Text chat can be obscene: R v GS [2012]

I am indebted to Jane Fae for alerting me to this important story earlier in the month.  Myles Jackman, aka @obscenitylawyer reported on his blog the case of R v GS [2012].

You could be forgiven for not having heard of it - few seem to, and yet the case has potentially extraordinary implications for English obscenity law. According to the Court of Appeal, private one to one text chat on the Internet can be subject to the Obscene Publications Act 1959 (OPA). This means that anyone using the Internet to discuss sexual fantasies may be at risk of committing a criminal offence.

Myles' blog includes the full law report which is well worth a read.

The Court was clearly determined to bend the law for the purposes of an individual case - concerning paedophile images.  Unfortunately, in doing so the Court has unwittingly extended the law - shifting the meaning of 'to publish' to be just one person (for example, via instant chat).  It significantly expands the scope of material that the Police might seek to obtain in the course of an investigation and also means that conversations individuals might be having via chat - and thus be speculative fantasy exploration - may well attract the law in a way that those individuals may be shocked at.

It's tempting to think, "well, this doesn't concern me".   After all, this case concerned a conversation relating to paedophilia, and few would seek to defend such conversations - regardless of the significant extension of law.

However, take a look at the CPS guidelines on the Obscene Publications Act and the scope of instant chat conversations that could come into focus expands further.  Here are those areas that the CPS would currently seek to prosecute (you will note the continued inclusion of fisting despite R v Peacock)

• sexual act with an animal 
• realistic portrayals of rape 
• sadomasochistic material which goes beyond trifling and transient infliction of injury 
• torture with instruments 
• bondage (especially where gags are used with no apparent means of withdrawing consent) dismemberment or graphic mutilation 
• activities involving perversion or degradation (such as drinking urine, urination or vomiting on to the body, or excretion or use of excreta) 
• fisting

So, once again, BDSM practices disproportionately fall within the attention of the law, and we also have scat and piss-play 'chats' falling in the scope of potential criminalisation.

It remains to be seen just what impact the case will have, but it is potentially very serious indeed and surely worthy of greater awareness and debate.

UPDATE:  Another great post on this story from Nigel Whitfield can be read here.

Underground Sex, Irish Style

The Irish Independent published a rather wonderful little story on Sunday. The paper reported that elite swinging clubs among professional classes - costing thousands of euro to join - are now operating in Ireland, according to an undercover documentary maker. The VIP clubs - which 'swingers' describe as akin to a 'freemason' society where members swear under oath not to reveal the identities or details of those involved - are one of the groups that have been unearthed as part of an investigation into Ireland's secret sex lives.

 The documentary also involves talking to doggers and also 'fetishists'. Screened on Monday, the documentary can also be viewed via the TV3 catch-up service (yes it works for those of us in the UK!). Check the documentary out here and read the full Irish Independent piece here.

Michael Peacock on Obscenity and R v Peacock

Anyone interested in the recent landmark obscenity case of R v Peacock should check out a splendid couple of videos of Michael peacock aka 'Sleazy Michael' talking about the case - with some rather wonderful props.  It's marvellously open and frank.

Michael Peacock talks about #ObscenityTrial - Part 1 from Absolut Queer on Vimeo.

Michael Peacock talks about #ObscenityTrial - Part 1 from Absolut Queer on Vimeo.

Michael Peacock talks about #ObscenityTrial - Part 2 from Absolut Queer on Vimeo.

Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend

WolvesPervs blog carries a fascinating piece about Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend (CLAW), an event I - and I suspect many others  - are not familiar with. He explains that: 'CLAW is a non-profit convention held in, as the name would suggest, Cleveland (Ohio, USA) every year for the past ten years, the 2012 event is the eleventh. CLAW 10 attracted over 1,250 people from 34 US States and Canada - it's not very well known outside the US Leather scene, hence I suspect the interest and curiosity in my attending.'

Interesting, he also explains it int elation to better known events such as International Mr Leather, Folsom, and the leather scene in the UK.  It's a compelling piece and although you'll have to go through the blogger 'adult warning', the page I'm sending you to (should) have nothing scary/naughty so you should be safe clicking through.

