Posted by skyfox
on Tue 9 Dec 08, 7:19 PM to skyfox's blog.
Last year, Sukebe and I did some research on the BDSM scene before visiting Oregon and Washington (USA), and while it did reveal some fruitful results, we did not attend a play party. This year, however, we dug up Seattle BDSM scene gold: we attended the Center for Sex-Positive Culture (CSPC) Pansexual BDSM Play Party and got to talk with an old girlfriend of mine who is in the BDSM scene.
I'll start with my friend as we talked with her before we attended the CSPC Play Party. M. and I dated in high school, and shortly after we broke up, it came out that she was into BDSM, first as a sub for several years but now currently as a Domme. We went over to her house for some tea and lunch, met her sub K. (a delightfully outspoken girl), and talked life and kink. I'll relay my interpretations of our meeting kinkwise and her views on the Seattle scene.
It struck me while corresponding with M. that she was much more formal than most of the people we know around here. In outlining her current relationship, she gave a percentage of switch time in terms of 24/7 D/s maintainence. This could either be an idiosyncracy (she's like that) or a sign of the scene itself. So I asked her about the scene and what we could expect at the CSPC party. K. used to be a member of the CSPC, but let her membership lapse. They don't really attend the public parties, instead preferring to hold and attend private parties (and generally "queer" ones -- what, no pansexual??). Essentially, there are at least two scenes in Seattle, the public scene and the private scene/s. I inquired how one would get involved with the private scene, and basically it was "meet some pro-dommes, go to their parties, meet their friends, and you're in". Here in Scotland, there are also public and private scenes, but there is a lot of overlap (at least in my circle), and so while you might see some people only at public parties, and others only at private parties, there are quire a few you'll see at both. I did not get the same impression from M's description.
I was also delighted to hear about M's level of play. They relayed a story about two roommates who said "we're kinky", and then freaked out when M. put a lot of needles in K's breasts for her birthday. All of us agreed, fur-covered handcuffs do not BDSM make. Some of the stories they shared about their parties, and the appreciation they had for our stories led me to believe that their parties can be quite wild, anything goes. This was confirmed in the CSPC play party, but I'll get to that in a bit.
M and K wanted to hear back what our impressions were of the CSPC party to see if they should attend in the future. They really enjoyed the term "wanky men".
So, the CSPC Pansexual BDSM Play Party. Before going, we had to submit our names to the organisers, who then sent us the directions and the safety/insurance contract we had to sign. The email included not only the rules, but a number of insurance/legal sounding statements that included things like:
| Seattle CSPC wrote: "8. Alcohol is not allowed on the premises and if you come obviouslyunder the influence of alcohol or drugs you will be asked to leave." _______1. I am aware that these events are not shows or adultentertainment. I am attending these events of my own free will and formy own personal interest; I understand I am free to leave at any time. _______2. I am an adult at least 18 years of age, and I understandlegal photo ID showing birth date is required in order to gainadmittance and remain on the premises. _______3. I understand that participants are consenting adults in aprivate situation, conforming to the event Rules and Guidelines, whichare visibly posted at each event. _______7. I am not acting in the capacity of, a member of, or underthe direction of, any law enforcement or postal agency. I am notattending any of these events for the purpose of entrapment or togather information and/or testimony that would lead to (or further thearrest or prosecution of) the organizers of these events, the ownersof the premises, or any individual attending these events. _______8. I am not acting in the capacity of, as a member of, orunder the direction of, any media agency. I will not publish or submit for any kind of publication information, writings, photographs, audiorecordings, video recordings, or any other records of activities regarding these events, without the expressed approval of this organization.
|
etc. Please note the requirements for ID, the need for me to sign my full name as stated on my ID, the contract with initials on each point and the sobriety of the event. Yes, there was no booze. There was, however, chocolate cake and free coffee and pop. A little more formal than we were used to, but then, we're okay with a few rules from time to time. That, and the benefits were quite obvious once we got inside.
The other thing to notice is that there were no rules on play other than safety. Basically, anything except scat was kosher.
The cost was $20, the directions were great, and the staff quite friendly to us newcomers.
