Categories
Norsk

Pisk på moten

I dette tiåret er det sadomasochisme (SM) som er “skummelt”, og lakk og lær trenden vil nok vare til SM blir like akseptert som homofili er i dag, sier Kjersti Venaas og Berit Brønnstad i teatergruppa X3M.

Av Alexandra Beverfjord

Denne artikkelen er sakset fra Adresseavisen 6.11.1998

Når seksuelle særheter blir en ungdomsmote. For selv om lakk og lær-trenden fenger hele moteverdenen, er det på langt nær akseptabelt å stå frem som sadomasochist. – Det er ikke nok å være hetero, en må ha noe annet i tillegg, sier Sado-hunden Ole Jomar Moen. Han fleiper selvfølgelig. Ole Jomar er med i teatergruppen X3M, på scenen lar han seg piske og ydmyke på det groveste. Hadde han tent på dette på soverommet sitt, ville han neppe stilt opp med navn og bilde i avisen.

– På åttitallet var det veldig tabu å være homse, folk elsker å leke med tabuer og trenden spilte den gang veldig på homseting. I dette tiåret er det sadomasochisme (SM) som er «skummelt», og lakk og lær trenden vil nok vare til SM blir like akseptert som homofili er i dag, sier Kitty Cat (Kjersti Venaas) og Domina (Berit Brønnstad).

Alle medlemmene i X3M jobber i barnehager eller er førskolelærere og pedagoger. I to år har de spilt på lakk, lær og SM, først i revyene Djevelsk revy og Hotell Tabu, nå i deres X3M Show hvor pisking, kattemasker, lakkstøvletter og nettingstrømper er ingrediensene.

– Dette er ikke våre egne hemmelige lyster. Men vi liker å kjøre SM show for publikum og synes det er stilig med lakk og lær – selv om vi ikke tenner seksuelt på det, sier Kitty Cat og Domina legger til at når man er førskolelærer trenger man noe helt annet å koble av med.

Sexolog og lege Esben Benestad tror at fetisjistene og sadomasochistene selv er godt fornøyd med at deres seksuelle tilbøyeligheter har blitt mote: – Det øker jo tilgangen på klær og utstyr. Når en seksuell relatert trend blir veldig tydelig, åpner det samtidig for større aksept for den seksuelle tilbøyeligheten.

– Blir det flere fetisjister og sadomasochister, når dette er på moten? – Nei. Man må ha talent for fetisjisme for å bli fetisjist.

Sosialantropologer forteller at de fleste seksuelle uttrykksformer eksisterer i alle kulturer, men på den annen side: Man kan ikke være gummifetisjist hvis man lever i et samfunn uten gummi, sier Benestad.

Benestad tror de aller fleste mennesker er fetisjister i større eller mindre grad:

– Fetisjisme er et svært vidt begrep: Å være fetisjist betyr at man tenner på ting eller kroppsdeler. Det kan være alt fra mannerumper og nakker til antenner og rolex ur. Det er jo svært vanlig at folk tenner på for eksempel pupper, korsetter, sexy undertøy eller høye heler – å tenne på dette er fetisjistisk. Det som er mindre vanlig, er å bare tenne på ting. Dette kan også by på problemer fordi man ikke får noen nærhet og varme ut fra en lærjakke, for eksempel, sier Benestad.

Categories
Norsk Seksualpolitikk

Norske sexologer: Fjern fetisj og sm-diagnoser!


Dagbladet Magasinet 2.7.02:

Norske sexologer mener Norge bør følge etter Danmark og friskmelde sadomasochisme og fetisjisme. Danmark fjernet sm som sykdomsdiagnose i 1995 etter et politisk vedtak.

Sykeliggjøring eller diagnostisering mener Sexolog Elsa Almås bør spares til virkelige seksuelle perversjoner og overgrep.

Almås synes også vi bør revurdere spåket.

– Ordet “fetisjisme” stammer fra en epoke der sex utelukkende skulle handle om forplantning, og hvor all annen seksuell aktivitet ble avvist som avvik, sier Almås til Magasinet Dagbladet. I stedet for å gå inn for å forstå folks fetisjer, mener hun vi bør akseptere at folk tenner på forskjellige ting.

– Slik vi snakker om fetisjer i dag, er også det å tenne på pupper en fetisj, mener Almås.

I medisinsk betydning handler fetisjisme om å knytte seksuell opphisselse til et bestemt objekt. Man mener tenningen oppstår fordi objektet minner om en tidligere sterk seksuell opplevelse. Har du for eksempel hatt ditt første samleie i baksetet på en bil, kan lukten av lær få det til å krible.

– Noen tenningsmønstre oppstår i puberteten, andre i barnesenga. For noen kan fetisjen stivne på et punkt, hos andre utvikler tenningsmønsteret seg.

Fetisjisme er ifølge Dagbladet like utbredt blant homofile som heterofile.

Sexolog Elsa Almås klassifiserer tenning på pupper, penis, osv. i samme kategori som som føtter, lær og gummi.

Almås deler fetisjer i tre grupper:

Den arketypiske:
Tenner på objekter som kan assosieres med naturen. Lakk kan assosieres med vann, blonder med spindelvev (herunder hører også hår, pupper, rumpe, osv.).

Utviklingsfetisjer:
Oppstår i løpet av oppveksten. Mange er seksuelle nesten fra fødselen av, og kan etablere seksuelle assosiasjoner til forskjellige situasjoner og gjenstander. Som tiss, plastikkbukser, føtter (som barn ser når de kravler rundt på gulvet). Herunder finner vi også de tenningsmønstre som oppstår i puberteten (pupper, penis osv.).

Situasjonelle fetisjer:
Nye tenningsmønstre som oppstår når alt ligger til rette for en erotisk stemning (stearinlys, rødvis, osv.).

Categories
Norsk Seksualpolitikk

Om utvalget

Bakgrunn, mandat og arbeid

Fetisj/sm-utvalget ble nedsatt av Landsstyremøtet i LLH, Landsforeningen for lesbisk og homofil frigjøring, 2.-4. oktober 1998 på bakgrunn av arbeidsprogram og vedtak på Landsmøtene i 1996 og -98. Mandatet ble senest fornyet på samtlige landsmøter.”

Bildet (til høyre) er fra LLHs Landsmøte 2000 som stadfestet at LLHs fetisj/sm-arbeid “skal pågå til målet er nådd”. (Foto: Svein Skeid)

Utvalgets mandat bygger på LLHs plattform/prinsipprogram.

Ytringsmessig mangfold
I grunnarbeidet for plattformen ligger den landsomfattende Lags- og medlemsundersøkelsen fra 1996, som viser at “et overveldende flertall av medlemmer/tillitsvalgte er imot diskriminering av grupper som butch, skruller, lær- og sm-homoer, og at dette ytringsmessige mangfold er en ressurs.” (Sitat fra LLHs arbeidprogram 1998-2000).

Utvalgets mandat er i sin natur grensesprengende ettersom det involverer samarbeid på tvers av seksuell orientering og landegrenser, og fordi norsk homobevegelse, som den første i verden, jobber både overfor nasjonale “helsemyndigheter, samt overfor Verdens Helseorganisasjon WHO, for opphevelse av umyndiggjørende sykdomsdiagnostisering overfor fetisjister og sadomasochister”. (Sitat fra LLHs arbeidsprogram 1996-98).

Bredt sammensatt utvalg
I tråd med mandatet har det bredt sammensatte utvalget med faste medlemmer og tilkalte fagpersoner, konstituert seg med bifile, lesbiske, homofile og heterofile ressurspersoner fra norske lær, fetisj og sm-organisasjoner, i tillegg til profesjonelle innen sexologi, psykologi og psykiatri.

Utvalget har høstet og mottar stadig faglig og strategisk inspirasjon og kunnskap fra arbeidet i USA og Danmark, land som for henholdsvis åtte og sju år siden fjernet sykdomsstempelet overfor fetisjister, transvestitter og sm-ere.