Something Dark(er)

Mucho excitement at the launch of issue two of Something Dark.  This a fantastically experimental magazine with truly mesmerising photography and imagery.

The team behind the magazine set out their mission as:  SDk02’s range of analytical and critical writing challenges conventional interpretations of the cultural, economic and political norms that rule and ruin our individual lives and our societies. Two feature articles work together to scrutinise not only the civilisation-degrading tabloid culture that blights the contemporary media landscape, but also the more extensive and insidious system that we dub the “tabloid ecosystem”.

This issue contains a number of sexuality and identity related  stories that focus on the 'dark', often hidden and under-discussed identities.  The photography and images reflect this.  It's a must for anyone interested in sexuality, identity and creative ideas, but defies simple labelling and pigeonholing.

The magazine also takes an innovative approach to structure.  Unlike most news, magazine- and journalstyle websites, which depart from their print-published counterparts in format, look and feel because they were developed with by-now conventional website design in mind, SDk has been developed with the format, look and feel of a print magazine. Yet, being fully htmlcoded and pushing the limits of that technology, it also offers the full dynamism of the internet, especially in a complex system of internal linking, that flash sites cannot deliver. The editorial team argue that intensive editorial preparation for SDk02 allowed for extensive refinement of SomethingDark’s technical development and a presentation that now delivers an even more unique web-based magazine experience.  It certainly does that, and I found it a joy to navigate on both my iPad and iMac desktop.

Check it out here.

Up Your Alley and a Bit of Kok

You can search the blog archive for various previous posts about the Dore Alley Fair in San Francisco. As a re-cap, this is the smaller relative of the Folsom Street Fair event, pitched at the leather and 'kink' community and is arguably seen more as a 'community' event than a tourist event. It now goes by the brilliant name 'Up Your Alley'. This is the sort of name that presents the double-entendre minded with questions such as: "where you heading?" "Up Your Alley", "What you doing today?", "I'm spending all day at Up Your Alley". I could go on, but you get the gist.

Anyhow, the event is once again worthy of comment before it has

even taken place thanks to the ongoing ban on those tireless renegade pirates of porn, Treasure Island Media (TIM). The event is scheduled for this Sunday, July 31st and takes place in San Francisco's South of Market Area (SOMA). For those whove' never visited, it's on odd mixture of bars, sex joints, wholesale clothing outlets, apartments and mechanics.

The Fair is free to enter (an important aspect that divides Pride events) but with a suggested donation (dollars not semen - but it's admittedly unclear).

The event has traditionally been seen as more of a 'raunchy', 'semi-naked', un-inhibited sleazy sex -fest but the organisers seem increasingly to be pulling back from that (raising questions about the purpose and direction of the event).

The site for this years event includes an amusing section on 'lewd conduct':

'Folsom Street Events encourages all fairgoers to express behavior that is safe and within the law. We encourage everyone to take personal responsibility for providing a positive communal environment for the adult alternative lifestyle community. Lewd acts will be disrupted by our security volunteers who reinforce this message for anyone found on the fairgrounds to be in violation of our policy.

'At the suggestion of SFPD, we have implemented a more aggressive graduated policy for violators of the lewdness policy.

'Step 1: Verbal warning
Inform the fairgoer that the behavior is not allowed and that they will face ejection from the fair on the next occurance.

'Step 2: Reminder
Fairgoer will be reminded of the first warning and given a personal escort off the fair grounds with notification to gate volunteers not to allow re-entry. Warn the fairgoer that on the next violation of this policy we will escalate to SFPD.

'Step 3: Turn over to SFPD
SFPD will be called to assist and requested to cite the fairgoer who has violated the lewdness policy.

Lewd behavior in second and third story windows on the fairgrounds will be referred directly to SFPD for intervention.'

I'm immediately struck by the lack of definition given to lewd conduct. Presumably the wearing of jocks is allowed - it has been previously - but I would have thought that walking around in nothing but a jock further up the road in the department store, Bloomingdales, might be regarded as 'lewd' by SFPD no? So, I guess it's down to context and the opinion of organisers - so that's clear then.

