NEW YORK — According to the Associated Press, the kink community lashed out at comments from former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. He claimed the alleged violence was “role-playing and other consensual sexual activity.”
As always happens, anything that even hints at kink got the mainstream press circling, but the article did, repeatedly, say that without consent, what has been alleged is assault.
From the AP:
The Schneiderman story was the topic of conversation on various online communities on social media and blogs devoted to the subculture of BDSM.
A Seattle dominatrix named Mistress Matisse called any non-negotiated encounter “ABUSE. End of story.” Others expressed hope that it would increase public understanding of BDSM and help highlight the distinction between its traditions and non-consensual violence.
Ronan Farrow, co-author of the New Yorker story that first revealed the allegations against Schneiderman, told CNN that the accusers made clear “that this was not role-playing, that this was not ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’ It wasn’t in a gray area at all.”
Ej Dickson, an editor with MensHealth.com who writes often about dating and sex, wrote Tuesday that the kink community “puts a premium on consent.”
“It is one of the very basic tenets of BDSM,” she wrote. “Often, sex acts will be negotiated beforehand in the form of contracts, and either way, anyone practicing BDSM responsibly will implement a ‘safe word’ to make it clear if they are uncomfortable with anything happening.”
The article still made mention of Fifty Shades of Gray, but at least they’re trying to get better.