Vi har også gjennom nasjonale og internasjonale foredrag, workshops, kongresser, seminarer og annonsering i tidsskrifter og på internett, informert og fått kontakt med aktivister, fagpersoner og organisasjoner over hele Europa med samme mål som oss. Dette nettverket utvides stadig.

Utvalget har innhentet faglig dokumentasjon, relevant litteratur og undersøkelser, fra inn og utland, supplert med utvalgsmedlemmenes varierte bakgrunn og erfaring. Utlegging av denne omfattende og unike dokumentasjon på norsk og engelsk er kommet godt i gang siden den ble påbegynt sist høst på utvalgets sider http://www.revisef65.org til nytte for aktivister og fagpersoner verden over.

ILGA-støtte
Utvalget fikk i 1999 støtte fra den 21. Europakonferansen til ILGA Europa i Pisa som påla styret å hjelpe nettverket som er under oppbygging. Generalforsamlingen i den europeiske lærhomse-sammenslutningen ECMC i Milano 2000, vedtok å etablere en prosjektgruppe med samme mandat.

Den betydelige diskriminering som er dokumentert ikke minst overfor lærlesber på utvalgets nettsider, er én av årsakene til at den største amerikanske kvinneorganisasjonen NOW i 1999 fjernet sin tjue år gamle fordømmelse av sadomasochisme. En unik sm-rapport fra en offentlig oppnevnt britisk lovkommisjon har tidligere blant annet slått fast at dårlige levekår og selvfølelse hos lærhomser alvorlig skader hiv-forebyggende arbeid overfor gruppen.

LLHs banebrytende diagnoseprosjekt er et prosess som berører svært mange mennesker. En viktig del av Utvalgets arbeid er å finne allierte og støttespillere nasjonalt og internasjonalt. Det har hele tiden vært klart at slik nettverksbygging og holdningsendringer kan ta lang tid.

Som fremgår av utvalgets nettsider står nå en bred Europa-mobilisering for døren i forbindelse med sommerens Europride 2002 i Köln for å få fetisjvennlige fagfolk til å gi sin støtte overfor utvalget og WHO.

——————————–

OVERSTÅENDE RAPPORT BLE AVSLUTTET VÅREN 2002.

LES MER OM DET I UTVALGETS ÅRSBERETNING FOR 2002.

ÅRSBERETNING 2003

ÅRSBERETNING 2004

ÅRSBERETNING 2005

ÅRSBERETNING 2004-2006

Diagnoseutvalget ReviseF65 1996-2006

ÅRSBERETNING 2007

ÅRSBERETNING 2008

ÅRSBERETNING 2009

HELE UTVALGETS HISTORIE 1994-2009 (PÅ ENGELSK)

Categories
Forside Norsk Seksualpolitikk

Finland slutter seg til nordisk seksualreform

Fjerde land som fullstendig fjerner fetisj- og SM-diagnoser:
“Verken behandling, statistikk eller forskning tar skade av at diagnosene forsvinner”

 

Finland slutter seg til nordisk seksualreform

En nordisk modell for sexualreform utfordrer nå Verdens Helseorganisasjon etter at Finland fjernet fem diagnoser på seksuelle preferanser, seksuelle identiteter og kjønnsuttrykk som relaterer seg til seksuell orientering fra landets nasjonale ICD-versjon. WHO reviderer for tiden den internasjonale sykdomsklassifiseringen til en ny oppdatert ICD-11-utgave som skal være klar i 2015.

Av Svein Skeid og Odd Reiersøl

Basert på den norske modellen og det banebrytende arbeidet til Revise F65-gruppen, kunngjorde det finske nasjonale institutet för hälsa och välfärd (THL) 12. mai 2011, at landet avskaffer sykdomskodene transvestisme, fetisjisme, fetisjistisk transvestisme, sadomasochisme og multiple forstyrrelser i seksuelle objektvalg. Dette er de samme diagnosene som Revise F65 arbeider for å fjerne fra WHOs internasjonale sykdomsliste. Revise F65 er et utvalg i LLH, Landsforeningen for lesbiske, homofile, bifile og transpersoner.

Finland er det fjerde landet som foretar en slik revisjon etter at det norske Helsedirektoratet gjorde de samme diagnosekodene ugyldige 1. februar 2010. Sverige gjennomførte en lignende reform i 2009, mens Danmark fullstendig avskaffet transvestisme og sadomasochisme som diagnoser i henholdsvis 1994 og 1995.

– At fire nordiske land nå har fjernet de aktuelle diagnosene for nasjonalt bruk er et viktig faglig og helsepolitisk signal til WHO i arbeidet med utarbeidelsen av ICD-11, sier leder i LLHs Diagnoseutvalg, Svein Skeid. Den finske seksualreformen er jobbet fram av homoorganisasjonen SETA i samarbeid med eksperter fra Sexpo Foundation-gruppen. I helsemyndighetenes faglige begrunnelse fremheves det blant annet at de overnevnte diagnosene ikke er i praktisk bruk og at de fungerer stigmatiserende overfor gruppen som rammes av den.

Nordisk modell

– Vi regner med at mellom én og to millioner mennesker tilhører grupper som nå er direkte berørt av de nordiske landenes friskmeldinger basert på den veldokumenterte norske Revise F65-modellen, sier Svein Skeid. Oppdatert forskning viser at sykeliggjøring fører til vold og diskriminering mot seksuelle minoriteter og hindrer folk å søke adekvat helsehjelp. De siste to årenes utvikling viser at de nordiske landene tar seksuelle minoriteters helse på alvor. – Det ligger nå et stort ansvar på Verdens helseorganisasjon om å følge “den nordiske modellen” og fullstendig fjerne de fem fetisj, SM og trans-diagnosene i den nye ICD 11-utgaven, sier Skeid.

ICD-11 Alpha Draft

I følge ICD-11 Alpha Draft (bilde til venstre), besøkt 20. mai 2011, så er fetisjisme, fetisjistisk transvestisme, sadomasochisme og transvestisme ennå ikke fjernet fra listen over sykdommer på WHOs liste. I følge seniorrådgiver i Helsedirektoratet, Arild Johan Myrberg, ligger WHOs arbeid med å oppdatere den internasjonale diagnosemanualen ett år etter planen.

 

Seksuell orientering

I pressemeldingen på THLs offisielle nettsider, heter det at finske helsemyndigheter “har mottatt forslag om endringer i kategorier relatert til seksuell orientering.”

“Etter å ha vurdert informasjon om kategoriene terapeutisk, deres medisinske bakgrunn, synspunkter fra eksperter på diagnosenes riktighet og nødvendighet, og de nordiske landenes praksis på området, har THL, etter instruks fra generaldirektøren, besluttet at følgende kategorier skal fjernes fra den finske versjonen av ICD-10:

F64.1 Transvestisme
F65.0 Fetisjisme
F65.1 Fetisjistisk transvestisme
F65.5 Sadomasochisme
F65.6 Multiple forstyrrelser i seksuelle objektvalg”

I følge overlege ved THL, Jorma Komulainen, er disse fem diagnosene uklare og benyttes så sjelden at verken behandling, statistikk eller forskning tar skade av at de forsvinner. De siste ti årene har diagnosene blitt oppgitt som årsak til behandling mindre enn én gang i året. Det kan tolkes som at heller ikke leger anser fetisjisme, transvestisme og SM som sykdommer og at man helst ikke benytter diagnosene.

