Culture Vulture, v. 8: Oh Bondage, Up Yours: The True Story of Academia, BDSM, Class, and Politics at UNM

Last Wednesday, UNM’s student newspaper reported that Sharon Warner, director of UNM's creative writing department, resigned her position in protest of UNM administration’s decision not to take any punitive action against associate professor Lisa Chávez for her appearance on the Internet in BDSM photos with one (or more) of her graduate students. This story, and KRQE’s coverage, provided the bare bones of the story, but like most Internet-savvy readers, I knew better than to wait for the local print or television media to suss out the story. If I wanted to delve deeper than the 5 Ws, I needed to consult my favorite divinatory oracle, the blogosphere. And the blogosphere, particularly a relatively obscure blog, Sex in the Public Square, came through with two sides of the story.

Sex in the Public Square interviewed Chávez and published a public statement from Liz Derrington, the graduate student who posed with Chávez for the photos in question.

Warner would have the administration and public believe that this situation is far more lurid than it actually is. The now-infamous photos – at least the ones showcased in the media coverage – resemble nothing more than a risqué goth-y MySpace pic and a relatively tame BDSM photo of two women in underwear and heels, one kneeling, while the other woman holds a riding crop that grazes the submissive's clavicle. Prior to airing these photos, KRQE warned its viewers that the photos were shocking and to use discretion in viewing them. I’ll admit that someone who doesn’t watch any television (save the news) and who forgoes all print media (save mainstream newspapers and Guideposts) might have found the showcased photos shocking. As for myself, I was shocked – that these photos were described as graphic, shocking, or sexually explicit. Fashion magazines are filled with perfume and fashion advertisements that are far more explicit than the now-infamous Lisa Chávez BDSM photos. Granted, I've only seen the two that KRQE presented. Perhaps, the unshown photos are responsible for the "shock" of KRQE's reporter and editor. I hope so. If not, KRQE has stooped to a new low in their attempt to garner ratings.

It turns out that this story has more cultural significance and less sexual significance than the Lobo or KRQE’s coverage indicated. It’s the story of an associate professor and a grad student – who didn't even really know one other prior to working together – who chose to supplement their incomes by providing counseling and conversation by phone to the BDSM community. While their activities may not meet certain individual moral standards, neither of them did anything illegal or unethical. And yet, Warner, feeling the rush of her 15 minutes, claims she will take her battle all the way to the governor. Good luck, lady.

The bottom line is that the anti-Chávez campaign, led by Warner, would have you believe that their concern is for the welfare of the students, but Warner’s agenda is about trying to enforce her personal morality on other faculty members, using fear and intimidation. Warner would have you believe that she’s a martyr for an ethical cause, being picked on for taking a righteous stand. But Warner more closely resembles a fascist self-deposed-then-imposed dictator leading a baker’s dozen of her fellow Chaucer-quoting, conservative colleagues in a quest to further damage the reputations of two women who did nothing wrong except expect their contemporaries to be able to separate fact from fiction. These women worked as independent phone sex operators (PSOs) for People Exchanging Power (PEP) from their respective homes. This occupation, however distasteful to some, is not illegal and does not violate University codes of conduct. The staged BDSM photographs featuring Chávez and Derrington, served as advertisements on the PEP Web site. Derrington was Chávez's coworker and a grad student who took one of Chávez's classes. The photos are not evidence that Chávez violated her ethical obligations as a professor. Warner's campaign against this so-called unethical behavior is creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation which continues to unfairly affect not only Chávez and Derrington, but the entire creative writing department. In her statement, Derrington said, “I have a hard time believing that they want Professor Chávez to be punished, or at least for further investigations or reviews to be made, because they're concerned for students. One reason for my skepticism is that the official investigation was thorough. As the Daily Lobo article points out, the Deputy Provost found that ‘the graduate students involved reported their activities were consensual, and all disclaimed any recruitment, solicitation or coercion.’ And yet the anti-Professor Chávez contingent continues to call for her head. Another, more pointed (for me) reason for my skepticism is the fact that once word of my involvement with PEP (not to mention the photos) began to spread, many of the professors in the department began to shun me. Most notably, my dissertation advisor at the time refused to work with me anymore, meaning I had to switch advisors less than three months before my dissertation defense. That same professor also told more than one other person that she felt she ought to contact the university where I now work -- I had the job lined up last semester -- to tell them that I'm not morally fit to teach …