We then have the fabulous final sentence about 'second and third story windows'. What on earth? I'm genuinely confused as to what this means. Have they had reported complaints of human piss fountains spraying passers by from high-above? Men fucking with the absence of a safety harness on narrow window-ledges? I'm left with a vision of rather serious looking leathermen looking suitably funereal at windows above the event, possibly sporting a 'nothing lewd about me' badge or some such. Perhaps flag waving is permitted provided people don't jerk their hands too suggestively or vigorously. Madness.

Anyway, into this faintly potty organisational mix, we add bareback porn mongers, TIM. They have, it seems, been once again banned from the event. I think it was last year they held an event at the famously bareback sex club, Mack Folsom Prison to get around the ban. Mack is the seediest dive I've ever come across. On my visits there, they have seemed to blend a clientele that has either appeared fucked on drugs or being fucked (always bb) by other guys. It has achieved that rarest of things, it shocked me. Of course, it has an official 'safe sex' policy.

This year, they are not there (although such is the damn expected at Mack that they are urging regulars to sort their membership before Thursday), but instead are this year descending upon Kok Bar (that's subtle bar branding for you). It's not a venue I've visited but seems to brand itself as a 'cruisy' bar and means TIM can remain at the margins of the event - although I suspect it will once again gain many visitors.

In a blending of the 'old' and 'new', TIM's Brad McGuire, James Roscoe, Blue Bailey (I think he is a twink poz porn performer), and Blake Daniels (I understand is bf of Bailey) will be there. So if you want to ask Brad and James about their poz porn controversy, here's your chance. There may of course be other things you'd like to ask of a less intellectual nature.

So, what does a ban achieve? Well some people are talking about bareback, why it's controversial, and why TIM are banned. An airing of these issues is surely a good thing. Ironically, it's TIM that have prompted this discussion through their continued resistance to the ban rather than this being a conversation 'engineered' by organisers.

Moreover, this entrenched position makes it harder for the Fair to quietly allow back bareback porn companies as that would be seen as a very public climb down. We are therefore left with a Fair that censors the queer community at a time of supposedly celebrating it. Let's be clear, TIM might have the biggest stand there, but only guys curious, interested or already practising bareback are going to rock along. Banning them is a way of saying "we are failing", "safe sex is failing", and "current health policies and strategies are failing". Is the safe-sex argument really so weak that when shown guys fucking bareback, guys will discard their condoms in a flurry of new-found sexual 'recklessness'? The answer from all parties appears to be "yes". Don't we think that's a big deal? Don't we think that's something worthy of real passionate debate and response, rather than censorship?

We are left instead with another sanitised event, an event that in the face of failure chooses to present an illusion rather than the reality of lived sexual lives, and in doing so, further removes queer organisations from the people they supposedly represent. Nobody wins from this sort of strategy, but in the long-run, we're all losers.

Infantilist Confessions

The excellent blog Taboo Terminal carried a piece yesterday on infantilism, a fetish which the blogger notes remains one of the largest and least talked about fetishes. He also includes an interview/quotes from 25 year old John (pictured right-I think). He wears diapers, sucks on a pacifier, and in the right situation, supports others by acting as a care taker. The blog also links to another guy, a 22 year old engineer out of Seattle known online as Pamperchu who has a YouTube channel which you can view here. The truth is, this is a fetish I have greeted in the past with some degree of quizical amusement - associating it with weird guys. Watching the videos of Pamperchu, you realise this is just a really nice guy who has a fetish. As such, this is probably one of the most difficult fetishes to 'come out' with - leather and rubber being almost mainstream by comparison.

John is quoted as saying:

'Misinformation is the cause of a lot of hate in the world, so it doesn’t surprise me that many don’t like infantilism. Certainly, there’s are few creepy bad apples on our side of the fence, but if you take the time, you will find some very trustworthy people and some great friends.

I’m not exactly too sure where it all began, but I do remember when I started wearing them on a regular bases. When I was in my early teens, I started going to church in them under my cloths. They had a nursery there that had tons of diapers. A cute boy and I would sneak into the nursery room while everyone was at dinner and put each other in diapers. After that, I was hooked.'

Fetish: The Last Taboo?