 

Referanser:

THL (2011). ICD-10-tautiluokitusta päivitetään 2011. Kunngjøring 12.5.2011 fra Det finske nasjonale institutet för hälsa och välfärd (THL). Hentet 12. mai 2011 fra http://www.thl.fi/doc/fi/25489

Revise F65 (2010). SM, fetisjisme og transvestisme ikke lenger sykt i Norge. Hentet 12. mai 2011 frahttp://www.revisef65.org/friskmelding.html

Socialstyrelsen (2008). Pressemelding fra den svenske Socialstyrelsen 17.11.2008. Hentet 12. mai 2011 fra http://www.revisef65.org/socialstyrelsen.html

Revise F65 (1995). Danmark fjerner SM som diagnose. Hentet 12. mai 2011 frahttp://www.revisef65.org/danmark.html

Revise F65 (2009). Faglig grunnlag for å fjerne norske fetisj- og SM-diagnoser. Hentet 12. mai 2011 fra http://www.revisef65.org/notat.html

Wright, S. (2008). Second National Survey of Violence & Discrimination Against Sexual Minorities. NCSF. Hentet 12. mai 2011 frahttp://www.ncsfreedom.org/images/stories/pdfs/BDSM_Survey/2008_bdsm_survey_analysis_final.pdf

Wright S. (2010). Depathologizing Consensual Sexual Sadism, Sexual Masochism, Transvestic Fetishism, and Fetishism. Archives of sexual behavior. Volume 39, Number 6, 1229-1230.

Categories
Forside Norsk Seksualpolitikk

Danmark fjerner SM som diagnose

Danmark har som første europeiske land etter en politisk beslutning fjernet SM som diagnose.

I 1995 fjernet Danmark som første EU-land, sadomasochisme fullstendig som diagnose ved et politisk vedtak i regjeringen. Beslutningen bygger på forskning som viser at SM eller sadomasochisme ikke er noen sykdom. F64.1 Transvestisme ble fjernet som diagnose fra den danske ICD-versjonen 19. august 1994.

– Ingen sykdom

I et brev til formannen i SM-foreningen Det Sorte Selskap, Anders Sørensen, skrev den daværende danske sundhedsminister Yvonne Herløv Andersen (bildet), at hun finner det beklagelig at sadomasochisme inngår i sykdomsklassifikasjonen ICD, International Classification of Diseases. “Jeg mener det er god grunn til å fravike den internasjonale sykdomsklassifikasjonen på dette punkt”, skrev Andersen, som var dansk sundhedsminister fra 1994 til 1996, og før det sosialminister. Ministeren var enig i at seksuell preferanse er et helt privat anliggende: “Toleransen overfor mennesker med en annerledes seksualitet er blitt større, og på dette punkt er Danmark et foregangsland”, skriver hun til slutt.

Det Sorte Selskaps formann Anders Sørensen mottok beslutningen med begeistring. “Denne holdning ville mange sadomasochister verden over ønske var gjeldende i deres land, også i naboland som Sverige, Norge og England, som ellers går for å være opplyste og siviliserte stater med en humanistisk rettspolitikk”, uttalte sm-formannen til den danske avisen Politiken.

På bildet til høyre kan du se en faksimile av brevet fra den danske Sundhedsstyrelsen (Statens Helsetilsyn), der beslutningen om å ikke å benytte diagnosen F65.5 Sadomasochisme, bekjentgjøres. Klikk på bildet for å få en større versjon av brevet, som naturlig nok er skevet på dansk.

Vold og SM i samme diagnose

I dagens ICD-klassifikasjon skilles det overhodet ikke mellom frivillig og gjensidig SM-sex på den ene side, og vold, overgrep og konemishandling på den annen side.

Overstående dokumenterer hvordan Danmark i 1995 fjernet sm som diagnose, nettopp fordi forskning viser at sm-ere ikke er mer sykelige enn andre mennesker.
http://www.revisef65.org/psykopatologi.html

På nettstedet
http://members.aol.com/NOWSM/Psychiatrists.html/#Psychiatrists;
dokumenter Park Elliot Dietz – en av verdens ledende autoriteter på sammenhengen mellom aggresjon og sex – den helt grunnleggende forskjellen på voldelig sadisme og sm-sadisme!

På samme webside er også referert Kinsey-instituttets forskningsrapport fra 1990 som viser at 5-10 prosent av befolkningen praktiserer SM eller sadomasochisme.

Fraviking

Også i Norge har vi i forhold til homofili sett at enkeltland kan fravike enkeltdiagnoser i ICD, som er bestemt av Verdens Helseorganisasjon, WHO. Desto flere land som klarer å fravike sykdomsklassifiseringen F65 på fetisjisme og sadomasochisme, jo større er sjansen for at den blir fjernet av WHO.

Kink Aware Professionals
Endringer i diagnose-klassifiseringen ICD skjer nå omtrent fortløpende. Historien viser at DSM-lista til Den amerikanske psykiaterforeningen APA, svært ofte påvirker den internasjonale ICD.
Liste over “Kink aware professionals” eller fetisj/sm-vennlige fagfolk, finner du påhttp://www.ncsfreedom.org/index.php?option=com_keyword&id=270

Denne opprinnelige amerikanske KAP-lista omfatter nå hele verden, Europa inkludert. Det har allerede begynt å dukke opp en del europeiske ressurser.
Se også: Kink aware professionals Berlin http://www.bdsm-berlin.de/kap.html

Kink aware professionals Canada http://www.vancouverleather.com/kap

Brevet fra Sundhedsstyrelsen

Fra Sundhedsstyrelsen (Statens Helsetilsyn)

Til overleger ved psykiatriske avdelinger
Det Psykiatriske Centralregister
sykehusenes EDB-sentre
Kommunedata
Sundhetsministeriet

Den 24. april 1995

J.nr. 6702-15 1994
Lokalnr. 6201

 

Fra sundhedsministeren har Sundhedsstyrelsen mottatt anmodning om, at sykdomsklassifikasjonens kode for sadomasochisme ikke lenger anvendes i sykdomsregistreringen.

Man skal derfor anmode om, at bruken av koden

DF65.5 Sadomasochisme

blokkeres for anvendelse med virkning fra 1.5.95

Med vennlig hilsen

overlege G. Schiøler (sign.)

Sundhedsstyrelsen, Amaliegade 13, Postboks 2020, 1012 København K. Telefon 33 91 16 01.

Categories
English Seksualpolitikk Sexual politics

Mandate, background and some of the Revise F65 efforts since 1994

Revise F65:
Professional and health political work 1994-2009

NB: LLH in 2016 changed its name to FRI – The Norwegian Organization for Sexual and Gender Diversity.

 

The award-winning work to remove SM and fetish diagnoses is groundbreaking because health care professionals and human rights activists cooperate across sexual orientation and across borders to lay a foundation and set the premises for a pioneering human rights reform.

By Svein Skeid

The ReviseF65 committee is a subsidiary of LLH, the Norwegian LGBT Association, with a political mandate from all the biennial LLH National Conventions since 1996. ReviseF65 also has a mandate from the international lesbian and gay movement (ILGA 1999), The European leather club confederation (ECMC 2000) and the federal German SM organization (BVSM e.V. 2004). 

The LLH mandate

The purpose of Revise F65 is to remove Fetishism, Transvestism and Sadomasochism as psychiatric diagnoses from the ICD, the International Classification of Diseases, published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and translated into national versions world wide (mandate from the 1996 biennial national convention of LLH).

The mandate was based on a national survey conducted among the nearly two thousand lesbian and gay members of LLH, “rejecting discrimination of leather, SM and transgender people, and judging this diversity as a valuable resource” (according to the 1998 LLH convention).

According to the 2000 LLH convention (picture), Revise F65 “shall establish a professional basis for the work and lobbying official authorities to remove the diagnoses.”

At the 2004 LLH convention, the Revise F65 mandate was explicitly expressed in the organization’s political platform. This is especially important and a big victory because the Norwegian gay and lesbian movement often ”forget” to include their SM/fetish minority in their budgets, working plans and the previous political platform from 1996.

Professional and human rights work

Even though the main purpose is to abolish SM and fetish diagnoses, Revise F65 is also involved in general work against discrimination and harassment of fetishists and sadomasochists. Some of this work is mentioned here.

In addition to national work, Revise F65 also have an international mandate to motivate other countries to remove their national versions of the SM/fetish ICD diagnoses. The more countries that remove their diagnoses, the greater is the possibility that the World Health Organization will follow suit. This is what happened in many countries in the years before the World Health Organization removed homosexuality as a diagnosis from the ICD classification in 1990.

