Ogden, Maine
In the wake of recent discussions about racial unrest and the tradition of American slavery, some members of the local BDSM community have decided to replace the concept of slavery with another institution: indentured servitude.
The history of each are roughly parallel and members of the community have begun detailing the various ways of eroticizing it.
Activities like service contracts, fines and fees, exchanging room and board for labor, and contracts are all a part of the new movement.
Based on the original concept that allowed people to work off debt with forced labor, the BDSM community has devised a way to set and enforce such relationships. Initially, the couple (creditor and debtor) must agree on a specified “amount of repayment” as well as the value of various acts of service or submission as well as ways in which additional debts may be incurred.
For Samantha Jones, a 28 year old submissive and former “slave,” it has “all of the benefits” without “the historical baggage of racial oppression and the connection to real slavery.”
James Rawson, a 45 year old former “Master” and now “Creditor” says it is going to take some getting used to. “It is hard to not use the terms Master and slave and I am not sure how I feel about losing that title.”
For most, the terms “Owner,” short for landowner and “Servant” are emerging as the most frequently used titles.
Karen Helms, a 48 year old Dominant, think the “changes are for the best. But there is a whole lot that still needs to be worked out.”
Most people interviewed felt that it helped allow them to feel like they were owning people without the stigma of racism.
