BDSM Origins

        
        BDSM is an acronym which stands for “bondage and discipline,” “dominance and submission,” and “sadism and masochism.” People who practice BDSM might like to incorporate pain, dominance, submission, bondage, just some of these things, or all of these things and then some into their sexual practices. Many people who practice BDSM consider it a sexual or cultural identity, though not all do. Some people who practice BDSM incorporate it into their lives 24/7 and into their sex lives 100% of the time, though certainly not all do.

        BDSM’s proponents and practitioners include straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and queer identified people; people from every race and ethnicity; people who may be librarians, school teachers, CEOs of multinational corporations, stockbrokers, or artists; people who are able-bodied and people with disabilities-virtually all types of people.  But where did BDSM originate???

        While that answer to where BDSM get's it's roots is a complex one, I find it fascinating to study and am surprised a majority of those who practice it have no idea nor care.

        The history of BDSM’s origins on a worldwide spectrum isn’t so easy to pin down. Some BDSM historians (yes, that is a real thing) like to attribute it to the ritual flagellation (fancy word for spanking) that started around the ninth century B.C. Others yet like to ascribe the prevalence of kinky play to the Kama Sutra of India, which gives readers a how-to manual on four separate kinds of hitting permissible during lovemaking. 

 

In the 18th century, the Marquis de Sade, a French aristocrat and philosopher became well recognized for his shocking, libertine sexual politics and personal lifestyle. He was more than ahead of his time. The marquis engaged in philosophical discourse around sexuality, and his philosophy, sexual practices, and erotic writings were known to combine the prurient with the sometimes violent. His words and deeds were considered criminal and blasphemous against the Catholic Church, and he would be imprisoned or locked in an insane asylum for 32 years of his life. The words “sadist” and “sadism” come from his name, Sade. Even though we get the name from him the combination of things sexual and violent did not originate with the infamous marquis. Many things sadomasochistic appear in historical studies of the medieval period, although it is doubtful these things arose even there. We need to note also that Sade's way of life does not meet modern BDSM standards of informed consent.
       
          BDSM ideas and imagery have existed on the fringes of Western culture throughout the twentieth century. Robert Bienvenu attributes the origins of modern BDSM to three sources, which he names as "European Fetish" (from 1928), "American Fetish" (from 1934), and "Gay Leather" (from 1950). Another source are the sexual games played in brothels, which go back into the nineteenth century if not earlier. Irving Klaw, during the 1950s and 1960s, produced some of the first commercial film and photography with a BDSM theme (most notably with Bettie Page) and published comics by the now-iconic bondage artists John Willie and Eric Stanton.

              Here in America, we have a more definite origin of the BDSM subculture we find active today. Much of our BDSM practice can be traced back to the gay male leather culture that started around 1939-1945. Men who were soldiers during World War II returned home from a wartime setting and sought that continuation of fraternal camaraderie. The first real leather culture that can be considered formalized as a public group started in early gay motorcycle clubs (They called themselves The Old Guards). It was in this organized leather community where a rich history of tradition, military based protocols, and ritual helped establish the face of what we know as BDSM today. Through the gay leather community’s exploration of kink and BDSM, they paved the road for any that define themselves as kinky in America.

The leather culture still exists and thrives today, though it is not strictly limited to any particular sexuality. Here in the states, Leather in its variety of forms is often regarded in the BDSM culture as the roots from which all things came. With specific groups and gatherings dedicated just to those that live the leather lifestyle, it is easy to see how such a loving community helped others learn safe ways to practice consensual BDSM.

While most that practice leather still uphold those military protocols and traditions, they are only one part to the whole of today’s BDSM population. The lifestyle-like aspect of leather isn’t for everyone. Some people just like to focus on certain kinks and fetishes, while others enjoy BDSM in the bedroom or in a particular set time of play, and more yet like to incorporate the power exchange roles in their everyday relationship. Hand in hand with pansexual groups that welcome any variety of kinkster, there is a place for anyone in the wide welcoming community of BDSM.
 BDSM practitioners around the world can meet and commune with like-minded individuals at events, leather contests, monthly meetings with regional groups and chapters, or in the form of private social groups.
 

 (Side Note:  While looking for pictures to add to the blog I ran across this and HAD to put it in.... BDSM even in comics and with My favorite female superhero... Damn Wonder Woman, you go girl!!)