Inbetween formal committee meetings there has been national and international network building, lectures, workshops, participation at congresses, seminars and festivals. We have been giving interviews, publishing articles, film production, book contribution, periodicals, and lobbying of official health politicans and mental health professionals.

The ReviseF65 project concerns both gays, straights and transgender people. Therefore the ReviseF65 committee consists of leather/SM/fetish men and women representing organizations of leather and SM gays, – lesbians, bi- and heterosexuals, as well as professionals in sexology, psychology and psychiatry. Several dozen people have been involved during the years to a greater or lesser degree on a national basis. Even more people on an international level.

The name “F65” is a chapter in the International Classification of Diseases describing the so called “paraphilias”, earlier called “perversions”. It also contains other paraphilias. Obviously, we primarily want to delete the SM and Fetish diagnoses concerning consenting adults.

Background

Today we know that SM and fetish people played an important role in the modern gay rights movement from the very beginning in Norway and world wide. We were central in establishing the gay and lesbian organization in Norway in the 1950’s. Many leading persons in the gay movement have later been into fetish and SM, and still are. ”Without a face”, we are working for the welfare of gay and lesbians in general. Nevertheless, as a minority within a minority, gay and lesbian leather people experience discrimination within the homosexual movement.

When Norway’s first fetish and SM club, Scandinavian Leather Men (SLM), was founded in 1976, the gay leather members were regarded as violent and reactionary nazis. When the pansexual SM-organization SMil was established in 1988, leading Norwegian psychiatrists called it’s members ”violent” and ”disturbed persons” not being able to feel empathy.

The impetus behind the F65 repeal movement was the flourishing of SM pride, with fetish men and women parading through the streets during Gay Pride week. Leather people were tired of being object of derision in the tabloids.

The group Lesbians in Leather founded in 1993, was a precursor of Smia, founded in 1995, a human-rights group for lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgendered people.  All these groups, namely Lesbians in Leather, Smia and ReviseF65 are subsidiaries of LLH, and were founded by Svein Skeid.

From 1993 to 1997 Smia campaigned and set about fund-raising (£ 2000) in favour of the defendants in the British Spanner Case, which started in Manchester 1987. We gained support of several dozen Norwegian political organizations, including women‘s rights groups and trade unions, not to mention the unanimous backing of the Lesbian and Gay movement.

In 1997, the Revise F65 committee was formally established by Smia, individual transgender people, and mental health professionals. SLM and SMil joined the committee in 1998, thus the coalition continued to grow.

Long term project

Since 1996, the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision, the Norwegian Directorate of Health and Social Welfare (since 2002), andthe Norwegian Directorate of Health (since 2008), has supported Smia’s work financially to strengthen the self-esteem and identity of gay leather men as part of strategies to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Stigmatizing fetish and SM practices, in our opinion, amounts to an insult against healthy leather-people and, therefore, runs counter to effective public health and safer sex education efforts. It seemed like a paradox that the same official health authorities who grant money to LLH, SLM and Smia, who encourage a positive identity for fetishists and sadomasochists for the HIV prevention and other issues, also represent the agencies that employ the discriminatory and stigmatizing diagnoses of these practices.

The American Psychiatric Association, APA, considerably revised their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) spring 1994. Fall 1994 and May 1995 Dual-role transvestism and the SM diagnoses were repealed in Denmark. Both decisions were founded on research showing that SM is no disease.

Inspired by these incidents, the Norwegian gay and lesbian organization in September 1994 and June 1996 asked the Norwegian Health Authorities for help to bring about the same changes in Norway. The answer from the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision was totally negative.

We then realized that our initiative would be a long term project.

 

 

March 8, 1996. Smia was thrown out of the International Women’s Day parade in Oslo because of our slogan “SM is interplay, not violence”. The mistaken blending of SM and violence were introduced by the Austro-German psychiatrist Richard von Krafft-Ebing and is still kept alive by the ICD chapter F65.5 Sadomasochism.
Decision by the March 8 committee in Oslo Februar 20, 1997 (letter and telephone from Turid Kjernsli in the March 8 committee) (The newspaper Klassekampen March 8, 1996).

July 1998. The online newspaper skeivenyheter.no wrote about SM/fetish diagnoses and BDSM human rights in the years before revisef65.org was established.

November 1998. SM – A sexy diagnosis. “Removal of SM and fetish diagnoses is one of the most important tasks of the human rights group Smia.” Smia is the prime mover behind the Revise F65 group. Report in the monthly gay and lesbian magazine Blikk.

Participants in the ReviseF65 group in 1996 promoted the democratic revision of the rules and policy of the gay leather umbrella organization “European Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs”, ECMC, so as to address issues of sexual politics. In 2000 the more than 50 ECMC member clubs, following a proposal by SLM-Oslo, decided to support the Revise F65 effort.
The gay and lesbian magazine Blikk Desember 1998. “Fri tanke”, the magazine of The Norwegian Humanist Association December 10, 1998.

January 1999 professional leader [fagsjef] Ellen Hagemo in the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision wrongly contended that “we cannot just change the national version of the ICD diagnoses”. (According to report from Revise F65 meeting January 20, 1999.)

The umbrella organization for European gay and lesbian rights, European ILGA, issued a statement at it’s 1999 conference in Pisa, Italy, supporting the efforts to remove the diagnoses from the ICD. The Revise F65 member Ole Johnsen also gave a workshop.

February 19, 2000. Svein Skeid (picture) was awarded honorary member of the SLM leather organization for his work over twenty years for BDSM human rights and the BDSM community, including the work to remove fetish and SM diagnoses.

The LLH Convention in 2000 once again approved the ReviseF65 project, which “shall continue until the goal is attained”.

November 18, 2001. Svein Skeid held a presentation about SM human rights, including the Revise F65 efforts, at the University of Agder, Norway.

The Revise F65 web site, established in 2002 in Norwegian, English, German and Portuguese, along with the corresponding mailing list, has facilitated national and international networks. In 2002 the ReviseF65 group had mail correspondence and personal contact with activists and professionals or held lectures in Norway, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, The Netherlands, Russia, Canada, Hong Kong, Brazil and USA. Updated 2012: Iceland, Sweden, Finland, South Africa, Chile, Taiwan, Cuba, Australia, Italy, France, Scotland, Czech Republic and Poland.

“There is something very exciting about connecting up with others who work towards the same goals across the world. Thank you for making this possible.”
Peggy J. Kleinplatz, Psychologist , sex therapist and sex educator teaching at the University of Ottawa, Canada, July 30, 2002)

The web site has also given Revise F65 a good opportunity to disseminate a range of material about its work. Psychologist Odd Reiersøl’s 2002 article “SM: Causes and diagnoses“, in particular, was a great inspiration both in Norway and abroad. To our knowledge, the article has been translated into German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Russian, in addition to Norwegian and English.

In november 2002 member of the Revise committee Eric Barstad (picture) attended the lesbian SM congress WALP in Amsterdam. 148 participants from eleven countries listened to her briefing about the diagnoses, and during a mini workshop she made important international contacts.

The story and effort of the ReviseF65 project was printed late 2002 in the Bulletin of the Norwegian Society for Clinical Sexology. The ReviseF65 committee asked for, and received support on April 29, 2003 and May 8, 2003 from the Norwegian Association of Gay and Lesbian Physicians (HLLF) and the Norwegian Society for Clinical Sexology (NFKS). NFKS state:  “The Norwegian Association for Clinical Sexology in its support wishes to emphasize that the use of psychiatric diagnoses in relation to homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual fetishists, sadomasochists and transvestic fetishists is stigmatizing and therefore an encroachment upon this group as a whole” (letter of June 11, 2003).

“We have been working with the Revise F65 diagnoses for some years now and we realise that it has a long way to go. But if I live till I am eighty, and we are taken off the sick list at that time, I will be fairly pleased. You can compare it with the fight for gay and lesbian human rights. It took a long time for them to be deleted from the sick list too.” Svein Skeid (52) interviewed by the SMil magazine no 4, 2002.

