
Officials say it's no church
by Norm Vargo
The Pittsbugh Post-Gazette (PA)
October 16, 2008
John and Kim Ondrik have lost their bid to convert a North Huntingdon home
that housed Swingers Palace, which township officials say is a sex club
business, into the Church of Spiritual Humanities.
For now.
The township's zoning board Tuesday unanimously denied the Ondriks'
application for a special exception of an ordinance to allow the couple to
operate a church in a two-story house in the Turner Valley neighborhood.
The 15-page decision read, in part: "It is the board's opinion that the
credibility of Mr. Ondrik with regard to his contention that he is
operating a church is as suspect as to be unbelievable."
The Ondriks applied for the variance in July after township officials
cited Jack Walkmeyer, owner of the house and a township resident, for
operating a business in a residential area, an ordinance violation. The
Ondriks have 30 days to file an appeal in the Westmoreland County Court of
Common Pleas.
Attorney Samuel S. Pangburn said his client, Mr. Ondrik, who claims to be
a minister, has decided to appeal.
"Rev. Ondrik and I expected this decision," Mr. Pangburn said. "But
it's
not over by a long shot.
Mr. Ondrik's said over the telephone from his home in Fredericktown,
Washington County, yesterday that, "actually, I'm very happy. Now we're
going to see a judge."
"I have a legal right under federal law to open a church. I need to
resolve this issue. I have weddings scheduled."
The so-called church has been a target of vandalism in recent weeks, Mr.
Ondrik noted.
"A church sign crafted by a parishioner was stolen off the front door to
the lower level," Mr. Ondrik said. "We had a couple of break-ins, one
in
July. There's a police report. Somebody bulldozed a wedding gazebo we
built."
Zoning board solicitor John Campfield said Tuesday: "After hearing and
reviewing all the evidence presented during that hearing, the board found
that it wasn't a church, rather a business they were conducting that
people called a 'swingers type' of activity for a fee.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08290/920222-59.stm
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Suspected sex club no 'church,' board rules
by Norm Vargo
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA)
October 15, 2008
Late Saturday night "church" services are off this weekend at 4500 Turner
Valley Road in North Huntingdon, and services may never resume.
A five-member township Zoning Board last night unanimously denied the
application of John L. Ondrik and his wife, Kim, for a special exception
variance to operate a church in a home located in the secluded property
along the Youghiogheny River.
The Ondriks applied for special exception variance to the ordinance which
would have allowed them to operate the Church of Spiritual Humanism in the
home. A hearing in early September regarding the application was conducted
before a full Zoning Board.
But residents who live nearby and some township officials believe that the
church is really a sex club, known as Swingers Palace, that operates in
the lower level of a two-story home the Ondriks were leasing to purchase.
The decision read by board member Jacqueline Willis was greeted by
applause and cheers from a crowd of about 40 people that included
residents and neighbors from the area and township officials.
Residents claim suspicious activities have been going on there for nearly
30 years.
"I feel vindicated," resident Michelle Brokenbek said. "A 27-year
battle
is finally over. Finally somebody listened to us and things got done."
"I feel the Zoning Board made the right decision," township Commissioner
Lee Moffatt said. "These folks have suffered enough."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08289/919941-59.stm
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Fircrest man's sex conviction overturned
by Associated Press
via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (WA)
October 15, 2008
TACOMA, Wash. -- A state appeals court has overturned the conviction of a
Fircrest man who was found guilty of sexually exploiting a 14-year-old
girl.
The court ruled Tuesday that the judge in the 2006 trial of Stanley Scott
Sadler made errors in jury selection and allowing evidence from a faulty
search.
The 51-year-old has served two years of a 10-year sentence. Pierce County
prosecutors are deciding whether to try him again.
The Tacoma News Tribune reports Sadler met the girl through a Web site for
bondage-style sex. He called himself "Master Thorn." She advertised
herself as a 19-year-old willing sex partner.
Sadler was arrested after police tracked the girl's Internet postings to
his home. She had been reported missing.
To read this entire article, go to:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_sexual_exploitation.html
To reply, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Papers show Duncanville swingers' club organized, profitable
by Jon Nielsen
The Dallas Morning News (TX)
October 7, 2008
Documents from last week's arrests of the owners of Duncanville's
swingers' club suggest an organized, profitable venture.
According to the arrest warrant affidavits for Jim Trulock, 59, and Julie
M. Norris, 30, the pair run the Cherry Pit more like a business, with
employees, staff meetings and donations that totaled more than $102,000
over 16 months.
The Duncanville Police Department's investigation accuses them of
operating a sex club, possessing large amounts of alcohol, promoting
prostitution and engaging in organized crime and money laundering.
Ed Klein, the attorney for Mr. Trulock and Ms. Norris, said the city is
harassing the couple in an effort to run them out of town.
"They want to prolong the abuse," Mr. Klein said. "Just when Jim
and Julie
make sure it's OK to sit down and have a quiet dinner at home, they're
going to pounce on them every chance they get."
On Thursday, Duncanville authorities arrested Mr. Trulock on suspicion of
organized crime, a first-degree felony. One day later, officials arrested
Ms. Norris on the same charge. If convicted on the organized crime charge,
the pair could serve five to 99 years or life in prison and pay a fine not
exceeding $10,000.
In a short news release issued Friday, the case's chief detective, Dan
Hunt, said he expects additional arrests.
Duncanville city leaders have worked to shut down the Cherry Pit for
nearly a year. Last November, the City Council passed an ordinance
restricting where sexually oriented businesses can operate.
Mr. Klein filed a lawsuit against the city challenging the ordinance. That
case has yet to be heard.
Last month, the couple was arrested on Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code
charges, a Class A misdemeanor. Police found more than 300 bottles of
alcohol at the home.
Search warrant affidavits executed in July indicate that Mr. Trulock and
Ms. Norris operate parties in their home in the 1300 block of North Cedar
Ridge Road near Interstate 20. Up to 100 people attend the parties held
each weekend.
Mr. Trulock accepts donations of $25 to $100 for entry from men and
couples. Single women are generally admitted free, the affidavit stated.
But those who don't pay the donation aren't admitted to the Cherry Pit,
according to the latest arrest affidavit.
And in August 2007, police were called to the Cherry Pit after one man
refused to pay the entire $50 donation. The affidavit stated the man had
only paid $40 and wouldn't pay the difference.
Mr. Hunt said donation forms for the Cherry Pit show $102,260 collected
from March 2007 to July 2008. But Mr. Hunt said he "believes that the
amount of revenue generated by the business is far greater than that
represented by the donation forms."
Officers found information in the July raid that 7,000 people have
attended parties in the last year, and parties can earn about $10,000 per
month.
Once inside, the patrons can engage in sex acts with others in several
rooms in the home. Pornography is displayed on video screens, and liquor
is served from behind a bar. According to the affidavit, snacks are
served, and the Cherry Pit advertises a hot breakfast once a month.
Patrons are also given fun money to negotiate sex acts from others.
Several people, including the DJ, the bartender and a woman identified in
the affidavit as an employee, also received tips in the form of fun money.
The fun money can be turned in at the end of the parties for prizes,
according to the affidavit.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
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HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and The Foundation of NCSF -
Media Update - October 6, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Binding Arbitration: S&M Gals Dig In Their Heels with Union Bid
2. 'The Lifestyle' -- The world or couples who swing
3. Police again arrest owners of Cherry Pit
4. St. Paul Man Charged with Murder in Kinky Sex Act
5. Thousands attend kinky San Fran festival
6. S.F. kinky naked romp a spanking success
7. Puppy play
8. Kink dreams
9. Swingtown
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
October 6, 2008
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
####
Binding Arbitration
S&M Gals Dig In Their Heels With Union Bid
by Rebecca Rosenberg
The New York Post (NY)
October 6, 2008
New York's dominatrixes have been getting spanked by the economy recently
- and now, they're lashing back.
Already reeling from a series of local prostitution raids, dommes have
also had to grapple with disobedient clients who can't afford to pay for
their punishments.
To address the double-whammy hitting their industry, many of them want to
form a political-action committee and union to represent their interests.
"It's never been worse. Business is down 70 percent," said Mistress
Johanna, owner of Chelsea's Le Salon DeSade. "We've had all these busts,
and now the economy is out of control. The uncertainty is torturing us."
On Thursday, 10 dominatrixes at DeSade were dressed to the hilt - in red
corsets, latex minis and thigh-high boots - with no one to flog.
On what used to be one of the house's busiest nights, only two customers
came in, and the phone barely rang. The few clients who still trickle in
have scaled back their sessions.
Most houses on Dungeon Alley, the cluster of S&M clubs in Midtown,
complain of similar woes.
Mistresses say the economic downturn and recent spat of busts - namely of
Rapture NYC, Rebecca's Hidden Chamber and Avalon - has created an
atmosphere of fear and panic.
More than a dozen dominatrixes and dungeon owners have retained John
Campbell, partner of the Tilem and Campbell law firm.
"This isn't like the escort industry, where there's a lot of illegality
and everyone knows it," said Campbell, who also represents escort
agencies. "In the BDSM [bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism]
industry, virtually everyone was operating under the belief that what they
were doing was legal."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/10062008/news/regionalnews/binding_arbitration_132295.htm
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of the article
'The Lifestyle' -- The world or couples who swing
by Matt Soergel
The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL)
October 4, 2008
When Janet and her husband started swinging seven years, they had rules
governing the various permutations of what they would do, and with whom.
"I had so many rules when we started off," says Janet, sitting in the
courtyard of a San Marco nightclub with several swinging friends. "But
now, seven years later, it's like, whatever."
One thing though: There will be no cheating. Sure, her husband travels a
lot on business, and she's given him permission to have sex with other
women while he's away. Just tell her about it, she says.
Don't keep it a secret. That would be cheating.
He's lived up to his word: One time, on a trip, he called Janet on the
telephone after he'd been with another woman. He sounded a little bummed,
Janet remembers. "He even said, 'It wasn't as much fun without you.' "
It wasn't as much fun without you.
That, say some swingers, is key to understanding what they call "the
lifestyle." Swinging is a couple's thing, they say. It won't save a bad or
sexless marriage. But it does spice up their marriages, allow them to
explore their sexuality, and keep their emotions open, they say - without
cheating on their spouses. After all, their spouses are in on the game.
It's true, says Stacy, a personal trainer who makes it clear that she
likes to swing. Just so long as it's with her husband, William, who works
for a supermarket chain.
She smiles. "I don't do anything without him. Period."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/100508/lif_339994212.shtml
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Police again arrest owners of Cherry Pit
by Associated Press writers
via The Houston Chronicle
October 4, 2008
DUNCANVILLE, Texas - Police have again arrested the owners of a suburban
Dallas swingers club called "The Cherry Pit."
Jim Trulock, 59, and Julie M. Norris, 30, who host swingers' parties at
their home, were arrested on suspicion of engaging in organized criminal
activity, The Dallas Morning News reported in its Saturday editions. The
first-degree felony carries a penalty from five to 99 years or life in
prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000.
Trulock was taken into custody late Thursday, and Norris was arrested
Friday.
The attorney for Trulock and Norris, Ed Klein, said Saturday that the two
continue to maintain their innocence. Klein said that the two were
released from jail on $20,000 bond each. He said Trulock was released late
Thursday or early Friday and Norris was released Friday.
Officials in the Dallas suburb are trying to halt parties at the home.
Last year, the City Council passed an ordinance banning sexually oriented
businesses.
City officials say patrons are asked to donate money to get into the
parties, which qualifies it as a business.
Trulock and Norris have a Duncanville municipal trial date set for Oct. 27
on several citations issued for violating the ordinance. They also have a
civil case pending against the city challenging the ordinance.
The two were arrested last month on suspicion of violating the Texas
Alcoholic Beverage Code for allegedly possessing large amounts of liquor
in their home.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6039793.html
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St. Paul Man Charged with Murder in Kinky Sex Act
by staff writers
KMSP TV (St. Paul/Minneapolis)
October 2, 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A St. Paul man was charged with second-degree murder
Thursday in the bleeding death of a woman early Tuesday in what he claims
was a sex act gone wrong.
Gabriel Patricia Romo, 31, was found dead early Tuesday after losing a
large amount of blood.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. They said
Romo bled to death from traumatic injuries to the pelvic and abdominal
cavity due to sexual assault.
Michael Carrasco Sontoya, 31, was charged in the death and faces up to 40
years in prison, if convicted.
According to the criminal complaint, Sontoya and Romo had been drinking at
Fernbs Bar in St. Paul before going to his house between 1:30 and 2 a.m.,
where they had consensual sex in the bed.
Sontoya called 911 around 7 a.m. when he found Romo unconscious. Police
and paramedics were called to the home, on the 700 block of Robert Street,
where they found the single mother of four, surrounded by blood smears and
spatters.
Police also saw what looked like a piece of human or animal flesh on the
floor near the bathroom.
Sontoya told police he may have torn Romobs vaginal walls when they were
having sex, but officers thought it was suspicious that Romobs underwear
and inner thighs were not bloody, like they would have been if she were
bleeding profusely from her vagina.
According to the charges, Romo was lying on her back on the carpet,
wearing only underpants, two socks and one shoe. Police saw handprints on
the wall and smears of blood on the bathroom floor. Blood on the walls and
in the hallway led police to cleaning supplies in the kitchen sink,
including a wet sponge and bucket.
After he was arrested, Sontoya told police he and Romo left Fernbs Bar,
came home and undressed each other. He said he put two fingers in Romobs
vagina, then inserted his fist to the furthest point up his hand.
Sontoya said they had about 1 1/2 hours of anal and vaginal sex, then they
got up and saw a large amount of blood. He said he cleaned himself off in
the bathroom while Romo cleaned up her vomit on the floor.
Sontoya then said the two went to sleep before we woke up, realized the
situation, called his brother and called 911. Sontoyabs brother is a
Ramsey County deputy, who advised him to call police.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7563377&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
To respond, go to:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/ContactUs?pageId=5.11
Thousands attend kinky San Fran festival
by staff writers
UPI (news wire)
September 30, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The 25th Folsom Street Fair in San
Francisco drew hundreds of thousands of leather, bondage and sexual fetish
enthusiasts to the 13-block neighborhood.
The celebration Sunday included spanking booths, nude vendors and a man
dressed only in an 11-foot Burmese python, the San Francisco Chronicle
reported Monday.
"It brings kink out of the closet," said Al Waddell, 58, one of more then
250 vendors at the festival. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with kinky
play as long as it's between consenting adults."
However, about 10 protesters gathered outside the event disagreed. They
distributed brochures describing homosexuality as a "disorder" and
encouraged passersby to vote in favor of Proposition 8, which would
overturn a California Supreme Court ruling that a ban on same-sex marriage
violated the state constitution.
"If you go in there, you see public nudity and street orgies," said
Anthony Gonzales of San Jose, the president of the St. Joseph's Men's
Society, a Roman Catholic fraternal group. "We want to know why this is
allowed on the streets of San Francisco without any sanction at all ...
it's anarchy."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/09/30/Thousands_attend_kinky_San_Fran_festival/UPI-74341222752199/
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S.F. kinky naked romp a spanking success
by Demian Bulwa
The San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
September 29, 2008
They held the world's biggest celebration of leather, bondage and sexual
fetish in San Francisco on Sunday, and due to the event's interactive
nature, many people are now walking gingerly.
"Enough is enough," said Lowell Clark, pulling up his blue jeans after
emerging from one of dozens of spanking booths at the 25th Folsom Street
Fair.
Clark, a 30-year-old San Francisco waiter, conceded he was a novice at the
booths, where men and women in search of stimulation were struck with
whips, paddles or bare hands. Clark was last spanked at the age of 6 at
the hands of his mother in Oklahoma. A stolen pack of chewing gum was
involved.
"I still don't think I'll steal anything," Clark said. Still, he called
the spanking a "stinging pleasure" that he would try "maybe once a year."
It was just another scene from the city's most unabashed bash - a public
display of all things kinky that covered 13 blocks in the South of Market
neighborhood and drew hundreds of thousands of people, many of them not
wearing leather in key places.
There were naked people selling bondage gear and naked people seeking
support for measures on the Nov. 4 ballot. There were naked people with
cameras, taking pictures of other naked people.
One man wore only an 11-foot Burmese albino python, which curled around
his waist. The arrangement seemed risky.
The fair is fun but also important, said Al Waddell, a 58-year-old
entrepreneur from Oregon whose Paddle Daddy flogging implements were
available in mahogany, hickory and walnut.
"It brings kink out of the closet," he said as he tried to coax visitors a
step further - onto his $645 leather sex sling, complete with metal frame
and stirrups. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with kinky play as long as
it's between consenting adults."
A group of about 10 protesters standing outside the fair didn't agree with
Paddle Daddy. They passed out brochures that called homosexuality a
"disorder" and urged voters to pass Proposition 8, which would prohibit
same-sex marriage in California.
