Categories
Norsk

Kinky Skeive dager 2013

Paradefrokost, byvandring, stand i Pride Park, fester på SLM og Cat People under Skeive dager 2013.

Velkommen til paradefrokost, verksted og vorspiel før paraden fra kl 10 lørdag 29. juni i Oslos mest kinky leilighet hos Svein Skeid, Enerhauggata 7. Mulighet for å kle deg opp til paraden, ordne med flagg, bannere, osv. Direkte utsikt til paradeoppstillingen i Åkebergveien fra min sydvendte balkong i “Gay Towers”. 2 min ned til oppstillingsplassen. Vi har brød, eggerøre, store lærflagg og regnbueflagg. Du tar med din egen drikke og noe til en buffet. Paraden starter kl 13 nede i Åkebergveien.

Byvandring. Fredag 28. juni kl 16 -18 holder Svein Skeid homohistorisk byvandring nedover Karl Johansgate med historier hvordan homsene traff hverandre over hundre år tilbake i tid, galgenhumor, kallenavn og kampen mot politi, utpressere og bøllegjenger. Oppmøte ved fontenen ved Nationaltheathret stasjon.

SLM har stand i Pride Park på Rådhusplassen onsdag 26. til lørdag 29. juni. Benytt anledningen til å melde deg inn i Norges første fetisj- og bdsm-klubb.

SLM har fetisjfest lørdag fredag 28. juni og lørdag 29. juni i Rådhusgata 28, inngang Nedre Slottsgate. Påmelding med navn og dato for fest til 41 444 666.

Oslo BDSM har Åpen kafé med intro tirsdag 25. Juni kl 19 på Nonna i Breigata 10.

Cat People arrangerer SummerCampParty lørdag 29. Juni fra kl 21 i Peder Claussønsgate 4. Påmelding 928 55 521 med navn og medlemsnr.

Categories
Norsk Seksualpolitikk

Paraden 2012

Lær/fetisj/BDSM: Bilder fra kinkseksjonen i paraden under Skeive dager i Oslo lørdag 30. juni 2012

Fetish/BDSM/Leather pictures from The Christopher Street Day Parade in Oslo 2012

Nei til diskriminering. Fetisj- og bdsm-orientering inn i ny diskriminerinslov! Kink-seksjonen på trappa foran Nationaltheatret etter paraden.

 

I Platous gate på Grønland før start. Lær og kjærlighet = sant Lær og kjærlighet = sant. I Pride Park etter paraden.

 

500 flyers ble delt ut før vi hadde nådd Pride Park. 500 flyers ble delt ut før vi hadde nådd Pride Park

 

 

Klikk på bildene for å se større versjoner.

 

I Pride Park etter paraden.

 

Foran Stortinget: “Nei til diskriminering. Fetisj- og bdsm-orientering inn i ny diskriminerinslov!”

 

Kink-seksjonen på trappa foran Nationaltheatret etter paraden

 

BDSM også i Skeiv Ungdom sin seksjon. Lærflagg i Skeiv Ungdom sin seksjon.

Skeiv Ungdom sin seksjon: “Nei til diskriminering. Fetisj- og bdsm-orientering inn i ny diskriminerinslov!”

 

Categories
Norsk Seksualpolitikk

Oslopride 2011

Fetish/SM/Leather pictures from The Christopher Street Day Parade in Oslo 2011

During the Christopher Street Day Parade in Oslo June 25, 2011, Gay and Straight fetish and BDSM organizations celebrated that fetishism and sadomasochism are no longer diseases in the Nordic countries.



Click on the pictures for bigger versions. All pictures by Svein Skeid

Etter den finske friskmeldingen 12. mai 2011, så har “hele Norden” nå friskmeldt fetisjister og sm-ere. Diagnosearbeidet har blitt en norsk suksesshistorie og internasjonal “eksportartikkel”. Diagnoseutvalget Revise F65 fortsetter å jobbe overfor Verdens helseorganisasjon for å oppnå tilsvarende endringer internasjonalt.


Se også bilder på Dagbladet.no

Paraden 2010

For andre år på rad gikk den årlige paraden under Skeive dager i Oslo fra Platous gate på Grønland. 30 blide deltagere fra SLM, SMil, SMia, Wish Oslo og Diagnoseutvalget Revise F65 gikk med “Sunn, sikker, samtykkende”-banneret og krav til Verdens Helseorganisasjon om å fjerne fetisj- og SM-diagnoser. Bilde til høyre fra Rådhustrappa: Stor glede over at hele Norden nå er friskmeldt.


Som i fjor, gikk SLM og “Mr Leather Norway” først i kink-seksjonen. Kjempefin stemning og bra vær. Hva mer kan man ønske seg. Se også bildet i høyre kolonne.




