INIQUITY NEWS #6

Saturday, 20 September 1998

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      It'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town.......tonight? Wrong! Try For The Next Two Months!!! The list of events around the world seems to be growing daily. INIQUITY is now linked to several lists from different parts of the globe, so expect to hear what's going on all over the place.

      Issue #6 should be quite a journey: we have a TON of event news, a bohemian post-modern rhythm piece (or something like that), some amazing political news, altering opinions, sudden sales and parties, parties, parties!!!
      The BEST news of course is the announcement of the Grand Opening of INIQUITY -- The Club, on Sunday, November 22nd from 8pm to 3am. Keep your eyes peeled for flyers and posters announcing the location -- you'll be seeing them everywhere. And of course, you can check out the Iniquity Club page!;-)

And now, without further ado, I give you the...

The Table O' Contents:

INIQUITY: A Definition

      What is INIQUITY?

INIQUITY is a Concept, a Monthly Gathering, a Club, a Newsletter, a Meeting Point, and a List. Anyone can join the List just by sending me an e-mail. INIQUITY's focus is clear, and everything we talk about, write about, and celebrate about is all linked to our central theme: The Union of the BDSM Arts and Fetish Fashion. INIQUITY NEWS is a semi-whenever "newsbitmap" (no paper) which centers around these very specific areas where FETISH FASHION and Good S&M meet. There are plenty of places to find purely S&M stuff, and an equally a good selection of places to find Fashion items of a Fetish nature. There are far too few places in America, IMO, which deal with BOTH Fetish Fashion and S&M as an Ideal and a Reality towards which we can strive to achieve a Classier Fetish and S&M Scene Overall. INIQUITY is also a "password" for those of you wondering what our "sacred password" is (q.v. the website, clubs, discounts, etc).
      INIQUITY NEWS comes out when I get enough stuff to put out an issue, roughly monthly, sometimes more often. It's a SOURCE to find out what's going on and how to get involved for like-minded Pervs who want to see some Style with their S&M. Anyone can contribute to INIQUITY NEWS, and Everyone is invited to send in Reviews, Articles, Stories, or whatever, from any part of the globe. Although centered in the San Francisco Bay Area, INIQUITY gladly reports on activity in the Fetish/S&M world ANYWHERE. All correspondence should use the Contact Form
      Any part of INIQUITY NEWS may be reprinted and posted elsewhere as long as: A) proper credit is given to the author of the portion copied, and B) no money is made from said copying (i.e. no posting portions of INIQUITY NEWS into a Pay-Site. Free Sites are A-OK). :-)
      The Core Idea for INIQUITY came from several years I spent in Europe during which I ate Fetish, I drank Fetish, I lived Fetish and I breathed Fetish. I write INIQUITY NEWS in my spare time because I enjoy it. I don't make a dime from writing this. There is a gap in the Fetish Fashion & S/M world that I hope to help fill because I find a tremendous amount of beauty in that world. This is my motivation. I hope you enjoy the results.

Sincerely,

Arcane

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The Season Of The Dress Code

