'Cause God knows there’s no predjudice against BDSM. :rolleyes: Here in “liberal” Massachusetts, same-sex marriage is legal, but consensual S&M and owning sex toys are still illegal and occasionally prosecuted. Maybe you should move here, pool. We don’t even have any BDSM clubs, much less scenes in bars.
No, it didn’t. It briefly described some cock-and-ball torture. I’ve heard it’s pretty painful.
So what counts as “real pain”? :rolleyes:
And I agree that some people who are into BDSM - particularly those who are “in the scene*” as opposed to “bedroom fetishists**” - like to show off and get attention; lots of people do. But the fact that you’ve never seen anyone getting off on “real pain” doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
*part of the larger the BDSM community - social groups, clubs, etc.
** people who aren’t “in the scene” and only express their kink in private
Davis was arraigned on 12 charges: operating a business without a license, keeping a house of prostitution, possession of an item of “self-abuse,” assault and battery of a police officer, and eight counts of possession of a dangerous weapon. The guest was charged with one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The alleged “weapon” was large wooden kitchen spoon. [Please note, despite repeated requests, we do not yet have a copy of the police report–once we get it we will update this statement with the exact wording on the charges.]
Looks like the a lot more was going on than it might at first appear. If the weapons charges are all for sexual things like bondage gear and whatnot I agree thats bullshit, but look at the other charges. No business license, house of prostitution, ASSAULT AND BATTERY OF A POLICE OFFICER. Man this guy is clearly just the victim of prejudice.
Did you read the rest of the article? “The party was private. Guests were… well known by the host. All guests were over 21 years of age. A donation at the door was requested but not required; all monies collected at the door were donations to cover food and rent charges for the space.” It wasn’t a business, much less a house of prostitution: it was a guy inviting a bunch of people he personally knew to a party and asking them to chip in a bit to help cover the costs.
I don’t know what brought the charges of assault and battery of a police officer. Maybe one of the guests really did attack one of the cops, or maybe someone pushed one of the cops back as they tried to enter the building without a warrant: “Neither the host nor any guest at the party saw a warrant at any time, despite repeated requests to see a warrant.” Considering it only two cops to handle it, I doubt things got very violent. “Who were the officers? The detectives were Attleboro police officers Cook and Otrando.”
“On October 10th Ben Davis was found not guilty for the charge of keeping a house of ill fame. The charge of Assault and Battery on a police officer was continued without a finding.”
“On the first charge [keeping a house of ill fame for prostitution], Assistant DA Roger Ferris rested his case after only twenty minutes of testimony from Detective Otrando, who spent most of his time on the bench not able to recall the truth. The judge immediately ruled that I, Benjamin Davis was not guilty of the charge of keeping a house of ill fame.”
“ADA Ferris offered a “Continuance without a finding”; on the charge of Assault and Battery of a police offi cer. Know as a CWAF, this means that there is no criminal record and after six months the charge will be dropped completely. As only one other person witnessed the interaction between the police offi cer and mysel f in the hallway, I feel that this was the best way to handle this charge. I do want to make it clear that there was no assault. The officer was never touched and he made up the charge ten minutes after he entered the space (without a warrant ). There are, in fact, witnesses to him assaulting me. The pretrial testimonies of the two offi cers involved were contradictory on several points.”
I’m not sure if you mean by this that it was investigated and nothing was found or they are still investigating this charge. Either way it doesn’t really prove that the cops had some grudge against the BDSM community. Besides that all your sources seem to be from the BDSM community itself, which sounds like it could be biased. If you have an actual news article lets talk. I don’t really have much emotional investment in this debate though.
The last paragraph I quoted explains what “continued without a finding” means and gives the defendent’s version of the “assault.” I would also like to find an unbiased source, but unfortunately those are the only articles I could find online. It seems that you and I have come to an impasse; when the cops break into a private space without a warrant and arrest adults engaged in consensual activities on charges that are either trumped up or based on outmoded laws, it seems obvious to me that the BDSM community was being persecuted.
The Folsom street fair is all about removing anti gay and anti BDSM prejudices.
How on earth do you define “real” pain?
Some fettishists enjoy pain in forms that many other people consider very real. Needles through delicate flesh, kicks to the bollocks, taser shocks. I will say I certainly find this strange, but these people exist. There are far more people who like their bottoms spanked or their nipples twisted, it is just a range of intensity. Are the BDSM people you have seen just not extreme enough for you, would you have to see someone nail their genitals to a wooden board to believe people can find pain pleasurable.