Klikk på bildene for å se større versjoner.

 

 

Én av tre deltagere i kink-seksjonen var maskert. Det sier vel noe om behovet for fortsatt arbeid for åpenhet og mot diskriminering slik at vår gruppe skal føle seg trygg i samfunnet.


Categories
English Norsk Seksualpolitikk Sexual politics

Oslopride 2010

Fetish/SM/Leather pictures from The Christopher Street Day Parade in Oslo 2010

Fra Rådhusplassen etter paradens avslutning. Utsnitt av de to bildene fra Rådhustrappa nederst til høyre på siden.

Gay and straight fetish and SM people celebrated that they have been taken off the sick list in Norway. Click on the pictures for bigger versions.
Still it is necessary for people to hide their SM and fetish identity in Norway.

Spent stemning i Platous gate på Grønland før avmarsj kl 13. Det er ikke alle yrkesgrupper det er mulig for å være åpen fetisjist eller SM-er. Foto: Bloodykiss. Klikk på bildene for større versjon.

For første gang var starten av paraden lagt over multikulturelle Grønland der det også bor mange homofile og lesbiske. Her er fetisj/sm-seksjonen nettopp kommet inn i Grønlandsleiret med masse tilskuere langsmed paraderuten.
Klikk på bildet for større versjon.

For the first time in history, the CSD parade in Oslo started in the multietnic urban area Grønland.

Click on the picture for bigger version.

Både fetisj og SM:
Det var en fin blanding av fetisjtøy og vanlige klær. Siste bilde tatt av bloodykiss. Klikk på bildene for å se større versjoner.

Her er fetisj/sm-seksjonen kommet til byens paradegate Karl Johan:

Arrangører av fetisj/sm-seksjonen var SMia, SMil, SLM og Diagnoseutvalget Revise F65. People were encouraged to hold hands to celebrate that fetish and sm diagnoses are removed in Norway by February 1, 2010.

Click on the pictures for bigger versions.

Arrangørene oppfordret folk til å holde hender for å feire den norske friskmeldingen 1.2.2010. Blå skjorte i midten av bildet er leder i Diagnoseutvalget Revise F65 Svein Skeid.


Flere bilder fra fetisj/sm-seksjonen.

Begge foto: bloodykiss

Bildene er klikkbare for å se større oppløsning.


 

Flere bilder fra fetisj/sm-seksjonen.

Begge foto: bloodykiss

Bildene er klikkbare for større oppløsning.


English
summary


During the Christopher Street Day Parade in Oslo June 26, 2010, Gay and Straight fetish and BDSM organizations celebrated that fetishism and sadomasochism are no longer diseases in Norway.


“Taken off the sick list Feb 1, 2010”
Her passerer fetisj/sm-seksjonen Asylet på Grønland. I bakgrunnen øverst til høyre ser du høyblokkene på Enerhaugen, også kalt “Gay Towers” på homsemunne. Foto: Bloodykiss. Klikk på bildet for å se en større versjon.

Les mer om den norske friskmeldingen her.

Read how the fetish and SM diagnoses were deleted in Norway February 1, 2010.

Flere paradebilder fra Dagbladet, NRK, Aftenposten, Blikk, Gaysir og Tv2-nyhetene.
Klikk på minibildene for å se artikkel/bilder/video:


VGTV:
“Det var knyttet en viss spenning til at paraden av homofile, transseksuelle og sadomasochister skulle passere gjennom et strøk der det har forekommet angrep på homofile par de siste årene. Men noe muslimsk moralpoliti var ikke å se.”

Click on the small pictures above to see media pics and videoes from the CSD-parade in Oslo 2010.


En fargerik forsamling som jublet over friskmeldingen på Rådhustrappa etter paraden.

Colorful leather/fetish/SM people celebrating being taken off the sick list. Picture in front of the City Hall after the CSD parade in Oslo June 26, 2010.

Click on the picture for a bigger version.


Oppstilling på Rådhustrappa etter paraden. Jeg talte på et tidspunkt 34 deltagere i fetisj/sm-seksjonen. Det kan ha vært enda flere ettersom folk gikk ut og inn av seksjonen. I alt gikk 4-5000 tusen i paraden og 50.000 sto langs ruten og så på.

Klikk på bildet for større versjon.