Apologies for not spotting this sooner and posting it but Tim Woodward of the website and associated businesses) Skin Two appears in a short video made at the annual Montreal Fetish Weekend. Check out their website for details of next years event. Woodward offers some insights in an area that remains in his words one of the last "taboos" fetish and BDSM identities continue to be legal, social and political concerns and Woodward is right to draw comparisons with homosexuality. He also offers some amusing asides regarding Canadian border agencies. See the video below and check out the Skin Two site here.

Folsom Street Fair and the Bareback War: The Renegade Invasion

As some of you will be aware, this weekend sees the huge Folsom Street Fair take place in San Francisco. It's an annual event increasingly noted for its controversy as it find itself under greater media and social scrutiny and, like so many LGBT events, it has found itself wrestling with the tensions that arise with such scrutiny. A kink, alternative and rebellious event has become increasingly sanitised and safe. The open nudity and sex acts have previously come under focus with city government figures advocating tents to hide such folks from the "families" that are apparently increasingly visiting.

The official day for the event is tomorrow (Sunday 27th) but the event pulls folks into town for the weekend. Whilst the annual International Mr Leather event is a kinky event within the confines of a hotel, Folsom is an opportunity to celebrate kink identities outdoors and takes place in San Francisco's SOMA (South of Market Area) which is ordinarily a mixture of leather stores, shops and the famous sex clubs BlowBuddies and Mack Folsom Prison.

The Fair website notes that 'with over 400,000 people in attendance covering 13 city blocks, the Fair is the largest leather/fetish event in the world and the third largest, single-day outdoor event in California'. The site also states that this year (the 27th fair)

Perhaps predictably, Folsom has also become another battle scene for the ongoing bareback war. Treasure Island Media (TIM), the notorious bareback porn company has been excluded from the event for a few years but interestingly is taking action this year. They are seeking to host a couple of 'underground events'. The TIM describes their two events (one today, one tomorrow) as follows:

'So we’re having a balls-out booze party on Saturday (at CHAPS II on Folsom @3pm) and a rollicking no-rules chaotic sex-party on Sunday (at MACK on Folsom @12noon).

These events are at the same time and place as the Folsom Street Fair (from which we’ve been banned because we’re disobedient)—but they are in a different more free and radical universe: the TIM UNDERGROUND.

Come hang out fuck or blow one or two of our guys get drunk smoke pot do whatever the fuck you feel like doing'.

On the one hand, these events no doubt cater for many of the guys who love Folsom and anyone who's familiar with Folsom will be unsurprised at its involvement. Whilst BlowBuddies has long positioned itself as a safe sex club (for historical reasons which I'll be talking about in my forthcoming book, drawing on some archive evidence), Folsom is the seedier venue. Although it officially is also a 'safe sex' club, it is known for its sleazy bareback sexual encounters. It's also worth remembering that the prospect of meeting a porn performer is one thing, the prospect of being one of those giving a blow-job, fucking or being fucked by a star like Cory Koons (who is there) or other stars such as Christian (not sure but I would imagine will be) is quite another.

Such 'appearances' are undoubtedly good for business and despite Paul Morris (owner and TIM master of deviance) repeated statements that these bans boost business, a presence at these events must surely help support the business and brand awareness. This approach also helps cement their image as the 'renegades', the underground guys. It's further evidence of how utterly miss-judged, counter-productive and plain wrong the ban on bareback companies like TIM is.

Undoubtedly, Mack Folsom Prison must also have made a calculation that it is in their interest to be linked to TIM in this way and they must also be prepared to face the heat. For them, it is a very clear and open positioning of themselves as a bareback venue.

Their website, like the venue itself continues to offer the typical safe sex guidance:

-Cum on me, NOT in me.
-Don't take cum (semen) or blood into your body.
-No fucking without condom.
-No unprotected rimming.
-Fisting or fingering should be done with latex.
-Dildo and sex toys should not be shared unless protected or cleaned between uses.

Maybe they should do a new 'Come in me, not on me' poster? These events are turn is a significant moment in tracing the historical evolution of these venues in San Francisco. There very existence is a response to the legal onslaught of the 1980s against bathhouses which led to their absence from San Francisco.

