Day 3: Iphigenia Gras
For day three of her Tumblr curation, artist Iphigenia Gras explores the intersection of feminism with ideas of dominance and submission.
For day three of her Tumblr curation, artist Iphigenia Gras explores the intersection of feminism with ideas of dominance and submission.
Slave. Say the world aloud to yourself. “Slave.” How does it make you feel? As a member of modern society and particularly, as an American, I am hyper aware of the fact that my lofty privileges were built upon the forced enslavement and dehumanization of others. It is a bleak fact of life that has always made me feel sick to my stomach and deeply ashamed of humanity and the senseless cruelty that we as a species are capable of demonstrating toward one another in the name of power, greed or even “God”. However, as a Dominatrix, the word “slave” means something entirely different to me.
In my now 4+ year long journey as a Domme, I’ve encountered varying reactions to my work and sexual proclivities that range from casual curiosity to absolute disgust and outrage. “How can you treat another human being like that?” “Why would anyone WANT to be a slave?” “What the fuck is wrong with you people?” “Do you actually enjoy being cruel?” are just a few of the questions I’ve been asked over the years. The answer to all of these and more can be summed up rather neatly with one simple word: CONSENT.
Consent is everything in the world of BDSM. Well, not everything, but without it we don’t have a legal leg to stand on because consent is the difference between abuse and “play”. If you take someone home and, without any discussion or permission sought, proceed to tie them up, stuff a gag in their mouth and let your sadism run wild with their imprisoned body; well, you’ve just committed a series of felonies and you are probably a psychopath as well. SHAME ON YOU! Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. If you have a candid discussion with a consenting adult about assuming a D/s (Dominant/submissive) or any other fetish role play scenario and then proceed to act it out according to the rules and boundaries established; you’re playing. Yay! It’s fun. It’s legal (mostly, depending on where you are and what you do). That’s why we in the BDSM community refer to it as “play”. I could never be aimlessly cruel and abusive to another human being unless they truly wanted me to be and vocalized that desire clearly, of their own free will, under absolutely zero duress or pressure from any other party. I am a loving, respectful, rather clownish human being who also happens to be a primarily Dominant sexual sadist. I am not a sociopathic monster. Thereisa difference, whether or not you personally are able to wrap your pretty little vanilla head around it. (... read more)
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