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Starting a BDSM group - 10/13/2004 5:28:58 AM   
siamsa24


Posts: 2426
Joined: 2/2/2004
Status: offline 		I am looking to start a BDSM group on campus here at school, not officiall associated with the school, but just a groupd that meets on campus. I don't really know what to call it, a support group maybe?
I want it to be a place where people can go without fear of being thought of as "strange" or "too kinky."
If anyone has any advice on how to start a group like this that would be wonderful. I searched the forums and didn't come up with anything, but I may have missed something.
Thank you,
di
Profile   Post #: 1
RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/13/2004 8:34:52 AM   
sub4hire


Posts: 6775
Joined: 1/1/2004
Status: offline 		Are you sure there isn't already a BDSM group on campus somewhere? They are quite prevalent in college campus's anymore.

As for a name, don't know what to tell you there. When I was first starting my group I had no idea eeither. Then a Dom in Orange County came up with the name Paddlers. I ran with it. I wanted something a bit different than the average group. Most say, "tell them you are meeting with the computer group" too boring and not enough info. I wanted to be different I have been all of my life so why start following the crowd. He came up with Paddlers. It is perfect for my group. Boating for vanilla's and BDSM for enlightened folk.

Starting a group on a college is more confined. So, I'd start with finding a place or classroom to host your group. Then simply put up some fliers. Wait and see how many shows?
I'd go about it the same way you could go about starting any club. Get the word out and find a host.

Hope this helps a bit.

(in reply to siamsa24)
Profile   Post #: 2
RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/13/2004 12:40:29 PM   
BigBadVoodooDadd


Posts: 29
Joined: 6/23/2004
Status: offline 		I would call it a Sex Positive Youth Support Group
Or Support for Sex Positive Youth which would be SSPY and you can pronounce it SPY.

I think that having BDSM or KINK in it would just alienate your group but if you keep it as a support group for people that are open to sexual "mischef" you will have a much better rep, school support and many more people that will actually come there and support you.

Anyways, I have helped start a few of the kink friendly organizations on my schools when I was in college so if you need any more info please let me know!

Hope this helps!

BBVD

Oh, another is KINK= Kinksters In Need Klub, I know it's cheesy but hey, most names are!

< Message edited by BigBadVoodooDadd -- 10/13/2004 12:41:48 PM >

(in reply to sub4hire)
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RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/13/2004 3:06:26 PM   
NoCalOwner


Posts: 241
Status: offline 		Looking around the web a bit, I found some examples worth pondering.

At Oregon State, they chose a Left Coast, tongue-in-cheek sort of name: Evangelical Perv Association.

University of Washington students have the Society for Human Sexuality -- kinky, but not limited to BDSM.

At Columbia University they picked a suitably Ivy League name: Conversio Virium.

At Bard College there was S/M ACES (Sexual Minorities Aligned for Community, Education and Support), but the college recently revoked their "official group" status.

Rutgers University had RUST, who were generally kinky, but I'm not sure that they have retained their official standing.

At NYU, it's WHAP: We Honor All Perverts.

At SUNY it's Power Exchange.

At the University of New Hampshire it's just "BDSM UNH," but they only meet online, so have no need to be discreet.

They tried at Eastern Carolina University and called it "ECU BDSM," but the university told them they were naughty and would not be accepted as a student group.

Indiana University students chose a safely ambiguous name: Headspace.

Iowa State had a group named "Cuffs" -- they got into some trouble recently ("flogging=assault") and I'm unsure of their current status.

I guess if there's a message in all this, it's to avoid having "BDSM" in your group name.


< Message edited by NoCalOwner -- 10/13/2004 4:27:55 PM >

(in reply to siamsa24)
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RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/13/2004 3:51:42 PM   
TheShadows


Posts: 403
Joined: 9/16/2004
From: Southern Illinois
Status: offline 		My husband and I manage the first BDSM Group that was organized in our area back in late 2001. Its definately a challenge, but the people we've met make it all worth it.