This weekend, another battle is taking place in the bareback war. Once again, the bareback renegades look set to win. Whether you support, love or hate companies like TIM, the events of this weekend should cause pause for thought and reflection on how the war is faring.

SomethingDark

I've been meaning to mention this resource/all round wonderful thing to you for some time but always put it off as I never feel I have the time to write a post to do it justice. This post won't do it justice but it would be more wrong to keep it from you any longer. In June a new Webzine, SomethingDark or SDk was launched.

SDk aims to take full advantage of an innovative format to deliver its avant-garde mix of dark glamour and eroticism in photography, art and edgy fiction; of poignant nonfiction and criticism; and of exhibition, film and book reviews – all in the social, political and economic context of today’s disturbed world.

SDk additionally strives to be a valuable resource and, concerned with the world around us, is also a forum for re-assessing what is of value in contemporary society.

SDk seeks to be innovative and truly does offer a new format. In some respects it does take some getting used to and it's easy to miss some of the fabulous content tucked away. Unlike most news, magazine- and journal-style websites, which depart from their print-published counterparts in format, look and feel because they were developed with by-now conventional website design in mind, SDk has been developed with the format, look and feel of a print magazine. Yet, being fully html-coded – indeed, pushing that technology to the limit – it also offers the full dynamism of the Internet, especially in a complex system of internal linking, that flash sites cannot deliver.

Check it out here.

Fetish Week London

Today sees the start of Fetish Week London. An electronic programme of events can be viewed here. Well done to Recon who seem to be the drivers of this, the first Fetish Week London. The official website can be viewed here. According to the site, 'there is something for everyone at Fetish Week London' and the event is targeted at we 'guys with a fetish for: leather, rubber, punks, skinheads, uniform and army gear, leather muscle, bondage, sports gear plus any other kind of fetish gear that you can think of!'

Whilst an obvious commercial endeavour, it will be interesting to see how it further secures fetish identities. They have become much more visible in the last decade or so, and to engage in some form of kink behaviour is more acceptable (e.g handcuffs) but other forms of fetish seem a long way off mainstream social acceptability (e.g puppy play, piss play etc). The recent violent porn ban is a reminder of how the law continues to problemtise kink and fetish identities.

I'd be really interested in hearing feedback from anyone who does go along to any of the events.

A Spot of Feet Licking with the Troops

My old Twitter logo comprised of feet sticking out of a tent. It was designed to suggest the sexual whilst being ambiguous about gender but quite a few of you apparently just enjoyed the feet.

Clearly, I've been neglecting you as of late with the absence of feet. Feet remain one of those fetishes we don't talk about. Leather, rubber are getting there, slowly progressing - leather more so than rubber. BDSM is becoming more maisntream - the idea of oral sex is mainstream today (I would suggest) but other 'fetishes' remain silenced - foot worship amongst them. The blog - The Sword (may be NSFW) has just posted a YouTube click of an alleged soldier licking another soldiers foot, apparently in Afghanistan. My favourite moment is when someone says "just imagine it's a cock" as if straight guys fellating another guy is far less of a taboo than licking a foot which when you think about it, is kinda interesting. It's also rather interesting how behaviour becomes acceptable in certain circumstances. There's a whole porn business based on the storyline of bored soldiers end up fucking around but it's interesting how behaviours shift from the taboo to the acceptable in these settings and the exploration of identity than take place.

Suburbia and the Sex Dungeon

I'd like to be one of those people who endlessly praises the work of the police but they don't make it easy do they? The Daily Mail (is that a boo I hear?) has a story today about (deep breath) a 'sex dungeon' in a 'sleepy village'. Now then, when the Daily Mail says sleepy village, it's code for 'normal', 'nice', 'conservative' and sexless. Oh yes, and children. The land of the immaculate conception. So we learn that Police officers tipped up at a home in Lee Mill, Devon with 'battering rams' but were let in to the property after a plain clothes policeman knocked. According to the story: 'Officers were alerted after neighbours reported 'unusual behaviour' and 'strange sounds' coming from the four-bedroom semi in Lee Mill, Devon.'