"If you go in there, you see public nudity and street orgies," said
Anthony Gonzales of San Jose, the president of the St. Joseph's Men's
Society, a Roman Catholic fraternal group. "We want to know why this is
allowed on the streets of San Francisco without any sanction at all. ...
It's anarchy."
Inside the partitions, bands played on two stages and people drank beer
and margaritas. The many gawkers at the event were easy to spot: they were
fully clothed, clung to the sidewalks of Folsom Street, and often stared
with mouths agape.
"It's great we live in a country where you can do this," tourist Brian
Churchwell, 34, of Seattle said as a topless woman was tied up and then
suspended by ropes on a raised platform.
More than 250 vendors sold whips and chains, tattoos and piercings,
artwork, pornography, leather-scented soaps and oils, and products for
those drawn to "bears" - men who tend to be, among other things, large and
hairy. One booth offered "Free spankings for the religious right."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/29/BAVP137PGV.DTL
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Puppy play
Cosmo Jetson helps Beyond Vanilla attendees find their inner dog
by Daniel A. Kusner
The Dallas Voice (TX)
September 25, 2008
As a little boy, when Barry Fiddick would see a dead doggie on the side of
the road, it felt like he lost a family member. Squirrel or cat road kill?
Not so much.
Whenever he'd meet a dog, he wouldn't just stoop over and pet its head.
Fiddick would crouch down to wrestle with a furry canine - like a playful
pup.
It wasn't until he was an adult, circa 1992, that he really got into the
puppy headspace and was "collared" for the first time. From there, it's a
world of leashes, growling, fire hydrants and even a leather-stitched hood
that looks like a doggie mask with ears and a muzzle.
A proud member of the leather community, Fiddick presents "Pup 101", a
Saturday morning workshop at the International Puppy & Trainer Conference
which will be held in conjunction at this weekend's Beyond Vanilla
conference, a BDSM social weekend.
Fiddick explains that puppy play isn't really that sexual. Now some
canines are into "breeding sessions", but that's usually geared for dogs,
who are generally more mature, might not have as much energy as a puppy
and are typically less playful.
"And in no way do we condone anything remotely related to bestiality", he
says.
There are service dogs and security dogs, too. Security dogs protect their
master, or "Sir".
But most dogs just want to be petted and loved.
Of course, all this canine nonsense sounds silly.
It's meant to be lighthearted. You shouldn't be afraid to laugh at my
workshop because it's funny to see grown adults walking around on all
fours growling. You can't help but laugh", Fiddick says.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_9836.php
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Kink dreams
by Molly Freedenberg
San Francisco Bay Guardian (CA)
September 24, 2008
When it comes to BDSM porn peddlers Kink.com, apparently size does matter.
At least, that's how it seems now that the steamy studio has purchased the
200,000-square-foot San Francisco Armory. Suddenly, everyone wants to
know: What's the carnal concern going to do with all that space?
The answers are more diverse and ambitious than one might expect b ranging
from creating a racy reality show to starting a perfectly PG-13 public
community center. And thanks to the lascivious and lucrative imagination
of Kink.com founder Peter Acworth, it might all be possible.
Though Kink.com has been producing independent niche fetish sites like
Hogtied.com, WiredPussy.com, and FuckingMachines.com for the Folsom Street
Fair crowd for more than 10 years b first from Acworth's rented Marina
District apartment and then from the Porn Palace on Fifth and Mission
streets b it wasn't until Acworth purchased the historical landmark in the
Mission District, and was met with opposition, that the provocative porn
empire really made it onto the public's radar screen.
The armory, which was a training ground for the National Guard prior to
its decommissioning 30 years ago, has been the center of controversy
before. But that was mostly in-fighting between potential developers.
Stringent zoning requirements and necessary but cost-prohibitive
renovations discouraged buyers, leaving the Moorish behemoth on 14th and
Mission streets vacant and outside public scrutiny.
But everything changed when Acworth got involved. His intended commercial
use, for shooting scenes for all of Kink's Web sites, complied with
planning codes. And he didn't need to do expensive renovations before he
could start using, and profiting from, the building: what could be more
perfect for bondage shoots or movies about women fucking machines than
dungeons in disrepair? The only thing more ideal than the structure
itself, according to Acworth, was its location in the heart of America's
most fetish-friendly city. "You couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect
place than a castle in the middle of San Francisco," says Acworth, who
purchased the armory for $14.5 million in 2007 and started operations in
January of this year. "It's like divine intervention."
Acworth had to contend with a different kind of intervention b from a
neighborhood group called the Mission Armory Community Collective, which
opposed Kink.com as a potential neighbor. Though careful not to condemn
porn per se, the group said it feared that the company's presence in an
already troubled neighborhood would introduce more problems. Even the
Mayor's Office, potentially bending to pressure, issued the following
statement: "While not wanting to be prudish, the fact that kink.com will
be located in the proximity to a number of schools give [sic] us pause."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
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bottom of the article
Swingtown:Local swingers think life is a bowl of cherries, but Duncanville
wants to spit out the Pit
by Mike Fisher
The Dallas Observer (TX)
September 18, 2008
Horses roam aimlessly in a meadow just around the block. There's a Boy
Scout camp about a half-mile away.The green thicket behind the plain,
ranch-style house prevents exposure to adjoining homeowners, one of whom
waveswarmly at passing motorists as he mows his lawn. In this Duncanville
neighborhood, there exists a rural serenitybor at least there used to,
before Jim Trulock's home became notorious in North Texas and across
America.His house, also known as The Cherry Pit, has grabbed headlines
because of what has for years transpired behind its closed doors.
"We're swingers," says Trulock, smiling. "But we're not criminals."
Trulock, 59, and his sweetheart Julie Norris, 30, are avid participants in
what swingers refer to as "the lifestyle," and are overseers of this
controversial party house where men are urged to make "donations" to
defray expenses, women are admitted free, and anything-goes debauchery is
the raison d'C*tre. For more than a decade before the police raids and the
bad publicity, The Cherry Pit would draw 50 to 100 people each weekend; in
the last year alone, it has played host to as many as 7,000 guests.
Trulock contends his slice of this mushrooming subculture is merely a
family hangout where First Amendment rights are exercised in the form of
saucy games such as "Naked Twister."
"We don't push it on anybody. We don't recruit. We teach people who want
to learn," Trulock says. "We're an honest, loving, extended family."
The City of Duncanville, however, is not feeling the love. It sees The
Cherry Pit as an illegal and immoral business gobbling up unreported
income and sullying the neighborhood. City fathers couldn't have been
pleased that The Cherry Pit maintains a Web site that encourages others to
come to Duncanville to join the fun: "We are a group of like-minded
friends who enjoy living the swinging lifestyle. We party on weekends and
enjoy meeting new friends."
In September 2007, acting on a traffic-related complaint from a neighbor,
the Duncanville police visited the house but did not arrest Trulock.
Instead the city posted "No Parking'' signs in front of his home. On
November 6, 2007, the Duncanville City Council enacted an ordinance making
it illegal to operate a "sex club" in a residential area. A month later,
Trulock received the first of five citations, each alleging three distinct
charges: operating an illegal sex club, operating a sexually oriented
business without a license and operating a business in a residentially
zoned area. All 15 offenses were low-grade Class C misdemeanors,
punishable only by fines.
Trulock's lawyers, Ed Klein and Garry Cantrell, wasted no time in
attacking the constitutionality of Duncanville's new sex club ordinance,
filing a civil rights case in state court alleging that the new law
infringed on the free association rights of their client. "These are
people who get together because they want to be with each other," Klein
says. "It's not a business, there is no president or stockholdersbit
doesn't even have registered members."
In May 2008, the city of Duncanville again voiced its disgust with The
Cherry Pit. It amended its sex club ordinance, says Klein, in what
appeared to be an attempt to cure its constitutional shortcomings.
And things were just beginning to heat up.
Two Duncanville police raids, on July 19 and July 22, led to one arrest as
well as the at-gunpoint confiscation of a variety of items inside the
house. Based on an informant's tip, police executed search warrants,
seizing thousands of dollars in "Fun Money'' (vouchers used like arcade
tokens), $815 in real money, volumes of porn and "Cherry Pit business
cards.'' (If it has business cards, isn't it a business?) Authorities also
seized partygoers' cell phones, one man's Viagra pills and a bag of
donation forms. (If the forms say "donation," isn't that what's being
solicited?)
During the July 19 search, the Duncanville police allegedly found an
assortment of tools of the sex trade: A stripper pole. A bondage room.
Unclean mattresses on the floor. Porn. A dance floor. Panties hanging from
the ceiling. A hot tub with an unsavory broth.
Police returned the second time to seize alcohol they had found the first
time but failed to specify in their earlier warrantb582 bottles of liquor.
In the first raid, Norris claims, she received a bruise to her forehead
when she attempted to answer the door as the police broke it down with a
battering ram.
"We tried to play nice,'' says Duncanville City Manager Kent Cagle, noting
that over the last few years, Trulock was visited by the police chief, the
fire chief and a city building official. "They spoke to him, [but] he came
back with a new, even more defiant attitude.''
Cagle is leading the charge against The Cherry Pit and rattles off his
city's well-publicized list of potential allegations against Trulock:
Organized criminal activity, prostitution, narcotics trafficking, money
laundering. He mentions that a home with a septic system is not equipped
to handle a houseful of 100 people and that guests "walk around drunk'' in
the front yard.
"It's 95 percent a legal issue,'' he maintains. "If your neighbor was
raising pigs in a slaughterhouse next door, or running an auto-repair shop
with junkers in the yard next door, they would be in violation. That's
what's happening here, and when they claim they are not a business, they
are not being honest.''
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dallasobserver.com/2008-09-18/news/swingtown/
To respond, write to the author at:
http://www.dallasobserver.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee/?to=1094644
or the editors at
http://www.dallasobserver.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
or comment at bottom of the article
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and The Foundation of NCSF
-
Media Update - September 21, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Pennsylvania Town Says Couple Runs Swingers' Club Inside Church
2. Shrinks: Kinky Sex is a Mental Disorder
3. Duncanville court postpones trial for 'Cherry Pit' swingers club owners
4. Duncanville police arrest co-owner of Cherry Pit swingers club
5. Tribeca S&M palace raided; owner, 'Domina' held on prostitution rapsNational Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
September 21, 2008
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
"Pennsylvania Town Says Couple Runs Swingers' Club Inside Church"
by Todd Connor
Fox News
September 19, 2008
PITTSBURGH - A Pennsylvania couple is fighting to maintain a church they
run from a Huntingdon Township home, which officials say is really a
raunchy swingers club where single men have to pay for access but women
come for free.
John and Kim Ondrik say they worship nature at the Church for Spiritual
Humanism. But midnight mass at the Spiritual Palace is on hold as the Rev.
John and his wife fight for a variance to continue practicing their
religion in a residential area just outside of Pittsburgh.
Opponents of his church, including neighbors and North Huntingdon Township
officials, say what's really behind those closed doors is a club called
the "Swinger's Palace."
Township commissioner Richard Gray said it's been an open secret that a
swingers club has operated out of the two-story house since the 1970s, but
they finally have the evidence to shut it down.
Gray said the dispute is not about church or sex ? it's about having a
business operating in a residentially zoned area.
"The mere fact that they were charging a mandatory fee to get in, in my
opinion, would constitute a business," he said.
An attorney representing John Ondrik told FOX News that members in the
private church give a donation and aren't charged to get inside the
midnight masses, which typically take place on Friday and Saturday nights.
"You have a right to run a church in a residential area not because of
your free exercise rights under the Constitution, but simply because
churches are not primarily commercial," said Bruce Ledewitz, a law
professor at Duquesne University.
Ledewitz said the Ondriks might have a case if they can convince
authorities they're sincere about their religion and that they truly
believe in their church.
But keeping the Palace open might be a tough sell. Its Web site, which was
recently taken offline, showed that couples were charged an admission of
$50 while single men had to pay $75. Single women could attend free of
charge.
Self-described swinger "Dave" said he and his partner paid money to get
into the club. "You didn't get in without paying money. If you didn't pay
your money you were going back out the door."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,425585,00.html
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"Shrinks: Kinky Sex is a Mental Disorder"
by staff writer
MomLogic.com
September 19, 2008
According to doctors, people who engage in kinky sex are just plain nuts.
Find out why --- and what's being done about it.
People who engage in adventurous sex are now being labeled with a "mental
health illness," according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders or DSM. Yup, that's right, the official handbook of
psychiatry has now added kinky sex to its list of mental disorders.
In other words, if you indulge in role-playing, enjoy the feel of hot
candle wax, or use handcuffs (even the furry kind!) you're considered
someone who has a "mental disorder characterized by a preference for or
obsession with unusual sexual practices." The shame!
This isn't the first time the DSM has stirred controversy: Until 1974,
homosexuality was listed as a mental disorder. And now engaging in "wild"
sex which, for some people, that just means "normal," is a sign one has
lost their marbles.
?A group called the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom has launched a
petition to get "BDSM" (bondage, role-playing, punishment, discipline, and
fetishes, just to name a few) out of the DSM. In fact, they published a
paper on the topic here, and invite people to support their endeavor. They
are also asking that APA to base its conclusions on science, not on the
mainstream idea of what's considered "normal."
Why is this so important? If you meet the criteria for a DSM-approved
disorder, it could affect you at the workplace -- and even in child
custody agreements.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.momlogic.com/2008/09/dsm_sex_crazy.php
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or comment at the bottom
of the page
"Duncanville Court Postpones Trial for 'Cherry Pit' Swingers Club Owners"
by Jon Nielsen
The Dallas Morning News (Texas)
September 18, 2008
Duncanville's municipal court postponed a trial date today for the Cherry
Pit owners accused of violating the city's sexually oriented business
ordinance.
The cases will be heard Oct. 27. The original date was set for Monday.
At issue in the municipal court case is about a dozen citations issued to
owners Julie M. Norris, 30, and Jim Trulock, 59, for running the swingers
club out of their home. The city has targeted the home, which sits on a
wooded residential lot on North Cedar Ridge Drive near Interstate 20, for
operating a sexually oriented business without a license and in a
residential neighborhood. City leaders and investigators maintain that the
home is a business because patrons are asked for a donation to attend
weekend and holiday parties.
Further complicating the case are the recent arrests of Mr. Trulock and
Ms. Norris on suspicion of serving alcohol at an unregistered club. The
Class A misdemeanor carries up to a one-year jail sentence or a fine up to
$4,000.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Duncanville police arrest co-owner of Cherry Pit swingers club
by Jon Nielsen
The Dallas Morning News (Texas)
September 17, 2008
Duncanville police arrested the co-owner of a swingers club known as the
Cherry Pit on Wednesday.
The arrest of Julie M. Norris, 30, comes a day before a scheduled pretrial
hearing in the case against the notorious Duncanville sex club. Mrs.
Norris was charged with violating the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code for
operating an unregistered club, a Class A misdemeanor. If convicted, she
can serve up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $4,000.
The co-owner of the Cherry Pit, 59-year-old Jim Trulock, was arrested on
the same charge earlier this month.
Duncanville city officials have said that the couple is illegally
operating an unlicensed club in a residential neighborhood near Interstate
20 and North Cedar Ridge Drive. The City Council issued a ban in November
on sexually oriented businesses, but police documents show parties
continue at the home. City leaders say that patrons to the home are asked
to donate money to get into the home where alcohol is served.
During a pair of July raids at the home, authorities confiscated large
amounts of alcohol and "fun money" used to purchase sex acts.
[continued]
To read this article, go to:The Dallas News
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
"Tribeca S&M Palace raided; owner, 'Domina' Held on Prostitution Raps"
by Barbara Ross, Kerry Burke, and Alison Gendar
The New York Daily News (New York)
September 17, 2008
A Manhattan S&M club that billed itself as the "Leading House of
Domination in NYC" was put out of business Wednesday after the NYPD busted
its manager and seized its business records.
The ladies at the Walker St. club, Rapture, all had "extensive and
rigorous" training in the art of bondage, and customers of the Tribeca
dungeon were whipped and poked by professionals, its advertising claimed.
"Each Domina is uniquely qualified to deliver the fantasy," the club's Web
site boasted.
Rapture promised "immaculately clean" and fully equipped rooms capable of
offering everything from "light play" to "heavy suspension and complex
medical sessions."
The NYPD had received numerous complaints from the club's unamused
neighbors that the third-floor operation was a straight-up house of
prostitution - despite the club's claims to the contrary.
"We do not engage in any form of prostitution whatsoever, so don't even
ask!" the ads claimed.
The NYPD's Manhattan South vice unit busted Collin John Reeve, 35, on
Tuesday for promoting prostitution and collared one of his ladies, Gina
Noto, 21, for prostitution, police said.
Noto, who is studying to become a nurse-practitioner, allegedly offered an
undercover vice cop a "prostate massage" for cash, court records stated.