      They say that Darwin wasn't the first to come up with The Theory Of Evolution -- merely that he was the first to publish it. They (you know, those guys and gals who sit there all day doing these Things and thinking of Stuff...) also say that when a notion reaches critical mass in a community mind, the notion will appear in places where no apparent method could have communicated it by normal channels (also called The Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon, q.v.). You can also say, "When It Rains It Pours." :-)
      Suddenly, as if on cue, Dress Code Clubs are popping up all over the place! In San Francisco I personally observed Dress Code rules on the doors of Vanilla Clubs who never cared about such before. Goth AND Fetish Clubs in Los Angeles are now making a point of a "Strict Dress Code Enforced!" on their flyers and advertisements. SLICK is around the corner with it's usual enforcement (and I hear they're even cracking-down Harder this year -- Yes!!!), and several other S.F. Bay Area Fetish Parties are following suit, not the least of which will be INIQUITY -- The Club where you'll find one of the Strictest Fetish Dress Codes this City has ever seen!
      Why the sudden onslaught of Dress Codes? Could it be that in some corner of our community mind we have reached an unconscious consensus that says (at last) "the old permissiveness SUCKS," such that standards can finally rise to the higher refinement which we've all been craving? Or perhaps Europe's influence is simply making it's scheduled arrival in The New World after the de facto several year delay in the fashion world. There is a new charge in the air, almost as if we Yanks are going through some kind of Rite-Of-Passage where the mass of public Fetishists are finally receiving a kind of mantle to mark and reward our fashion maturity. Like a cross between Coming-Of-Age and receiving a new belt in Karate, it seems as if American Clubs are finally gaining a sense of pride in their own existence just enough to be able to stand up and be counted as a viable and important part of Modern Culture. Suddenly Club-life is moving out of the shadowy halls of the dispossessed and into the respectable glow of the public forum in a truly Roman sense. Like the citizens of ancient Rome, we meet and gather in a public setting to rampantly exchange energy and information. We do not come as outcasts, but rather as representatives of a given, highly-refined aesthetic.
      Of course they've been doing this for years across the Atlantic. Like rebellious children who one day decide that maybe their parent's way of doing a particular task was pretty intelligent after all, it seems as if we are looking back at our European compatriots and saying, "hey, you know, their way of doing this IS better." From magazine exposure to the mental exposure of international travelers, it appears as though our community consciousness has at last gained a sense of what a Dress Code is all about, bit by bit by bit. More and more people, specifically Pervs in our case, attend these clubs and come away saying, "where has this been? This is what I have been looking for!" It's a vibe, an aesthetic, a visual rhythm, and at last it seems to be making sense and catching on. Folks, it appears we are evolving. Or maybe we should say "re-volving," as, after all, Caesar & Co. did the refined Forum-thing a long, LONG time ago. We are creatures of social habit -- maybe we just forget how good things can be. :-)
      I bet Cleopatra would have looked great in a rubber cat-suit.

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Local (San Francisco) Events Coming Up......

FOLSOM FAIR WEEKEND:
Thurs, Sept. 24th through Sunday, Sept. 27th

Slumber Party in a Dungeon Anyone?

      (Pushed to First Mention due to reservation requirements and limited space -- Ed.)
PASSION PLAY PRODUCTS has rented the Original Power Exchange Substation at 960 Harrison St. (a well known dungeon space) from Saturday evening September 26th through Monday morning September 28th -- Yes, for over 48 hours!!!
      "Parties will be on both Saturday and Sunday nights. The parties are to "officially" begin at 9:00 PM on Saturday and 8:00 PM on Sunday. They will continue until 3AM both nights. Of course those that are staying over (see below) can party until they can't party no more. Proceeds from the parties (after expenses) will go to benefit the Lifestyle Choices Legal Defense Fund, an organization (in the process of applying for non-profit status) dedicated to helping people who get prosecuted because of their S&M practices. For more info on the LCLDF: http://members.aol.com/LCLDF/
      Prices are as follows:
1 person, 1 party $20
2 persons, 1 party $35
1 person, 2 parties $35
2 persons, 2 parties $60 (best deal)
overnight guests $20 additional
      Please RSVP as soon as possible; as space is limited. Tickets can be bought in advance through PASSION PLAY PRODUCTS. Call 1-888-4PLAY33 (475-2933) to get on the guest list. If you make a reservation and cant make it please be kind and let us know ASAP, so we can fill the slot. Payments can be made by phone with check, MC/Visa/AmEx (and yes, we except cash) or at the PASSION PLAY booth at Folsom #728-730. For more info on PASSION PLAY: http://www.passionplayproducts.com
      Overnight guests must bring something to sleep on and towels as these will not be provided. Snack foods, munchies and soft drinks will be provided for the parties, coffee and danish/donuts will be provided for breakfast on Sun and Mon.
      Just a note we have gotten quite a response already, and this has been by word of mouth only. RSVP quickly I don't want to disappoint anyone, but we are limited to 65 people a night. This is not our choice, some annoying guy called the fire marshal keeps making up all these rules.
      If you have any further questions please email DmitriLHW1@aol.com or SusanWLA@aol.com. The above phone number is for reservations and payment only."

