October: Playing With Power: Anarchist Approaches to BDSM

This month, we’ll have a facilitated discussion of what it means to practice BDSM as an anarchist. On the one hand, we have anti-BDSM arguments proclaiming that any type of BDSM play gives legitimacy to domination and submission as models for human relationships, and on the other, we have BDSM players who assert that anything they do and say is absolved by the fact that it turns them on. Some celebrate BDSM as a way to play with power, turning it on its head and perverting it for our own pleasure; other kinky folk are staunchly opposed to the idea of BDSM as merely “play,” and see “dominance” or “submission” as deep, constant aspects of their personality. If we are anti-hierarchical, can we also engage in (or support) relationships that are rooted in hierarchical models? Where do we draw the lines, if there are any to be drawn? We’ll look at a bit of BDSM and leather history, touch on the second-wave feminist backlash against BDSM in the 1980s, and identify specifically anarchist arguments against BDSM as a practice and as a subculture—and we’ll round it out with a discussion of concepts like “consent” and “play,” to see how these elements might help us make sense of What It Is That We Do.

Thursday, October 29
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

September: Negotiation and Sex Parties

Curious about sex parties, but don’t know what to expect? Interested in playing with someone new, but not sure how to negotiate what you want — and what you don’t want? Feel like you’d be too shy to approach someone at a party, or worried that you’ll say or do the wrong thing? Join us for a facilitated discussion of negotiation and sex parties: how to talk about sex, kinks, boundaries, safewords, and more with someone you’ve just met or someone you’ve known for years. We’ll talk about different types of sex and play parties and their rules; how to approach (and how not to approach) someone you’d like to play with; why knowing your own boundaries is crucial; for BDSM play, different types of safewords you might use; and more. We’ll have practice scenario roleplays for folks to participate in or just to watch, and will round out the evening by talking about ideas for our own party (hopefully to be held next month).

Thursday, September 24
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

August Anarkink Meeting

The next Anarkink meeting will be an open discussion of…whatever you want to talk about. This meeting will likely include a discussion of what we would like Anarkink to be and become, so this is a good chance to get involved if you’ve been curious but haven’t come to the group yet — help us make something that you want to be a part of!

Thursday, August 27
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

July Anarkink Meeting: Show & Tell

July’s Anarkink meeting will feature kinky show & tell — bring your favorite toys (bought, repurposed, or homemade) and stories to share with the class.

Thursday, July 30
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

June Anarkink Meeting: Canes!

June’s topic is canes — how to make them, and maybe (if we have some volunteers) how to use them. We’ll have pre-soaked, stretched, and dried rattan cane ready for us to polish and finish into lovely toys to take home. (Or bring your own materials.) Good, thwacky fun to be had by all.

Thursday, June 25
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

May Anarkink Meeting

Come join us for the next Anarkink meeting:

Thursday, May 28
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

March Anarkink Meeting

The next Anarkink meeting is coming up soon:

Thursday, March 26
8-10pm
at the Long Haul Infoshop
3124 Shattuck Avenue / Woolsey in Berkeley (2 blocks from Ashby BART)

The space is wheelchair accessible and there is an accessible, gender-neutral bathroom.

The plan is to watch SICK: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist, if we can get a copy of the film in time…

March 14: Wild Bondage at screwup

Something else to do on Saturday night before the Anarkink party…screwup is totally rad, and I wish I could go to this workshop!

Wild Rope – Bondage Techniques from the Great Outdoors!
Saturday, March 14, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Femina Potens, 2199 Market Street (at Sanchez Street), San Francisco

Rae will be offering this hand-on demo of wilderness rescue and all of its delightfully kinky applications.

Wilderness rescue has it all – from simple restraints for individual body parts to full-body immobilization and suspension techniques, wilderness rescue techniques are perfect for kink. The goals in “packaging” a patient for evacuation match with our goals for play – immobilize part or all of a body; maintain use of or access to other body parts; package the person tightly enough that they can’t move (or escape); and maintain circulation and comfort while keeping the bondage in place for hours on end. Rescue mixes rope and medical play and gives great opportunities for gear improvisation, humor, water sports, suspension, group scenes, and, of course, outdoors play.

Come learn, hands-on.

Screwup is for trannies, genderqueers, and our friends. This event is open to all genders and will be held at Femina Potens. Folks sometimes go out for coffee or food afterwards, so come prepared…

$0-5 donation will be accepted to cover the cost of supplies and flyers. No one turned away. Femina Potens is wheelchair accessible except for the gender-neutral bathroom.

Anarkink Party Details

The Anarkink party is just around the corner — if you’d like to volunteer or sign up to perform a demo, email subversivesub@gmail.com.

February Meeting

The February Anarkink meeting will consist of general hanging out, the telling of debauched tales, discussion of all things kinky, and a very small amount of planning for the anarchist bookfair and related goings-on. (Please bring a few bucks to donate to the space if you can, but it’s not necessary.)

Thursday, February 26
8-10pm
Niebyl-Proctor Marxist Library
6501 Telegraph in Oakland

**NOTE: The space is on the ground floor, but there is a short step up to get into the building. Some wheelchair-users may be able to make it, but others may not. We apologize for this and are searching for a fully-accessible space.**