On the walls of the club were lists of at least 17 dominatrices - and a
list of their special skills.
Whips, chains, hoists and sex toys filled the rooms.
Cops went back to the club Wednesday with a search warrant and seized
Rapture's business and payroll records, said Capt. Steven Braille,
commanding officer for the vice squad.
Braille said the investigation was ongoing and declined to discuss whether
other arrests were pending or whether customers were also under scrutiny.
Reeve's lawyer said his client was no pimp but a war veteran from the 82nd
Airborne Division who was honorably discharged.
"The NYPD does not know the difference between prostitution and freedom of
expression," said Reeve's attorney Salvatore Strazzullo.
"There is nothing on the books that states S&M is illegal," Strazzullo
said.
"The City of New York should know the difference between prostitution and
a perfectly legal S&M dominatrix house," he added.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/09/17/2008-09-17_tribeca_sm_palace_raided_owner_domina_he.html
To respond, write to: the editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or
comment at the bottom of the page
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF
-
Media Update - September 7, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Is North Huntingdon 'church' really disguised sex club?
2. Code enforcement: "Swingers club" in Tampa stays open for now
3. Town officials issue summonses to new adult club
4. Swinging Vegas entrepreneur to get his day in court
5. 1st cruise for swingers to launch
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
September 7, 2008
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1. Is North Huntingdon 'church' really disguised sex club?
2. Code enforcement: "Swingers club" in Tampa stays open for now
3. Town officials issue summonses to new adult club
4. Swinging Vegas entrepreneur to get his day in court
5. 1st cruise for swingers to launch
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Is North Huntingdon 'church' really disguised sex club?
by Norm Vargo
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
September 4, 2008
Has Swingers Palace, an alleged sex club, been operating out of a
residence in North Huntingdon for the past seven years?
That possibility surfaced Tuesday at a hearing of the township zoning
board to consider an appeal of the Rev. John Ondrik and his wife, Kim, for
a special exception to an ordinance to allow them to operate a church out
of a residence at 4500 Turner Valley Road.
Chairman Theodore Wawrzyniak said the board will consider the nearly four
hours of sworn testimony by residents, township Commissioner Richard Gray,
Solicitor Bruce Dice, zoning officer Keith Evers and the Rev. Ondrik.
"A decision to deny or approve the request by the Ondriks will be
announced during the Oct. 7 meeting," Mr. Wawrzyniak said.
Rev. Ondrik, of Fredericktown, Washington County, says he is an ordained
minister of the nondenominational adults-only Church of Spiritual
Humanities, which serves "the People," not God.
Followers must be at least 21 years old to participate in the weekly
service that starts at midnight on Saturdays.
Attorney Samuel S. Pangborn, who represents the couple, says his clients
entered into a lease-to-purchase agreement with owner John M. Walkmeyer
Jr. in February 2001.
On July 16, Mr. Evers cited Mr. Walkmeyer, who resides in the Penns Woods
development, for operating a business out of a residence, a violation of a
township ordinance.
That action came after township officials learned about a Web site
advertisement for Swinger's Palace, owned by "John and Kim" and operating
at the Turner Valley Road address.
"The Web site listed charges of $75 per couple and $50 per single person.
No charge for single women," said township Planning Director Andy Blenko.
"A follow-up investigation by Mr. Evers found the house is not occupied,
but determined that some activity was taking place over weekends. The
investigation determined a business was being run out of the residence. On
July 16, the township notified Mr. Walkmeyer by certified letter that he
was in violation of a township ordinance."
"Rev. Ondrik and his wife did not defend their operation as a church until
after the township sent the letter," he said.
Among 10 exhibits submitted by Mr. Dice was a photo of the Ondriks in
almost transparent undergarments and an ad with a small face shot that, he
said, resembled Rev. Ondrik. The exhibits were copied from the Internet,
Mr. Dice told the board.
"The little picture is not me. These days, you can do wonders with a
computer," Rev. Ondrik said. "The other photo is our wedding picture. It
was taken in Jamaica.
"I'm not operating a sex club. Kim and I maintain a low profile. People
are just scared of us."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08248/909087-59.stm
To respond, go to:
http://biz.post-gazette.com/contact/comments_form.aspx?ID=40
Code enforcement: "Swingers club" in Tampa stays open for now
by Tamara Hill
WTSP TV (Tampa Bay, FL)
September 3, 2008
A hearing today to determine whether the Pleasure Palace is in violation
of Hillsborough County's ordinance regulating sexually oriented businesses
has been postponed. The next hearing is scheduled for October 2nd.
Under the law, an adult entertainment business and its employees must have
licenses to remain open, but county code enforcement says Pleasure Palace
does not. Some code enforcement officials call the business, "a sexual
encounter" and a "swingers club."
The hearing that was set for today was to decide whether the business is
illegal and needs to be shut down. For now, it will remain open.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=88854&catid=58
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Town officials issue summonses to new adult club
by Carolyn James
The Amityville Record (NY)
September 3, 2008
Babylon Town officials issued numerous summonses to the owners of the
Zodiac Lounge in West Babylon last week after they learned that the owners
were operating a ba hot new swingersb and bondage club there. Two weeks
ago, the owners, Felice and Dora Rubino, advertised that they were
offering bLong Island's only fetish and BDSM Clubb night every Thursday,
offering bon premises play, multiple mistresses to satisfy any submissive
desires and Guest Mistresses every week.b
The Club is located at 760 Sunrise Highway, just hundreds of yards from
residential homes, said Town officials. It violates local codes and
ordinances that require that adult-use facilities not be within 1,000 feet
of residential properties.
Tickets were issued to the Rubinos and the Zodiac Lounge Thurs., Aug. 28
for failing to have a proper public assembly permit, and using the
premises in opposition to the permitted use and approved plans. Additional
summonses are expected to be written later this week, said a Town
spokesman.
According to the Lounge's website and email messages sent last week, the
club opened Thurs., Aug. 21 and is open every Thursday night. It includes
a fully-equipped dungeon play area, dance floor and play and friendly
interaction is encouraged.b Patrons are asked to park in a bdiscreet
entrance.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.amityvillerecord.com/news/2008/0827/Front_page/00001.html
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Swinging Vegas entrepreneur to get his day in court
by Joe Schoenmann
The Las Vegas Sun (NV)
September 3, 2008
The courts are going to get a chance to settle the question of whether sex
clubs should be legal in Las Vegas.
At the very least, a judge will be asked to determine whether 39-year-old
swinger David Cooper is right when he says Clark County is out to get him.
The county rejected Cooper's business license application a few months ago
after county investigators said he was operating before he had a license
and had lie on his application.
Cooper and his attorney, Lisa Rasmussen, appealed to the Clark County
Commission on Tuesday, arguing that at least four other swingers clubs
operate in the complex where Cooper had set up Sextasy's Commercial
Center, the oldest mall in Las Vegas, just west of the Maryland
Parkway-East Sahara Avenue intersection.
While arguing against the investigators' findings, Rasmussen made it clear
she thinks Cooper's constitutional rights were violated.
It's an equal protection under the law, 14th Amendment violation, when
all of these other businesses do the same thing,b Rasmussen said.
Deputy District Attorney Rob Warhola responded that bwe do not have to go
after all businesses at once. We can go after them one at a time.
Rasmussen and Cooper vowed to take the matter to court. The overarching
issue, Rasmussen said, is whether sex clubs are legal here.
If the county comes in and shuts down all of the clubs, then the next
issue is the (sex club) ordinance itself,b she said. It's vague and
overbroad and it won't stand up to constitutional scrutiny facially or as
applied.b
A sex club is defined by the county as ban establishment which provides
patrons the opportunity to voluntarily engage in and/or view live
consensual sexual activity and which collects remuneration of any kind,
including entrance fees, facility use fees, gratuities, fees for goods
provided far in excess of their value, and/or donations.b
Hotels could be included in that definition, Rasmussen argued.
Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, whose district includes the Green Door,
has told the Sun that other swingers clubs have been able to keep their
business licenses because the county has yet to catch them bin the act.b
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/sep/03/swinging-vegas-entrepreneur-get-his-day-court/
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
1st cruise for swingers to launch
by Paul Makishima
The Boston Globe (MA)
September 2, 2008
Think "Swingtown" meets "The Love Boat.''
YOLO Cruises, a Florida start-up, is set to launch its first cruise for
swingers April 26.
The seven-day voyage, aboard a chartered Carnival Cruise ship, will depart
from Tampa and head toward the Western Caribbean with port calls in Grand
Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Roatan, Honduras.
Lest you have visions of orgiastic bacchanals sprawled across the Lido
Deck (what would Captain Steubing say?), there are rules to the road.
Nudity will be restricted to pool, spa tub areas, and special themed
parties. Similarly, Acts of Oneness (or twoness or eightness) must be
remain in staterooms or designated "playrooms.'' PDAs are OK; Public
Displays of the Other Kind are discouraged.
"It's not just about sex,'' says Marlene Brustle, president of YOLO, which
stands for You Only Live Once. "We know that some people will just want to
watch.''
Brustle says that this cruise will mark the world's first exclusively for
swingers. YOLO hopes to book 2,000 passengers for the voyage and is
shooting to do three to four a year.
Prices range from $949 for an inside cabin to $3,499 for a penthouse
suite.
Brustle, a 23-year veteran of the travel industry, says she was approached
to start the business by a major investment company, which she declined to
name. She said that the firm had done market research and found that there
was a niche for this kind of business.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.boston.com/travel/blog/2008/09/1st_cruise_for.html
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at the
bottom of the page
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and The Foundation of NCSF
-
Media Update - August 22, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Sex-slave conviction overturned
2. Murder-suicide autopsies: 3 died of gunshot wounds
3. 'Booger Red' Gets Life
4. This swinger feels persecuted
5. Study Suggests Polygamy May Lead To A Longer Life
6. For some, Gitmo interrogation techniques are a real turn-on7. Court overturns conviction of NYC's 'S&M Svengali'
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
August 22, 2008
www.ncsfreedom.org
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant mention
of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or anywhere
in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Sex-slave conviction overturned
by Jeff Lipton
Nassau Herald (Nassau, NY)
August 21, 2008
A federal appeals court last week overturned the conviction of a North
Woodmere man who was sentenced to nine years in prison last September for
the sadomasochistic torture of a woman he met on the Internet.In a 17-page decision on Aug. 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit granted Glenn Marcus, 55, a new trial in the sensational sex-slave
case, which dates to 1998, when he first met the woman online.
Marcus was accused of sexually torturing the now 40-year-old woman, who has
been identified only as "Jodi." He also posted photos of sadomasochistic
acts on a Web site that he forced her to operate eight to 10 hours a day
without compensation between November 1999 and September 2001, according to
prosecutors.
Marcus was living in his parents' North Woodmere home during the time he
carried out what prosecutors described as his "horrific sexual abuses"
-
from 1998, when he met the woman on the Internet, to May 12, 2005, when he
was arrested.
Following a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in February 2007, a jury
of seven men and five women found Marcus guilty of sex trafficking and
forced labor, ruling that he violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(TVPA). District Court Judge Allyne Ross sentenced him to a nine-year prison
term on Sept. 18.
But the three-judge appeals panel ruled last week since a good portion of
the alleged crimes took place before the TVPA was enacted in October 2000,
the conviction against Marcus should be thrown out.
The judges ruled that Marcus's conviction violated the Constitution's Ex
Post Facto clause.
Marcus's attorney, Herald Price Fahringer, who handled the appeal, said his
client was "extremely pleased" with the court decision. He said that Marcus
has been held in jail for about eight months, and Fahringer hopes to get
bail set for him so Marcus can be released until his next trial. The date
for the retrial has not yet been set.
"He's elated over the results of the reversal," Fahringer said of
Marcus. "At least he's not convicted anymore, and a trial means another chance."
Marcus met Jodi in an online chat room devoted to bondage, dominance and
sadomasochism, according to court records, and persuaded her to travel from
her home in the Midwest to Maryland so they could meet, which they did in
October 1998, court documents state. During the visit, Marcus whipped Jodi
and carved the word "slave" on her stomach with a knife.
The slave-master relationship continued, and he punished the woman when she
expressed a desire to leave him in January 2000. Marcus forced her into his
parents' basement in North Woodmere, placed a hood over her head, assaulted
her with hypodermic needles and a knife and then posted these images on his
Web site, authorities said.
In August 2001, when the victim once again asked for her freedom, Marcus
took her to the basement of a Hewlett residence of a female acquaintance,
bashed her head against a metal beam and bound her ankles and wrists to the
ceiling, leaving her there for several hours, prosecutors charged. He then
forced her to have sexual intercourse with him, photos of which he also
posted on the Web site, prosecutors said.
When the woman finally managed to escape, Marcus threatened that if she went
to the authorities, he would send the Web site images of her to her parents
and to newspapers to humiliate her.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20085310
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to the
editors at
http://www.zwire.com/site/blocks/opinion/opinion.cfm?newsid=20085310Murder-suicide autopsies: 3 died of gunshot wounds
by Abby Simons
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Minnesota)
August 21, 2008
Sherburne County officials continued Thursday to interview friends of a
Zimmerman man believed to have killed his wife and a man they met through
an online swingers club and then himself.
An autopsy conducted by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner revealed
Thursday that Gary Heald, 59, shot himself to death and that Deloris
(DeDe) Heald, 56, of Zimmerman also was killed by gunfire. Autopsy results
for Rory Scott Zitur, 47, of Buffalo, have not been released, but
investigators have said that all three were shot to death.
Sherburne County Sheriff's Capt. Don Starry said Thursday that interviews
are still being conducted with those who knew the Healds, and that once
the investigation is complete, more information could be released
regarding Zitur's relationship with the Healds, and the "chat line"
where they met.
"It should be part of the information that comes out," he said. "Though
a lot of that specific stuff had already come out."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/27255444.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_n
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at http://mpls.startribune.com/dynamic/feedback/form.php
'Booger Red' Gets Life
by Casey Knaupp
The Tyler Morning Telegraph (Tyler, Texas)
August 21, 2008
Patrick "Booger Red" Kelly was found guilty Thursday of engaging in
organized criminal activity and sentenced to life in prison for conspiring
with other adults to force two young siblings to have sex with each other
for a paying audience.
A Smith County jury of seven women and five men deliberated for less than
two hours before convicting Kelly, 41, Tyler, of the first-degree felony
for forcing a boy to have sex with his older sister during a doctor skit
at the Mineola Swingers' Club for his financial gain on Aug. 1, 2004.
He was sentenced to the maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10,000
fine by the jury in 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr.'s court after
about 10 minutes of deliberation.
Four of the five child victims in the case also testified. All of them
identified Kelly, whom they know as "Booger Red," as being part of a group
of adults that taught them in "kindergarten" how to perform sex acts and
then forced them to dance and perform for a paying audience at the club.
Kelly testified, denying he sexually abused the children or ever went to
the club. He said he never held "kindergarten" at his house and never
forced them to dance or perform sex acts.
Assistant Smith County District Attorney Joe Murphy said the case boiled
down to who the jurors believed and asked if they believed the children.
He said the defense wanted the jurors to believe a bunch of swingers and a
man named David with a bunch of tattoos, which one of the victims
described as being at the club, as well as the defense expert who didn't
look at all of the evidence in the case.
Murphy said another of the defense's theories was that the case was a
conspiracy with the Texas Ranger, Child Protective Services, the foster
parents, therapists and the children. He said Mineola police did a one-day
investigation and then shut the case.
Murphy said the swingers testified that kids weren't at the club the four
or five nights they were there out of four months it was in operation in
2004. He said the state never said the swingers were there watching the
kids, but he didn't think they were being completely truthful.
Like Kelly, "no one is going to stand up and say yes, I did this," he
said.
According to defense attorney Thad Davidson "We found eight swingers"
that testified that the club was open Friday and Saturday nights and the
only people with keys to the building were Russ and Sherry Adams.
He said one of the rules of the swingers' club was that no children were
ever allowed; it was only consenting adults who were not pedophiles. The
swingers testified they had never seen Kelly before.
Davidson said the only one who did a thorough investigation in the case
and went to Kelly's house was not Kemp, it was CPS Investigator Katy Wady.
She found no evidence that Kelly sexually abused his son or the children
victims in the case, he said.
Davidson said being a Texas Ranger is prestigious, but he was not
qualified as an expert in sexual abuse cases. The techniques Kemp used
when interviewing the children were improper because Ms. Cantrell was in
the room in some of them. The boy said 13 times he didn't know what they
were talking about when questioned.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080821/NEWS08/207324
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bottom of the article
This swinger feels persecuted:
Owner of Sextasy wants license, fights eviction
by Joe Schoenmann
The Las Vegas Sun (Las Vegas, Nevada)
August 21, 2008
David Cooper says he and his wife and their girlfriend have for years been
trying to find a "nice" establishment in which to have group sex with
strangers.
