The Politics of S&M
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Is there a correlation between BDSM, conservatism and political dissent?
“The left is moribund and traditional political paths of rebellion seem pointless or boring. But people, especially young people, still want to rebel. And when those in power are advancing a socially conservative agenda, one way to rebel is to mark yourself out as different sexually,” Donarski argues. Sexologist Dr Gabrielle Morrissey, who’s observed a burgeoning interest in S&M among twentysomethings, notes: “If people feel they can’t be heard politically, they narrow down to what they can control – their bodies and sexualities. They concentrate on their micro-social group rather than the macro environment.”
Jaim MacDonald, author of a forthcoming book on fetish subculture, believes students’ exposure to “wanky French theorists” is responsible for their ready acceptance of the idea that donning a gimp mask is a subversive act. “Foucault argues that this kind of thing is ‘transgressive’, that it’s mocking and challenging traditional power relationships. But ultimately, these things aren’t political, they don’t change society.”
