Now that the general meeting of BDSM in Iceland is approaching, with the organization celebrating its 25th anniversary this year (last January 20), it is good to ask yourself why there is an association like BDSM in Iceland.
Why me? I have no interest in attending any BDSM sessions. I have no interest in attending BDSM events. I have no interest in meeting anything other than my partner.
Why then, should I join an organization?
The reason for joining the organization and supporting it by becoming a member and paying an annual fee is that BDSM in Iceland is an official advocate for BDSM people in Iceland. Not some person out there who bases his view of BDSM on some book or movie (or let’s not even mention the author of a gray book who based her writings on BDSM porn and a series about vampires).
BDSM in Iceland is vigilant against legislation that could affect our lives. Yes, it is possible to make our existence illegal with a single piece of legislation. We do not need to go further than the UK to be imprisoned for practicing BDSM. In many parts of the US, consent for things like spanking cannot be given due to laws on domestic violence. There are known cases of people losing custody of their children because they were practicing BDSM. It only takes one piece of legislation to destroy everything we have. The board of BDSM in Iceland has both made comments on law proposals and sent representatives to speak to public committees on behalf of the association.
BDSM was on the list of mental illnesses until December 2015, until the organization, with the good support of many people, managed to get BDSM removed from the list of mental illnesses by the Office of the National Medical Examiner.
The fight against prejudice is endless. 25 years ago, when the the organization was founded, we could not talk about it in the mainstream media. The discussion was relegated to the end of the program, after midnight on a Monday night . BDSM often finds itself in the firing line in the fight against porn, as BDSM films are more often than not used as examples of violent porn.
After BDSM in Iceland became a member association of Samtökin’78, access to counseling became much better, and BDSM-inclined teenagers now has access to better support in the queer community center.
The organization has been steadily working to increase the visibility of BDSM people in recent years by participating in Reykjavik Pride, but visibility is one of the most important steps in the fight against prejudice.
The organization has also held numerous courses that allow us to learn about and practice BDSM in a safer way.
These are just a few reasons why we should become members, because we need a large and strong organization.
Magnús Hákonarson, founding member of BDSM in Iceland