He finally gave up on finding anything "where the walls don't crawl"
and decided to open his own "high-end" swingers club, Sextasy, in the
Commercial Center shopping mall.
The Commercial Center, on Sahara Boulevard just west of Maryland Parkway,
seemed like the right place for it. The valley's oldest strip mall has a
long history of housing controversial, adults-only businesses. For years
it was home to the Apollo, which was known as a meeting place for gay men.
These days the mall has a bar for transsexuals and a phone bank for an
outcall service.
And while it is also home to a nationally praised Thai restaurant, Lotus
of Siam, the Commercial Center's X-rated claim to infamy is the Green
Door, which describes itself online as "the largest sex club in the
country!!!"
But, as with numerous other swingers clubs around the valley, the Green
Door's business license says it's a restaurant, a health club/spa,
everything but a sex club. Sex clubs, you see, are public nuisances,
according to the county code. That means they are illegal.
So Cooper figured he could just go along with the wink-and-a-nod protocol
and in February applied for a business license for a "restaurant" which
he eventually named Sextasy.
Then he encountered what his former lawyer, Allen Lichtenstein, lambasted
as bureaucratic hypocrisy, arbitrary code enforcement and, underlying it
all, the county's wish to get rid of Commercial Center once and for all.
For years the county has talked about its desire to redevelop Commercial
Center, but has had a problem coming up with the money to buy out the
dozens of business owners operating there.
One effective strategy would be to drive down the price by using the power
of the government to get rid of the tenants first, Lichtenstein said.
Lichtenstein said the county early on "made specific overtures to (buy)
specific businesses".
"And that is what's really going on here", he added. "They want
to buy the property".
In February, in fact, the Clark County Commission approved the spending of
up to $7.6 million by the county's redevelopment agency to appraise and
buy three adult-oriented businesses in Commercial Center, then relocate
the businesses and knock down the buildings.
Cooper said he was in meetings with county officials when they offered
tens of thousands of dollars for him to relocate. When the landlords of
the three properties couldn't come to an agreement, the buyout fell
through and the county came after Cooper, he said.
But Lichtenstein and Cooper say the issues go beyond the Commercial Center
and its adult businesses.
At its core, Lichtenstein said, it's a matter of the county's selectively
enforcing its rules when it comes to sex businesses. "They're basically
taking the position that they can decide which ones they will allow and
which ones they won't allow", he said.
Cooper points to recent activity by the county against a fetish club
called Libertine that was located in a strip mall near Pecos and Sunset
roads. The county denied the Libertine its business license in March, and
the district attorney's office followed up in April with a complaint
alleging the Libertine was a sex club. In July, District Court Judge
Valorie Vega ordered the Libertine closed.
County spokesman Dan Kulin said the county is not targeting any business.
"Speaking in general terms, when we find out about something that
shouldn't be going on, we take the appropriate action", he said.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/21/swinger-feels-persecuted/
To respond, write to: the author at
http://www.lasvegassun.com/staff/joe-schoenmann/contact/
Study Suggests Polygamy May Lead To A Longer Life
by staff writers
RedOrbit
August 19, 2008
New research suggests that men from polygamous cultures outlive those from
monogamous ones.
Virpi Lummaa, an ecologist at the University of Sheffield, suggested that
after accounting for socioeconomic differences, men aged over 60 from 140
countries that practice polygamy to varying degrees lived on average 12%
longer than men from 49 mostly monogamous nations.
The research looks to solve the long-standing puzzle of life expectancy in
human biology.
A phenomenon called the grandmother effect seeks to explain why women are
able to live so long after the menopauseunlike nearly all other animals.
Lummaa says for every 10 years a woman survives past the menopause, she
gains two additional grandchildren. It seems that doting on and spoiling
grandchildren aids their survival, as well as furthering some of their
grandmother's genes.
By contrast, men can reproduce well into their 60s and even 70s and 80s,
leading most researchers to assume this explained their longevity.
However, Lummaa and colleague Andy Russell wondered whether other factors
explained the long lifespan of men.
The researchers then compared the lifespan of men from polygamous
countries with those from monogamous nations.The team then scored 189 countries on a monogamy scale of one to four -
totally monogamous to mostly polygamous, taking into account a country's
gross domestic product and average income to minimize the effect of better
nutrition and healthcare in monogamous Western nations.
"Our monogamy score is a crude first stab, and we're working to find
multiple ways to assess marriage patterns", Lummaa said. She also added
that the conclusions could evaporate under further analysis.
The study suggests that if female survival is the main explanation for
male longevity, then monogamous and polygamous men would live for about
the same length of time.
However, it seems that fathering more kids with more wives leads to
increased male longevity. Men, then, live long because they're fertile
well into their grey years.
This could be both a social and genetic explanation.
Men who continue fathering kids into their 60s and 70s could take better
care for their bodies because they have mouths to feed. But evolutionary
forces acting over thousands of years could also select for longer-lived
men in polygamous cultures.
Chris Wilson, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cornell University in
Ithaca, New York, who attended the talk, said the new study is a valid
hypothesis and a good prediction.[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1526594/study_suggests_polygamy_may_lead_to_a_longer_life/
To respond, write to: http://www.redorbit.com/feedback/ or comment
at the bottom of the article.For some, Gitmo interrogation techniques are a real turn-on
by Lisa Rose
New Jersey Star-Ledger
August 18, 2008
It's eerie dark in the exhibition hall at the New Jersey Convention Center
in Edison.
Usually, the room is reserved for trade shows. But this summer weekend,
it's been transformed into a 40,000-square-foot dungeon for sexual
fantasy.
Welcome to The Floating World, three days of suspended reality geared
toward those who explore extremes in carnality. The program encompassed
bondage, sadomasochism and role playing -- including Gitmo-inspired
interrogator/detainee "torture" sessions.
The private event -- no tickets sold at the door, no advertising anywhere
but the Web -- drew nearly 1,000 attendees of every sexual orientation,
from Jersey and beyond. The registration fee for the gathering, which ran
Friday through yesterday, was $125-$190.
The course catalog featured a mix of lectures about relationships and
hands-on safety workshops. There were lessons in whipping, caning, roping,
gagging, punching, burning, biting, spanking and "power flogging."
"Education is really important," says Dan Andersen, director of the
Floating World, a nonprofit event launched last year and named for an
Edo-era Japanese subculture. "If you take your education from the movies,
you're going to do a lot of bad things."
A sign of the times, the course list also included "Interrogation and
Torture Techniques." The class, which outlined how to fetishize Guantanamo
Bay and Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse, was taught by an instructor with a
military background. The core idea of torture play is to integrate topical
imagery as a trigger to boost fear and stimulate endorphins.
"When we're using those references, it's to provoke a reaction,"
says Susan Wright, founder of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and an
author whose latest novel is titled "A Pound of Flesh."
"Anybody who protests us should ask themselves why they are not protesting
the reality of torturing prisoners. We're consenting adults. We might get
in a pool with each other and waterboard somebody, but the person can say,
'No, I don't like this.' They have a safeword." (Prearranged "safewords"
are established as a stop signal.)
Some arrived at the convention center in plain vanilla street clothes,
while others strutted their liberated stuff in body stockings, dog collars
and shoes that could double as daggers. Scattered amid the cars in the
parking lot were carts for "ponies," people saddled and harnessed like
horses.
Classrooms corralled the dungeon, a maze of not-so-comfy chairs, benches
and racks. Keeping watch were 22 dungeon monitors, eight medical techs and
a dozen security guards.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/living-1/12190341269881.o.xml
To respond, go to:
http://www.nj.com/contactus/
Court overturns conviction of NYC's 'S&M Svengali'
by Adam Goldman
Associated Press
August 16, 2008
NEW YORK (AP) - A federal appeals court has overturned the conviction of a
man dubbed the "S&M Svengali" and ordered a retrial in a sensational
case that involved mutilation and humiliation.
Glenn Marcus, 55, was convicted of breaking a law that wasn't in place
when some of the offenses happened, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
said in a decision issued Thursday.
A three-judge panel said Marcus' March 2007 conviction in federal court in
Brooklyn violated the Constitution. The New York man was sentenced to nine
years in prison for abusing a woman he photographed for his Web site,
which reveled in sadomasochism. She was identified only as "Jodi."
Authorities used the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act to prosecute
Marcus for incidents spanning from 1999 to 2001. Marcus' attorneys argued
that the law was applied retroactively, and the appeals court agreed.
Prosecutors claimed Marcus crossed the boundaries of both civilized
society and the S&M community by holding his victim against her will.
The woman met Marcus in 1998 and agreed to be one of his "slaves." He
carved the word "slave" into her abdomen with a knife, shaved her head
and systematically punished her, according to the appellate decision. He also
forced her to write for the Web site while he kept every penny it earned
through advertising and membership fees.
During their last encounter, he beat and whipped her while hanging her
from a beam, then forced her to write about it on the Web site, the
decision said.[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gCNSdAOs-EHVtthtUTStflZHMzsgD92JJSF00
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITORFeedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include yourname (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
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A project of NCSF and the Foundation of NCSF -
Media Update - July 27, 2008
Written by Administrator1. One writer - husband in tow - scopes out the scene at a surreal social club
2. Defense Attorney Asks for New Judge in Upcoming 'Mineola Swingers Club' Trial
3. Dominatrix "sorry" for racing chief orgy row
4. Dominatrix says she regrets filming Mosley sex scene
5. Burlesque queen wins suit over dominatrix
6. Racing chief wins in S&M orgy case
7. Duncanville doesn't want Swingtown image
8. Bondage death garners murder charge
9. Texas swingers club a profitable enterprise, court documents show.NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
One writer - husband in to - scopes out the scene at a surreal socal club
by Erin Mantz
MSNBC
July 29, 2008
The 1970s are over, but some things seem to be making a comeback: lava
lamps, wallpaper, Donna Summer's concert tour and - swingers. The
fascination with "the lifestyle" (as swingers fondly call it) is seeping
into suburban, upper-middle class social scenes. Over drinks and dessert,
discussions once focused on home renovations and restaurant openings are
giving way to talk about wife-swapping and tales of key parties down the
block.
Last month, I attended an end-of-the-elementary-school-year family
barbecue in my woodsy suburban neighborhood outside of Washington, D.C.
Sitting with four other couples as the kids played Wii downstairs, the
parents' conversations turned from second grade teacher reputations and
fourth quarter grades to the rumored "swingers" parties one community
over. Those of us who had heard it before had a twinkle in their eyes.
Those who hadn't heard it were shocked then extremely curious. I swear
every mom and dad's ears perked up and hung on every word; even the most
conservative-seeming mom of the bunch pepped up.
... I got myself an invitation to a swingers club. For one night, I was
told I would have access to the entire club and get introduced to women
who could answer my overriding questions of "why do you do it?" and "how
can you do it?" The mystery began to unravel at every turn, down every
hallway, and in between the many stares and smiles of strangers.
The Tabu Social Club in Catonsville, Md. is tucked behind a nondescript
building and a 7-11, but once you see the blue awning with a fancy "T" you
know you're in the right place. I remember marveling at how their
elaborate black iron gate gave the entryway an almost regal quality. A bit
shaky as I climbed the steps of the building, I braced myself for what I
might find. For all the talk and joking around I had done with friends
about this subject, coming face to face with the lifestyle could be
something else altogether.
Three things struck me about the club atmosphere and clientele: Everyone
seemed to be in a great mood (and this is before the action of the night
began), lots of people seemed to know each other and everyone seemed
pretty relaxed. The owners ran their club like a business, socialized like
a host and hostess would anywhere, and seemed proud to preside over a club
that so many people "in the lifestyle" called home on weekend nights.
As for the swinging and social scene - strange - yes. Sexual - absolutely.
Sleazy? Only a few people who were so scantily dressed my head spun.
Surreal? You bet.
But, on the surface, and behind the scenes, it was all very
well-orchestrated as couples who'd communicated online met up or new ones
greeted others. For the swingers that Saturday night, life seemed pretty
good at the Tabu Social Club. People may not understand it or condone it,
but perhaps they ought to respect the choice. Whether you are a woman
swept up in thinking about the swingers phenomenon or curious to explore
it, the big question on your mind must be this: Why do married women do
it?
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25851876/page/2/
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the bottom of the article
Defense Attorney Asks for New Judge in Upcoming 'Mineola Swingers Club' Trial
by staff writer
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Tyler, TX)
July 28, 2008
The attorney for a defendant charged in the "Mineola Swingers Club" case
wants a new judge to preside over the trial.
Thad Davidson, who represents Patrick "Booger Red" Kelly, has filed a
motion to have 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. recused.
Skeen's "impartiality might reasonably be questioned", the motion said.
In the motion Davidson alleges that Skeen has wrongly turned himself into
a fact-finder by sifting through the state's evidence, that Skeen's
handling of a change of venue motion filed by Davidson was unfair to
himself and his client, and that Skeen was unfair in providing Child
Protective Services records to both defense and prosecuting attorneys.
Davidson is requesting that another trial judge - "preferably from another
county" - be assigned to preside.
If Skeen does not voluntarily recuse himself from the case, another judge
will be appointed to preside over a hearing on the matter and make a final
decision.
Kelly, 41, is set to go on trial on Aug. 4. He is charged with engaging in
organized criminal activity and aggravated assault of a child for
allegedly forcing two young siblings to have sex with each other in 2004.
He faces five years to life in prison for each charge.
He is also charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly destroying
evidence in the case, including costumes the children wore when they
performed for audiences and videotapes of the children performing skits
and having sex with each other. Kelly faces two to 10 years in prison if
convicted of the third-degree felony.
The victims in the Mineola Swingers' Club case - three siblings who are
now a 10-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl and their
9-year-old aunt - all have testified that Kelly and his co-defendants
taught them, beginning at age 5, how to dance and perform sex acts in
"kindergarten", then forced them to dance and have sex with each other in
front of an audience at the Mineola Swingers' Club. The defendants
collected money for the performances but only paid the children with food.
The children were also given "silly pills", or drugs, before they danced
in the club.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080728/NEWS08/398007362
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bottom of the article
Dominatrix "sorry" for racing chief orgy row
by staff writer
Reuters news wire (via The US Daily)
July 26, 2008
LONDON (Reuters) - The woman who filmed motor racing chief Max Mosley
taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy and sold the story to a British
tabloid newspaper has apologized for the trouble it caused.
On Thursday, Mosley, 68, won 60,000 pounds ($119,100) in damages at
London's High Court from the News of the World newspaper for breaching his
privacy by reporting details of a German-themed sex session with five
prostitutes.
The paper's story, which claimed Mosley, son of Britain's 1930s Fascist
leader Oswald Mosley, had taken part in a "sick Nazi orgy" was based on
footage captured by one of the women involved in the sex session, referred
to in court as "Woman E."
In an interview with Sky News, she said there had been no Nazi element and
was sorry for the trouble it had caused Mosley, president of Formula One's
governing body.
"It was never talked about that it was going to be a Nazi scene, we just
had confirmation to say that it was going to be a German prison scenario,"
the self-confessed dominatrix said.
"I can only apologize for what has happened but it's not going to take
back all the damage that has been done."
The woman, a mother-of-two who Sky said was called Michelle, said the
scandal had also forced her husband to quit his job as an agent for
Britain's MI5 security service.
[continued]
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http://www.theusdaily.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=465119&type=Sport
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Dominatrix says she regrets filming Mosley sex scene
by staff writer
AP news wire (via USA Today)
July 25, 2008
LONDON (AP) - A dominatrix who secretly filmed the president of Formula
One's governing body in a sadomasochistic orgy said Friday she regretted
her actions, which she said led to her husband's resignation from MI5,
Britain's domestic spy agency.
The mother of two - known only as Woman E - said she also was sorry for
causing pain to Max Mosley's wife, who was apparently unaware of the
activities.
"No money is worth the sort of trouble and anguish it's caused everybody,"
the woman told Britain's Sky News, saying she was paid $40,000 by the News
of the World to film the sex session. "I have been stupid, naive, and I
wish I'd never done it."
She said her actions had prompted her husband to resign from MI5 where he
had worked as a surveillance officer.
"He actually resigned to save any embarrassment for the service. He
decided that the best thing to do was just be right and resign and save
them any embarrassment," she said.
A British judge ruled Thursday that the tabloid breached the motorsport
chief's privacy with a story claiming that the orgy he took part in had a
Nazi theme. The newspaper now faces a legal bill of almost $2 million
after Judge David Eady ordered it to pay damages and Mosley's legal costs,
as well as its own.
Eady said he found no evidence that Mosley's role playing encounter with
five women was intended to be an enactment of Nazi behavior.
The blonde middle-aged woman told Sky there had been no Nazi overtones,
though Mosley took part in a German prison scenario where other women wore
German uniforms and spoke German. Mosley is the son of the late Oswald
Mosley, Britain's leading fascist politician in the 1930s and a friend of
Adolf Hitler.
