The University of California, Berkeley recently hosted a BDSM “sex positivity” workshop with the help of a local kink group.
The workshop, titled "Playtime: An Introduction to BDSM as a Feminist Practice,” encouraged students to engage in a "conversation of about power dynamics within sexual pleasure” as a celebration of National Coming Out Day.
Attending students learned about BDSM terminology, how to “get ready for sexual engagement in BDSM,” and how to “communicate and negotiate to have a fun and hot experience.” They were also treated to a demonstration “to introduce [them] to how to play safely.”
The event was made possible by UC Berkeley’s Gender Equity Resource Center, commonly referred to as “GenEq.” GenEq describes itself a campus community center “committed to fostering an inclusive Cal experience for all,” and is an operation of the university’s Centers for Education Justice and Community Engagement, which is a part of Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion.
The conversation was facilitated by Berkeley’s “Wonder Womxn Weekly” and a San Francisco based group called “The Exiles,” which describes itself as “An educational group for women/non-binary/genderqueer/gender variant/intersex people who have a positive, personal interest in BDSM.”
The Exiles website warns visitors that it is a site “intended for women interested in BDSM between women,” asking people not to enter if they are offended by “alternative forms of sexuality and erotica.” The group's next event involves maintaining and “deepening” power dynamics between “D/s” (dominant and submissive) sexual partners when one of the partners is disabled.
The group's website says:
“The Exiles is an inclusive and sex positive space for all people whose gender self-identification is other than male, regardless of level of experience. All such people are welcome, and racism, transphobia, classism, ageism, size discrimination, and other forms of discrimination have no place here.”
The university event description warns that the event is “not a crash course covering every possible aspect of kink,” but claims that it is a “fun, interactive class” that “provides basic safety and community information." The organizers clarify that the event is open to “all who experience life through the lens of woman in body, spirit, identity - past, present, future, and fluid,” and their partners. “QTPOC folks,” or “Queer and Trans People of Color” are specifically encouraged to attend.
Celine Ryan (@celinedryan) is a journalism student living on the central coast of California. She writes about politics, culture, and campus news.