Montana Kaimin
BDSM isn’t a black and white topic. There are 50 shades of grey in between.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is an erotic romance novel featuring bondage/discipline, dominance/submission and sadism/masochism, known colloquially as BDSM.
A local BDSM community member said the books are great for encouraging sexual self-expression, but that some people are putting themselves in dangerous situations.
“Anyone can pick up a flogger and start hitting someone, but to do it in a way that’s safe and won’t truly harm the recipient takes time and research,” said Dovah, who asked the Kaimin to refer to her by her “domme” name in the BDSM community.
“It’s a very taboo subject and I have people in my life who would not accept that particular lifestyle, including my family,” she said. “It also protects the people who identify as my submissives so people won’t begin to question them as well. Anonymity is extremely important in our community and outing someone is one of the worst possible things you could do.”
The trilogy follows the relationship and sexual exploits of college graduate Anastasia Steele and businessman Christian Grey.
Doctor of Human Sexuality and clinical sexologist Lindsey Doe said the books have brought much awareness to BDSM culture. She said it has prompted more discussion and normalized it in conversation.
“It’s a starting point for dialogue, which may even be to say that this is not what practical BDSM looks like,” she said. “On the negative side, you have a single perspective of BDSM, which can’t be representative of all the experiences of BDSM.”
The books have sold over 100 million copies, and helped popularize BDSM worldwide.
“’The Fifty Shades of Grey’ books are more than a trashy piece of literature. They’re a gateway for many people into the world of BDSM,” Dovah said.
Peer health educator Emily Cohen said she has done research on BDSM in Missoula. She said the “Fifty Shades of Grey” books give the community a bad image and that it goes against everything they practice and believe in.
“A lot of misconceptions about BDSM is that it is sexual abuse, that it is extremely violent and only aimed to hurt people,” she said.
Cohen works for the Curry Health Center Wellness Office and plans on becoming a sex educator and counselor. She said she has never practiced BDSM herself, but has witnessed it at events before. …