"I know for a fact, that it was spoken about, that Max actually found it
quite a turn-on to speak to them in German. He liked the German language.
It was prison uniforms because we were doing a German prison scene. But it
wasn't Nazi," said the woman.
She said she saw the filming for the News of the World as an "opportunity."
"I spoke to my husband. It was going to be more of a joke situation than
anything. I didn't know how big it was going to be. And I certainly didn't
know how big the response would be over Max Mosley and the importance of
him."
She said she knew her actions had caused great damage to Mosley's family.
"I feel really sorry for Mrs. Mosley and her family. It's devastating for
her. She didn't ask for this and I'm very sorry that it came out as it
did. I don't think enough sorries could make up for this. I do feel
responsible."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/formula1/2008-07-25-mosley_N.htm
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http://feedbackforms.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=18
or comment at bottom of article
Burlesque queen wins suit over dominatrix
from wire reports
The Daily Breeze (Los Angeles, CA)
July 25, 2008
Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese and Los Angeles-based dominatrix Cynthia
Butler have settled a lawsuit that gives Von Teese the rights to a 2001
fetish film she starred in called "Slick City."
Von Teese, whose real name is Heather Sweet, claimed Butler stole her half
of the rights to the film and cash. She filed suit in Los Angeles Superior
Court on Jan. 8 and her allegations included fraud and intentional
misrepresentation.
According to a stipulated judgment filed by Butler's lawyer on Wednesday,
"all rights and inventory, including masters of the film `Slick City,"'
will be returned to Von Teese.
Butler's attorney, C. Curtis Edmondson, was not immediately available for
comment.
Keith A. Fink, one of Von Teese's lawyers, said he and his client are
happy with the resolution.
"It didn't take Solomonic wisdom ... to realize they better give back to
Dita all her intellectual property rights to "Slick City," Fink said.
"Just as we stated in our complaint, Dita always owned the rights to
`Slick City' and any claim she relinquished her rights was false."
The resolution is "a victory for Dita as it achieved precisely what we
sought -- Dita again has ownership in the `Slick City' intellectual
property and she got back the masters of the movie all all the `Slick
City' inventory," Fink said.
According to her lawsuit, Von Teese, who also works as a model, agreed to
share profits and split the rights to her film with "Slick City" producer
Bob Zahurak.
After Zahurak died, his widow and other business affiliates of distributor
GwenMedia Inc. assured Von Teese that she would have full ownership of the
film, her court papers said.
Von Teese claimed that Butler, who has also starred in various fetish
films under the name Isabella Sinclaire, told her that she would be taking
Zahurak's estate and GwenMedia to court in an effort to recover past-due
royalties from her films.
But unknown to Von Teese, Butler sought and won the rights to GwenMedia's
entire film library, including "Slick City," and intentionally failed to
inform the court that Von Teese is the true owner of the title, according
to her lawsuit. Under the settlement, any royalty claims Von Teese
maintains she has regarding "Slick City" will be made against Zahurak's
estate and not Butler.
Von Teese, 35, was married to shock rocker Marilyn Manson from 2005-07.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_9997109
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of the article
Racing chief wins in S&M orgy case
AP press wire via The Chicago Sun-Times
July 25, 2008
LONDON -- After the sting of scandal, Max Mosley can feel the balm of
victory.
A British judge ruled Thursday that a tabloid newspaper breached the
motorsport chief's privacy with a story claiming that a sadomasochistic
orgy he took part in had a Nazi theme.
The News of the World faces a legal bill of almost 1 million pounds ($2
million) after the judge ordered it to pay damages and Mosley's legal
costs, as well as its own.
Mosley said the ruling proves that his now-famous interest in
sadomasochism is a purely private matter.
But some legal experts doubt the financial blow to the newspaper will be
large enough to deter the prying of Britain's scandal-hungry tabloid
press.
High Court judge David Eady ruled that Mosley, president of the governing
body that oversees Formula One racing, ''had a reasonable expectation of
privacy in relation to sexual activities (albeit unconventional) carried
on between consenting adults on private property.''
The judge said he had found no evidence that Mosley's role-playing
encounter with five women ''was intended to be an enactment of Nazi
behavior or adoption of any of its attitudes.''
''There was bondage, beating and domination, which seem to be typical of
S&M behavior,'' Eady said.
Mosley's fondness for caning and spanking has become public knowledge
since the News of the World ran a story in March giving details of his
encounters with five dominatrices in a basement flat in London.
Video footage, secretly filmed by one of the women, has been viewed
millions of times on the Internet, and extracts were played during
Mosley's weeklong court hearing against the newspaper this month.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/1074246,CST-NWS-brit25.article
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at bottom
of the article
Duncanville doesn't want Swingtown image
by Brian Allen
Pegasus News (Dallas, TX)
July 24, 2008
DUNCANVILLE - I just finished reading the 19-page affidavit detailing the
charges against The Cherry Pit owners and I'm physically ill. It's more
proof that the image of incredibly gorgeous people having romantic
interludes with no consequences happens only on TV shows.
An informant describes five and six beds put together with couples having
sexual intercourse in plain sight of well- everyone else and a hot tub
with unidentified substances floating on the water.
The only treatment the informant saw for this hot tub was Cherry Pit owner
Jim Trulock skimming the surface with a net and disposing of the
"contents". Yeah, I got ill again just typing that. People that attend
these parties have to sign waivers saying The Cherry Pit is not
responsible for any diseases you may contract.
I pity the person that's gotten to the point that they can't enjoy Friday
night unless they're willing to sign a paper that says "you may get AIDS
if you take another step". The best part? People are paying the club's
owners for these privileges, as the Pit's pulling down a reported $10,000
a month in a residential area. And to think some of us work for a living.
Don't even get me started on the large quantities of liquor and guns
police found in the home Tuesday. Trulock told one party guest there were
"No Trespassing" signs which the club owner said gave him the right to
shoot anyone on the property he didn't approve of. Alcohol, guns and a
misguided sense of justice. I wish I had time to tell you the number of
crime stories that began with those three elements.
I implore the "customers" of The Cherry Pit to think with their brains for
a second. Jim Trulock and Julie Norris are not defending you or your
lifestyle, they're endangering your life.
And hey Jim and Julie, you had a good long run but the jig is clearly up.
I don't know what ruling you will eventually get in court but this
evidence doesn't help. I suspect it's going to be difficult to find a
judge that agrees our constitutional rights include holding swingers'
parties in residential areas. For right now, it doesn't look like you'll
get to party in Duncanville anymore. The smart thing here would be to move
on. Sounds like you can afford it.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/jul/24/duncanville-doesnt-want-swingtown-image/
To respond, write to: comment at the bottom of the article
Bondage death garners murder charge
by John Henson
The Columbia Daily Herald (Columbia, TN)
July 24, 2008
A Jacob's Lane woman has been indicted by the Maury County grand jury for
second-degree murder in connection with the bondage death of her husband,
according to court documents.
Rebecca Bargy, 25, is suspected of tying her husband, James Bargy, 29, as
part of a sex game and abandoning him to die of asphyxiation while she was
away for several hours with a boyfriend, according to Assistant District
Attorney Larry Nickell.
Dr. Thomas Deering, a Nashville medical examiner, testified at a
preliminary hearing that James Bargy could not breathe because of the ball
gag in his mouth and the strap tied to Bargy's neck compressed his jugular
vein, contributing to his death.
Authorities found James Bargy's body on the floor of the couple's home at
4 p.m. April 19. Sheriff's detectives said Rebecca Bargy tied her husband
about 7:30 p.m. the previous day.
In a written statement, Rebecca Bargy wrote she had tried to leave her
husband several times and related an incident last year in which her
husband had eaten rat poison because he didn't want to live any longer.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.c-dh.net/articles/2008/07/24/top_stories/04bondage.txt
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at
the bottom of the article
Texas swingers club a profitable enterprise, court documents show
by Jon Nielsen
KHOU TV (Houston, TX)
July 24, 2008
DUNCANVILLE - The Cherry Pit is more than a weekend hangout for a few
consenting adults.
For the owners of the swingers club, it's a profitable enterprise where
sex, booze and guns collide.
According to court documents released Wednesday, sex parties are held at
the home in the 1300 block of North Cedar Ridge Drive every Friday and
Saturday for 50 to 80 people, or 80 to 100 during special events and
holidays. The documents showed that more than 7,000 people have attended
parties there in the last year and that the owners can earn $10,000 per
month.
Duncanville is trying to shut down the Cherry Pit, which city officials
say is an illegal sexually oriented business. City Manager Kent Cagle has
said that investigators are building a larger case that also includes
charges of organized criminal activity, prostitution, narcotics
trafficking and money laundering.
Cherry Pit's attorney, Ed Klein, said authorities have trumped up the
charges against the Cherry Pit owners - Jim Trulock and Julie M. Norris -
because the city's ordinance last fall targeting the business failed to
shut its doors.
"It's the shotgun approach. They're going to try to allege whatever they
can and see what sticks," said Mr. Klein.
An informant told police that patrons can openly solicit sex acts from
others using "fun money" purchased in a manner similar to buying tokens to
play a game at an amusement park.
So when authorities stormed the sex club last weekend, they found the
expected: a stripper pole, bondage devices and thong underwear draped from
the ceiling.
But what they didn't expect to find was hundreds of bottles of liquor and
a cache of loaded guns.
The stash of liquor and weapons brought in state authorities, prompting a
second raid Tuesday that resulted in the seizure of the liquor.
In the court documents, the informant who attended a party this month
vividly describes a place where patrons walk around in the nude, condoms
are rarely used, bed sheets appear to not be changed and the tepid hot tub
water where sex acts occur isn't chemically treated.
Mr. Trulock, 59, explained to the informant that he has the right to host
private parties in his own home.
"Trulock compared his sexually oriented business to a church group holding
a barbecue and charging a $10 admittance to cover the cost of the food,"
the affidavit said.
Most patrons are usually asked for a $50 donation to attend a party.
Females are usually admitted free, because Mr. Trulock says that single
females attract male attendees.
Patrons also are asked to sign a waiver saying they won't sue the Cherry
Pit over any injuries that occur or any sexually transmitted diseases
contracted.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.khou.com/news/state/stories/khou080724_tnt_swingersclub.87f8cd4b.html
To respond, go to: http://www.khou.com/customerservice/HelpCenter.do
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
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Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
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###
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Media Update - July 7, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Max Mosley Tells Court Sex Video Had No Nazi Elements
2. Baltimore Erotic Arts Festival
3. Swingtown, California Judges Break Rules on Marriage and Civility
4. In Madison, It's Easy to Be Kinky: The Community
5. Stuff so raunchy, it's illegal
6. Porn peddlers guilty
7. I Can't Believe I'm Still Single From Portland to Portland: Episode One
8. What's obscene? Google Could Have an Answer?NCSF Media Updates represent a sampling of recent stories printed in US
newspapers, magazines, and selected websites containing significant
mention of SM-leather-fetish, polyamory, or swing issues and topics.
These stories may be positive, negative, accurate, inaccurate - or
anywhere in between.
NCSF publishes the Updates to provide readers a comprehensive look at what
media outlets are writing about these topics. NCSF permits and encourages
readers to forward these Updates where appropriate.
Max Mosley Tells Court Sex Video Had No Nazi Elements
by Caroline Byrne
Bloomberg News Service
July 7, 2008
Max Mosley, president of Formula One's ruling body, told a London court
today there were no Nazi overtones in excerpts of a sex video he appears
in published by the U.K. News of the World newspaper.
Mosley, 68, is suing the British tabloid for saying he and the women in
the video were dressed as concentration camp guards and prisoners. Mosley
testified on the first day of the trial today in London that there weren't
any Nazi elements during the sadomasochistic sex depicted on the tape.
``Never. Absolutely not,'' Mosley said. ``I can think of few things more
un-erotic than Nazi role play.''
A lawyer for News of the World, Mark Warby, said the story was legitimate
and in the public interest given that whipping or beating a person is a
criminal offense regardless of whether they consent. Mosley said he was
whipped until he bled.
Society ``draws a line at causing people injury for the purpose of sexual
gratification,'' Warby said. ``S&M doesn't promote human dignity,
it
demeans it.''
Just because the sexual activity was behind closed doors doesn't guarantee
it was a private act under the European Convention on Human Rights, Warby
said. Under questioning this afternoon, Mosley agreed that the group were
dressed up as prisoners and that one woman wore a uniform. He denied the
uniform was German military.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=a3hU7Xpd2XxM&refer=germany
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the
editors at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/fbk
Baltimore Erotic Arts Festival
by Daniel Rifkin
Metromix - Baltimore
July 5, 2008
Former porn stars, sex gurus, belly dancers and performers make an
appearance at this event, filled with drag and burlesque shows, orgasm
workshops, fetishism and more. The festival also includes an erotic arts
exhibit at Load Of Fun Studios, running through July.
Friday is dedicated to "before the edge" art: Things that are more
playful, teasing and implicitly sexual. This includes drag and burlesque
shows, as well as body painting and a human buffet. (To clarify, food is
served on humans, not made of humans.)
Saturday, aims to go "after the edge," with events leaning toward more
sexually explicit topics, such as fetishism and BDSM. Special guests such
as bondage and fetish model Klawdya Rothschild, pornography director and
photographer Julie Simone and others will be on hand.
"My goal was not to redraw the boundaries between sexual differences, [or]
decide what belongs [in eroticism] and what doesn't," said festival
sponsor and Load Of Fun Studios curator Suzannah Gerber. "My standpoint
was just to make this festival as erotic and eclectic as possible."
[continued]
To read this article, go to:
http://baltimore.metromix.com/events/performance/baltimore-erotic-arts-festival-station-north/398120/content
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Swingtown, California Judges Break Rules on Marriage and Civility
by Richard Nelson (appears to be opinion, listed as "News")
WKYX AM Paducah KY/WNGO AM Mayfield, KY
July 3, 2008
When CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler said in late 2006 that the
network was "going to throw out the rule book," she wasn't kidding.
In
case anybody was wondering just what rules she was talking about, the wait
is over. On June 5, CBS officially joined the marriage deconstruction
movement when it premiered Swingtown-an edgy sitcom that eviscerates
marriage in our postmodern culture.
Swingtown, named in part for the wife-swapping that occurs, features open
marriage and group sex as normal. Today's cultural elite hope Swingtown,
which also refers to the mid-70s as a watershed when the cultural and
moral tide turned, serves as a catalyst to turn the tide again.
Gay marriage revolutionaries, vangards of marriage deconstruction, claim
they're not attacking marriage but rather just seeking the same freedom
that everyone else has. Perhaps Swingtown could serve as the poster city
for that idea. It's no coincidence that in a scene of a wild July 4th
party, complete with drugs and group sex, one woman extols the grandiosity
of open marriage trying to convince her newfound friend that "opening our
relationship was the best thing that ever happened." Partygoers sang the
National Anthem, and then acted as though lavishing the marital benefits
of one's spouse to another is just as American as apple pie.
Swingtown is made-up. But the legal fiction recently imposed by the
California high court that marriage is whatever you want it to be has real
consequences for our culture. Without the opposite sex requirement of
marriage, there's no longer a logical basis against the number of
participants (polygamy,) open marriage (polyamory), and blood restrictions
(adult incest).
California's Supreme Four steamrolled the democratic process and, along
with it, the self-evident truths that gender differences matter and
contribute to healthy marriage; that children deserve to have their
biological mothers and fathers raising them in the same home; and that
man-woman marriage is foundational to social stability.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.wkyx.com/local-news-details.asp?NewsID=6394
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In Madison, It's Easy to Be Kinky: The Community
by John Mendelssohn
Dane101.com
July 2, 2008
Women wanting to be owned by men occupy only one of innumerable niches in
the world of kink, of course. For every woman who shares Frances's and
Hannah's predilection, there's a man who wants no less avidly to surrender
completely to a woman, or at least be "forced" to put on an item of her
intimate apparel and then cruelly ridiculed for having done so, or one who
wants to be spanked or flogged. There are men who ask only that their
lovers wear seamed stockings and high heels in the bedroom for them, and
others who require girdles, opera gloves, garish red lipstick, and false
eyelashes too, and others who ask that their lovers also regulate their
intake of oxygen. Just as there are women who... are thrilled to be
treated almost like pets, there are other women who delight in slipping
into gleaming latex catsuits and imperiously leading their naked spouses,
forbidden to address them as anything other than Goddess, or at all,
around on leashes.
How, if these people are telling the truth, does it make sense to condemn
as sordid or even pathological their erotic interactions while respecting
the homosexuality of their siblings or neighbors, as every enlightened
person has come to the past 30 years?
Having earlier lived in Iowa and Mexico, among less picturesque locales,
Mistress Jade -- Madison's go-to gal for submissive men whose wives or
girlfriends won't or can't play ball -- came to Madison seven years ago
because Chicago was too big and Madison was where her mother had grown up.
