Fifty Shades of Nope: Being Fetishized as a Person of Color in Kink: This article by Vianca Masucci addresses the negative influence of the Fifty Shades franchise on BDSM practitioners generally and people of color specifically. She recounts multiple anecdotes of being fetishized and stereotyped within the kink community.
The History & Myths of Japanese Bondage: Midori dismantles the traditional Western story about the history of shibari, noting that “investing in a romantic but false narrative of a culture and its people is another form of “othering.”
History of Black BDSM: This is a brief overview of the history of Black BDSM that includes links to other resources. This page is part of Dark Connections, a website devoted to Black BDSM.
The Issue With Being Black and Kinky: In this response to Luna Malbroux’s article (linked below), BDSM educator and male dominant Orpheus Black writes about the long history of conservative attitudes toward sex among many BIPOC and his own experience of being ostracized by family and friends when they discovered he was poly and kinky.
Kinky: The Documentary: This funny and illuminating documentary about Black BDSM practitioners includes interviews with experienced Black kinksters as well as “people on the street” in New York.
My Sexuality Has a Dark Side—And Maybe Yours Does Too: In this article by Black feminist kinkster Feminista Jones, she addresses the vulnerability of Black s-types in particular, noting that “With kink communities being so marginalized and Black kink communities being even more isolated, it becomes even more difficult to speak out against those who violate others.”
A Portrait of a Black Woman in Kink: The subject of this profile is Sara Elise, a Black, queer, submissive woman who has grappled with the many complexities of race in the realm of BDSM.
Queer Dominatrix Yin Q Is Shattering Asian Stereotypes: This interview with former pro domme Yin Q focuses on her efforts to normalize BDSM and upend Asian stereotypes in her web series Mercy Mistress, which is based on her own experiences.
Tension with Intention: The Role of Kink/BDSM in the Anti-Racist Conversation: In this video, Shakti Bliss Bunny and YumYumPanda, two BIPOC kinksters who teach rope classes, discuss cultural appropriation and racism as they pertain to the rope scene in particular, which is widely considered to be one of the most privileged arenas of BDSM.
Eternal Angel: A pro domme and BDSM educator specializing in mental health in BDSM, edge play, and more. Her videos on Kink Academy focus on rough body play.
Midori: Highly experienced sexuality and BDSM educator who teaches and writes on a range of topics, including female domination, rope, and humiliation. Author of The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage, among other books. We attended a rope class she taught a number of years ago that included a riveting demo that we still talk about today.
Mollena Williams: Renowned BDSM educator, author, and slave who is a thought leader on race play and power exchange dynamics, among other things.
Orpheus Black: Dominant specializing in knife play, flogging, and other aspects of BDSM, which are covered in his videos on Kink Academy. We attended a flogging class he taught at a convention, and it was by far the best class we went to there.
Robin Wilson-Beattie: Disability and sexuality health educator with a number of videos on Kink Academy related to BDSM and disability.
