The Consent Counts Discussion Guide

I don't do this very often, but this came through one of the lists that we subscribe to, and the discussion seems worthwhile, so I'm putting the information here for those who may be interested.

Let's do this... We'll just define ourselves as a "family" or a "community group," and conduct our own discussion. If you want to participate and be included in this dialog (and you don't have some other venue where you might take part in this effort) you can post a comment here. When the discussion seems to have run its course, I'll try and compile it and forward it on.

swan

The Consent Counts Discussion Guide is now available at http://consentcounts.org/resource/html . This project is gathering comments, thoughts, ideas from the community on decriminalizing BDSM and sexual freedom issues and more information is available about the project at www.consentcounts.org. The goal of this project is to produce a compiled report that will be presented at LLC in April 2008 in San Francisco which will provide a baseline perspective to the national organizations that are working on these issues. Your voice and views are important. We need all titleholders, community leaders, event producers, and leather families to be part of this discussion. The guide provides a step by step workshop approach on the issues. After having the discussion, you summarize your answers and send them in. Deadline for inputs is Dec 15, 2007. Also forward this to any other e-lists you may be on. For more information, contact pat@consentcounts. org.

Here are the questions that need your input (see the guide for background and additional information) :

Legal/Current Status
1. What are the local laws used against BDSM activity in your community
2. Are there any local cases where the above laws or fear of the leather community has limited access or ability to gather ?
3. What has been the community response (actual or theoretical) to an arrest, raid? Do you have community resources or groups that respond to these situations? Community Perception?
4. What do you think the larger community (GLBT, vanilla) perception is of the leather community?
5. What leather activities make the larger community nervous or that the larger community doesn't want to see us doing?
6. Should the leather community become mainline/acceptable or stay secretive/outlaw with the larger community?

Consent
7. What do you define as consent in leather/kink/ fetish/BDSM community?
8. What are the limits of consent – what can we agree to do?
9. What are the limits on who can give consent – age, mental ability, health?
10.What is the difference between consensual BDSM and domestic violence or abuse?