A virgin until age 19, if a scoffer at erotic taboos from earliest
pubescence, she is the co-proprietress, according to her Website, of The
Madison Dungeon, though such a place exists only in imagination. Local
fire and safety law preclude running an establishment in which clients are
routinely tied up; there are zoning laws to consider.
In a typical month, she'll do eight outcall sessions in the homes or motel
rooms of a clientele that, notwithstanding the classic conception of
submissive men as captains of industry yearning to relinquish power,
comprises a vast array of walks of life. "Put them all in the same small
town," she muses, "and only a couple would ever run into each other."
Along with movers and shakers, she also sees Joe Sixpacks who service
furnaces, who recondition carburetors. All they have in common is having
filled out a detailed questionnaire, the details of which Her Nibs
entrusts to an attorney for safekeeping.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dane101.com/current/2008/07/01/in_madison_its_easy_to_be_kinky_the_scene_part_two_of_a_three_part_series
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Stuff so raunchy, it's illegal
by Barry McDonald and John Stagliano (published debate)
Los Angeles Times
June 30, 2008
Barry:
Today's question focuses on whether obscenity laws should continue to
exist in modern American society. To put this question in its proper
perspective, one must understand the relatively narrow scope of these
laws. Under a 1st Amendment test established by the U.S. Supreme Court
known as the Miller test (from the 1973 case Miller vs. California), only
sexually explicit materials that are designed to appeal to a morbid
interest in things sexual and are depicted in an extremely offensive way
-- all as determined by an "average" person of a given community -- can
be
made illegal by obscenity laws. Moreover, even works that meet these
criteria but also possess serious artistic or literary value cannot be
deemed obscene (such as a sex magazine with articles). Finally, works that
qualify for obscene treatment cannot be criminalized in the home (private
possession is legal). It is mainly the public sale, distribution or
exhibition of such materials that can be prohibited.
In short, obscenity laws generally target commercial distributors of
extreme pornography. And even there, obscenity prosecutions are rare
because of the difficulties prosecutors encounter in proving that
materials meet the Miller standards. One study found that materials that
have been deemed obscene by juries or judges usually contain explicit
depictions of sex acts involving human excretion, sex with human corpses
or live animals, acts of incest or violent, forced sex.
Because today's question asks us to assume that such extreme materials are
made without violating any laws (an assumption that would probably falter
in the real world), we must inquire whether even simulated depictions of
such acts should qualify for illegal treatment when they are publicly
distributed or exhibited. In other words, the standard way of putting the
question usually asks: "If no one is harmed by this stuff and someone
wants it, who is the government to say that he or she can't have it?"
John:
It does not matter to you that pornography is now almost exclusively
consumed in the privacy of one's own home. In fact, to me this is not the
issue. The issue is about porn that is "extremely offensive." Some
individuals do not take offense to extreme porn, and those individuals are
protected by the Constitution. No one should be subject to the whims of a
group or "community" that does not like what you look at. And what is
wrong with being extreme? In today's culture, being extreme is revered. It
is the people on the extreme who move the world forward, who experiment
and find new ways of living. Technology has made extreme changes in our
lives. If we are not open-minded to change, we stagnate and wallow in
sanctimonious righteousness about the world.
From a legal standpoint, this comes down to your view of human nature and
society. Is it right, ethical or moral for one group of people to control
the thoughts of another group? Indeed, it is the thoughts that erotic
images arouse in the viewer's mind that those who would assume the power
to control others have a problem with. Just remember that if you would
assume such power, Barry, you personally are responsible for arresting me
because I sold images you didn't like. This is exactly what you allowed to
happen when I was indicted on nine counts of obscenity by the Department
of Justice last April.
Barry, your point is that people must be forced to not think things that
you don't like, and for that you'd have me put in jail. Your comment that
it "seems" to you that viewing images "to obtain sexual pleasure
cannot be
the healthiest way of experiencing sex" seems not a good enough reason to
imprison me for 39 years. In fact, using a proper concept of morality
based on individual rights, it is you and those who would put me in jail
when I did not infringe on anyone's rights who are behaving immorally.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-op-mcdonald-stagliano30-2008jun30,0,2034954.story
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at bottom of article
Porn peddlers guilty:
4 men avoid trial in case of X-rated Web site run out of Pensacola area
by Kris Wernowsky
Pensacola News Journal
June 25, 2008
The final curtain dropped Tuesday on a multimillion-dollar adult
entertainment enterprise B- featuring X-rated movies shot in Pensacola and
Pace - as its key players pleaded guilty in court.
- Clinton Raymond McCowen, 47, of Navarre, also known as Ray Guhn, pleaded
guilty to unlawful financial transactions.
McCowen will be sentenced to from three to five years in state prison.
- Andrew Craft, 40, of Pensacola, and Kevin Patrick Stevens, 38, of
Pensacola each pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering. They face two
to four years in state prison.
- Thomas Dwyer, 41, pleaded guilty to wholesale promotion of obscene
materials.
All four men remain free on bond until their Aug. 11 sentencing hearing
before Circuit Judge Ron Swanson. Each defendant left the courthouse
without comment.
"Ray Guhn Productions" featured a Web site with more than 5,000
subscribers who could view films featuring group sex and other acts for
$30 a month.
The company made $10 million in its five years of operation, prosecutors
said.
The films were made at homes throughout Pensacola and Pace; at least five
hotels in Pensacola; along Interstate 10 and Interstate 110; in wooded
areas and in other public places.
Tuesday's pleas helped attorneys avoid a three-week obscenity trial that
was expected to begin Monday with jury selection at the Santa Rosa County
Courthouse.
Assistant State Attorney Russ Edgar prosecuted the two-year-old case that
began with arrests in summer 2006.
The veteran prosecutor heralded Tuesday's pleas as a major victory against
obscenity in the Panhandle and the state of Florida.
"We have this problem statewide. I hope prosecutors will take our lead and
enforce our law," he said.
But McCowen's attorney thought otherwise.
Altamonte Springs attorney Lawrence Walters, one of McCowen's three
attorneys, is known for representing clients in the adult-entertainment
industry. He said that he doesn't expect Tuesday's outcome to result in
a
rash of charges filed by Florida prosecutors.
"There was no finding of obscenity by a jury," Walters said. "The
majority
of the state attorneys in this state have come to recognize that the
communities don't want publishers sent to jail for sexual expression."
To prove that material is obscene, and not protected by the First
Amendment, it has to fall below the community standards. In this case,
that standard is defined by the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS01/806250347
To respond, write to: the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at
bottom of the article
I Can't Believe I'm Still Single From Portland to Portland: Episode One
by Paul Goebel
TV Squad.com
June 23, 2008
The good thing about this new series is that you know in the first two
minutes whether or not you are the audience the show is looking for. All
you have to do is ask yourself, "Am I interested in seeing a man forced to
go down on a dildo being worn by a dominatrix?" If the answer is yes, keep
reading.
The premise of the show is quite simple. Eric Schaeffer wrote a book about
being single and trying to find love. When he went on his book tour he
decided to make stops along the way, talk to different people about love
and relationships and film it all for this documentary.
The show is rife with too much information. I'm sure Schaeffer finds a lot
of humor in his stories about masturbation and being anally violated but
for me it's sort of like having a friend who you've known for a short
while tell you something personal you never wanted to know, like he enjoys
being anally violated.
Another annoying part of the show are the multiple interviews Eric has
with his longtime dominatrix. I suppose if I had an interest in S&M, I
might like hearing her talk about their activities but while I enjoy many
colors of the sexual rainbow, that particular shade doesn't appeal to me,
Moreover, I don't have much interest in the sexual habits of a guy as
desperate as Eric Schaeffer, therefore those conversations are of no value
to me.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/06/23/i-cant-believe-im-still-single-from-portland-to-portland-epis/
To respond, write to: comment at bottom of article
What's Obscene? Google Could Have an Answer
by Matt Richtel
New York Times
June 23, 2008
Judges and jurors who must decide whether sexually explicit material is
obscene are asked to use a local yardstick: does the material violate
community standards?
That is often a tricky question because there is no simple, concrete way
to gauge a community's tastes and values.
The Internet may be changing that. In a novel approach, the defense in an
obscenity trial in Florida plans to use publicly accessible Google search
data to try to persuade jurors that their neighbors have broader interests
than they might have thought.
In the trial of a pornographic Web site operator, the defense plans to
show that residents of Pensacola are more likely to use Google to search
for terms like "orgy" than for "apple pie" or "watermelon".
The publicly
accessible data is vague in that it does not specify how many people are
searching for the terms, just their relative popularity over time. But the
defense lawyer, Lawrence Walters, is arguing that the evidence is
sufficient to demonstrate that interest in the sexual subjects exceeds
that of more mainstream topics b and that by extension, the sexual
material distributed by his client is not outside the norm.
It is not clear that the approach will succeed. The Florida state
prosecutor in the case, which is scheduled for trial July 1, said the
search data may not be relevant because the volume of Internet searches is
not necessarily an indication of, or proxy for, a community's values.
But the tactic is another example of the value of data collected by
Internet companies like Google, both from a commercial standpoint and as a
window into the thoughts, interests and desires of their users.
"Time and time again you'll have jurors sitting on a jury panel who will
condemn material that they routinely consume in private", said Mr.
Walters, the defense lawyer. Using the Internet data, "we can show how
people really think and feel and act in their own homes, which,
parenthetically, is where this material was intended to be viewed", he
added.
Mr. Walters last week also served Google with a subpoena seeking more
specific search data, including the number of searches for certain sexual
topics done by local residents. A Google spokesman said the company was
reviewing the subpoena.
Mr. Walters is defending Clinton Raymond McCowen, who is facing charges
that he created and distributed obscene material through a Web site based
in Florida. The charges include racketeering and prostitution, but Mr.
Walters said the prosecution's case fundamentally relies on proving that
the material on the site is obscene.
Such cases are a relative rarity this decade. In the last eight years, the
Justice Department has brought roughly 15 obscenity cases that have not
involved child pornography, compared with 75 during the Reagan and first
Bush administrations, according to Jeffrey J. Douglas, chairman emeritus
of the First Amendment Lawyers Association. (There have been hundreds
involving child pornography.) Prosecutions at the state level have
followed a similar arc.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/technology/24obscene.html?hp
To respond, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or comment at bottom of
the article
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types
of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
https://ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Comments to the editor of
this Update may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
###
A project of NCSF and ITCR: The Foundation of NCSF -
NCSF Entertainment Media Update for "Swingtown"
Written by AdministratorNCSF Entertainment Media Update for "Swingtown"
Show Title: Swingtown Episode Title: "Pilot"
Original airdate: June 5, 2008
Series continues: Thursday, 10 pm Network: CBSProduced by: CBS Paramount Television Executive
Producers: Michael Kelley, Allen Poul and Carol BarbeeDescription:
From the program's website - "SWINGTOWN, from the director of 'Big Love' and 'Rome,' traces two generations of friends and neighbors as they forge intimate connections and explore new freedoms during the culturally transformative decade of the 1970s. It portrays the ever-shifting "swing" of the pendulum that reflected the change in America's collective value system -- morally, politically and socially.After moving to an upscale lakeside Chicago suburb in July of 1976, Susan and Bruce Miller must confront temptation in the form of their provocative new neighbors, Tom and Trina Decker, while not abandoning their old friends Janet and Roger Thompson.
As the adult couples evaluate whether to embrace or avoid newfound personal freedoms, the curious Miller and Thompson children begin to discover and assert their own morality and sexual identities as they come of age in a world on the precipice of change. In a shifting social climate -- defined by its music, fashion and style -- everyone in SWINGTOWN is confronted with personal choices, experimentation and varying attitudes."
More info, including clips and the most recent episode of the show,can be found at: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/swingtown/
NCSF Reviewer's Note:
Originally intended for a cable network outlet, Swingtown" has obviously been retooled to meet broadcast standards and withstand certain scrutiny from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Nonetheless, while it shies away from nudity and direct depictions, the show still manages to take a refreshingly positive approach to sexual exploration and freedom. The most adventurous couple of the three featured, the Deckers, is presented as sharing a mutual enjoyment of their open marriage and seem to have a healthy, affectionate relationship.Similarly the Millers, introduced to the swing lifestyle in the first episode, are shown to be in love, but just seeking a little something to rev up their sex life. It's a little difficult to predict where the series will go over the course of its initial 13-episode run, but given how quickly the Millers jump into the action - counter to what most swingers themselves would counsel - there are sure to be complications ahead. While there are likely some consequences to be faced down the line, hopefully the show will maintain the sex-positive tone it exhibited in its premiere episode.
In light of complaints already being registered from media watch groups and religious political extremists, the CBS network and its local affiliates deserve commendation for airing "Swingtown" and should be encouraged to continue its broadcast.
(Reviewed by Lisa Vandever, NCSF Media Committee)
CRITICAL ACTION - GIVE FEEDBACK ON SWINGTOWN TO YOUR
LOCAL CBS AFFILIATE:
Find your station here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/07/31/utility/main517034.shtml
(Hard copy letters are generally more effective, but sending an email is better than nothing.)
ADDITIONAL ACTION - GIVE FEEDBACK ON SWINGTOWN TO THE CBS NETWORK:
CBS Television Network
51 West 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019(While hard copy letters are generally more effective, you can also send a direct email to the network via a form on their website:
http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.shtml
YOU CAN ALSO LEAVE INPUT VIA THE "SWINGTOWN" COMMUNITY MESSAGE
BOARD: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/swingtown/community/
(requires email registration)
HOW TO WRITE VIEWER FEEDBACK
Viewer letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging or polyamory. Your feedback can help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types of practices, and may influence the future decisions of programmers and producers about the entertainment they provide. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the NCSF. For more information and suggestions of points to include in your letter, see: https://ncsfreedom.org/index.php?option=com_keyword&id=182Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM, swinging and polyamory at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Viewer letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging or polyamory.
Your feedback can help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these types of practices, and may influence the future decisions of programmers and producers about the entertainment they provide. These letters help achieve theadvocacy goals of the NCSF.
*** A joint Project of NCSF and The Foundation of NCS
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Media Update - June 13, 2008
Written by Administrator1. People closely divided on swingers' clubWritten on Friday, 13 June 2008 12:51 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 13312 times Read more...
2. Adult Movie Producer Found Guilty In Obscenity Trial
3. Jurors convict adult film producer
4. Upcoming trial will see hours of hard-core fetish pornography
5. Judge suspends L.A. obscenity trial after conceding his website had sexual images -
Media Update - June 5, 2008
Written by Administrator1. DSM controversy could overshadow opportunitiesWritten on Thursday, 05 June 2008 12:11 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 12303 times Read more...
2. Single boomers enjoy sex and do not want to wed: poll
3. Porn Trial Is About More Than Just Smut: Tampa case to test 1970s obscenity standards in an online world
4. Jurors in Max Hardcore porn trial seek clarification
5. Confinement plea deal leaves man 50 days to serve
6. Nudist resort stirs up residents
7. Californians sweep IML 2008 -
Media Update - May 29, 2008
Written by Administrator1. What's "normal" sex? Shrinks seek definition
2. Jurors in Tampa to decide: What is obscene?
3. Obscenity case in court Wednesday
4. Virginia’s attempts to regulate sex and obscenity
5. The Leather Archives and Museum: To protect and serve
6. Duncanville officials bolster sex club ban adopted in response to Cherry Pit case -
Media Update - April 23, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Maury County woman charged with bondage death of husband
2. County Commissioners revoke nightclub's liquor license
3. Larry Flynt: 'The Republicans are more fun, you know'
4. City Shuts Down "Sex Palace"
5. Let's talk about sex
6. The ABCs of sexual orientation
7. IDW Releases "Dominatrix" Collection
8. Success! We love success!
9. Union Street swingers club for sale
10. Sex scandal puts future of Formula One official Max Mosley in doubt
11. Salem dominatrix given probation on prostitution charge -
Media Update - March 30, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Woman may sue over use of likeness
2. Man involved in bondage death due in court
3. Man Gets Life In Child Sex Assault Case
4. Dominatrix Takes Pity on Bear Stearns
5. How many's a crowd?
6. Judge Throws Book at Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Murder
7. Wedded to variety
8. Looking for some fetish footage?
9. Former 'swinger' party host pleads guilty to assault in Portsmouth
10. Dan Savage and The Sexies! -
Media Update - March 3, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Judges refuses to dismiss prostitution charges against Salem woman
2. Hooking Up with the Joneses
3. Internet Pushes Polyamory to Its 'Tipping Point'
4. Contrada warns of trans apocalypse
5. Barely Protesting
6. Spanking Raises Chances of Risky, Deviant Sexual Behavior
7. Death shines light on dangers of sex play
8. S&M, more appear in sex show
9. For Sex Week at Yale, pullout method fails -
Media Update - February 18, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Dominatrix started probe, paper reports
2. Dominatrix reported Bernie Ward, police say
3. Whips and handcuffs anyone?
4. Scanner's Sex Boycott for New York Post Readers
5. Harder
6. County Offers Couple $15,000 to End Suit Over Bondage Site
7. Love Hurts: Sadomasochism's Dangers
8. Sexual Vigilanteism at the 'New York Post'
9. THEY BEAT IT OUT OF ME
10. Victim of near-fatal sex play at bondage club doesn't remember incident
11. The Guy Behind Mask -
Media Update - February 5, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Kinky Sex Makes College Go 'RoundWritten on Tuesday, 05 February 2008 19:11 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 17994 times Read more...
