Abstract
Several years ago, a negotiated, consensual abduction scenario took place in downtown Toronto, Canada. Following the public abduction the captive was taken to a secure, private location and (consensually) subjected to physical and sexual aggression: ‘gang-rape’. The public abduction involved five queer and trans persons, some of whom are people of colour. In a Foucaultian context, an abduction scenario eludes surveillance and remains invisible until revealed. During the abduction scenario some citizens stopped, observed, and considered using their cellular phones, visibly concerned with what they were witnessing. At one point the scenario paused for consultation and explanation with bystanders troubled by what they interpreted as potentially criminal behaviour. This response can be understood as policing non-normative, public, physical activity. What are the limitations of Sadomasochism (S/m) in the public sphere? And how are identifications of class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality positioned in this analysis? To those inexperienced with S/m, unfamiliar with consensually aggressive activity, there can be a questioning of psychological contiguity. In the twenty-first century there has been a mainstreaming of kink. Yet, there remain limitations of public tolerance for S/m as counter–conduct. Through the work of Warner and Munoz, this paper suggests the scenario can be interpreted as a counterpublic. This research is an autoethnographic account of the scenario and addresses the limitations on S/m scenarios conducted in the public sphere.
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Notes
I use the abbreviation S/m for Sadomasochism from this point. I capitalize ‘S’ for dominant persons, or ‘Sadists’, and lower-case ‘m’ for submissive persons, or ‘masochists’. This is a generally accepted and recognized abbreviation in the S/m community.
I use the term 'sexuality' in the generally accepted, contemporary context. I am aware of Foucault's genealogical engagement with sexuality but will not undertake a complete explanation here. See Foucault (1980) interview, “The Confession of the Flesh” and Arnold Davidson (2001) The emergence of sexuality: Historical epistemology and the formation of concepts.
I recommend Athanassoulis’ (2002) elucidation of consent in S/m practices.
See Fowles (2008).
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Olson, I. Abduction in the Public Sphere: Sadomasochism, Surveillance, and Counterpublics. Sexuality & Culture 21, 795–812 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-017-9422-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-017-9422-1