Categories
English Sexual politics

Folsom Europe 2004

September 4-5, 2004 in Berlin

(Sorry: All the photo links on this page is removed because of dead links)

Leathermen fighting hiv and aids

EATHERMEN FIGHTING HIV
Gay leathermen fighting hiv and aids during the Folsom Europe street party in Berlin September 4, 2004.
(The flyer on the picture is manipulated to be possible to read)

Folsom Europe 2004
Inspired by the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco during twenty years, Up your Alley/ Dore Alley (San Francisco) and Folsom Fair North (Toronto), Folsom Europe e.V. for the first time invited the gay and straight Leather/SM/Fetish community to celebrate it self during three days in Berlin, September 3-5, 2004. It was a big success as you can see from the picture galleries.

Folsom Europe were supported by the City of Berlin, the Berlin Police, the Industrial Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Berlin and the Berlin Tourism Office.

The Folsom Europe Street Fair have three goals: making stronger within the Leather-Fetish scene, steps in the open public to reduce pre-judgements, as well as the support of community associations and organizations in Europe, which support and care for HIV-Positive people and those with AIDS. All the money raised will be used for those projects.

For 2004 the kindergarten in the Fuggerstrasse and the AIDS emergency found in Poland will be helped. The kindergarten is a private initiative which looks after HIV infected and AIDS positive children.

At the Folsom Europe Street Fair the Leather/SM/Fetish scene steps in the open public to reduce pre-judgements. Folsom Europe also support several social projects, like care for hiv-positive people and those with aids. Among others, the Berlin Police and Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V. had boots at the fair.



People of all colors

People of all colours attended the Folsom Europe street fair.

Anti Rasist: The 50 gay European leather/SM clubs ECMC (European Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs) in 1998 included an article in their Constitution against “Racist and Nazi attitudes, manifestations and actions, as well as membership in corresponding anti-democratic organizations”. Read more.



Love, joy and friendship

Joy, love, friendship, pride, identity, masters and slaves at the Folsom Europe street fair.



Revise F65 workshop

BDSM workshop. On Sunday Sept 5, Svein Skeid from the ReviseF65 committe held a workshop for BDSM activists from all over Germany about how to delete stigmatising SM and Fetish diagnoses.



Svein and Ole from ReviseF65

Svein and Ole from the ReviseF65 committee visited Folsom Europe and BDSM community in Germany to promote the international work to delete stigmatising SM and Fetish diagnoses from the ICD classification of diseases. In the middle: Raven from BVSM e.V. (Bundesvereinigung Sadomasochismus).



Folsom Europe showing diversity, pride, love and friendship.




All that leather…

All those open gay leathermen from worldwide steps in the open public to reduce pre-judgements during the Folsom Europe street fair.



Kinky proud rubbermen

Proud and kinky rubbermen was part of the diversity. All those kinky rubbermen in the streets of Folsom Europe in full day light.



SMart, BVSM and BDSM-Berlin

SMart Rhein-Ruhr e.V., BDSM-Berlin e.V. and BVSM e.V. (Bundesvereinigung Sadomasochismus) cooperates with the ReviseF65.org to remove stigmatising SM and Fetish diagnoses from the ICD classification published by the WHO – World Health Organisation.



Mr. Leathers

Picture right: International Mr. Leather 2003 John Pendal (UK), is official supporter of the ReviseF65 work to delete stigmatising SM and Fetish diagnoses.

Picture left: On page 2 you find pictures of (from left): Mr Florida Leather 2004 Fernan Royo, Mr Fetish Switzerland 2004 Thomas Schoch, Mr RubClub 2004 Frank Bug, German Mr Leather 2004 Philipp Tanzer and International Mr. Leather 2004 Jason Hendrix (US).

 

Categories
English Sexual politics

The SM Pride 2003

The SM Pride 2003

Some of the pictures can be watched in a bigger version by clicking on them.




Svein Skeid from the ReviseF65 group, held a workshop focussing on the work to remove the Fetish and SM diagnoses, at Conway Hall, Betrand Russell Room, after the SM Pride March. The room was filled up with more than 25 listeners. An engaged audience and a successful workshop.




From Conway Hall after the march.


Bullwhipping at the SM Pride Pervefest. (Picture by the SM Pride organizers).


Rosie at Conway Hall at the SM Pride Pervefest. (Picture by the SM Pride organizers).