2. 'Censored version' for W & M sex show
3. British Government's Welfare Decision Benefits Polygamists
4. An Open and Shut Marriage
5. Charges dropped against dominatrix
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Media Update - January 27, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Check out the scratching and biting scene at 'Kinky U'Written on Tuesday, 05 February 2008 19:09 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 12133 times Read more...
2. Your pain is my pleasure
3. Kinky Sex, Shocking Death
4. Leather fundraiser combines cookies, BDSM
5. M.A.L. 2008
6. County takes aim at swingers
7. 'Kinky U' promotes sexual awareness in unusual ways -
Media Update - January 7, 2008
Written by Administrator1. Ex-Hedge Fund Manager Hsu To Report To Prison
2. Relax, It's Just Sex(TM)
3. Pinellas Sheriff cracks down on adultery
4. Best and Worst of Sex 2007
5. Christmas, Bondage-Style
6. Woman wants off sex offender site -
Media Update - December 10, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Texas town clamps down on home sex clubWritten on Monday, 10 December 2007 10:24 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 12299 times Read more...
2. Positive changes
3. AdultFriendFinder settles pop-up adware charges
4. 'Exposing' the Folsom Street Fair
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Media Update - December 2, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Guilty plea ends hearing in sex extortion caseWritten on Monday, 10 December 2007 10:21 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 11999 times Read more...
2. Pillow Talk: Everyone should have a fetish
3. Am I A Sex Addict? Are You? -
Media Update - November 12, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Sex school? Class dismissedWritten on Tuesday, 13 November 2007 09:53 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 12784 times Read more...
2. Forget the Pulitzers -- 'The Sexies' Want Your Best Work
3. Sex Toys 101
4. Loyola University pulls student mag's sex issue
5. Sex-Related Injuries
6. A Different Sort of Ball
7. Cheap date -- what to do?
8. The Pleasures and Dangers of Bondage
9. Bob Shell apologizes for photos, not death
10. The Sex Police -
Media Update - October 15, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Magazine's ads effectively stretched the bounds of art
2. Changes in University non-discrimination policy could spark ambiguity
3. Hanging out for the cause
4. Strip club is planned near bondage parlor
5. Trial in sight for Bedford dominatrix case
6. Media, critics get whipped into frenzy by Leather Fest
7. S&M Death Raises Legal Questions
8. Convicted hedge fund exec apologizes
9. Embrace your kink
10. The leather of the land
11. 400,000 people, and no media? -
Media Update - October 1, 2007
Written by Administrator1. My bizarre love triangleWritten on Wednesday, 03 October 2007 04:32 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 13188 times Read more...
2. When Blasphemous Gays Rip into Christians the MSM says Diddly Squat
3. Miller Officers Receive S&M Photos; Boycott to Extend Beyond Sunday's Event
4. Violet Blue wants to spank the SF Weekly at Folsom Street Fair
5. Preacher Caught In Sexually Explicit Chatrooms
6. Queen of kink
7. Catholic Group Threatens Battle With Miller Beer Over Racy Ad
8. Woman accused in dominatrix case appears in court
9. Keep it safe, sane, consensual
10. Dominatrix Submits To City's Wishes
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Media Update - September 17, 2007
Written by Kevin Carlson1. Neighborliness and tolerance? Not in my yardWritten on Monday, 17 September 2007 17:31 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 13977 times Read more...
2. Dominatrix Gets a Political Beating
3. Feds seek to limit sexual images online
4. Alleged dominatrix's lawyer questions basis for search warrant
5. Sadistic Sex "Master" Sentenced in Brooklyn Federal Court
6. Why put all your Eggs in one Basket?
7. Ex-trooper gets jail in nude photos case
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Media Update - September 3, 2007
Written by Kevin Carlson1. Bondage case in final stagesWritten on Tuesday, 04 September 2007 02:54 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 15365 times Read more...
2. A night of S&M ends in death. What happened - and who's responsible?
3. A trial like no other
4. "Mistress Gorgeous" busted for sex crime
5. Swingers sexploits
6. Why Lap Dances In Nashville Are Illegal But Group Sex Isn't -
Media Update - August 14, 2007
Written by Kevin Carlson1. Angelina Jolie Sex Claims ChallengedWritten on Wednesday, 15 August 2007 11:14 in Media Updates Archive Be the first to comment! Read 19036 times Read more...
2. How a mob-run S&M club put your tax dollars to work
3. 'No hanky panky' on beds at Sugar Room, owner says
4. Are Open Marriages More Successful Than Traditional Couplings?
5. Swingers' club gets liquor license
6. Conservative sexual fetishes: A hardcore guide
7. Judge metes out 108-year sentence for sex-slaves crimes
8. Savage Love
9. Two men charged after alleged bondage-pictures incident -
Media Update - June 11, 2007
Written by Kevin Carlson1. Self-proclaimed dominatrix pleads guilty
2. MySpace Blabbing KOs Custody Bid
3. Ex-dominatrix now whipping up laughs
4. Kink in the System
5. Jury convicts man in sex slave case -
Media Update - July 23, 2007
Written by Kevin Carlson1. Greenburgh cop disciplined in dominatrix case gets promotion
2. Judge orders stop to adult activities at Weirton mansion
3. Police say S&M bondage session ended in killing
4. Was Man Beaten by Cops for Assaulting His Girlfriend?
5. Manhattan man accused of trying to meet mom, daughter for sex
6. Slave Contract Ends With Pair In Handcuffs
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Media Update - May 8, 2003
Written by Administrator1. No Sex Please2. Skin Flicks 101: What porn studies profs don't get about sex -
Media Update - May 15, 2003
Written by Administrator1. City officials investigating neighborhood dominatrix2. Inn's liquor license may be revoked3. The gentrification of alternative sex -
Media Update - June 4, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Me, Myself and 'Oh, My!'2. Lakewood fetish club officially closed3. Wine me, dine me, Cat-o'-nine me4. State mixed with S&M, mob5. Slap leather, S&M lovers: 'Thunder' to peal soon6. Possible sex change means new credits on 3rd 'Matrix' -
Media Update - June 12, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Kinkiness has hit the mainstream2. Inn Caters to Lifestyles Trade3. Ryther's accuser now says she made up allegations4. Depraved New World -
Media Update - June 19, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Letters from Leather Camp2. Statement from Michael Martin, Editor-in-Chief of Nerve.com3. Sample letter to send to Nerve.com -
Media Update - July 3, 2003
Written by Administrator1. A Gay Rights Landmark2. Finally, Dignity and Respect - but at Such a Cost3. Sex clubs -- symptoms of deeper trouble4. Judge orders release of state police records -
Media Update - July 11, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Letters to the Editor2. Now What? First in a series on life after Lawrence: untold potential and tough choices3. Decency fuels debate: Investigators who screened adult films say they are illicit -
Media Update - July 17, 2003
Written by Administrator1. N.C. judge declares state sodomy law unconstitutional2. Responsible Non-Monagamists -
Media Update - July 24, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Setting a new standard2. Cops crash sex party3. Zoning Issue: Sex clubs elude county4. Questionable Clubs Targeted For Closure By County5. Owensville upset about new business6. Punishment is the crime in Sue's bet with Mitch7. Storm's Bird calls off bets, ending chance of a spanking -
Media Update - July 11, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Trial puts obscenity standards to the test2. Beyond Gay Marriage: The road to polyamory -
Media Update - August 21, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Leather-bound librarian provided 'sadistic, yet caring' services online2. Locals shocked after police arrest pair in S&M raid3. Swing away! Lifestyles Convention unites wife-swappers, sex-watchers4. Sex and the Student Body5. Rubber MaidsTags: MediaBe the first to comment! Read 15620 times Read more... -
Media Update - August 29, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Dominatrix: I'll whip courts over sex rap2. S&M fans gain pleasure from pain3. N.C. sodomy law still enforced despite ruling on Texas measure4. Two indicted for allegedly distributing obscene materials5. Women on the Edge -
Media Update - September 4, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Drawing line: U.S. renewing its fight against pornography2. The New Swingers -
Media Update - September 18, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Concrete residents debate librarian's lifestyle2. Adult store's future in limbo as challenge stalls in court3. Swingers' club busted4. Violette's compositions have length and depth5. Finding Mapplethorpe's Inner Cindy Sherman -
Media Update - September 25, 2003
Written by Administrator1. OC community objects to alternative sex convention2. Sex Expo In Family Resort?3. Ocean City community objects to alternative sex convention4. O.C. community objects to alternative sex convention -
Media Update - October 2, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Sample Letter to the Editor regarding the Black Rose conference2. Ocean City groups oppose fetish convention set for Nov.3. OC woman plans protest against sex convention4. Event could tarnish resort: Black Rose doesn't fit image5. Furor Mounts Over Sex Expo6. O.C. Woman Plans Protest Against Sex Convention7. Controversy Heats Up In OC Over Sex Convention8. Student bondage club makes comeback at ISU -
Media Update - October 9, 2003
Written by Administrator1. CALL FOR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR2. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PUBLISHED3. Fetish, bondage group drops convention plan4. Resort Sex Expo Canceled?5. Bow Down to CineKink6. Alternative Film Festival Alternatives blossom in the shadow of the NY Film Festival7. Weird But True -
Media Update - October 16, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Rose group says it caused its own trouble2. Kenner sex fetish gathering hits kink3. Fetish event organizers cancel event following Congemi request4. Fetish Convention Won't Happen In Kenner5. Fetishists called, but rooms were tied up6. When Evil Becomes Good7. Littleton case may decide fate of adult-store licensing -
Media Update - October 23, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Kenner police heavy-handed2. Kinkophobia Alert!3. Sherwood's Forest: New Orleans, Louisianna -
Media Update - November 7, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Cuffs receives $94 through GSB Special Allocations2. ISU government funds bondage club3. Weapons charge brought in alleged staged rape4. Police raid ends swingers party -
Media Update - November 26, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Bound for glory? Kroll knows his work's explicit, so please don't call it porn2. S&Mers: Head to Massachusetts!3. Investigators cite inappropriate sexual conduct4. Free Iowa State from Bondage -
Media Update - December 4, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Convicted Utah man likens polygamy to homosexuality2. Controversial librarian's contract not renewed3. L.A. Official: Computer Labels Offensive -
Media Update - December 11, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Just a fantasy in Vernon2. Swingers hit back at city3. Council repeals liquor rules banning sexGay group says rules targeted leather, S&M events4. Erotic exhibit highlights fetish images of women -
Media Update - December 18, 2003
Written by Administrator1. Punishment delivered in obscenity case
2. Pain and pleasure - The stigma over Cuffs hurts community3. "Paddleboro" revisited: Man busted in S&M sting
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Media Update - December 25, 2003
Written by Administrator1. He said she said
2. Pornographer gets 15 years for exploiting teen
3. Union worker loses key court battle in office spanking case
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Media Update - January 1, 2004
Written by Administrator1. How Far Can You Go?
2. Naughty in N'awlins
3. The strange and embarrassing of 2003 in Washington
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Media Update - January 8, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Teen sex sting snares teacher
2. DA: NYC Teacher Arranged S&M Tryst With "Teen"
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Media Update - January 15, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Bondage Unbound
2. Play Time: The Toys of Leather
3. SU investigation puts hold on Cuffs
4. Cuffed: Physical demonstration at a Cuffs meeting raises concerns about student disciplinary violations
5. Parties Where an ID Is the Least of What You Show
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Media Update - January 22, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Slapman Keeps Taking It
2. They Had Reservations
3. Police seek dismissal of suit over raid on swinger party
4. Police seeking dismissal of topless case
5. Slapman Keeps Taking It
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Media Update - February 5, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Hidden Heteros
2. International plea for state of Cuffs
3. Selling Sex And Very Sorry
4. Discount Join Rate: NCSF
5. Dirty Pornos: S! M!
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Media Update - February 12, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Bondage and flogging, pain and love
2. Whip It Good
3. Be mine, and hers, and his
4. Sex Party Organizer Says Business is Improving
5. Opponents warn lawmakers that polygamy will be next
6. New Hampshire man arrested in Net sex sting
7. Janet Kink Stink
8. Bondage and flogging, pain and love
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Media Update - February 19, 2004
Written by Administrator1. EDITORIAL: Cuffs deserves more than unclear case
2. Cuffs fights for BDSM rights
3. Flogging Demonstration Brings Charges
4. Cuffs charged with violation of code
5. Exploring myths of a sexual subculture
6. Cuffs deserves more than unclear case
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Media Update - February 26, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Inside Vegas Swinger Clubs
2. Cuffs' first meeting after suspension has no demonstrations
3. Group wants Cuffs charges dropped
4. It's All About Sex
5. Wife convicted of trying to kill husband during kinky game
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Media Update - March 11, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Dominatrix: No dice on chop confession
2. Bondage Club Stripped Of Flogging Rights
3. University finds Cuffs guilty of assault
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Media Update - March 25, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Fotog Killed Porn Star: DA
2. Allure of exotic fitness programs replaces treadmill regimen
3. Former Frankel aide sentenced in federal court
4. Photograoher Charged With Porn Actress' Slaying
5. Cuffs appeals assault charge guilty ruling
6. Man convicted of strangling his children's mother
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Media Update - April 8, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Club focusing on fringe sexuality denied ECU association
2. Case sparks dialogue about judicial process
3. Judge denies dominatrix's motions to dismiss
4. "Gaypril" Commences With Open Mic
5. Administration wages war on pornography
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Media Update - May 6, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Judge denies Montco woman release from prison
2. Woman accused of operating dominatrix business out of garage
3. SUNY Trustee Takes On Ivory Towers
4. Members of Cuffs fear assault verdict will strain freedoms
5. Photographer faces trial in murder of adult entertainer
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Media Update - May 27, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Court upholds conviction in Cherry Hill dungeon case
2. Leather report: We'll whip you into shape for one of Chicago's wildest weekends
3. Sexual side of G.I. abuse
4. Fetish farm: It's not what you think
5. You wince some, you lose some in Cleveland S&M haus of pain
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Media Update - June 3, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Board of Regents next to receive Cuffs appeal
2. Berkeley religious center flies rainbow flag
3. Fantasies are fine, but be careful about acting on them
4. We've been here all along: Demystifying the power games of BDSM
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Media Update - June 24, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Candidate on hot seat over actress-wife's sex-club allegations
2. God's Madam
3. First Time at the S&M Store
4. 2 charged in spanking of woman
5. Swingers may be slaves to genes
6. Castor feels models murder likely a snuff film gone bad
7. Murder suspect rejects offer of 35-year prison sentence
8. Adult Films Show Another Side of D.C.
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Media Update - July 1, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Sex clubs, voyeurism remain popular, especially among men
2. Hindering case in Montco to proceed
3. Apply Fist Here
4. High court bars Internet porn law enforcement
5. Pursuing the Libido's Dark Side
6. The busy life of Intl. Mr. Leather
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Media Update - July 29, 2004
Written by Administrator1. 11th Circuit upholds Alabama sex toy ban
2. Utah cases challenge whether anti-polygamy laws are constitutional
3. 'Swingers' Club' Lawyer Fails To Get Himself Committed
4. Ready to snap
5. Photographer faces trial over campy Cameron Diaz porn video
6. Cops Probe Condo 'Sex Club'
7. A Swingers Club Owner Files Lawsuit Over Internet Access
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Media Update - August 5, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Judge Awards Ex-Porn Star Custody Of Daughter
2. Death becomes her
3. Salt Lake trio sues for right to polygamist marriage
4. YES: Same-sex unions damage marriage, open door to polygamy
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Media Update - August 12, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Media Update Update!