Dr. Charles Moser (picture) held a a lecture for the American Psychiatric Association’s APA’s annual meeting in San Francisco May 16-22, 2003. Revise F65 project psychiatrist Reidar Kjær had a one hour long talk with Dr. Moser in connection with the APA Conference.

On June 20, 2003, psychiatrist Reidar Kjær (picture) held the presentation “Do we need all the Paraphilias?” at the International Psychiatric Conference on Diagnosis in Psychiatry. This was held in Vienna Austria and arranged by the World Psychiatric Association. Dr Kjær also held lectures (in Norwegian) entitled “Are SM and Fetish still diseases?” at the Gay Pride Days in Kristiansand on June 6, at the Gay Pride week in Oslo on June 24, and at the SM house “Nonna” October 24.

On June 28, 2003 during the Gay Pride Week in Oslo, Svein Skeid was honouredwith the Gay Person of the Year Award, because of his SM human rights work in general, and the ReviseF65 work to remove SM and fetish diagnoses. The award was an acknowledgement to everybody that has supported and contributed to the ReviseF65 work (and that is many people!). Among them the contributing organizations LLH, SMil, SLM, Smia and our specialists in psychology and psychiatry. The award is also an acknowledgement to everybody working for an open and inclusive leather/SM/fetish society.

LLH leader Tore Holte Follestad personally delivered a letter from the ReviseF65 committee to Mr. Dagfinn Høybråten, Minister of Health (Christian Democratic Party) on November 28, 2003. This laid out the professional and human rights arguments which underlie the move to take away the SM and Fetish diagnoses. We never got any answer to this letter.

Two days later, November 30, 2003, SMia and Revise F65 also sent the application “Diagnoses, discrimination and HIV” to the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs [avd. Forebyggende sosial- og helsetjenester] asking them to remove stigmatizing psychiatric diagnoses from the Norwegian version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). We never got any answer to this question either.

March 10-14, 2003, two members of the ReviseF65 mailing list; the Brazilian sexologist and clinical psychologist Maria Cristina Martins and the psychologist, psychoanalyst, Ph.D. in Psychopathology and Psychoanalysis by Paris VII University, Paulo Roberto Ceccarelli, presented a survey about SM and Fetish diagnoses at the XV World Congress of Sexology in Cuba. Their article, “The so-called “deviant” sexualities: Perversion or right to difference?”, can be read at the Revise web site. Dr. Charles Moser also gave a lecture about the paraphilia diagnoses at the same conference. Moser and Peggy J. Kleinplatz’ article “DSM-IV-TR and the Paraphilias: An Argument for Removal”, can also be found linked up from the ReviseF65 main page.

The ReviseF65 index page was renovated in 2003, with separate professional and human rights sections. In the professional part you can read Dorothy Hayden’s article “Is Sadomasochism a mental pathology?“.

After ReviseF65 lectures and strategy talks in Cologne 2002, Berlin 2004, and Fulda 2007, the federal German BVSM e.V. organization since 2004 is working towards the same goal as ReviseF65 – to delete the national German version of the F65-diagnoses. The same do Smart Rhein-Ruhr, BDSM Berlin, Papiertiger, die Datenschlag-Chronik des Sadomasochismus and Das Fetish & BDSM-Referat Uni Ulm.

After five workshops at Europride in Manchester 2003, SM Pride in London 2003 and Kinkfest in London 2004, Revise F65 cooperates with Spanner Trust and International Mr Leather 2003, John Pendal, who became our official supporter and world wide ambassador. He also visited Revise F65 in Oslo, May 2004.

http://www.revisef65.org/UKreportIML.html

http://www.pawscave.dircon.co.uk/IML/support.htm

http://www.pawscave.dircon.co.uk/IML/being10.htm

http://www.revisef65.org/smpride.html

http://www.revisef65.org/manchester.html

Lectures on Revise F65 were given at two international psychiatrist congresses and onesexology congress in 2004.

In 2004 Revise F65 established a bank account and made it possible to use a “Make a donation”-button on the ReviseF65 webpage.

In November 2004 Revise F65 published a case study indicating that stigmatizing psychiatric diagnoses legitimize harassment and violence towards the fetish/SM population.

We also published evidence that SM/fetish people have no higher degree of psychopathologythan the rest of the population. Revise F65 also tried to carry out our own research projects. But in spite of several attempts, we didn’t succeed. The efforts were aborted due to lack of support from the educational and political institutions approached.

According to Wikipedia, “ReviseF65 is now [2004] by far the most active and visible groupworking with sexual politics and human rights for sadomasochists and fetishists in Norway.”

 

 

2005

May 2005 the leader of Smia and Revise F65 contributed to the brochure S&M and fetish sex between men, dealing with how to go about sadomasochism and fetish sex between men safely without transmitting HIV and other kinds of sexually transmitted infections. Supported by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and Social Welfare, translated to English December 4, 2007.

June 23, 2005 the Revise F65 leader Svein Skeid gave a lecture on the subject: “SM – health or disease?” at the Faculty of Theology (!) in Oslo, Norway for 90 gay and lesbian christians from all over Europe.

Revise F65 not only cooperates with mental health professionals. October 17, 2005, we published the article ”SM and the law”, concluding that SM or sadomasochism is legal in Norway as long as consent is given and no serious injury is inflicted. It is illegal to leave somebody helpless in bondage, and a safeword is highly recommended. The author of the article, Halvor Frihagen, is a lawyer in Oslo, Norway.

2006

At the international Labour Day May 1, 2006, the Norwegian Labour Party arranged an “Online May Day March” where everybody was encouraged to propose online slogans for Mai 1-banners. The banner “Say no to discrimination of homosexuals” was approved by the webmaster. SMil and Revise F65 proposed “Say no to discrimination of BDSM people”. The banner was removed. So was the slogan “Remove fetish and SM diagnoses”. SMil and Revise F65 wrote letters to the Norwegian Labour Party protesting against censorship of kinky friendly slogans in an online May Day 2006 parade. We also had a meeting with the gay and lesbian Labour Party group.

The short film “The Gay Leather man” (“Lærhomsen”) with participants from SMia, SLM and Revise F65, was shown for the first time June 23, 2006 in Oslo. The 25 minute long documentary, which in a humorous way demystifies the most common prejudices against fetishism and sadomasochism, has later been shown for several educational purposes in addition to film festivals including Lillehammer Norway, Volda Norway, Gay Days in Oslo, Fulda Germany, Stockholm, Cleveland, San Francisco, Kiel Germany, and several times at CineKink New York. English subtitles.

An article by Cand. Psycol Odd Reiersøl and Svein Skeid on the Revise 65 project published in Sadomasochism, Powerful Pleasures (2006), concludes that The ICD diagnoses of Fetishism, Transvestic fetishism and Sadomasochism are superfluous, outdated, non scientific and stigmatizing. The article was published simultaneously in a special, double issue of the periodical Journal of Homosexuality Volume 50, 2/3.

Revise F65 in 2006 established a cooperation with The National Leather Association’s Domestic violence project and published an article about the differences between SM and violence.

September 28, 2006. The lesbian, BDSM and trans activist Tore Barstad/Eric Jåsunddied 32 years old from complications related to type 1 diabetes. Eric participated in the constitution of Revise F65 and has been leader of Smia and Revise F65. Eric was a self-defined female to unisexual SM/leather/rubber transgender person. Eric participated in dozens of press interviews and seminars to demystify SM. In particular Eric held close contact with the national and international lesbian BDSM community, including the Swedish lesbian BDSM group LASH, which was a central actor to repeal fetish and SM diagnoses in Sweden.

2007

January 2007. ”With leather for freedom”. Interview with the leader of Smia and Revise F65 Svein Skeid about his BDSM human rights work for more than twenty years, included the work to remove fetish and SM diagnoses. The periodical Cupido no 1, 2007.