Fetish & Fantasy Ball

Truly the First set of events going into Folsom Fair Weekend. Thursday night September 24th at Club Townsend, 177 Towsend in San Francisco. Doors open at 9 PM and the fetish festivities last until 2 AM. Tickets are $12 advance and $15 at the door. Tickets on sale at Mr. S and other locations, as well as by phone at 1-888-TIX-ONLY. For more info, you can visit the F & F info site at http://www.L8X.com/fetish.html
      Also on Thursday night Sept. 24th is the SF Leather Daddy Erotic Art Auction from 9pm to Midnight at the Eagle Tavern. "Daddy Tom has rounded up some incredible pieces this year. You owe it to yourself to check it out before coming over to Fetish & Fantasy." (Ed. -- as written in an earlier issue of I.N., one het couple who attended this mostly-gay event last year told I.N. that they had a great time and said the crowd was almost entirely Fetish attired.)

Daytime Dungeon Deviance

Dark Knights "Leather Tea" Play Party for Folsom Weekend, Sept. 26th.
2 pm to 8pm.
At an incredible new place!
Admission is $15/single, $25/couple, $30/three
More info and to get an invitation: DarkKnights@chaosmedia.com You MUST contact the proprietrix online via this e-mail address to get an invite, get the location, etc.
      "Food, munchies, etc., and (soft) drink will be provided; you don't need to bring anything except yourself, your friends, and your toys. There is parking on the street near the party space, and there is a fabulous outdoor courtyard for folks who smoke. It's a Leather Tea Party (chips, dips, chains, whips...and Circus Animal cookies, of course!), as well as being a standard Dark Knights play party, and tea will be served. (If anyone would like to be a "tea server," do please let me know; other non-paying "volunteer" positions available as well.)"
      A major dungeon / S&M party, yes indeed. No dress code. No alcohol.

The Folsom Street Fair

The Biggie of the weekend. :-)
Sunday, Sept. 27th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Folsom Street in San Francisco, roughly between 5th and 11th streets. 30,000 Pervs from all over the nation (someone said projected figures for this year are up to 40k!). It's absolutely wild! Get there EARLY for easiest parking. Many people dress up for this event. The weather will hopefully be good -- last year it was quite warm. Bring a coat just in case; after all, this IS San Francisco. :-)

More Local Events:

BOUND Bounces Back!

The wait is over, the DNA refurbished (or retrofitted, or re-organized, or whatever they had to do), and Club BOUND returns to it's usual spot every Wednesday night at the DNA Lounge on 11th Street near Harrison in the SOMA. Don't forget to mention that INIQUITY password (which is "Iniquity") to get in for the discounted admission that only INIQUITY readers get! :-)
For more Bound info: http://www.sfgoth.com/clubs/bound/ BOUND Info Line: 415.339.7822 Or e-mail directly to: squee@sfgoth.com

There's a Stormy A-comin'

Friday, October 9th Stormy Leather will hold their 15 Year Anniversary Celebration.
      The Location will be Club Townsend, at 177 Townsend St. @ 3rd. This event will be 21 and over. Fetish attire STRONGLY recommended (but not mandatory). Tickets are $15 advance/$20 at the door. Tickets are available at: Stormy's shop, Body Manipulations, & Good Vibrations all in San Francisco, as well as Whip Lash in San Diego. There will be performers, dancing, liquid latex, and of course the Stormy Leather Fetish Fashion Show at 11pm. The event runs from 9pm to 2am.

If you think Willie is Slick....

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11th treat yourself to San Francisco's inimitable SLICK Fetish Ball.
      The event will be held at The Sound Factory, 525 Harrison Street @ 1st. This semi-annual event has been a San Francisco tradition and a serious groundbreaker for the West Coast Fetish Scene for going on 4 years now. The proprietor of SLICK promotes an "INIQUITY-esque" aesthetic (Good S&M and Serious Fetish Fashion), and has been doing so since long before the inception of INIQUITY. In a sense, SLICK has been San Francisco's only truly European-style Fetish Ball for quite some time now.
      Tickets are $15 advance, $20 at the door. Advance tickets available at Stormy Leather, Reckless Records, and online at www.ticketweb.com. This will be a 21 and over event. For more info: 415-536-9424 or visit the website at www.clubslick.com

There was one other thing....now what was that?
        Oh yeah. The Grand Opening
of
INIQUITY -- The Club
Sunday, November 22nd, from 8pm to 3am.