2. Vuitton Whips S&M Knock-offs
3. Alternative-lifestyle event seeks alternative location
4. Judge Limits Annual Bondage Fest
5. German Xploration, Part 1
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Media Update - August 19, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Savage Love 2.0
2. Just Chokey Dokey
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Media Update - August 26, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Alternative Lifestyle Gets Its Voice
2. Beauty & Submission
3. Where The Republicans Roam
4. Former flower shop owner appeals sex-torture conviction
5. Kinky Condo Scion Sued
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Media Update - September 2, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Cheney's 'anything goes' shocker
2. S&M Dad Ordered to Give up Child
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Media Update - September 9, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Bilotta draws fire for invite to spank
2. Of Lust and the Law
3. Utah High Court Rejects Polygamy Appeal
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Media Update - September 23, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Judge in trial of Southington man is under scrutiny
2. AG candidates debate Utah's 'dirty little secret'
3. E-mails, X-rated photos fill last day of testimony
4. Polygamous Past, Asexual Future?
5. Local sex parties get new attention
6. Sex harassment charge leveled against Maurer
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Media Update - September 30, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Woman accused of lie in porn star's death is released
2. Sex on Tuesday: Inside Nina Hartley
3. Man should tell new girlfriend he's 'polyamorous' now
4. Disciplinary rules changed to be impartial
5. When Evil Becomes Good
6. Folsom Street Fair marks 21 unchained years
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Media Update - October 7, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Same-sex marriage vote raises questions
2. 'Piano Teacher' Author Jelinek Wins Nobel Prize
3. K-State prof charged in ex-wife's slaying
4. Polygamy laws expose our own hypocrisy
5. Corpse-abuse suspect had dark side, Web data reveals
6. In response to sadomasochists
7. Sex case draws opposing views of law
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Media Update - October 15, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Cuffs meeting not tied down by sanctions
2. Banning Gay Marriage 'Would Help Polygamists'
3. This store's a hot topic
4. What Were They Thinking? Nobel Goes to Porn-Writing Phobic
5. Does a moral slippery slope really exist? Judge for yourself
6. Homosexual S&M part of Christianity?
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Media Update - October 21, 2004
Written by Administrator1. The Scoop: an update on the bondage thing
2. Conn. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Claiming Judicial Bias
3. Angelina unbound (at least for now)
4. ISU fetish club appealing school sanctions
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Media Update - October 28, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Cybersex suspect sues the city
2. Couple face charges after nude boat display
3. The Sweetheart of S. and M.
4. Head Cheese
5. Potter's Perseverance Pays Off
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Media Update - November 4, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Gay Marriage Bans Gain Wide Support in 10 States
2. Sex slave, dominatrix claim they are feminists
3. Porn dealer scoffs at feds
4. When Does Art Become Porn?
5. Fetish Photographer's Suit Against Ashcroft Begins In Court
6. This is the manic magic house that Penn built
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Media Update - November 12, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Sex tapes allegedly used in extort bid
2. Accused spanker hospitalized after suicide call
3. Spanking complaints lead to charges against employer
4. Sex on Tuesday: Swinging in the Rain
5. I Wed Thee, and Thee, and Thee
6. Phone Sex Is Better Than Porn
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Media Update - November 18, 2004
Written by Administrator1. Hide and Seek
2. United Church of Christ book house's gay theology tests mainline Protestant limits
3. Court upholds conviction of flower shop owner in sex-torture case
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Media Update - January 27, 2005
Written by Administrator1. Porn star delivers satisfaction in debate
2. Tell Me Where It Hurts
3. Welcome to the dungeon
4. Murray's lawyers want evidence excluded
5. The ties that bind
6. Government loses test of obscenity laws
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Media Update - June 2, 2005
Written by Administrator1. Cuff Love
2. Cops: Man made girl spank him
3. Lurid tale of sex, bondage, torture
4. Judge Orders Sex Club To Shut Down
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Media Update - July 28, 2005
Written by Administrator1. An Online Artist Challenges Obscenity Law
2. N.Y. Panel Refuses to Enjoin Anti-Pornography Statute
3. Judges Uphold Communications Decency Act
4. New York judges refuse to say Internet obscenity law is unconstitutional
5. List of 43 newspapers that printed the AP article
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Media Update - September 9, 2005
Written by Administrator1. Father loses parental rights
2. Mayor poses in bondage gear for magazine /li>
3. Lawrence County treasurer charged with embezzlement
4. San Francisco's gayest week
5. Three Men and a Woman
6. An Artist Who Fights Hard
7. Inside Las Vegas' foot fetish parties
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Media Update - September 15, 2005
Written by Administrator1. Whip it good
2. Probation assigned in mutilation case
3. Man gets 6 years for basement beating death
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Media Update - November 10, 2005
Written by Administrator1. An All-Out Assault On Sexual Content
2. Penis poses problem for Castro store
3. CineKink: S/M at the Movies and The Best of CineKink
4. MSU professors link hunting with sexual violence
5. Enforcement of new web regulations stalls again
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Media Update - January 27, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Dominatrix closing includes dress-up: Prosecutor wears mask, collar during closing
2. Dominatrix defense alleges coercion
3. Porn feeds human trafficking
4. Bondage group looks to become official
5. City to scrutinize legality of sex parties
6. Thoughts for Another Day
7. Residents Want Action Against Club
8. Woman Says City Can't Stop Her Bondage Business
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Media Update - February 3, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Dominatrix scandal rocks a police department
2. Liberty couple charged in beating
3. Dominatrix acquitted of manslaughter
4. 3 city sex clubs may have swung their last swinger
5. Paxton urges viewers to accept polygamy drama
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Media Update - February 10, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Big Bucks for Pain Sluts
2. Protective order denied under 'slavery contract'
3. Bondage Unmasked
4. City Pressures Suspected Swinger Club
5. High Infidelity
6. Group looks for approval
7. FSC Preliminary Injunction Ruling To Be Appealed
8. Greenburgh officer accused of solicting arrested dominatrix
9. Concerns About Sex Club in Fresno
10. Dominatrix: I was bound by rap
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Media Update - March 23, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Is S&M sex with my husband kinky?
2. What's Obscene, Anyway?
3. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Obscenity Case
4. Woman tells of spanking from professor
5. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Online Obscenity Appeal
6. Council targets swinger clubs
7. Supreme Court Affirms Lower Court's Ruling in Nitke Appeal
8. Frazier gets award for lifetime of work
9. $1500 Worth Of Sex Toys Stolen At Convention
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Media Update - May 20, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Sarasota company set up Holmes Beach swingers' bash
2. Police rescue Canadian from sex-slave camp
3. Dominatrix Ava Taurel Drowns In Mexico
4. The Sound of One Hand Slapping
5. Jurors hear of sex "master"
6. Pair admit to beating
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Media Update - May 27, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Adult businesses reach deal with county
2. Mayor battles bid to oust him
3. Miller Beer Supports Consensual Homosexual Violence
4. Girl said she was 19, man testifies at trial
5. Hidden camera investigation: Swingers Next Door
6. Rebecca 'Mystique' Romijn Reveals DominatriX SeX Fantasies
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Media Update - June 3, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Tacoma-area man convicted of exploiting teen girl
2. Jury finds "sex master" guilty
3. The selfishness of connubial communism
4. BDSM as Utopian Society
5. Polygamy allowed 'limited' status
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Media Update - July 2, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Man: Leblanc had sex dungeon at Wolcott Road home
2. Thank You, Sir
3. Sex and the Faithful City
4. Schenectady approves tougher noise rules
5. Theater News: The Sexual Renaissance
6. New Details Given In Dominatrix Case
7. Freaky friday? Depends on your tastes
8. Pride celebration draws crowds, gains citywide support
9. S.F. Pride parade embraces families while keeping identity
10. Trooper accused of advertising ex-wife to face court
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Media Update - August 26, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Keeping Married Sex Hot
2. Whip-wielding sting-along
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Media Update - September 2, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Swing club takes Coopersburg by surprise
2. Swingers' Club Invades Small Local Town
3. "Cyber-Sex" Prosecution Fall-Out
4. Tell Me Why
5. Hearing set on adult entertainment zones
6. Cheater Seeks Cheater
7. Brits Ban Possession of Violent Pornography
8. Carly Simon's greatest, er, hits
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Media Update - September 8, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Coopersburg moves to stop swingers' club
2. Borough Manager: Swingers Can't Stay In Town
3. Angelina Jolie Was A Dominatrix Says Former Lesbian Partner
4. Public Displays of Expression
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Media Update - September 16, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Swinger parties dealt a setback
2. Alternative sexual practices abound among college students
3. Coopersburg to fight swingers club
4. Teacher's Dirty Looks
5. Concerns Raised Over Web Sex Ad Replies
6. Swingers issue airs private lifestyle
7. Sex film "Shortbus" finds distributors world-wide
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Media Update - September 23, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Swingers safe to party at strip club
2. Here comes Folsom!
3. The Craigslist Experiment
4. Swingers law hearing likely
5. Obscenity charges dropped
6. Group seeks to stop partygoers
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Media Update - September 30, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Judge orders stop to private sex club
2. I.D. in 'S&M' Death
3. Word on the street at S.F.'s fetish festival
4. Objects of Desire
5. Coopersburg dries up sex club
6. Neurotic Impact
7. Sex Clubs gain popularity in SWFL
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Media Update - October 7, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Sex club to close its doors in Rahway
2. Desirable Damsels in Distress
3. Man gets 40 to 60 years in prison for kidnapping and raping wife
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Media Update - October 22, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Adult event hits the road in permit flap
2. No Pain, No Gain
3. Polyamory
4. A Friendly Hogtie
5. Vote looms for sex parties
6. SSFC squanders student funding
7. Rural swingers club violates zoning rules, officials say
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Media Update - October 29, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Porn: It's Not Just for Breakfast
2. All dressed up - in latex and dog collars
3. Council moves to limit parties
4. Annual Goth Ball filled with bondage and whips and naughty angels... oh my!
5. Adult club cannot operate
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Media Update - November 5, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Fetishists aren't freaks, (most) readers say
2. Sex, Slaves, and Castration Curiosity
3. Straight, gay, or multiple parents can all raise good kids
4. Fetish ball proves you can't force trauma
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Media Update - November 12, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Hearing tonight in Greenburgh dominatrix case
2. A Farewell to a Foot Slave
3. Weddings Or S&M? Weirton Mansion Offers Both
4. Beyond the Bedroom
5. Extravagasm Fantasy Ball draws sexually expressive eclectic crowd
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Media Update - November 19, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Sexual exploration goes mainstream
2. Spanker's Delight
3. San Francisco Values
4. Swinging with the Cute Couple Next Door
5. Husbands And Wife
6. Fight for your right to be kinky
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Media Update - December 3, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Arousing debate
2. Suspended police officer testifies in harassment case
3. The softer side of S/M
4. Neighborhood Home Transforms Into Swingers' Club On Weekends
5. Holly hill neighbors upset with swingers
6. Wild sex 101
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Media Update - December 10, 2006
Written by Administrator1. I saw Mommy -- or Progenitor A -- kissing Santa Claus
2. Hanover man found guilty in beating
3. Dominatrix says cop offered deal in exchange for fetish performance
4. Party may be over for Coopersburg sex club
5. Prosecutors claim Greenburgh cop crossed the line in the dominatrix case
6. Ivy League: Flagellating females 10
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Media Update - December 31, 2006
Written by Administrator1. Former Capitol Hill staffer's lawsuit over sex blog moves closer to trial
2. When Will Bisexuals Drag Homosexuals out of Polygamy Closet?
3. Cop's lawyer, prosecutor square off at end of dominatrix case
4. Sergeant denies Greenburgh officer had reputation for fetish
5. Knitting for Adults Only
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Media Update - January 7, 2007
Written by Administrator1. City: Cutts St. sex parties aren't allowed
2. Where I Come From
3. NLA distributes donation checks
4. City wants sex parties stopped
5. So long Mom and bye-bye Daddy
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Media Update - January 14, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Ex-armory turns into porn site
2. Porn company buys historic SF armory for $14.5 million
3. I immerse myself in great danger for your entertainment
4. Felonies against trooper from Lower Macungie tossed
5. Fetish Fair, unwelcome in Mansfield, comes to North Shore
6. Defense: Client didn't think anyone would die
7. Portsmouth Police Trying To Curb Swingers' Parties
8. In upside-down S.F., porn is OK in the Mission, but housing isn't
9. Neighbors upset about nearby sex shop
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Media Update - January 21, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Pam Anderson And Tommy Enjoyed S&M Games With Look-A-Like
2. Man Fights To Keep Swingers Home Open
3. Deputy: Man raped wife to film porn video
4. Weirton Officials Say Alternative B & B Violates Code
5. Swinger: Notion of 'orgies' singles him out for code action
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Media Update - January 28, 2007
Written by Administrator1. You're with Me, Leather
2. No welcome mat for adult film studio
3. On the Net, bad judgment can have a long half-life
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Media Update - February 4, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Red light? Green light
2. Porn studio puts city in a kink
3. Panicked professionals fear they were victims of 'swingers'
4. Fetish nation
5. Man convicted of holding Weston woman hostage for eight days
6. Swingers still party, host says 7. Porn director to start shooting here in a week
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Media Update - February 11, 2007
Written by Administrator1. A Neighbor Moves in With Ropes and Shackles, and Some Are Not So Pleased
2. Assault at sex-party site
3. Sick sex case trial set
4. Porn studio says armory filming has begun
5. Sex, Lies, And Videotape In "Swinger" Arrest
6. Roxy gets freaky . . . err, geeky
7. Fire damages 'swingers' house
8. Swingers: Lifestyle More Common Than Most Think
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Media Update - February 18, 2007
Written by Administrator1. A love triangle? Try a hexagon
2. Greenburgh officer involved in dominatrix case fired
3. Hurt So Good
4. 'Sex Slave' Had Own Sicko Site
5. Swinger foe goes online
6. Soccer Moms Of Sexuality
7. Woman admits continued contact in sex slave trial
8. No escape from S&M Svengali, she says
9. Shame may impede swinger-swindle case
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Media Update - February 26, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Swingers' club host pleads not guilty to assault charges
2. Federal trial presents window into world of S&M
3. Dominatrix settles drug charge
4. BDSM: a gentle, firm introduction
5. Bound and Flagged
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Media Update - March 5, 2007
Written by Administrator1. 'S&M Svengali' convicted of abuse but acquitted of obscenity
2. 'S&M' Marriage From Hell
3. Leather in the garden -- just vests, no whips
4. Hard to Swallow
5. Genteel Enclave Puzzles Over Reports of a Dominatrix
6. Students Defy Sex Worker Stigmas
7. Coopersburg ex-official made threats, police say
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Media Update - March 12, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Bondage? "Behavior that is unbecoming of a diplomat"2. Westchester dominatrix says "I'm not guilty of prostitution"3. Albert W. Hsu Arrested For Soliciting, Rape and Abduction of Mistress on Internet Sex Site4. Polyamory: A build-your-own-love kit5. Kink hearing6. Weirton Officials Say Alternative Mansion Must Close7. 'Perv' Sep Up Ex to be Raped -
Media Update - March 19, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Whip Appealed
2. Judge sentences three men for S&M dungeon castrations
3. 'Shakedown Slut' All Smiles
4. Case transferred to tougher court
5. Planning Commission hears Kink.com case
6. Suspect pleads not guilty in swinger-swindle case
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Media Update - April 2, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Greenburgh to pay crack convict to settle suit
2. Charges dropped against owner of Coopersburg eatery
3. Kinks Galore, for All to See
4. The accidental 'friend' finder
5. BDSM and Consent
6. 'Mr. Wonderful' or a monster?
7. 'Submissive' lifestyle at issue in trial
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Media Update - April 9, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Mother in Salem faces charges of prostitution
2. Dominatrix, mom of 2, slapped with charge
3. Court orders review of Shannon evidence
4. Woman sentenced for sexually abusing girl
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Media Update - April 16, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Study: Bondage May Make Men Happier
2. Eva Longoria Likes Her Man To Take Control In Bedroom
3. Bedford dominatrix case delayed for week
4. Bondage pics found in former astronaut's car
5. "Collaring" ceremony educates students about BDSM lifestyle
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Media Update - April 30, 2007
Written by Administrator1. A Disciplined Business
2. The oldest swingers: sex games of Stone Age exposed
3. Dominatrix's lawyer says woman's spirits 'as good as can be'
4. SSIS Question Sex-tion: safe, sane, and sensual sadomasochism
5. Is 'Internet Normal' the New 'Sex Normal'?
6. As time goes by
7. The Cum of Alt Fears
8. Dominatrix sues Greenburgh police for $5M
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Media Update - May 14, 2007
Written by Administrator1. Kinkfest provides a room to romp
2. Ex in a Bind on Bondage Saga
3. Owner plans a campground in full swing
4. Hsu Out on $400K Bond, Into Treatment Program
5. Judge: NYC jury cannot hear that employer was a dominatrix
6. City acts against swingers
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Media Update - June 4, 2007
Written by Administrator1. After civil unions ... polygamy?
2. Jury hears Hillsboro sexual 'slave master' trial Thursday
3. Nude Campground Controversy
4. Portsmouth assault case continued against host of swinger parties
5. Scottsdale concerned Fetish Prom hurts image
6. Judge Upholds Use of Sex Trafficking, Forced Labor Laws in Abuse Conviction