10.20
New Orleans Fetish Event Threatened.
With my heart, lifestyle and vocation being directly associated with BDSM I could not let the last few month’s turn of events go un-noted in my public forum. Fetish in the Fall, New Orleans’ first major fetish education and entertainment convention was cancelled due to local city government writing a letter to local businesses in opposition.
It is sad events like this that lead to the weak public presence of the New Orleans BDSM/fetish scene. Despite places like Bourbon Street, the tourists are shocked about how conservative our local BDSM scene really is.
I was a happy holder of full weekend pass tickets to Fetish In the Fall. This event was to be a great public service to the metropolitan New Orleans scene. There were so many wonderful educational lectures, venders with quality attire and toys, fetish galas to socialize amongst with like minded adults, and play areas to experiment with the new knowledge on safe play gained through the lectures of the day.
I was saddened to find out that this event was cancelled. I had been sitting on my tickets for over a month. I wasn’t upset that the tickets had been purchased…I was saddened because this was the first major event of this kind for New Orleans. The first extensive educational event, not just an event to show off, this was one that also informs.
There are periodic day workshops with local groups like NOBLE that do wonderful lectures of one or two speakers, but this would have been at least 11 workshops in a 3 day period.
Why did this happen?
Well, the Police Chief Congemi stated that his concern was for the local neighborhood’s family values, with the misunderstanding that this was “degrading to women”, and that these events would be “borderline illegal”. As a female and a Dominant in the BDSM lifestyle and even a professional Dominatrix, I can tell you that sex is not a determining factor in who gets degraded, and those who do get degraded really enjoy it. There actually seem to be far more male submissives than female submissives, although they are probably, in all actuality, equal in numbers.
Bob Hannaford also was concerned with the media attending this event and outing people that were in the scene who conduct professional and family lives who might have been upset by the exposure.
The Police Chief did not actively cancel the events himself…what he did was put the heat on hotels and business owners that were scene friendly. The event coordinator, Bob Hannaford lost the support of the hotel that was negotiating this event with him. The Kenner Police threatened to keep a scrutinizing eye on the event, deem acts to be illegal, and charge not only the consenting parties but also the hotels for any “sexual misconducts”. Other hotels were more forced than urged to not accept this event.
One of the points that I would like to make is that this event was to be completely contained with in the private property of one hotel. This means, that the local communities would have had very little interaction with the attendees of the event. They would have benefited by the food sales of the 1,500 expected participants, as well as the needs that the local drug stores would have met. These events were not to be held in neighborhoods, not in public, not on their school grounds, but in a hotel that was not occupied by other than the attendees of the events.
Why was this not held in New Orleans proper? The hotel that was booked for the sister convention of swingers, called Naughty in New Orleans, had been booked to capacity. Originally, we were to share the hotel for both events, but many of the fetish attendees (who probably were already going out of their way for expensive attire, and tickets to the event) were hesitant on the high priced cost of French Quarter lodging. This event would be better accommodated near the hotel for a lesser cost per night, and the hotel they had in mind was bending over backwards to get this account.
Now it has been declared publicly that Kenner has the right to refuse service to “fetishist”, “supposed fetishist”, and others with approval from their local police department and city government. The statement has been made that Kenner does not want “our type of people” in their family oriented city. I have news for you… we are already here. We are your sisters, your mothers, your wives, your husbands, your doctors, your lawyers. We are your neighbors…most of us are discreet due to these prejudices and persecutions against our lifestyles.
As a professional dominant I can tell you that even the spouses of many of us are unaware of our lifestyles. Most of us are very loving and respectable contributing members of society. We just have a taste for indulging our senses in a wider spectrum of sensation, pleasing our eyes with the visions of corsets and high-heeled boots. Most of us are harmless.
If you would like further information on the local scene, or to contact with questions on local events of other BDSM topics, you may contact me at genevieve@msgenevieve.com
Or 504-220-3770
Mistress Genevieve
http://msgenevieve.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mistressgenevievesslaves
Unfortunately, the more I look into this the more it’s very obvious that Congemi was merely a very large snowball that was dropped on a slope, and became much larger as it rolled downhill. Without his nazi-assed tactics, I still think this function would not have succeeded. He was a dick, but the management of this function planted some seeds that helped the cancellation occur.
I believe Bob Hannaford doesn’t want the swingers convention publicly connected with FIF.
After posting about “Naughty in New Orleans” in the relatively small FIF Yahoo Group, Hannaford send me a letter saying as much, and informing me he had deleted my post. It didn’t seem domineering or overbearing; just that he had taken the necessary steps to keep the two events separate.
I would therefore suggest that you get his approval to publish an article mentioning both groups and their connection.
BTW – While reading the news today, I discovered that The Advocate (BR newspaper) has a lovely little op-ed piece that doesn’t actively support FIF, but still condemns Congemi on the basis of his getting involved at all.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/102003/opi_edi1001.shtml
It really is a private event, and asking the rented cops to be present was a sign that this was to be above board, and safe as possible.
But originally the flyer for Fetish in the fall had the Naughty in New Orleans actually written on it.
Actually, Congemi is running for mayor, and he thought this would give him the profil;e that would swing the vote, he anticipated us to be less accepted than wwe were. In the polls 80% of the people thought he was out of line for all of this.
He’d have to be ridiculously stupid to think this would fly.
As stated several times, I’m of the opinion that he pulled a draconian and ridiculous stunt. It is not, however, the ONLY reason this function isn’t happening.
no, but it is the main reason…they didn’t want the attending parties outed by press.
that sucks
god, that sucks…
i thought this was america…hahah..
right…
Don’t know if you knew…
But one of the groups that I do volunteer work for we actually had a media aler for the cancellation of this event based upon possible connection with the RAVE act. It went far beyond just the RAVE act in its scope, but that was the focus of the Groups action. I also received notification from several other groups who advocate for those who are considered to be in the sexually oriented business category (which BDSM definitely qualifies)…
I was just wondering….
I have seen several studies that show that the number of Male to Female Submissives is probably equal, but that men are far more likely to seek out am outlet for this, and/or respond as such if asked by someone. Most of this info was obtained in SF where I think that there probably are far more Male than female submissives….Do you know of a place that I might be bale to get a bit better information than the Adovcate, or other publications which are based in the SoB category. I am looking for someone who is from a university or actual psychiatric/psychological research facility rather than from a publication whose sales deal with sexual issues.
Re: Don’t know if you knew…
we have to remember that submissives may manifest themselves in domestic capabilities, or in dedication to some other master than in a BDSM context, so submissive and domiant personalities are everywhere.
Re: Don’t know if you knew…
I knew that (submissive women manifesting in domestic duties, etc..)…what I am wondering is if you know of any specific studies of the subject?
Also I meant that men are more likely to dislose submissive SEXUAL attitudes openly than are women. They may hold jobs or have attitudes that indicate a submissive tendency, but they are less likely to admit to such. I think my ex-wife is a really good example of such…She would never have admitted to being submissive to anything, but wouldn’t make a decision to save her life unless she asked her closest male friend (not exactly a healthy tendency)….anyway…Specific studies???
Re: Don’t know if you knew…
I don’t know of any specific studies.