So be careful, bit of a scream and before you know it you'll have the Police turning up with a battering ram. Mind you, I get paranoid when I channel flick and end up with the Islam channels blasting out. Such is the collective bonkers like state of society today that I'd probably get raided on suspicion of being a member of Al-Qaeda. I fly a few channels ahead and you hit the kids channels - oh hell, paedophile, click a few more and end up settling on something nice and safe, Sky Arts perhaps. Oh no, somethign on porn, back to beign a perv. What are these standards we should be following and who sets them?

The Daily Mail story goes on to report that:

'The sex 'dungeon' was found in a converted first floor room filled with hundreds of items including whips, gas masks, wooden bats, handcuffs, clothes pegs and shackles.

Police also discovered bondage chairs with straps, straight jackets, sex toys, gimp masks, S&M outfits, shackles, cattle prods and car batteries used to power the toys.

The dungeon was also stuffed with 'various electrical vibrating' items and a recording studio complete with computer equipment and mixing desk.'

I have this image of one of the Police Officers returning home to another 'sleepy village' unable to look at a clothes peg again. Detective Sergeant Stuart Gilroy of Devon and Cornwall police said: 'It's fair to say we were not expecting to find a masochistic dungeon in sleepy Lee Mill. You don't expect to find this sort of thing anywhere.' Is he being serious? Stuart - you need to get out more. Then we have one neighbour saying: 'I've seen traffic jams caused by people trying to go there. It's disgusting. We just want them out and have a nice family move in.' Traffic jams? TRAFFIC JAMS? Do we think this neighbour might be exaggerating a wee bit? It's disgusting to see people drive up and go in someones house? What is disgusting? What has affected this neighbour? What on earth is this 'nice family'? Someone who has 'normal' rows, screaming kids? The family is cast as the great saviours - by which this local means straight people with children.

As much as I joke and mock in this post, there are real people at the centre of this. People who are humiliated and reduced by this sort of action. The prejudice of a society quick to condemn, a police force quick to act and slow to think, and a press all too keen to feed this circle of ignorance and prejudice. It seems at all costs, we must protect the illusion of Suburbia.

Read the full story here. Should you think that my post sounds sensible, consider lending your support to the Consenting Adult Action Network (CAAN) here.

Hustlaball and Images of Sex Work

The Gay Porn Times alerted me to this story (which by the way is a really good/useful site) about Hustlaball in New York last week. The event is global and there's a London event for UK fans. Essentially, it's a wild party, or in the words of their website: 'The Hustlaball is a World of Hustlers, Hookers, Pimps, streetwalkers, Flesh-Peddlers, Porn Stars and other scandalous Sorts'. GPT was flagging up a feature on The Advocate's website with a number of sex workers who were present at the event. I found the little snippet with William Rockwell and Mistress Veronica (both pictured right) particularly interesting.

William comments: 'When I was 15, I was kicked out of my parents’ home and living out of friends’ and tricks' houses. A lot of the hooking up I did is what I would now consider informal sex work. Down the street there was a Human Rights Campaign building being rebuilt for a $3 million addition, and there wasn’t one LGBTQ-sponsored place prepared for me could go to sleep as a youth in need. Never once did the HRC open their doors to me.'

It's an interesting insight and we should remember William seems happy enough now. However, it also highlights how groups such as the Human Rights Campaign can sometimes become removed from the very groups they are seeking to help.

William and Mistress Veronica are linked by their fantastic work with $spread magazine. The magazine has a website here where you can donate, subscribe to a mailing list and some stories. The magazine is for sex workers, by sex workers and has the following mission statement:

'We believe that all sex workers have a right to self-determination; to choose how we make a living and what we do with our bodies. We aim to build community and destigmatize sex work by providing a forum for the diverse voices of individuals working in the sex industry.'

Read the full interview with William and Mistress Veronica (and more about their work on $spread) on page four of the interviews. Read all the interviews here.

