Bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. These are the sexual preferences and behaviors described by the acronym BDSM.
Yes, there are leather, whips, chains, humiliation and pain. But these practices, which have been around for centuries, are a path to opening up a world of self-acceptance, healing and community.
Host Anita Rao learns about this inner world of BDSM from two educators and leaders in the community. Smoky is the co-founder of Obsidian, an organization that creates kinky events and education for people of color in Los Angeles. And Dia Dynasty is a professional dominatrix in New York (check out her previous interview with Embodied here).
Anita also talks with scholar Amber Jamilla Musser about how the concept of “masochism” has evolved over time, including the way that feminists have critiqued and embraced it. Amber is the author of “Sensational Flesh: Race, Power and Masochism” and an English professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Additional thanks to Bodacious Beautee, Phrygian Monk, Allie Eve Knox and Vanessa Carlisle for contributing to this episode!