Truthfully, I didn't have very high expectations. I expected wanky men and cum covered floors. WRONG!! Instead were a bunch of kinky people, some in jeans, some naked, some in fetish gear, the staff were all volunteers and very friendly in telling the history of the center and how things worked.
Equipment was spectacular. In addition to the expected St. Andrew's crosses and suspension stuff, there were a lot of really nice touches. To begin with, the St. Andrews crosses were crosses on one side, and a square grid fence panel on the other. Often people drapped sheets between the two sides so that the sub tied to the cross didn't have to stare into the eyes of the sub on the other side. Also, nice wooden shoe racks were provided for tops to rest their kit on. And boy, did those Americans sure have kit! Lots of hitty things galore!
Also nice was the banquet of safe play supplies in the medical room: rubber gloves, paper towels, disinfectant, alcohol rubs, the whole nine yards. If cleanliness is next to godliness, than these folks have a line with the Big Guy. Everyone wiped down their equipment after play, no exceptions. Perhaps this is a face thing, not wanting to seem sloppy or a poor top. Perhaps this is a courtesy thing, out of respect for the volunteers and organisers. Or, perhaps, these people actually took responsibility for their own actions and cleaned up after themselves.
As mentioned above, clothing was varied. Most subs were naked or near naked during play, and Dom/mes varied from near naked to jeans to black to leather etc etc etc. Curiously, most of the couples I watched were M/f, though there were several trios. Sofas were scattered throughout the room to provide good viewing of the play, but they were quite innocuous, and the voyeurs polite. There were no wanky men. Only people who really really liked to play.
I won't comment too much on the play, except that one woman said to us, "I'm surprised no one is having sex on the floor. Usually there's always some people having sex on the floor. Must be a quiet night." And one scene in particular that really brought home the spirit of the party for myself.
A trio of young androgenous people came in ahead of us, and quickly set up shop near the patient table in the corner. They really caught my eye, however, because the androgenous female was punching the androgenous male and he was making these lovely UGH sounds, as one would expect from a guy getting punched in the gut. Neither of these two were very big, but the girl really seemed to be laying into the guy. I mean, full. on. punches. to the gut.
For some reason this bothered me. I was entranced, perhaps from his vocalisations, but at the same time, uneasy. As I thought about my uneasiness, I realised that it was simply that from where I stood, I was unable to tell whether this scene was abusive or not, and the only way I could tell it wasn't abusive was the fact that it was happening at the play party. I had no way of telling if the guy enjoyed it, nor what sort of saftey measures the girl was taking, but I trusted them. Once I realised that, it almost crossed my mind to ask about them about it, but they were gone before I had a chance.
So, all in all, I found the Seattle CPSC Pansexual BDSM Play Party quite enjoyable. The crowd was younger (though most of the young uns left early), politer (by which I mean fastidiously clean), and more fun (by which I mean actually laughing during play) than most of the clubs I've been to here. The equipment and playspace was not much more than clubs here, and in fact, most clubs here really provide more kit and a larger variety, but it really was the atmosphere that struck me most. They were supremely organised, whereas organising the BDSM community here is a bit like herding cats. I have no explanation for these differences (location, club, or whatever), but I still felt they were there. In the end, I'm a little ambiguous. I treasured the laidback Scottish scene, and the UK's lack or formalities, and a drink would have been nice, yet I appreciated the freedom that these extra rules brought: "everything but scat". Fair trade? I don't know. But it is worth considering.
If you're going to be going to Seattle and would like to attend the CSPC play party, please plan ahead and check out the Center for Sex Positive Culture webpage. I recommend it.
| 9 Dec 08, 7:31 PM littlenic 5 yrs |
I enjoyed reading that - thank you. It's always nice to see how things are done elsewhere!  Don't hit my maidie! |
| 9 Dec 08, 8:02 PM xmamacassx 5 yrs |
Sounds nearly as interesting as one of your parties! |
| 24 Jul 09, 3:32 PM TheProf UK(BL), 12 yrs  |
A very good write up, and the rules were very close to the set I would use for 'members only' events. Thanks for this. By the way - you did ask permission to do a write up, I hope, having signed the form...... Mike ('The Prof') |
