Yes, yes, I know, I’m not chair of LGBT+LDs any more, and there’s argument as to whether kink fits into that + anyway (I’d say it does, but I’m happy to let my fellow kinksters self-define) but I do think it’s important to note that kink continues to be the target of prurience and judgement from people who don’t indulge, and that is not a good thing.
The law in this country criminalises taking photographs of quite a lot of acts that people can legally enjoy. The recent Domestic Abuse Bill, while excellent in many respects, also had a lot of stuff in it that would have had impacts on consensual acts that are currently perfectly legal to perform (if not to photograph), had it gone into law. And lots of people think both of those things are perfectly fine.
I do not. I am a liberal. What two (or more) people get up to in the privacy of their own spaces is not my business. Yes, even if one of them is injuring another. Yes, of course the Harm Principle applies (as it does to everything IMHO) but if someone is actively enjoying something, and wants it to happen, I don’t think you can call it harm. Otherwise you end up outlawing tattoos, piercings, any form of ingestion of harmful substances (yes, including alcohol and fugu)… Christ, my partners could be prosecuted for kissing me after eating chocolate and setting off my allergy* if we were to follow that to it’s logical conclusion…
So happy IFD, folks. I hope you’re all wearing something purple today. And even if you’re completely vanilla, I hope you’ll be happy for, and understanding of, those of us who aren’t. 😘
There’s a good FAQ on IFD here (with quotes from the inestimable Myles Jackman and everything).
* in moderation this can be fun – mmmmmmm tingly face.
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