Slave

Gender

The term slave is gender-independent: slaves can be male or female and of any sexual orientation. In English, if a slave's gender must be indicated, use a phrase like "female slave" or "male slave", or the common compound terms slave-girl or slave-boy. Some male slaves are 'sissified' - i.e., they prefer to be treated in a traditionally feminine manner.

Being Owned

Slave is a term often used to connote a submissive or servile partner in a Mistress/Master-Slave relationship. Such a person could also be a masochist or "bottom" but this is not always the case.

The slave has usually given the right for their owner to exercise authority over them in some sense, within a relationship that may extend to a full time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Connotatively it refers to a person who has surrendered their personal property and freedoms and become the property or chattel of their owner or Master. Strictly speaking, to be a slave, one must be owned but many people searching for an owner will call themselves "slave" as an indication of the position they are hoping to eventually have.

It should be noted that the relationship is strictly consensual, and whether purely symbolic or due to a state of psychological Enslavement, no legal ownership is involved.

Casual Usage and Variation

Some people in a relationship enjoy the psychological impact of calling their partner "slave" or having their partner call them "slave". Such usage is not by itself an indication that they are a slave any more than calling a partner 'bitch' indicates that they are a female dog.

Many matchmaking web sites will encourage the usage of the term 'slave' for someone who is currently single and looking for a partner. Strictly speaking, this is an indication that the person has the orientation of a slave and is interested in being enslaved, or in acting the role of slave and is not an indication that they are currently owned.

The term "slave" is widely used, as it has a certain self-affirming weight. The difference between submissive and slave is the degree of submission. There is considerable debate over the exact definition of ""slave"".

Contracts

Some people draw up "slave contracts" that define the relationship, but these usually have no legal weight and are not intended to be used in court.

After signing a slave contract, many people celebrate the commitment with a "collaring ceremony", which can be simple or elaborate and friends are usually invited. The slave then wears a "collar", which symbolizes their status. The collar may be an actual piece of neckwear, or may be a bracelet or other piece of jewelry that symbolizes their slavery. Some collars are not removed until the relationship is disolved, although some slaves have a "formal" and a "subdued" collar for work and vanilla situations.

External Links

So you want to be a slave: the Realities
Could you be a slave, owned, property?
Slavery: Remarks and Definitions, a cultural look at slavery in general
www.slaveregister.com A website where you can register your ownership of a slave (needless to say this is consentual slavery).