The SM Pride official website



 

he SM Pride official website

SM Pride was founded in the wake of the British Spanner case in 1992 – to promote BDSM as a valid sexuality and to campaign for BDSM legality and equality (see picture in the middle above). The SM Pride organizers invited people to join the march under “the colours (…) black and blue, the official colours of SM Pride”. As wievers have observed, this is not exactly the same flag as the international acknowlished “Leather Flag” designed by Tony de Blase in 1989 (picture right). The original Leather Pride Flag by author and publisher Tony de Blase (1942-2000), was first displayed on May 28, 1989 at the International Mr Leather contest in Chicago. The hand-sewn original now hangs in Chicago’s Leather Archive and Museum. Though the Leather Pride Flag emerged from the gay male leather/SM scene, the flag has got pansexual currency. Today it stands as a symbol for the leather/SM/Fetish community- people who are into leather, sadomasochism, bondage, domination, uniforms, rubber and other kind of sexual fetishes. Though it is obviously inspired by the lesbian and gay rainbow flag, de Blase (Fledermaus) has been famously reticent in giving an explanation of the design. ‘I did have definite reasons for creating the design and color scheme [but] I have never explained them to anyone else’, he says. I prefer that the individual look at the flag and interpret it for him/herself, reading into it whatever he/she most wants to see. One common interpretation of the design is that the red heart represents the love we feel; the white stripe represents purity or hope; the black stripe, for leather; and the blue stripe, denim (both materials commonly worn and fetishised in the leather and SM communities). The original Leather Pride Flag is composed of nine horizontal stripes of equal width. From the top and from the bottom, the stripes alternate black and royal blue. The central strip is white. In the upper left quadrant of the flag is a large heart.

Some of the pictures are possible to watch in a bigger version by clicking on them.

The rainbow flag:
Leathermen and women have always been a part of the gay and lesbian movement.

 

“PROUD TO BE A PERV”
on his chest.

Who are “Les Miserables”?
Sure, we are playing a theater.
Click on the picture for a bigger version.

“TRUE LOVE HURTS”
on his back.

Submitting to his domina.



The sound of the drummers is an important part of the total picture


As alwais,
Pony carts are popular in front of the march


A human horse


More ponies

Some of the pictures are possible to watch in a bigger version by clicking on them

A female pony

Categories
English Sexual politics

How to remove SM and Fetish diagnoses


Introduction to workshops held at SM Pride August 2nd in London, August 24th in Manchester (one for women and one general) and August 28th in London 2003.

Founded in Norway –
Serving the world

About us and the ReviseF65 group

My name is Svein Skeid (picture right). I have been working in the field of SM human rights for two decades. I am Gay Person of the Year in Norway 2003, and have a special membership of Scandinavian Leather Men Oslo (SLM). Today, I represent the ReviseF65 group, whose aim is to remove SM and Fetish diagnoses from the the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Eric Barstad (picture below) is a female to unisexual leather/SM/rubber transgender person. Eric is the President of the lesbian/gay SM/Fetish group Smia-Oslo and a member of the ReviseF65 committee and SLM-Oslo).

We will talk about what our project group is all about: why it was established and which diagnoses are to be removed. We will also tell you about why these diagnoses need to be abolished and how to remove them.

SM Pride: I have traveled from Norway to this festival because I always have wanted to attend SM Pride and the SM Pride March which started in 1992, the year before the Spanner Verdict which made some SM play illegal in the UK.

Europride: We have traveled from Norway to Manchester, not only because of this year‘s Europride, but also because this is the very town where the Spanner Case startet in 1987. As you possibly know, the 1993 Spanner Verdict made some SM play illegal in the UK.

In the 1990’s members of our group campaigned and set about fund-raising to help the gay defendants in the Spanner Case (a total of £2000 was raised). 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.

Take a look at our Spanner website www.smia-oslo.no/spanner.html (unfortunately only in Norwegian).

In our view, the ReviseF65 work is a logical follow-up of the Spanner campaign. Even if the Spanner fight is not won yet and Spanner Trust still have a long way to go, the ReviseF65 group considers it necessary to start the long-term national and international project to get rid of discriminatory SM diagnoses. We understand that the Spanner Trust trustees are of the same opinion.

And as we shall see, there is similarities between the law and psychiatric diagnoses.

Even though the diagnoses of Fetishism, Transvestism and Sadomasochism are rarely applied, the stigma attached to them is used to justify various forms of harassment of these sexual minorities.

Fetishism, transvestism and sadomasochism are still considered mental illnesses by the World Health Organization (WHO) and most countries, despite the fact that US psychiatrists revised their DSM manual nine years ago and Denmark in 1995 was the first European country to totally remove the diagnosis of Sadomasochism.

The ReviseF65 project concerns both gays, straights and transgender people. Therefore the group consists of Leather/SM/Fetish men and women who represent organizations of Leather and SM gays, lesbians, bi- and heterosexuals, as well as professionals in sexology, psychology and psychiatry.

The name “F65” is a chapter in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) describing the so called “Paraphilias”, earlier called “perversions”. It also contains other paraphilias. Obviously, we are only rallying for the SM and Fetish diagnoses that concern consenting adults.

Why do we want to abolish these diagnoses?