Folsom Street Fair 2009

In my blogging 'hiatus', I failed to talk about the Folsom Street Fair which took place last month in San Francisco. It's an annual event that is held in the SOMA part of the city and celebrates leather/rubber/fetish culture. It attracts people from all over the world but, in the run up to the event, the blogosphere suggested that locals are increasingly drawn to the 'purer' Up Your Alley event held in July. Cool name and from the video footage I've seen, a much smaller, maybe 'dirtier' event (if that's the right word - some would say 'hornier', 'sleazier', it all depends on your perspective). In the same way that Pride events can now be packed with straights seeking an interesting day out, there is a danger that these sort of events become a victim of their own success and draw in those seeking to watch a spectacle rather than who identify as part of the sub-culture. Drawing the line between celebrating culture in an open way and turning into a zoo exhibit is a tough call.

It's an interesting challenge but one that Folsom seems to address in part by having other events throughout the year. However, Folsom itself remains a clearly sexual day with sponsorship from local companies such as the sex Blow Buddies (described brilliantly in the recent book by Tim Dean - Unlimited Intimacy) and exhibitors selling sex realted products and porn. The images from the event raise another aspect worthy of comment - the masculine nature of the day. Folsom is a celebration of the male leather/rubber/fetish scene, or so you could be forgiven for thinking. There is a women's 'area' called Venus' Playground. It's interesting to see this gender distinction and the apparent inequality in the projection of the two sides of Folsom.

You can read more, and see some photographs on the official website here. There's a great history that is worth reading here.

The porn star, Damon Dogg produces a 'show' on his blog and his July episode gives an insight into the Up Your Alley event. It does include nudity and the final 30 seconds depict Damon urinating into a mans trousers so you may wish to avoid the final few mins (the screen says 'thanks for watching' before going to the final scene). Those easily offended should skip the whole video. Those of you who do watch will see a video that gives a realistic insight into the event rather than a 'glossy' brochure. Viewers should look out for 'The Cowboy' who says of Up Your Alley, 'this is our fair'.

SkinTwo Fetish Ball North

Last month I blogged about the brilliant Skin Two Yearbook but as well as producing that magazine/book, the group also host social events. As with most "minority" (I really doubt the accuracy of that term) sexual activities, these sort of events tend to be London based but there is going to be a Skin Two North Fetish Ball in Leeds in July - the details of which can be viewed here. It's on July 4th so what other theme could they have had but 'Kinky Americana'?

The tickets are £20 each and are available from http://www.skintwonorth.com/ or selected stockists (see website). Admission on the door is £25.

Skin Two: Fetish Yearbook 2009

A few weeks back I was generously sent a copy of the 60th issue of 'Skin Two' (thanks guys!). I've been holding off blogging about it until I had time to write a proper post on the text. It takes a different format to past issues which were in a magazine format. I've never seen one of those but this copy, a hardback book priced at £25 or $50 is a quality production. The website claims it is a coffee book and it's a very accurate description of the text (provided your visitors are not overly sensitive). Many so called coffee table books are quality productions but can sometimes feel a bit of a rip off. I have to say, this feels worth it. It has terrific and wide ranging content. The bag of the book includes advertisements for a number of latex, rubber and fetish stores but it's perhaps a tribute to the scene that these are great compositions too. There is erotic fiction and some amazing art. A couple of pictures by James Stiles are included which are in the Mapplethorpe tradition. Mapplethorpe himself features pretty extensively in an earlier section of the book entitled 'From Mapplethorpe to Mosley' written by Daryl Champion. It's a well written short overview. it's followed by what I would regard as something of a coup and worthy of much wider dissemination - an interview with Peter Knight who as Vice Chancellor of the University of Central England, Birmingham (now Birmingham City University) defended the right of his library to hold Mapplethorpe, a large black and white collection of the artist's photography. It is a work of brilliance and was rightly defended from Government and Police censors who were seeking to destroy the book under Obscene Publications legislation. This area of law is then brought right up to date by John Ozimek who considers the new extreme porn law. Alex Henderson writes a thoughtful piece exploring whether the English law could have an impact across in the USA and considers the 1969 Supreme Court decision in Stanley v Georgia. You're probably getting the idea, this is not a wank mag. it's a serious but entertaining piece of work. It's also beautiful.

