Part 1: Know Your Rights “Honey, there is a policeman at the door ….”
Hopefully, it will never happen to you but it might. Your BDSM activity – although that is a lot less likely than some people would like you to believe – may for some reason attract the attention of other people who, in their turn, will attract the attention of the police. We cannot stress enough this hardly ever happens, but when it does, you can save yourself a lot of trouble by following a few simple guidelines: first and foremost by understanding that it is NOT the officer’s fault he or she is there and secondly that he or she is not necessarily the enemy.
A lot of the misunderstanding between law officials and the BDSM community as well as individual BDSM people is the result of very poor information, strong stories and urban legends. Plus: there may be a social stigma on erotic power exchange, a large part of the erotic power exchange community in its turn does a pretty good job projecting stigma and prejudgment on others, most significantly on the policeman.
Let’s make a quick end to all sorts of legal speculation and feed you with some straight facts:
1. sexual related activities with under aged, including erotic power exchange, are always illegal. What under aged is, is up for debate. It depends on where you are, but 18 or 21 usually will be the age of consent. You may not like that, but that is the law and if you want to change that, join your local political party but DON’T blame the policeman.
2. whatever professional dominatrixes may tell you (in a debatable attempt to protect themselves) erotic power exchange IS sexual activity in the legal sense of the word. Hence, if prostitution is illegal in your area, visiting a professional dominatrix may be illegal and you may open yourself up to legal risks. Again, don’t blame the officer, he or she has only one job: upholding the law – not making or changing it.
3. in all South American countries erotic power exchange is illegal or at least not socially acceptable. In most Middle East countries it is as well and it is anyway if you are NOT a Muslim and play with a Muslim partner prior to marriage. In Asia the situation very much depends on the dominant local religion. If that is Muslim, assume problems. In continental Europe erotic power exchange between consenting adults is not illegal, however doing it out in the open may be considered an offense – the UK is NOT continental Europe and in the UK erotic power exchange is illegal, although it may not always be prosecuted. As is the situation in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all other Commonwealth member states. In the USA the situation very much depends on what state you are in, but it is likely to be legal, or at least not specifically illegal, although sometimes not really socially acceptable.
4. play parties in almost all areas may sometimes be illegal for non-BDSM related reasons, usually because of the violation of liquor related local legislation. Not all party organizers educate themselves well enough. Make sure you do and ask.
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