February 17, 2007. The leader of Revise F65 Svein Skeid informed the SLM annual general meeting about the book project ”Sadomasochism: Powerful Pleasures” (2006), which SLM supported financially. Especially I emphasized the historical role of gay leather men and women as a primary driving force behind establishment of the ReviseF65 movement, the gay and lesbian movement, the leather pride flag and the moral ethical slogan ”Safe, sane, consensual”.

In applications of February 15, 2007 and February 15, 2008, to the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs (Departement for environment and health), SMia and Revise F65 offered to give lectures for staff members at the Directorate about the stigmatizing effect of fetish and SM diagnoses on the fetish/SM population. The offer was never replied to.

April 15-19, 2007, psychologist Odd Reiersøl (picture) gave an important lecture at the WAS-congress (World Association for Sexual health) in Sidney Australia. Mental health professionals and health politicals from all over the world attended, among them several Norwegians. The lecture was later published as the article “The Fetish and SM Diagnoses in ICD-10” in the Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association, Vol 45, no 6, 2008, pp 754-756.

Psychiatrist Reidar Kjær May 3, 2007 held the lecture “Stigma, psychiatry and the SM/fetish diagnoses” on a sexologist seminar about Shame and Sexuality at Sexologisenteret NB 22 in Oslo. We also showed the documentary “The Gay Leatherman”.

May 7, 2007 Classification Coordinator Bedirhan Ustun, MD, at the World Health Organization in Geneva invited Revise F65 to cooperate with the work leading up to the ICD-11 revision:

“The revision process of ICD from 10 to 11 is about to start and will be revised for the 11th version tentatively in 2015. The revision work will include special attention to Chapter V Mental and Behavioural disorders (F00-F99). Thanks for your interest in the ICD work and we hope to collaborate with you in the revision process.”

June, 2007. ”After the US considerably revised their DSM Manual spring 1994 and Denmark totally repealed their transvestism and SM diagnoses 1994/95, there is not anylonger only one way to read the ICD bible”. Svein Skeid’s article ”SM – myths and reality” at the Norwegian gay web community Gaysir.

2008

July 29, 2008. During Europride in Stockholm, Revise F65 leader Svein Skeid had talks with RFSU, participated in panel discussions and gave a presentation about the Revise F65 work. We literally gave them our memory stick with all relevant political health arguments and scientific evidence.

November 17, 2008, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) announced that Fetishism and Sadomasochism, along with four other sexual behaviours will be deleted from Sweden’s national version of the ICD diagnoses from January 1, 2009.

November 17, 2008. In a press release, the Revise F65 leader Svein Skeid characterized the Swedish decision as a victory for the fetish/SM population and for the Revise F65 strategy to motivate other countries to remove their national versions of the ICD SM/fetish diagnoses.

November 18, 2008. The Norwegian BDSM Organization SMil sent a letter to the Ministry of Health and Care Services asking him to remove fetish and SM diagnoses in Norway. In an answer December 19, 2008 the Ministry of Health and Care Services said they had given the Directorate of Health the responsibility to take a decision in the case.

2009

January 1, 2009. Inspired by Revise F65, the six diagnoses sadomasochism, fetishism, transvestism, fetishistic transvestism, multiple disorders of sexual preferences and gender identity disorder in youth, were deleted from Sweden’s official list of medical diagnoses. Except for gender identity disorder in youth, these are the same diagnoses that Revise F65 recommends be removed from the ICD, the International Classification of Diseases.

February 2, 2009, psychologist Odd Reiersøl and Revise F65 leader Svein Skeid had a short meeting at the Norwegian Directorate of Health where we delivered a memorandum with health political and professional arguments explaining why the SM and fetish diagnoses should be removed from the Norwegian ICD-edition.

http://www.revisef65.org/whitepaper.html

February 3, 2009, the Revise F65 leader Svein Skeid participated in the Norwegian tv program ”Studio fem”, demonstrating safer SM techniques and telling the audience the reason why SM and fetishism no longer are diseases in Sweden.

At a meeting with the Revise F65 committee and the Norwegian Directorate of Health May 11, 2009, Senior adviser Arild Johan Myrberg informed us that a decision to repeal Norwegian fetish and SM diagnoses can be announced fall 2009 with the intention of bringing the decision into force January 1, 2010.

September 17, 2009: Most English articles updated on ReviseF65.org, dead links removed or updated and English explanations added to several Norwegian articles.

September 24, 2009. In accordance with the invitation to Revise F65 from the WHO coordinator Bedirhan Ustun MD, May 7, 2007, Revise F65 sent an ”ICD White Paper” with health political and professional arguments to WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, which is responsible for the ICD revision. The World Health Organization has now started the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, and an ICD-11 alpha draft is expected to be ready by May 10, 2010.

http://www.revisef65.org/icd_whitepaper.html

October 12, 2009. In a mail to Revise F65 from the Norwegian Directorate of Health, Senior adviser Arild Johan Myrberg informed that a decision to repeal Norwegian fetish and SM diagnoses once more is postponed with no specified date for bringing the decision into force.

November 18, 2009, psychologist Odd Reiersøl and Revise F65 leader Svein Skeid had a 40 minutes long phone talk with Senior Project Officer Dr. Geoffrey M. Reed, responsible for the revision of the ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders at WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Dr. Reed expressed great interest in the fact that more and more countries now remove fetish and SM diagnoses from their national versions of the ICD.

According to Dr. Reed, substantial changes in the ICD are dependent upon broad scientific and political support.

”It will be helpful for the recommendations to come from as broad an international coalition as possible, if possible with the formal involvement or endorsement of scientific and professional societies or governments.”
(Mail to Revise F65 September 25, 2009.)

November 30, 2009, Revise F65 sent a new letter to the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services expressing deep consern about the fact that the decision to remove fetish and SM diagnoses has been postphoned three times by the Directorate of Health. Supported by several psychiatrists, psychologists, sexologists and mental health organizations, we stressed that the more countries that change their national ICD versions, the bigger is the chance that WHO will follow suit.

December 4, 2009. The Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services now supports Revise F65 100%. In a letter from the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Directorate of Health was instructed to remove the diagnoses of Transvestism, Fetishism and Sadomasochism from the Norwegian version of ICD-10 from 2010. The Ministry asked for a confirmation by December 21, 2009.

December 21, 2009. In their answer to the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Directorate of Health pointed out that they are positive to the idea to remove Transvestism, Fetishism and Sadomasochism from the Norwegian version of ICD-10, just like Sweden has done. The Directorate strongly apologized for all the delays in 2009, and aimed to bring the case to a conclusion by February 1, 2010. “The decision can then possibly be brought into force immediately”, the Directorate wrote.

December 21, 2009. The next weeks Revise F65 will send a “Call to action” to our contacts world wide asking for testimony, quoted reference and supporting evidence from psychiatrists, psychologists, sexologists, researchers of human sexuality and organizations in order to remove Fetishism, Sadomasochism and Transvestic Fetishism as paraphilic diagnoses from ICD, The International Classification of Diseases published by WHO. Such statements should be sent to Revise F65 (mail: sskeid(A)online.no), and will be forwarded by us to WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

As Dr. Reed emphasized, it will also be of great importance to move as many countries as possible to change their national diagnoses of Fetishism, Fetishistic transvestism and Sadomasochism.

Revise F65 recommend to abolish the following ICD diagnoses because they are superfluous, outdated, non scientific and stigmatizing.

F65.0 Fetishism

F65.1 Fetishistic transvestism

F65.5 Sadomasochism

F65.6 Multiple disorders of sexual preference

F64.1 Dual-role transvestism

See more health political and professional arguments at:

http://www.revisef65.org/icd_whitepaper.html

 

Regards,

Svein Skeid,

Leader of Revise F65

 

Examples of statements, quotes and evidence of support:

http://www.revisef65.org/europride3.html

Categories
English

No more psychopathology among BDSM-people

There is no evidence that SM/fetish people have a higher degree of psychopathology than the rest of the population.