We are younger than most people interested in the lifestyle, and thought we could meet other likeminded people by starting a group, as well as saving ourselves the travel of an hour each way to attend the closest munch.

We started out by making a group on MSN Groups. Then, we printed out small, to-the-point business looking cards with "Safe, Sane, Consentual" across the top along with the group's web address and slipped them into all the kink-friendly books we could find at Barnes&Noble. (Tacky, I know, but it worked.)

Eventually, people started joining and we organized our first open munch, which we announced on the group's site, at a local restaurant. Just a vanilla setting, getting to know one another.

We've been growing ever since.

As far as names....We chose something to the point, if not a bit too obvious. Something catchy that fits is always good.

If you're planning on putting up flyers on campus, you might wanna choose something a bit more low key.

Good luck!

TheShadows

(in reply to siamsa24)
Profile   Post #: 5
RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/13/2004 8:18:10 PM   
siamsa24


Posts: 2426
Joined: 2/2/2004
Status: offline 		Thank you for all the wonderful advice.
I am thinking that perhaps I wan't clear in my question. The question about the name was just about the group in general, not a specific name for the group.
I was more asking about getting started, how to get people interested, if anyone is aware of any laws that would prevent me from having the meeting on campus (I can't find any, but you never know), what to do during the meetings, and other things of that nature.

(in reply to siamsa24)
Profile   Post #: 6
RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/14/2004 3:27:36 PM   
TheShadows


Posts: 403
Joined: 9/16/2004
From: Southern Illinois
Status: offline 		Personally, I've found that if someone is interested in joining, they'll come to you. As long as you give them a way to get ahold of you or the group, they'll start coming eventually.

As far as laws, the only thing I can think of is school by-laws, etc. Yay for Freedom of Assembly. Even if you run into a wall there, you could always have it at a restaurant or somewhere else near campus.

Mostly all we do is sit around and chat, have a bit to eat, and have good time, get to know one another. Sometimes I give reminders about upcoming area events people might be interested in attending. Sometime during the meeting, we all go around and tell our names (or scene names), our role preference, and things along those lines. Anyone who doesnt feel comfortable doing that doesnt have to. Polling the members as to get a predetermined discussion topic ahead of time helps a lot by staving off those awkward silences.

I hope this is more along the lines of what you were looking for.

TheShadows

(in reply to siamsa24)
Profile   Post #: 7
RE: Starting a BDSM group - 10/17/2004 10:02:40 AM   
AlphaGeek


Posts: 86
Joined: 8/22/2004
From: Charlottesville, VA, but in Orlando for a temp job
Status: offline 		Black Rose (www.br.org) has a useful section on starting up a local group, but I don't know how much applies in a collegiate atmosphere.

I've asked a friend of mine with experience in this area to peek in. We'll see if she has any wisdom to share. :-)

A_G

(in reply to TheShadows)
Profile   Post #: 8
RE: Starting a BDSM group - 11/4/2004 12:56:50 AM   
Lordandmaster


Posts: 10943
Joined: 6/22/2004
Status: offline 		Why not ask the relevant office in your school? There must be an office of student life or something like that. I'd be very surprised if they tried to interfere--universities and colleges tend to be very permissive about student groups for alternative sexualities--but it's probably a good idea to make sure they know about you before you even start. That way, they can't pretend that you did anything without their knowledge.

One thing to bear in mind: if your school is public, there's always a possibility that some state legislator (or someone like that) may find out about your group and make a stink about it. It's rare, but it's happened before (usually when some Congressman wants to grandstand to a moral-values constituency). But there's hardly a thing they could do about it, especially if you don't use any of your school's student-group funds.

Best of luck.

Lam

quote:

ORIGINAL: siamsa24
I was more asking about getting started, how to get people interested, if anyone is aware of any laws that would prevent me from having the meeting on campus (I can't find any, but you never know)...


(in reply to siamsa24)
Profile   Post #: 9
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