The Revise F65 project group is of the opinion that stigmatizing minorities by considering their sexual orientation as a psychiatric condition is as disrespectful as if you discriminate against people because of their race, ethnicity or religion.

The stigma attached to these diagnoses is used to justify harassment. The ReviseF65 group can document that people are losing their jobs, the custody of their children etc., because of their SM-love, lifestyle and self-expression.

Sadomasochists as prosecution witnesses face similar difficulties in credibility as heterosexual women. In law courts, murderers and rapists are acquitted despite confessing to their crime. The only reason why is that the victim is a masochist. Several courts have done this because of the diagnoses.

Because people are considered “sick” or “perverted”, the victim is placed beyond the protection of the law. This is some of the same “illiberal nonsense” as in the Spanner case. Because you are a “pervert” your consent place you beyond the protection of the British law.

Lack of legal security for SM-ers

Leitner v. State (1983) 631 So. 2d 278-9. The “sadomasochist” is often seen as having given up h/er rights to protection from violence or abuse. It is clear that homosexual men as prosecution witnesses face similar difficulties in credibility as heterosexual women. In August of 1993, an appellate court released a man convicted of murder because the murder victim had written a long sadomasochistic sexual fantasy in his journal and the trial court had refused this journal entry as evidence at trial. The fantasy is reproduced for the delight of the court in its entirety in the published case. The unspoken implication here is that a man who fantasizes about homosexual sadomasochism has somehow consented to a brutal murder: “The journal excerpt was essential to the appellant’s defense. It suggested Craven may have desired to be involved, and may have been involved in voluntary sadomasochist sex when he was killed. If he suffered from these desires, then he might have sought out an amenable partner”[20] who eventually killed him. (That wasn’t very “amenable” of the partner if you ask me). Again, the law has constituted the sadomasochist as an always-already willing victim, even to the point of death.[21] This opinion also highlights the idea of “voluntary sadomasochistic sex” as a “desire” that one “suffers from,” a common thread in much of this discourse. The official status of “perverse” desire is thus situated as a medical and psychiatric condition that places those “afflicted” beyond the protection of the law and unworthy of inclusion in “civilized” society. www.csun.edu/~hfspc002/PoliceFreeGaySlaves.html

The US National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and the Leather Leadership Conference documents that between one-third and one-half of the leather/SM population suffer discrimination, violence or persecution because of their sexual orientation and identity. As with other forms of assault, women are the chief sufferers, losing their jobs, or even their children, because of their SM love, lifestyle and self-expression.

In fact, staying in the closet doesn’t protect people – only one-third of those who suffered violence or discrimination reported that they are “out”. The other two-thirds were minding their own business and keeping their mouths shut when they were either harassed or discriminated against.

A lot of people fear loss of child custody, losing their job or the possibility of harming family relations because of their SM orientation.

A Norwegian example: 

In 1997, a 42–year-old woman in Eastern Norway let herself be pressured by her own lawyer to give up the custody of her two daughters after a divorce. The lawyer considered that the woman had a poor legal case because SM is defined as a psychiatric illness in Norway. This happened after her ex-husband got hold of the woman’s holiday photographs which showed her interest in SM – sado-masochism. He passed the photographs on to his lawyer. The children were also informed about the woman’s orientation. Today, the woman lives 250 English miles away from her children, but has partially regained contact with them after many years without contact.
Source: SMil-bladet, no. 2, 2002. The whole case is described in more detail at www.revisef65.org/febarn.html (unfortunately currently only in Norwegian). 

Once more we see the the law and the psychiatry walk hand in hand, as was the case concerning homosexuality in earlier days.

Possible strategies to remove the SM/fetish diagnoses

We have in recent years seen three strategies used to remove SM and Fetish diagnoses.

1) Political actions directed towards the government and the health administration. This was the strategy used when Denmark withdrew SM from their national list of psychiatric diagnoses in 1995. It was a political decision resulting from a single letter from a SM organization. Maybe the chairman of the SM group “The Black Society” had an “easy match”, because the Health Minister of that time – Yvonne Herløv Andersen – was a liberal lesbian lady. we also know that there has been a serious debate about sadomasochism in Denmark for decades. www.revisef65.org/denmark.html

2) The second strategy is coordinated action from kink-friendly mental health professionals towards the board that is responsible for decision-making concerning the diagnoses. This is what happened when the American Psychiatric Association, APA, considerably revised their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994. SM and Fetishism is now considered to be a healthy form of sexual expression in the US, as long as it does not impair the daily functioning of the subject, according to the latest edition of DSM-IV.

According to DSM-IV, SM and Fetishism only becomes a diagnosable dysfunction when urges, fantasies or behaviors “cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.” In addition APA clearly indicate that “a paraphilia must be distinguished from the non-pathological use of sexual fantasies, behavior or objects as a stimulus for sexual excitement.”

