Expert: Robert Rubel - 2/15/2010

Question
I am writing a paper for school.  I would appreciate if I could use this information in my paper and if so what would you like to be referred as (user name) for my work cited page.   Thanks

Why and what made you want to try something of the BDSM subculture?

What religion are most people in the BDSM subculture?

What could one experience for their first time in any part of BDSM and what was yours first time experience?

Is their anything other information that you could share with people that will read this that never heard of BDSM?

Answer
Hey, Derek,

What grade in school or what year of college are you in?  What course are you taking that requires this paper?

In a general sense, your questions are too broad to be answered.

#1) I became interested in exploring the BDSM/kink community after seeing porn pictures of women tied up, etc.

#2) While there is no official research study about religion and kinksters, my sense is that a substantial portion are "spiritual" as opposed to being part of an organized religion

#3a) The most universal experience people have when exposed to this subculture is to feel as though they finally found a "home" in this world.  They finally found others who shared their sexual interests.

#3b) My first experience = a "play party."  First reaction = astonishment that there was an actual subculture of people out there doing this.  Party had about 100 ppl.  Lots of spanking/flogging, etc.

#4) The world of kink is very, very large and varied.  Until you've spent a couple of years in this "parallel universe" and gone to lots of weekend educational conferences, you haven't a clue what it's about.  It takes a couple of years before you can actually begin to understand the breadth and depth of this subculture.  

I'd share: do some Internet research into BDSM and "Leather."  The Leather subculture (to which I belong) started out as a Gay subculture and has different rules and traditions from the heterosexual "BDSM" subculture.  The Leather subculture is "deeper" and has a different ethical base than the "BDSM" subculture.

You can cite me as Robert J. Rubel, PhD, author of a 4-book series on Master/slave relations and other kink-related books and also a national presenter about things kinky.

Bob