I feel slightly inappropriate today. I turn up to work looking like Bettie Page and discover it’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. But where exactly does BDSM sit in relation to feminism? To the uninitiated, it may look like any woman who takes the submissive role in BDSM play is in no position to refer to herself as a feminist. However, there is a huge difference in the sort of thing that Bettie et al got up to and that which the United Nations seeks to eliminate. BDSM should always be “safe, sane and consensual”, whereas the UN is calling for an end to the likes of rape, domestic violence, sex trafficking, so-called “honour” crimes and female genital mutilation/cutting. There is no consent in these cases, just horrific unnessary violence. Some people may suggest that images of BDSM activities promote violence towards women, just as they claim that pornography encourages rape, but surely it’s only the extremely hardcore and difficult to find examples that could even possibly be considered to support this theory? In addition, I think you’ll find that the majority of porn ‘users’ do not have even the slightest urge to force themselves on another human being, either before or after watching anything that claims to depict that. Hmm, I think more research and a longer article from me beckons on this subject…
An end to violence?
Well, of *course* BDSM encourages violence against women. You know as well as I do that all sex is an act of violence. It's a tool of the patriarchy. Only men actually enjoy it. Bastards.
*cough*
I mean, well said.
Of course, BDSM doesn't always have the woman in the 'bottom' position… some friends of mine prefer the woman on top, so to speak.
There's the thought that of course women should be free to be what they want – and some of them want to wear lipstick, knit jumpers and put themselves under the 'protection' of vampiric men a la Twilight. Very odd. But then, who said human beings were logical?
I never really got the whole BDSM thing, despite reading bitchy jones excellent blog. Maybe I am just too straight but I have witnessed appalling violence to women, well young girls really, in my many travels. And you know what it never mattered to the world about having an international day protesting it. The violence was a side show to an economic upheaval that held far more importance to the world. It would be easy to say someone like me should have taken a stand but there are times when you can't do anything. This was one.