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This essay and all site contents Copyright L. Goodwin 1990 -2001
Vanilla activists who dedicated their lives to building solidly sex-free zones with the support of their neighbors can't be expected to just roll over to have their tummies scratched if we rumble into town on our noisy, smelly old motorbikes and start frightening people.
In the bad old days no place was OK for us, so any place was pressed into service regardless of our neighbor's opinions, because we already knew they were our enemies, and you don't ask your enemies for permission when you already know what they'll say.
Times have changed. We have gradually claimed some space and freedoms, and have won many important points in popular opinion. One way we did this was by convincing the public that we understood and respected the concept of reasonable limits.
Where we make the effort to stay within the law and to avoid alarming people unduly, we are tolerated. Where we break the law and flagrantly disrespect vanilla people's feelings and rights, we get stomped on. No duh! We're a minority: they outnumber us! Of course if there is a simple disagreement we'll get thrashed.
In a simple democracy minorities, no matter how much merit they have, will suffer. But the U.S. is not a simple democracy. The Constitution protects the rights of minorities, as long as A) they are responsible citizens and B) the Bill of Rights is not GUTTED. Obviously, ~we~ want this.
Prostitution and running sex clubs of any kind is still illegal in most places, my friends. If you are making any money and are too obviously not filing taxes on your ill-gotten gains, you're inviting trouble. If what you are doing looks like it could be a form of prostitution you are asking for it.
If vanilla right-wingers have a stranglehold on your town and you don't exercise proper caution and self-restraint, don't be surprised if they lower the boom. They have historically been known to do this: there's a discernible pattern to their behavior, as everybody knows, and you also have been warned, and warned.
If the vanilla right violates our rights as respectable, responsible citizens, OTOH, we have recourse. They shouldn't be surprised if *they* then get stomped. Reasonable limits are our friend, as long as we are a friend to them.
Join Alt.com - largest BDSM/Alternative Lifestyle Personals!
This essay and all site contents Copyright L. Goodwin 1990 -2001