One of the biggest sins in the world of BDSM is being outed
whether by someone in the community or out of it. Effects can be detrimental to
their job, their vanilla relationships including friends and family, marriage
and for child custody.
There are other
BDSM sins including not respecting safe words or not using a safe word (unless the
scene involves prearranged “consensual nonconsent”), touching persons, objects
or toys that do not belong to you. There may of course be exceptions to rules
in situations of safety. Not being open and honest about limits and health issues is another.
Outing someone may
not be malicious, but by accident.
·
People
use screen names on websites like Fetlife and if you address them by their real
name you've just outed them.
·
Saying
hello to someone in the public vanilla world like at a mall or restaurant. The
people they’re with may not know they’re a BDSMer.
·
Tagging
people on Facebook or mentioning events on other social networks could link
people to a BDSM club, dungeon or munch, in other words…outing them.
As much as I’d like
to believe we live in a progressive world of tolerance, understanding and
respect, I find more and more we’re still living in modern-day Dark Ages.
I write erotic
romance and many of my books have elements of BDSM, swinging, ménage and same
sex sex. My books are fiction, but people have criticized me for writing these
books. (Not the writing, the content--okay, the writing sometimes too J). I certainly don’t
expect everyone to like my dark and sexy taste in romance fiction.
Along the same line,
there are certain movies and music I don’t care for. Instead of condemning
others for their eclectic tastes because they’re “different” than mine, I turn
the channel or tune into a different music station. And if there are books I
don’t like…egads…I don’t read them. Thank goodness we all have that right to
choose.
In my latest book, SUMMER
SINS, outing is only one of many
sins, or mistakes, the couple in the story makes. Two very nice and good people
may have legitimate reasons for making wrong decisions, but the consequences
are severe.
*If you read Summer Sins, see how many sins this couple commits and what they
need to do to overcome their errors. Is there anyway for them to have prevented
their dilemma in the first place?
A very BIG sin in my opinion: Individuals who
make the mistake of measuring others by their own beliefs and understandings.
Summer Sins available at: Ellora's Cave Amazon B&N
Summer Sins available at: Ellora's Cave Amazon B&N
5 comments:
This is a very good article, and a good way of warning the unaware of just how important discretion is!
Your books sounds fantastic, and I'll be adding it to my TBR pile!
Good reminder of how easy it can be to slip and share someone's secret without realizing the impact! Even when we're well intentioned, that alone may not keep us from changing someone else's life. Thanks, Kathy!
Thanks, Dena. I don't think people realize how easy they could "out" someone without meaning to do harm. And thanks for adding my book to your TBR pile!
Hey, Fedora. How are you? You're welcome and glad you enjoyed the article. :)
It's true! I mean, just think how many people use pseudonyms on sites like Fetlife, and if someone walked up to somebody on the street going "Hey Anna!" when her vanilla name is Becky, it can create some awkwardness.
Maybe more than awkwardness, Dena depending who's present.
Thanks, Cris and thank you for reading Summer Sins. I'm working on the next book in the series.
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