LadyBadger
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: NCSF Media Update - February 10, 2005
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:44:47 -0500
From: Keith (Spinoza) Richie <[email protected]>
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom -- Media Update
February 10, 2005
http://www.ncsfreedom.org
media @ ncsfreedom.org
* ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ *
1. Stephen Elliott's Journey from Sadomasochism to Stanford
2. Tied Up With Friends
3. Polyamory & Children
* ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ *
Stephen Elliott's Journey from Sadomasochism to Stanford
by Matt Werner
The Daily Californian
February 10, 2005
"Everybody has a hard childhood," said local author Stephen Elliott in
an interview with The Daily Californian, but few have had a childhood
quite like Elliott's. From growing up in abusive state-run group homes
in Illinois to driving cabs in high school, to being a stripper out of
college, Elliotts journey to become an author has been quite a
remarkable one.
"Happy Baby", recently released in paperback, merited praise by "The New
York Times Book Review" as "surely the most intelligent and beautiful
book ever written about juvenile detention centers, sadomasochism and
drugs."
Honesty is indeed a hallmark of Elliott's work. When asked about his
writing about doing drugs and practicing S&M, Elliott responded, "It
makes me just much more comfortable being open. People can't hurt your
feelings by finding things out about you if you just put it all out
there. And what you find too, when you write about doing drugs or having
weird sexual encounters with bizarre women and putting yourself in
dangerous situations: nobody cares, nobody is really going to think
badly of you."
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=17581
To respond, write to: the author at arts @ dailycal.org or the editors
at opinion @ dailycal.org
* ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ *
Tied Up With Friends
by Irene Messina
Tucson Weekly
February 9, 2005
When you think of the terms bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism,
you probably don't think of your neighbor, your doctor or your
accountant. You might think of people on some HBO special filmed in a
far-away town.
Think again.
Meet the members of a local social club called Desert Dominion.
Desert Dominion is a 140-member club formed about five years ago.
Members must be 18 or older and can be any sexual orientation, race,
creed or religion. What brings them together: They all enjoy various
kinks (legal activities involving consenting adults). The group has a
clubhouse, board, committee chairs and bylaws; it even pays taxes.
Members must sign terms of agreement and pay dues. They also sponsor the
Southwest Fetish Ball, which was held Jan. 22.
Member Dawn explains the terminology. "Bondage and discipline is for
people who like to be tied up. Dominance and submission is something
that happens on a mental level. You can be in a (dominant/submissive)
relationship without physical happenings."
But the explanation of S&M, sadism and masochism, gets a little more
involved.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=oid:65524
To respond, write to: mailbag @ tucsonweekly.com
* ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ *
Polyamory & Children
Dear Ari (advice and opinion)
By Arlene Istar Lev
Proud Parenting
February 8, 2005
Dear Ari:
I am a married bisexual female who is seeking another bisexual female to
join my relationship with my husband. We are the parents of a five-year
old daughter. Our marriage is strong and committed, and we have a loving
home. Although we date women openly and are publicly affectionate, we
never show any sexual behavior in front of our child. We are also NOT
involved with meaningless sex, but are looking for a long-term,
committed relationship with a woman. At times, we have had women spend
the night with us, and our daughter is aware of our women "friends" and
that they sometimes sleep in our bed. My husband has become very worried
that our lifestyle may harm our daughter in some way. I feel that it can
only teach her tolerance and love, but his anxiety about the situation
drives me to write you. He also has asked me to wait until Rachel is
grown before we would allow a live-in situation with one of our women
friends. Do you think my bisexual/polyamorous lifestyle is dangerous to
my child's mental and emotional well-being? If so, what actions can I
take to protect her from harm? - [signed] Daneene
Dear Daneene :
So, I have finally received a letter from the mythological promiscuous
sex-fiend bisexual devil-worshippers that the fundamentalist
conservative religious right have warned us are rearing American
children in sinful, lewd, and lasciviousness ways, destroying their
minds, abusing their bodies, and creating a dangerous new generation
that will destroy the traditional family. Congratulations! I am proud to
know you, and wonder where the rest of you are hiding.
I want to be blatantly clear, at the risk of upseting my more
conservative readers, that a polyamorous lifestyle, can be a healthy,
loving, nurturing environment in which to raise children, regardless of
one's sexual orientation, marital status, or methods of conception. I
will also confess that my joy upon reading your letter has made my
handsome and monogamous life-partner very nervous.
Polyamory, for those that don't know, is an open sexual lifestyle in
which people do not limit themselves to one romantic/sexual love
commitment; it is not a synonym for infidelity, adultery, or having a
clandestine affair. Nor does it insinuate promiscuous or anonymous sex
(although it doesn't preclude it either). Being polyamorous does not
mean that the person is open to "any" lover, anymore than being gay
means that a person will have sex with any member of their own sex.
[continued]
To read this entire article, go to:
http://www.proudparenting.com/page.cfm?sectionid=7&typeofsite=storydetail&ID=530&storyset=yes
To respond, write to: Dear Ari @ proudparenting.com
* ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ *
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Feedback letters are an effective way to convey a positive image of
alternate sexual practices such as SM, swinging, or polyamory. You can
help to correct negative social myths and misconceptions about these
types of practices. These letters help achieve the advocacy goals of the
NCSF.
Generally, for a letter to be published, it's important to include your
name (or first initial, last name), city and daytime phone (for
verification only). For more information, see:
http://www.ncsfreedom.org/media/writelettertoeditor.htm
Please alert us to positive, negative or neutral stories about SM,
swinging and polyamory at media @ ncsfreedom.org
###
A project of NCSF and the NCSF Foundation
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) is a national organization
committed to altering the political, legal, and social environment in
the U.S. in order to guarantee equal rights for consenting adults who
practice forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily
focused on the rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish,
swing, and polyamory communities, who often face discrimination because
of their sexual expression.
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
822 Guilford Avenue, Box 127
Baltimore, MD 21202-3707
410-539-4824
media @ ncsfreedom.org
http://www.ncsfreedom.org
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