Before It Was Kink, It Was Community: A Short History of Lesbian Sadomasochism
Location
Ponderosa Room D
Presentation Type
Presentation
Presentation Topic
Lesbian Sadomasochism, Kink, History, BDSM
Start Date
6-3-2026 3:35 PM
Event Sort Order
56
Abstract
Lesbian sadomasochism (SM) has occupied a contested yet influential place within lesbian and feminist histories, particularly during the late 20th century. This abstract traces the emergence of organized lesbian SM communities in the United States, with particular attention to Janus and Samois, two foundational organizations that shaped discourse, practice, and visibility. While these groups provided crucial spaces for education, consent-based exploration, and community building, lesbian SM was met with significant opposition from segments of the feminist movement. Critics argued that power exchange, dominance, and submission replicated patriarchal violence and reinforced gendered hierarchies rather than resisting them. These debates, often framed as part of the broader “sex wars,” highlighted deep tensions between anti-pornography feminism and sex-positive perspectives.
Despite this resistance, leatherdykes and lesbian SM practitioners played a critical role in expanding feminist conversations around sexual agency, bodily autonomy, and consent. By emphasizing negotiated power, mutual desire, and community accountability, lesbian SM communities challenged reductive understandings of power and oppression. In the long term, their activism contributed to more inclusive feminist frameworks that recognize diverse sexual expressions as compatible with feminist values. Examining the history of lesbian SM reveals not only conflict, but also its lasting impact on contemporary feminist and queer sexual politics.
Before It Was Kink, It Was Community: A Short History of Lesbian Sadomasochism
Ponderosa Room D
Lesbian sadomasochism (SM) has occupied a contested yet influential place within lesbian and feminist histories, particularly during the late 20th century. This abstract traces the emergence of organized lesbian SM communities in the United States, with particular attention to Janus and Samois, two foundational organizations that shaped discourse, practice, and visibility. While these groups provided crucial spaces for education, consent-based exploration, and community building, lesbian SM was met with significant opposition from segments of the feminist movement. Critics argued that power exchange, dominance, and submission replicated patriarchal violence and reinforced gendered hierarchies rather than resisting them. These debates, often framed as part of the broader “sex wars,” highlighted deep tensions between anti-pornography feminism and sex-positive perspectives.
Despite this resistance, leatherdykes and lesbian SM practitioners played a critical role in expanding feminist conversations around sexual agency, bodily autonomy, and consent. By emphasizing negotiated power, mutual desire, and community accountability, lesbian SM communities challenged reductive understandings of power and oppression. In the long term, their activism contributed to more inclusive feminist frameworks that recognize diverse sexual expressions as compatible with feminist values. Examining the history of lesbian SM reveals not only conflict, but also its lasting impact on contemporary feminist and queer sexual politics.
Presenter Bio
Tylea (Ty) Johnson (they/she) is a graduate student in Counseling Psychology with a professional goal of becoming a kink-, nonmonogamous-, sex-, and queer-positive therapist in Oklahoma. Their research interests include kink history, polyamorous and non-traditional parenting, and affirming therapeutic practices for marginalized relationship and sexual identities. Tylea has conducted formal research in these areas for the past four years and has presented nationally at numerous conferences. They have worked with the Women’s Research Center and the BGLTQ+ Student Center for four years, beginning as an intern and currently serving as the Graduate Research Lead.