Wismeijer & van Assen (2013):
More heathy BDSMers

A Dutch study of 902 BDSM practitioners, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, suggests that the BDSMers had more favorable psychological characteristics than a control group of 434 respondants.

The BDSM practitioners were less neurotic, more extraverted and had higher subjective well-being than the control group.

The study, that was publised May 16, 2013, also suggests that the BDSM group was more conscientious and less rejection sensitive. BDSMers were however less agreeable than the control group. The doms scored lower than both the subs and the control group with respect to agreeableness. BDSM scores on health were generally more favorably for those with a dominant than a submissive role, with least favorable scores for controls.

Andreas A.J. Wismeijer PhD, Marcel A.L.M. van Assen PhD: Psychological Characteristics of BDSM Practitioners. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Volume 10, Issue 8, pages 1943–1952, August 2013.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsm.12192/abstract

Psychological Characteristics of BDSM Practitioners
http://www.andreaswismeijer.nl/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BDSM_JSM_Wismeijer_van-Assen.pdf

Brad Sagarin et al (2009):

The implication of two studies at the Northern Illinois University into hormonal changes associated with Sadomasochistic activities including spanking, bondage and flogging, suggest that it could bring consenting couples closer together. The increases in relationship closeness combined with the displays of caring and affection observed as part of the SM activities offer support for the modern view that SM, when performed consensually, has the potential to increase intimacy between participants. Sagarin, B. J. (picture), Cutler, B., Cutler, N., Lawler-Sagarin, K. A., & Matuszewich, L. (2009). Hormonal changes and couple bonding in consensual sadomasochistic activity. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 186-200.
http://www.niu.edu/user/tj0bjs1/papers/scclm09.pdf
http://pubget.com/paper/18563549

Cross and Matheson (2006):

Cross and Matheson (2006) found no support for the traditional theories that sadomasochism is an illness.

The researchers found no evidence for the psychopathology/medical-model contention that masochists suffer from any kind of mental disorder and that SM-sadists are antisocial (Krafft-Ebing 1886/1965).

There was no support for the traditional psychoanalytic view of self-harming and guilt-ridden masochists or id-driven and psychopatic SM-sadists (Freud 1900/1906/1953/1954).

Cross and Matheson neither found any evidence for Baumeister’s contention that masochists were more inclined to engage in escapist behaviors such as drug-taking, day-dreaming, or fantasizing than the comparison group (Baumeister 1988, 1989).

Cross and Matheson did however find that SM participants were overall more likely than non-SM respondents to report bisexual/homosexual orientations.

No evidence was found suggesting that sadomasochists espoused anti-feminist, patriarchal values or traditional gender roles to a greater extent that the non-SM-group.

And the sadomasochists were relatively more likely to be in ongoing relationships than the comparison group.

Patricia A. Cross PhD and Kim Matheson PhD in the book “Sadomasochism: Powerful Pleasures” (2006), published simultaneously as the Journal of Homosexuality, Vol. 50, Nos. 2/3.)

Connolly et al (2006):

Results from a research project by Dr. Pamela Connolly (picture) et al, among a group with bondage and sadomasochistic interests (BDSM) showed that

“no evidence was found to support the notion that clinical disorders – including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsion – are more prevalent among the sample of individuals with BDSM interests than among members of the general population. Moreover, this sample did not show evidence of widespread PTSD, trauma-related phenomena, personality disturbances, psychological sadism or psychological masochism”, disorders in which the sufferer either derives pleasure out of genuine cruelty (not the play-acting kind) or compulsively seeks out harmful levels of pain. ”Similarly, no prominent themes were found in a series of profile analyses.”

”There were, however, som exceptions to this general pattern, most notably the higher-than-average levels of nonspecific dissociative symptoms and narcissism in this sample. That said, this body of findings suggests that, contrary to longstanding assumptions in the psychoanalytic literature, there is very little support for the view that psychopathology underlies behavior.”

Connolly, P.H.; Haley, H.; Gendelman, J.; Miller, J. (2006). Psychological functioning of bondage/domination/sado-masochism practitioners. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 18(1), 79-120.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all?content=10.1300/J056v18n01_05

Richters et al 2005:

A survey using computer-assisted telephone interviews with 20,000 Australian men and women, showed that BDSM may actually make men happier. Men into BDSM scored significantly better on a scale of psychological wellbeing than other men.

BDSM’ers were no more likely to have suffered sexual difficulties, sexual abuse or coercion or anxiety than other Australians.

– This seems to imply that these men are actually happier as a result of their behaviour, though we’re not sure why, said Dr. Juliet Richters (picture), of the University of New South Wales. “It might just be that they’re more in harmony with themselves because they’re into something unusual and are comfortable with that. There’s a lot to be said for accepting who you are.”

Researchers said the study helps break down the reigning stereotype that people into bondage and discipline were damaged as children and were therefore “dysfunctional”.

Richters, J., & Rissel, C. (2005). Doing it down under: The sexual lives of Australians. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/kinky-you-cant-beat-it/2007/04/16/1176696736407.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266344,00.html

Martins & Ceccarelli (2003):

A study, presented at the 16th World Congress of Sexology in Cuba 10-14 March, 2003, suggests that non-conventional sexual practices cannot be used as a diagnosed criteria of any kind, which means that the only aspect that distinguishes these individuals from others is their sexual practices.

Picture: Maria Cristina Martins, Clinical Psychologist and Specialist in Human Sexuality. Campinas, SP, Brazil and Paulo Roberto Ceccarelli, Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, PhD in Psycopathology and Psychoanalysis by Paris VII, Paris, France.

www.revisef65.org/cuba1.html

Earlier studies:

According to Moser (1999), limited earlier studies show no differences in psychopathology between the S/M group and the control group. Gosselin & Wilson (1980), Miale (1986), Moser (1979).
http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/BIB/SM.htm#S/M_PRACT
C. Moser C. (1999). The Psychology of Sadomasochism (S/M). S. Wright, ed., SM Classics, New York, Masquerade Books 1999, p. 47-61.

Gosselin, C, & Wilson, G. (1980). Sexual variations. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Miale, J. P. (1986). An initial study of nonclinical practitioners of sexual sadomasochism. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, the Professional School of Psychological Studies, San Diego.
Moser, C. (1979). An exploratory-descriptive study of a self-defined S/M (sadomasochistic) sample. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, San Francisco.

SM as a sexual orientation

Physicians and psychiatrists about SM as a valid expression of adult consensual sexuality and an important part of people’s sexual orientation.
http://members.aol.com/NOWSM/Psychiatrists.html

Categories
English

SM versus abuse

Among other sources, this text is collected from Jay Wiseman’s book “SM 101” and Park Elliot Dietz, one of the worlds leading authorities on the connection between sex and violence
http://www.greenerypress.com/articles.htm
http://members.aol.com/NOWSM/Psychiatrists.html/#Psychiatrists

SM versus violence

1. Perhaps the biggest difference between a violent sadist and an SM Master is that the former destroys the self confidence, value and dignity of the victim. An SM Master does the opposite.

2. SM sexual games have neither perpetrators nor victims. An SM scene is a win-win situation for mutual satisfaction.

3. The submissive partner wishes and longs for the domination. Most people do not want to be abused, and consensual domination is not abuse.

4. Planning, communication and warming up (like in extreme sports) are essential for preventing damage. Sadistic psychopaths, on the other hand, damage their victims, physically and emotionally, deliberately.

5. A sadistic psychopath has usually a history of sexual abuse like rape and incest. Sadomasochists are, as a rule, ordinary people without criminal records or criminal interests.

6. SM is played out in safe settings and safe ways. Abuse is out of control.

7. SM games are negotiated beforehand by equal partners. They decide upon limits and safe words. A perpetrator decides unilaterally without any concern for the wishes, limits or the well being of the victim.

8. SM games contain rules that are mutually agreed upon. In an abusive relationship there is no agreement and the victim has no rights.

