In one of my local communities, a new person outed herself -if even indirectly- as a Trump supporter. Last time I saw her at an event, not many people talked to her and she left. Interestingly enough, there was no public scolding. No coordinated ‘cancelling’ and now hash tag. It was simple. She voiced qualified support for some of the administration’s practices, and then found herself unwelcome in the community. Why did this happen?
I’m generous when I say ‘conservative.’ I honestly think in 2025, after a decade of this bullshit, if you support the GOP, you are at best a Fascist sympathizer. You’re Nazi curious. You know the leopards will never eat your face. You’ve caught yourself a mild case of fascism, and now -perhaps without even knowing it- you’re spreading it to your community.
But it won’t work so well in BDSM communities.
Fascism, among other qualities, believes in a world of slaves and masters. Its violence is non-negotiable. Its hierarchies are rigidly enforced. Roles are essentialized. There is no spectrum of gender. Empathy is considered a liability, as it would lead to moral thinking outside of whatever the master wills. BDSM, by contrast, weaponizes many things authoritarians fear: enthusiastic consent, mutable power dynamics, and empathy.
Consider the following:
- Consent Culture as Herd Immunity – Dungeons enforce ongoing, revocable consent like epidemiologists track viruses. This creates social antibodies against coercion. When ‘no’ is sacred, tyranny can’t take root. If a dungeon is run well (yes, I know that’s a qualifier!) they have a policy to deal recognize consent violations, and address consent violations. Fascism cannot even do the first thing.
- Power Fluidity vs. Fixed Hierarchies – Even in 24/7 dynamics, submission is chosen daily. Unlike fascism’s rigid castes, our roles shift with negotiation. Tonight’s Domme is tomorrow’s rope bunny – a living rebuke to essentialism. The famous assumption that man = dominant and female = top doesn’t work well in the communities I’m in. Groups that essentialise power on gender (or anything else) don’t find many willing subs.
- Aftercare as Collective Care – We ritualize emotional (and empathetic!) processing post-scene. Fascism demands suffering without catharsis; we transform pain into connection. The pleasure of the sadist dom is also caring for the sub. Fascists only want to see others suffer.
Kink spaces are literal laboratories of resistance. Every negotiation teaches skills to dismantle oppression: articulating needs, respecting boundaries, and wielding power ethically.
In developing these emotional muscles and institutionalized habits, we also develop a sense of who does not have them. More importantly, those who might work against them. This is why a person who outs themselves as a boot licker will quickly find themselves incompatible within the community. There need be no direct canceling or collective effort. The ‘conservative’ will find themselves unwelcome, unable to get what they’re after, and discover the exit door on their own.
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