     Step into Serious Fetish with one of the Strictest Fetish Dress Codes this city has ever seen! DJ Dancing all night to the contemporary mix by the DJ's in the main room, or grab your partner and lure them into the Fully Equipped Dungeon (BYO Whips and other tools). Enjoy live mixing of your favorite scene music (you know, that stuff you hear at dungeon parties....) by a separate Dungeon DJ! There will be various other surprises, more of which will be announced as the time draws near. The location will announced soon......
      FYI, check out the Iniquity Club page for much greater detail (particularly of the Strict Fetish Dress Code that's bound to set this club apart from any fetish club in SF.... ;-)

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A Step Forward in England

      With all the Horsesh*t that has gone on in this world r.e. safely and legally being allowed to practice S&M in the privacy of your own home and amongst consenting adults, it is wonderful to again receive a piece of news that might just reflect the evolution of the human race and human rights. In the past few years we've had to stand by and watch the Spanner 16 get convicted, go to jail, and get condemned by the (Mindless) European Court of Human Rights. We've raised money to help these men, to help the Houghton's on the East Coast of the U.S., and even to help local community members right here in San Francisco who to this day are still having their private sexual BDSM preferences attacked as material to fuel court battles which have NOTHING to do with BDSM itself.
      This is why when I read the following in the latest issue of SKIN TWO (reprinted here by kind permission), I just absolutely had to share this with you all. In the beginning of this issue I mentioned "The Hundredth Monkey" Phenomenon -- maybe this is one more sign that it's time for the mindless prejudices against the BDSM community to be put aside. After all, if this can happen in the land of Spanner, it follows suit that perspectives may be truly expanding:
After the West Midlands Police Dept. seized a Robert Maplethorpe book from the University of Central England in Birmingham, a third year Art & Design student was stunned to discover that a major piece of course work had suddenly been deprived of a critical source. The project, entitled "Fine Art Versus Pornography" was interrupted when he took photos taken for the book to a local film developer. The developer, being of Simian mind and Puritanical inclination, sent the negatives to the police. The police then confiscated the book and informed the University that two of the photos directly contravened the 1959 UK Obscene Publications Act, and the book "must be destroyed" (can you say Fahrenheit 451 meets the thankfully over-turned Communications Decency Act?).
      HOWEVER, in a country famous for higher education, people of all walks listened when The University Vice-Chancellor refused to permit such an action, and openly took a very pronounced stand against the destruction of the book! To quote the Vice Chancellor, "The publication is viewed as a serious, high quality work of considerable artistic merit. It has contributed significantly to the field of contemporary art. Any attempt to restrict the academic curriculum and the associated freedom of thought by seeking to destroy this book must and will be resisted."
      Although it may not seem like much from this side of the Atlantic, in England if you have something labeled "pornography" that gets seized by the police, you generally have two choices: Forget about the items in question and the Police 'graciously' agree not to prosecute you, or make even the vaguest attempt to get the so-called "pornography" back and receive a sh*t-storm of threats of, and possibly actual, very serious prosecution by the government. Hence, most people say bye-bye to whatever items they loose rather than face even so much as the cost of going to court to retrieve their property. The government uses pure intimidation tactics to uphold their outdated puritanical dogma.
      THUS, for a highly respected individual to stand up and Just Say No to Puritanical Cr*p, is a MAJOR step forward for the British system's attempt to enter the 21st century. It gets better: a subsequent emergency meeting of the University Senate resulted in unanimous agreement to support the Vice-Chancellor fully, both in his defense of freedom of inquiry as essential to higher education, and in his refusal to allow the destruction of University property. As of this writing, the police have still not decided how to respond to this resistance. It marks perhaps the single most momentous stand against these outdated, fundamentalist laws in recent years. It is always easy for the juggernaut of government to squash a few unknown citizens without raising too many eyebrows. But when an entire University Senate suddenly stands in the way of mindless action, a whole other class of influential people begin to take notice. We may hate that so much power lays in such a small percentage of the population, but to know that therein is contained a significant faction of true, scholarly intelligence is a breath of very refreshing air to say the least. To the Vice-Chancellor and the Senate of the University of Central England: We Salute You.

YES, there's more!!
Click here to go to Part II of Iniquity Newsletter #6

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