3) In the ReviseF65 group we have discussed which strategy to choose for some time. My visit to Europride in Cologne last summer was a great help as it gave me the opportunity to discuss strategy with German SM activists.
You could say that we have chosen the slow and labour-demanding way: building up support from federations of mental health professionals. Last winter, we received important support from both the Norwegian Association of Gay and Lesbian Physicians and the Norwegian Society for Clinical Sexology. Next year, we hope to be able to receive support from the Organization of Psychiatrists in Norway. In this way, we will build a professional foundation for an initiative by the health authorities to remove the diagnoses.

On an international level, we have for several years tried to stimulate the building-up of a growing international activist and professional network that shares our goals.

The more countries that abolish their national SM and Fetish diagnoses, the bigger the possibility that the World Health Organization will follow suit.

We have also gained support from other organisations in Europe. So far we have got support from the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA Europe), and the European Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (ECMC).

This third “hard way” strategy is much like the one used by the lesbian and gay movement to get rid of homosexuality as a diagnosis (this was in fact in the same F65 chapter as the SM diagnosis is now).

Professional articles

The support we have obtained this far, is not least due to systematic professional work from the mental health specialists in the ReviseF65 committee. An article by psychologist Odd Reiersøl can be found at www.reviseF65.org/reiersol1.html. So far, this article has been translated by other webpages to German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Russian, in addition to English and Norwegian. Another article, written by Reiersøl and I, will be published in a SM edition of the American publication “The Journal of Homosexuality”. A third article addressed to psychiatrists, written by our project psychiatrist Reidar Kjaer, will also soon be accessible to the public in a scientic magazine.

Last June, Kjaer was a speaker at a symposium on the SM/fetish diagnoses at the International Psychiatric Conference in Vienna, Austria, which was arranged by the World Psychiatric Association. A first step can be that the WHO will change the ICD diagnoses in a similar way that happened in the US in 1994 when DSM-IV was established.

Research

In spite of several attempts, we have not been able to carry out research projects as yet. We wanted to find out whether SM/fetish people have a higher degree of psychopathology than the rest of the population. Unfortunately, the efforts were aborted, due to collaboration difficulties and lack of support from the educational and political institutions approached.

But no, evidence has so far showed that there is any more severe psychopathology to be found in the persons that can be labeled with any of these three diagnoses.

Results from a research project by Connolly et al 2003, among a group with bondage and sadomasochistic interests (BDSM) showed that “no evidence was found to support the notion that major disorders–including depression, anxiety, mania/bipolarity, and obsessive-compulsivity–are more prevalent among members of the BDSM community than among members of the general population. Indeed, if anything, our findings suggested that members of the BDSM community are less likely than others to present with major disorders.”

They also “found no support for the view that BDSM players present greater-than-average levels of psychological sadism or masochism. Clearly, then, earlier assumptions that severe psychopathology underlies all BDSM erotic play were not supported”.
Ref. (Connolly et al. in press)

How can we co-operate?

The purpose of this introduction has been to get individuals, SM groups and kink-friendly mental health professionals in the UK involved in the network-building efforts to reach the goal of getting the diagnoses repealed. We think that specific strategies should be determined at the local and national level, depending on the professional and political situation in your own country. The support and work of leather men and women, SM community-leaders and kinky organizations are crucial to reaching this goal. The initiative of individuals is always to be welcomed. Even more effective can be the formation of local and national working groups, which are able to approach the professionals in question.

Is there any possibility that UK activists can rally against this diagnoses even though some forms of SM is still illegal in the UK?

Is it possible that medical and judicial suppression of SM people are two aspects of the same case? That legal thinking to some extent is grounded on psychiatry, and that psychiatric thinking to some extent is grounded on the judicial situation?

Is it possible that the removal of SM diagnoses could make it easier to legalize SM in Great Britain?

Is it possible for British SM human rights activists to collaborate with the ReviseF65 group?

To be informed and have your voice heard – you can join our e-mail discussion group at www.revisef65.org/moderator.html

Svein Skeid
www.reviseF65.org

Categories
Norsk

UK rapport – August 2003


Rapport fra England august 2003
IML 2003 med offisiell støtte til ReviseF65

John Pendal, som er International Mr Leather 2003, har svart ja på å være offisiell støtteperson for diagnoseutvalget eller ReviseF65. Pendal vil dermed promotere arbeidet med å fjerne fetisj- og sm-diagnoser, når han reiser verden rundt i kraft av sin tittel.

