BDSM as a Community and Lifestyle

The process of popularization and normalization of BDSM symbolism and practices affects whole BDSM communities as well as real participants in Central Europe. While some prominent figures in the BDSM sphere are active in public education and organizing of events for various sexual minorities, for many BDSM still remains a very private and intimate matter. Communities perform a variety of functions for their members, ranging from support to leisure. At the same time, they often attract people from mainstream society, who, similarly to some members, see them as attractive places to experiment with liminal activities. Social networks play an important role in the life of the communities nowadays, especially those that were designed with the aim of bringing together people with preferences for sadomasochism, fetishism and other nonmainstream sexual preferences. Cyberspace provides an opportunity for self-realization even for those who tend to avoid personal contact; at the same time it also connects communities across diverse countries, and, in case of the post-communist countries, it also presents a source of information from Western BDSM scenes with longer historical roots.