The Kink and Culture Series
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Photo by Zachariah Hagy on Unsplash
There is a gathering of Kink minded individuals that happens regularly. It?s very public and happens in restaurants, parks, and other public spaces. You?d never know it was happening if you didn?t know who they were or what they enjoyed doing at home. It?s called a Munch. A very common gathering that happens all the time.
Depending on the group, it can happen weekly or monthly. They?re normally held on a weekend. It?s a casual gathering where no play happens. It?s a time to just be social and talk to your fellow kinksters. It?s a way to make connections and to get involved in your local community.
I would strongly recommend anyone that is new to the scene should go to a munch or two and introduce yourself and connect with other people who have more experience and have been in the scene for a while. Learning from those who have more experience will give you a great foundation for your journey into the Kink community. Making the connections and friendships at a Munch is a path you will need to take as you start down the path of being part of the BDSM/Kink community.
The community is a major part of the experience you?ll have as you explore and learn about Kink. You?ll find that you aren?t alone in how you feel or what turns you on. It?s important to know you aren?t alone. I know for me, the feeling I had, and have, are the ones that everyone has from time to time. So being part of the community is important to be able to not feel isolated, and alone, and it helps you to find those who have gone before you, and you can gain experience from those who have done the things you want to do.
You can learn a lot about the community dynamics with a munch. Are people active? Are there people causing a lot of drama? Who seems like the ones you should seek mentoring from? You can find out if there are regular play parties, and what are people looking for in play partners? These are all questions that can be answered at a munch. Because they are so informal. It?s easier to approach people and ask questions. Munches are mostly about socializing and talking about kink and other related stuff. Sometimes a munch is just time to hang out and enjoy spending time with your community.
So now that you have a general idea. You should seek them out. How do you find a local munch? Well, that?s easy. You go to sites like Fetlife.com (NSFW), or Kinkcell.com (NSFW) or other similar social networks. You?ll have to put yourself out there and take the risk that you?ll be rejected at least a few times. It can?t be hard to get into some communities because there is such a risk for some people to lose their jobs, lose their families, and even in some extreme cases people have had to move away to new cities.
For example, in Salt Lake City. I went to a play party that was invite only, and when you got there you had to have your state issued ID to prove you were over 18 years of age. In Salt Lake, there are criminal charges that can happen if a party is raided and there is anyone under the age of 18 present at the party. There can also be charges for public displays of sex acts in Utah as well as other states. So don?t be surprised if people are guarded when you come to your first few munches. It might take a few times for people to warm up to you.
So you might have to look for a bit to find the community that is right for you. It all depends on the amount of effort you are willing to put into it.