9. SM is built upon respect and confidence and is always consensual. Abuse is non consensual and ruins the relationship.

10. The violent sadist is cold and without empathy during the torture. The SM Master uses communication and empathy to find out what turns the slave on.

11. An SM relationship can be loving, intimate, and involve personal growth. Victims of violence experience anxiety, guilt, shame and powerlessness.

12. Many SM practitioners switch roles during the interaction, from time to time, or as a personal development. In an abusive relationship the roles, as a rule, are static.

13. SM is often practiced with support from friends and often in an SM environment. Abuse, on the other hand, requires isolation and secrecy.

14. The dominant in the SM relation respects the borders of the partner. To the extent the borders are stretched, it takes place according to mutual agreement.

15. Using a safe word (e.g. “red”) the slave can immediately stop the game for whatever reason, whether it is physical or emotional. A victim has no such possibility with a perpetrator.

16. SM role-playing typically ends with mutual cuddling and evaluation.

17. The SM slave typically feels grateful to the Master. A victim is not grateful.

18. SM people don’t feel that they have any rights to control their partners by virtue of gender, income or other external, circumstances. Perpetrators often do.

19. There are reasons to believe that SM, like other kinds of consensual sexual practices, liberate bodily and emotional energy, promotes health and prevent violence.

See also: Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity. Self and society in late modern age. Stanford University Press. Stanford.

Categories
English Seksualpolitikk

DSM – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

About The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

By Svein Skeid

The American Psychiatric Association, APA, considerably revised their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994. SM and Fetishism were considered to be healthy forms of sexual expression, as long as they do not impair the daily functioning of the subject.

According to DSM-IV, SM and Fetishism only become diagnosable dysfunctions when the urges, fantasies or behaviors “cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.”

In addition APA said that “a paraphilia must be distinguished from the non-pathological use of sexual fantasies, behaviors or objects as a stimulus for sexual excitement.”

The DSM-IV revision, in 1994, was seen as a step forward, but is far from satisfactory. Stigma knowledge shows that many psychological, physical and social problems are not caused by the individual afflicted, but by taboos, prejudices, and discrimination imposed by the environment.

According to Charles Moser, the diagnostic criteria changed yet again in 2000 for the worse introducing version DSM-IV-TR (2000).

According to The Differential Diagnosis of the Paraphilias “A Paraphilia must be distinguished from the non-pathological use of sexual fantasies, behaviors, or objects as a stimulus for sexual excitement in individuals without a Paraphilia. Fantasies, behaviors, or objects are paraphilic only when they lead to clinically significant distress or impairment (e.g., are obligatory, result in sexual dysfunction, require participation of nonconsenting individuals, lead to legal complications, interfere in social relationships). (DSM, p. 568)

“The way this diagnosis is interpreted, any reason that you are seen by a physician or therapist (including court order, as to assess who should get custody of your children in the event of a divorce), can bring about the diagnosis even if it has nothing to do with the issue being investigated.”  Charles Moser on the ReviseF65 discussion group January 22, 2006.

In a press release November 25, 2008, NCSF, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom says about DSM-IV TR:

“We know from the hundreds of requests for help that NCSF gets every year through our Incident Response program that the Sexual Sadism, Sexual Masochism, Fetishism and Transvestic Fetishism diagnoses in the DSM reinforce the negative stereotypes and stigma against alternative sexual behaviors.”

From the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

The DSM-IV defines mental disorders. Previous editions of the DSM listed sadism and masochism as diagnosable disorders just for having such fantasies or urges over a period of time. The new edition adds modifying criteria: with both masochism and sadism, both A & B criteria must be met in order to make a diagnosis. That is, you must have the fantasies, urges, etc., and the fact that you have them must make you effectively dysfunctional in an important area of your life.

Diagnosic criteria for 302.83 Sexual Masochism

A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving the act (real, not simulated) of being humiliated, beaten, bound or otherwise made to suffer.

B. The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Diagnostic criteria for 302.84 Sexual Sadism

A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving acts (real, not simulated) in which psychological or physical suffering (including humiliation) of the victim is sexually exciting to the person.

B. The fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Categories
English Seksualpolitikk

Denmark withdraws SM from Diagnosis-list

Denmark has as the first European country taken the political decision to remove SM as a diagnosis.

In 1995, as the first EU country, Denmark withdrew sadomasochism completely as a diagnosis by a political decision in the Government. The decision is founded on research showing SM or sadomasochism to be no disease. The Dual-role transvestism diagnosis were repealed in Denmark August 19, 1994.

– Not a disease

In a letter to Anders Sørensen, chairman of the SM association Det Sorte Selskab (The Black Society), the former Health Minister Yvonne Herløv Andersen (picture) wrote that she finds it deplorable that sadomasochism is included in the ICD, the International Classification of Diseases.

“I think there is good reason to abandon the international disease classification on this point,” wrote Andersen, who was the Danish Health Minister from 1994 to 1996, and Social Minister before that. The Minister agreed that sexual preferences are an entirely private matter. “The acceptance of people with a different sexuality has increased, and in this area Denmark is a pioneer country”, she concluded in her letter.

The Black Society’s chairman Anders Sørensen received the decision with enthusiasm. “Many sadomasochists all over the world wish that this attitude were current in their own country, including neighbours like Sweden, Norway and England, which in other matters are regarded as enlightened and civilised states with a human attitude in the administration of justice”, the SM chairman declaired to the Danish newspaper “Politiken” (The Politics 1995, April 1, p. A7).

In the picture on the right, you can see a facsimile of the letter from Sundhedsstyrelsen (the Danish Board of Health), where the decision to stop using the diagnose F65.5 Sadomasochism, is announced. Click the picture for a larger version of the letter, which naturally is written in Danish. (English translation below).

Violence and SM in the same diagnosis

In today’s ICD classification there is no difference at all between voluntary and consensual SM sex on one side, and violence, harassment and spouse abuse on the other.

The above-quoted documents how Denmark in 1995 withdrew SM as a diagnose, for the precise reason that research shows that SM’ers are no more unsound than other people.
http://www.revisef65.org/psychopathology.html

On the web site
http://members.aol.com/NOWSM/Psychiatrists.html/#Psychiatrists;
Park Elliot Dietz – one of the worlds leading authorities on the relationship between aggression and sex – documents the basic differences between violent sadism and SM sadism.

On the same web site, the Kinsey Institute’s research report from 1990 is referred to. This report shows that 5-10 percent of the population exercise some form of SM or sadomasochism.

National rejection of diagnoses

Also in Norway and other countries we have seen, in relation to homosexuality, that single countries may reject individual diagnoses in ICD, which is controlled by the World Health Organization, WHO. The more countries that succeed in rejecting the disease classification F65 on fetishism and sadomasochism, the greater the possibility that WHO will withdraw it.

Kink Aware Professionals

Changes in the diagnosis classification ICD are now taking place almost continuously. History shows that the DSM list of the American Psychiatric Association, APA, very often affects the international ICD.

You can find a list over “Kink aware professionals” on http://www.ncsfreedom.org/index.php?option=com_keyword&id=270

This list, originating in the USA, now includes the whole world, also Europe. A few European resources have already started to emerge. See also: Kink aware professionals Berlinhttp://www.bdsm-berlin.de/kap.html

Kink aware professionals Canada http://www.vancouverleather.com/kap

The letter from Sundhedsstyrelsen (the National Board of Health)

From the Board of Health

To: head physicians at psychiatric wards
The Psychiatric Central Register
The hospitals’ centres of information technology
County data
Ministry of Health

April 24, 1995

J.no. 6702-15 1994
Local no. 6201

 

From the Health Minister the Board of Health has received a request that the disease classification’s code for sadomasochism be no longer used in the indexing of diseases.

Consequently we request that the use of the code

DF65.5 Sadomasochism

be blocked for use with effect from May 1, 1995.

Best regards

head physician G. Shiøler (sign.)

Board of Health, Amaliegade 13, Po. box. 2020, DK-1012 Copenhagen K. Telephone 33 91 16 01.