When SSC/RACK isn't enough

Kink facilitators (Dom/mes, and community leaders alike) emphasize plenty about nurturing a safe space for play and exploration. SSC (Safe, sane and consensual) and RACK (Risk-Aware Consensual Kink) are great grounding principles to get started with. SSC and RACK are widely recognized in the kink and BDSM communities as foundational guidelines for ensuring safe and consensual play. But more often than not, just safety and safe words alone are insufficient.

What else is needed?

• Narrative: Helping individuals who are struggling with self-identification in the scene reclaim their narratives and own their story. This is especially so for individuals whose upbringing was rooted, or at least, influenced by trauma and shame. Rewriting their own narrative helps with self-growth and rejection of shame and stigma.

• Socialization: Sex positivity thrives within a community that normalizes open and compassionate dialogue. A sense of belonging within a community can help individuals feel confident and accepted.

For many individuals who have felt invisible navigating who they are within our broader conservative socio context, remember the opposite of invisibility is not just visibility, but belonging. And for kink facilitators, that should be our goal.