David BrodyBondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism-BDSM. Most students on campus have some idea what these ideas refer to-and “Student Union-sponsored” is not likely what comes to mind.
But Wash U’s BDSM club, the Alternative Lifestyle Association, is not what you might think.
Though members say they most often face the question: “Do you guys have orgies?” ALA’s members don’t engage in sexual activity of any kind during meetings. They do, however, often share stories about past sexual experiences.
The group considers itself to be discussion based. The weekly meetings, which run between one and two hours, are centered on a pre-determined topic. Members discuss sex philosophically. For instance, subjects range from the definition of pleasure and the concept of humiliation to ideas about gender.
The group was founded last year by senior Matt Traverso and a female friend and co-worker, a sophomore who wishes to go unnamed.
“(BDSM and sexuality) came up in conversation,” said ALA’s co-founder. “It was like, ‘This other person knows what I’m talking about.’ We started a dialogue, and from it came this wonderful resource.”
To spread the word about the club’s existence, the two plastered walls all over campus with provocative posters and fliers, an act that resulted in a formal disciplinary hearing.
“It turns out you’re only allowed to hang fliers up in Mallinckrodt, outside of Holmes, on the Forty and Small Group,” said Traverso, though he expressed doubt that the location of the flyers was really the sole reason for the hearing.
Though most members are drawn to the group because of a shared interest in BDSM, not all members come to the club for this reason. Senior Marisa Miller became interested in the group through other means, after pursuing research and an interest in performance artwork.
“What really interests me about BDSM is the idea of eroticism in all its forms-not just the images or the things we imagine when we think of BDSM,” she said.
ALA is considered a Category 3 group by Student Union, which means they are still in a trial phase and are granted no more than $500 a semester.
“It’s called seed funding,” said the group’s treasurer, a freshman who asked to remain anonymous. Contrary to what many students believe, any money the group receives does not go to “anything personal,” said Miller. Members deny rumors that they asked Student Union to fund the purchase of a sex swing and other equipment. They agree that would be unethical.
Instead, most all of ALA’s funding goes directly toward purchasing books for the group’s library, currently managed by Traverso. The collection-often used as a reference during meetings-contains a combination of literature, philosophy and texts on sexuality. But it is comprised mostly of what the group members refer to as “safety manuals,” guides that instruct readers on the safe and consensual practice of BDSM. Books are available to the group’s members, as well as any other interested students.
ALA had booths at the last two Activities Fairs.
“We’d hand out flyers, and they would get handed back to us,” said the group’s treasurer. People would “give me one of those looks, like they’re imagining me naked and hitting somebody,” she said.
“It’s an issue of people being uncomfortable with sexuality,” said the group’s co-founder, who plans to sell homemade whips and floggers on campus later this year as a fundraiser.
“Everyone thinks BDSM toys are always black and leather and scary, which isn’t the case.”
The group does not anticipate any trouble reserving a table in Mallinckrodt to sell the toys.
Unlike most other SU-sponsored clubs, ALA does not actively recruit members. However, they do welcome interested students.
“We’re out to be a resource for people who need us,” said the group’s co-founder. “We do welcome new members with open arms.”
Currently, the group has about 12 members and is pretty evenly divided by gender.
ALA has held a film screening of “Secretary” and plans to show “Quills” later this year; both are movies that incorporate BDSM and sexuality into their plots. At 8 p.m. on March 2, they will co-sponsor a question and answer panel discussion with Spectrum Alliance in the Women’s Building formal lounge, on a topic yet to be determined.
The members said ALA is an important resource for students, especially because of Missouri age laws. Most bondage clubs and BDSM resources outside campus require members to be over 21.
For underage students, “all we have is each other,” said Traverso.
To students with misconceptions of the group, Traverso has one thing to say: “Show up to the club. See what it’s about and what we spend our money on.”
The Alternative Lifestyle Association meets at 4 p.m. on Sundays in Small House 10 in the conference room.