It has some terrific photography by Will Santillo who designed the cover shown on the right, and some photos that I loved by Mark Varley who explores rope bondage. He travelled to the homes of 18 women and 'introduced them to his style of rope bondage'. This takes the form of women tied to kitchen tables. There are wonderful pictures that are clever and engaging.I have to confess I have fallen in love with some work by Silent-View, a photography project led by a German photographer and model. The artist produced the gas mask/cup and tea photograph which I've posted here. The only picture I could find is in black and white but the original is in colour and it does make a difference. I adore the intersection of gender, sexuality and domesticity portrayed in the image which somehow reminds me of the quite different American Gothic by Grant Wood.

There are more pictures and comment sections but the book begins with photos from various balls and parities. The pair at the top of this picture (which I rather like for reasons that I consider obvious) are from the San Francisco Fetish Ball.

The whole thing has been put together and published by Tim Woodward and it is a brilliant production. It can be bought on the Skin Two website which has a host of links, materials and an online store. It can be viewed here.

Extreme Pornography Guidance

Following on from my last post, the Home Office released guidance on the new extreme pornography offences last month. That guidance can be read here. It highlights just how absurd the legislation is. Paragraph 5 which examines how pornographic material will be defined is a particularly good example. This legislation is appallingly conceived, badly drafted and a disgrace in the twenty first century.

London Fetish Awards

Much to my embarrassment, I failed to post the results of the London Fetish Awards despite encouraging people to vote in it. The full results are reproduced below and the awards website can be viewed here. I was really pleased to see the Consenting Adult Action Network win 'Specialise Website of the Year'. They are doing some really important work and will be holding their next protest on the 25th January, just before Sections 64-67 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 come into force.

European Gay Fetish Event of the year - Folsum Europe
Sauna of the year - Chariots
Fetish Shop & Suppliers of the year - RoB
Outreach / Sexual Health Organisation of the year - GMFA
Gay Sex & fetish Magazine of the year - QX MEN
London Gay Fetish Event of the Year - Hard On 5th Birthday
Sex & health Information website of the year - GMFA
Social Websites of the year - Recon
Specialists Website of the Year - C.A.A.N (Consenting adult action network)
Fetish Porn website of the year - FetishLad
Club Website of the Year - Hard On
Venue of the year - Hidden
Newcomer of the year – Berlin (Eagle)
Weekly Fetish / Cruise Club of the year - Bootcamp (Eagle)
Weekend Fetish / Cruise Club of the year – Gummie (Central Station)
Bear / Beefy Men Club of the year - XXL (The Arches)
Specialist Fetish Club of the year – SM Gays ( The Hoist )
Fetish dance club of the year – Hard On (Hidden)
Door whore/host of the year – Rami (Mega Woof)
Fetish imagery/artist of the year – Ashley (Savage Skin)
Performer of the year – Ashley Ryder
Fetish Hall of Fame / ’The Playroom of Pleasure’ - The Respect Awards, sponsored by Fetish Freak
1. Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence2. Kellan Farshea, for his work with Spanner Champaign & SM Pride3. Derrick Cohen, for his work forming S.M Gays & Spanner Trust4. SM Gays - Colin & Dave, for their voluntary work5. Peter Shapcott - Eddie Surman Trust, for his 12 years as a volunteer6. Guy Irwin - The Hoist7. Suzie Krueger, for her clubs Fist & Hard On
Promoter of the year - Suzie Krueger
Bear/beefy Men Club DJ of the year – Tim Jones
Cruise club DJ of the year - Jim Stanton
Fetish Dance Club DJ of the year - Halo-iS

Identity, RoB & Online Stores

Following on from Manchester and our chat today, here is the link to RoB (the store some of you visited in Manc) and the catalogue today was from Expectations (similar line to RoB). In the case of both sites, a degree of caution is recommended as there are some nudity. Safer sites are Bent (I regularly link to their blog on here), Prowler and Diva Direct. Both Prowler and Diva are part of the same media group that provides us with our free Pink Papers (thank you so much!) and produces Gay Times/GT and Diva. Finally there is CloneZone which sit he online store for the shop some of you visited in Newcastle and which has a presence in Manchester (some of you may have visited during the Manchester field trip). In the new year we will be further exploring notions of identity in the context of these materials, but for now just enjoy the ideas for seasonal gifts! ;-)