Målet med utvalgets satsing i Manchester og London var å spre informasjon om arbeidet vi driver, samt å motivere andre til på sikt å engasjere seg for samme mål. Liksom satsingen under Europride i fjor, var det også viktig å få råd og tilbakemelding om det arbeidet vi driver.

I løpet av august holdt vi fire workshops med over femti deltagere totalt. SM Pride i London 2. august, Europride i Manchester 24. august – én generell og én for kvinner, samt på Central Station i London 28. august. På alle workshopene deltok ledere for ulike SM og fetisj initiativer fra flere land, inkludert USA, i tillegg til noen profesjonelle innen psykiatri/psykologi. Allerede dagen etter første workshop strømmet nye medlemmer til diskusjonslista vår. I løpet av august har antallet økt med 50 prosent og det har aldri vært så mange innlegg på lista i løpet av en måned. International Mr Leather, John Pendal (bilde tv), deltok overraskende på én av workshopene i Manchester. Samme dag erklærte han seg som offisiell supporter av ReviseF65 prosjektet, hvilket han 26. august presenterte på sin Support side. Vi håper at dette på sikt vil gjøre at flere blir oppmerksom på arbeidet vårt.

(Klikk på bildet av John Pendal for å se ham forrest i MSCs lærseksjon i Europride-paraden.)

At vi var to personer på siste del av reisen, Eric og Svein, gjorde den totale arbeidsbelastningen mindre, også i forhold til de mange timene som er gått med til forberedelser, skriving av individuelt rettede brev/mail til flere dusin organisasjoner og aviser.

I motsetning til under fjorårets Europride, fikk vi i år svar fra og kontakt med flere homofile lær- og rettighetsorganisasjoner – ECMC-klubber og Spanner Trust. I tillegg til heterofile SM-organisasjoner, sendte vi mail til endel britiske ECMC-klubber.

Sekretær i ECMC-klubben Midland Link, Anders D. C., har i denne forbindelse spilt en konstruktiv rolle. Under forberedelsene til vår reise, fikk vi en hyggelig tilbakemelding der Anders takket for vårt initiativ. Han kjente godt til det arbeidet som SLM har gjort gjennom årene for å stimulere det seksualpolitiske arbeidet i lær-sammenslutningen ECMC med sine 50 europeiske medlemsklubber. Og han verdsatte at formelle vedtak blir fulgt opp i praksis. Ettersom de britiske lærklubbene skulle avholde sitt regionale FUKC-møte 19. juli, påtok Anders seg å informere de andre lærklubbene om vårt besøk, hvilket vi senere har fått stadfestet at han gjorde. Anders satte oss også i direkte kontakt med sekretær Ian Allan i MSC Manchester Superchain. Dette skulle få stor betydning for resultatet av vårt besøk. Liksom flere andre vi møtte i London og Manchester, mente Anders at vi burde delta med en orientering om arbeidet til ReviseF65 på ECMCs årlige generalforsamling i Hamburg 3.-5. oktober. Han sendte derfor mailen til oss som cc til ECMC-sektretær Chris B..

Ved å inkludere hovedstaden London i årets Europride-satsing, nådde vi betydelig flere ressurspersoner, enn om vi bare skulle besøkt Manchester.

Vi fikk mediaomtale blant annet i homo-avisa The Pink Paper (bilde til høyre). Dette var den direkte foranledningen til at vi fikk kontakt med Ian Gurnhill i SM rettighetsorganisasjonen the Spanner Trust (bilde lenger ned). Han inviterte oss på middag og deltok på den siste workshopen i London 28. august. Ian G bodde i USA på begynnelsen av 90-tallet og kjente godt til Race Bannons DSM-prosjekt som endret den amerikanske diagnoselisten i 1994.

Vi var heldige og fikk gratis lokaler for å holde workshop på alle de fire ulike stedene 2/8, 24/8, 24/8 og 28/8.

Det ble både “representasjons”-middager, strategisamtaler og mailkontakt med blant annet Moira C. – leder av SM Pride, Yaz – leder i SM Dykes Manchester, Anders D. C – sekretær i lærklubben Midland Link, Ian A – sekretær i MSC Superchain, Ian Gurnhill i Spanner Trust og IML 2003 John Pendal. Disse personene har intern kontakt seg i mellom og informerte hverandre og omverdenen om våre besøk.

Under SM Pride fikk vi kontakt med Benita Roshall i den amerikanske SM-organisasjonen Society of Janus. Hun var svært interessert i vårt prosjekt. Hun ville bringe informasjon videre til medlemmene og skrive om oss i bladet deres. Også mer provinsielle britiske workshop-deltagere har i ettertid fått tekster med seg som de videreformidler til sine lokale klubber – hetero- som homofile.

