Rochester Kink Society

Come Play With Us!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does BDSM stand for?

BDSM stands for bondage and discipline; dominance and submission; and sadism and masochism. These initials (BD, DS, SM) are then run together, removing the duplicate letters to form BDSM.

Each letter pair represents subtly different types of play and interaction.

Why join RKS?

See the membership information.

Why do I need to attend a munch before joining?

1. It is a way for you to check out the group, first of all.
2. We do this to protect our members and our society's integrity and confidentiality.

In a nutshell, we like to keep our regular meeting location and play-space discreet.

How is BDSM different from abuse?

BDSM is not abuse. To contrast the two, let us first take a look at what abuse is, then see how BDSM is different.

Abuse is verbal, emotional, or physical violence, often occurring in an accelerating cycle. Abuse is characterized by lack of consent of one person to the actions of another. An abuse victim is often isolated and lacks ability to stop the violence or leave. Abuse almost always occurs in secrecy, and results in emotional or physical injury. Abuse frequently occurs in combination with the use of drugs or the over-consumption of alcohol.

BDSM, on the other hand, occurs between freely consenting adults. It is practiced with a mind for safety, with explicit consent of the participants to their involvement. BDSM does not result in permanent injury, and those involved retain the right to stop involvement (or leave entirely) at any time if they choose to do so. Many BDSM enthusiasts will not practice BDSM while under the influence of alcohol or drugs; neither alcohol nor drug use are allowed at RKS. Furthermore, our events are staffed by dungeon monitors to maximize safety.

How much does RKS cost?

Attending a munch, social, or movie is free. Coming as a guest is presently $20 per visit. Membership cost varies by type of membership; see membership rates for more information. Workshop costs varies, depending on whether we have a local or visiting presenter, whether you are a guest or member, and the type of membership.

What payment forms are accepted?

• Cash or check for both member, guest, and workshop fees.
• PayPal is accepted, but must be sent in ahead of time since we don't have Internet access in the dungeon.
• Credit cards via PayPal, so they must also be processed ahead of time.

What are RKS' rules?

See Membership Expectations.