Liksom i fjor, fikk vi også i år anledning til synliggjøring og parade-profilering av ReviseF65-parolen vår: “Safe, sane and consensual. Remove Fetish, BDSM, TV‘ism diagnoses! www.reviseF65.org”. Se bilder i høyre kolonne.

Dessuten fikk vi liksom i fjor tatt mange flotte bilder til nettsidene både fra SM Pride i London og Europride i Manchester, noe vi ser på som en viktig del av utvalgets presentasjon på internett.

Den type nettverksarbeid vi i år har drevet i England gir naturlig nok ikke umiddelbare resultater, men forhåpentligvis ringvirkninger på lengre sikt. Foruten støvelslikking, slavetrening og annen personlig inspirasjon, fikk vi blant annet synspunkter på at vi i revise-arbeidet bør konsentrere oss (mer) om intern jobbing overfor psykiatrien og definere den faglige delen av arbeidet bedre på våre nettsider. Utvalgets nettsider er derfor i september totalt omarbeidet med et klarere skille mellom fagartikler og menneskerettighetsnyheter. Se forøvrig forløpende oppdateringer på www.revisef65.org/updates.html. En rekke helt nye fagartikler er også kommet til.

Et annet gjennomgående synspunkt var at diagnosearbeidet kan gjøre det lettere for britiske rettighetsorganisasjoner å fjerne diskriminerende lovverk overfor SM-ere (jfr Spanner-dommen fra 1993). Derfor fikk vi mye anerkjennelse for det arbeidet Revise-gruppen driver.

Et hjertesukk kom fra Ian Gurnhill i Spanner Trust (bilde th), som jobber med å endre den britiske SM-lovgivningen. Til tross for at de også de får støtte fra International Mr Leather, føler de ofte at de driver en ensom kamp der ikke så altfor mange lar seg engasjere.

En erfaring vi tar med oss i det videre arbeid, er å legge enda mer jobbing i individuelle henvendelser, samt om mulig å få enda tidligere kontakt for å bli en offisiell del av Europride-programmet, slik vi klarte i SM Pride-programmet.

Vennlig hilsen Eric Barstad og Svein Skeid


  In English – click here

Alle bilder ved www.smia-oslo.no

Les introduksjonen til ReviseF65 workshopene i London og Manchester her (engelsk tekst).

Bildet under viser Svein Skeid og International Mr Leather 2003, John Pendal, på Legends Bar i Manchester 24. august, etter at John annonserte at han offisielt støtter ReviseF65 prosjektet. Foto ved Johns partner Dave Harris. Bilde og tekst er sakset fra Augustdagboken på Johns offisielle IML nettside.

Bildereportasje fra SM Pride i London 2. august

Bildereportasje fra EuroPride i Manchester

EuroPride 2003 ble for første gang avholdt i England. Lederen for EPOA, som grunnla Europride, mener at Europride i Manchester har vært det beste noensinne, til tross for at festivalen bare tiltrakk seg en brøkdel av de over én million deltagerne som var på Europride i Køln i fjor.

EPOA-leder Robert Kastl, sier til flere homoaviser, at “Dette Europride har vært fantastisk, det beste Europride så langt. Paraden var den mest fargerike og kunstneriske jeg noen gang har sett i Storbritannia.”

Mer enn 250.000 mennesker deltok i den ti dager lange festivalen. De besøkte 150 ulike arrangementer og donerte 124.000 pund til ulike hiv- og lesbe/homse-formål.

Det var et sterkt inntrykk også for oss norske å møtt velkommen av regnbueflagget som vaiet foran Manchester Rådhus (bilde over). På alle puber og utesteder i Gay Village hadde Great Manchester Police lagt ut flotte magasiner som ønsket lesber og homser velkommen til Manchester. Heftene var fulle av informasjon blant annet om hvordan forebygge hatmotivert vold og informasjon om hvordan lesber og homser kan bli politifolk! Se bilde til venstre.

– Hvilken forskjell fra 15 år tilbake da jeg for første gang kom til Manchester og marsjerte gjennom gatene med krav om å få fjernet antihomoloven Section 28, uttalte skuespiller Sir Ian McKellen, som marsjerte først i årets Europride-parade.

Europride startet 15. august. Som du ser av bildene på linken over, så var fetisj, sm og lærfolket godt representert i paraden, selv om det kommersielle innslaget var vel stort. La oss håpe på like bra lær-representasjon når Oslo forhåpentligvis får Europride 17. – 27. juni 2005.


ReviseF65-parolen i SM Pride-marsjen i London lørdag 2. august 2003.


Eric og Ruth sammen med en fyr fra SM Gays i London før Europride-paraden i Manchester 23. august.