Furthermore, word reached me at one point that I was being blatantly slandered within the department, that people were being told that Professor Chávez and I were engaging in a sexual relationship, and that we were also engaging in prostitution. PEP does offer in-person domination sessions, and while I appreciate that such sessions tread a very fine legal line as they are sexual in nature without involving actual sex, the fact of the matter is that Professor Chávez and I never participated in such sessions; the work we did was strictly over the phone. I hired an attorney once the official investigation was underway, because I feared being slandered further, and I felt that the English department was doing a poor job of representing my interests. In the end, the only evidence I had of the slander was hearsay, and so I didn't take legal action, but I felt a great deal of hostility directed at me within the department, particularly on the part of many of the same people who would like to see Professor Chávez punished further, if not fired.”

The fact that Derrington would come forward and speak out publicly in defense of her former professor and coworker and share her painful experience with the public speaks volumes to her bravery and ethics.

And Chávez’s interview corroborates Derrington's version of events, also speaking to the overreaching societal issues that the case touches on.

“I am continually surprised how my well-educated colleagues seem unable to tell the difference between performance (i.e. the photos) and real-life sex. This is particularly ironic in an English department. Recently, I was very publicly accused of participating in violent and coercive pornographic acts with students. This shows a profound (and I believe willful) ignorance of both the nature of the photos (i.e. advertisements) and of BDSM itself.

As most people would guess, PEP’s photos are staged. PEP is in the business of fantasy conversation and support for the BDSM community, and the founder of PEP, Nancy Ava Miller, is quite clear on what is legally deemed ‘pornographic’ and none of the PEP photos fall into that category. Photos are meant to be suggestive, but that is all they are.

It also speaks to ignorance about the BDSM community, a community that I have profound respect for. I think about the terms we use: ‘scene’ and ‘play’ for example. Just those words indicate the nature of BDSM, as they imply both fantasy and the consensual nature of the acts. Safe, sane, and consensual is a commonly used phrase in the community, which to me says it all. I think about how the photos I was in were really no more risqué than ads in fashion magazines, and it makes me wonder if people really believe those photos are reality, or if they simply choose to say so to damage my reputation.

While I would like the opportunity to educate people further about these issues, I have been shunned and excluded and not allowed to speak, so I have not had an opportunity to try to explain what actually happened. In that way, I have been recreated as the classic minority subject: the brown woman/whore who has no voice.
But I have not lost my voice; I’ve simply learned something about discretion. This situation has radicalized me: I am firmly in support of other sex workers, and of sexual minorities. And I intend to speak out about that, and to write about it.”

When asked what she hoped her case would create a dialogue about, Chávez elaborated on the class issues:
“Class issues are the first thing that come to mind, as I outlined above. People seem to be completely ignoring the fact that this was, in fact, a job, and a legal and legitimate one. But more importantly, I see this as an attack on sex work and alternative sexualities. I have learned so much about sex work since I began working at PEP. Even with all the hell I’ve been put through, I do not at all regret working for the company. I learned so much, and the ladies of PEP have been incredibly supportive. I’m 46 and not in particularly good shape – hardly the stereotype of the hot young sex worker. Many callers wanted an older woman. Most callers wanted a dominant woman. I found this incredibly empowering – first in that older women were valued for their sexuality, and that I was able to explore my own dominance. I also learned to be even less judgmental than I had been before about other people’s sexual choices. So many callers had felt years of shame for their particular interests, and often it was a relief for them simply to be able to talk without being judged.

So when I hear all the condemnation, I think that first, many of the people who are harassing me know nothing about the realities and the wide variety of types of sex work. So many people hold onto the idea that women must be coerced into it, or that something ‘happened’ to them in the past, implying that no ‘normal’ woman would be a sex worker. It’s another aspect of the virgin/whore dichotomy.

They also know nothing about BDSM. I’ve often thought that we should all adopt some of the tenets of the BDSM world: the idea of discussing consent and what will and won’t happen sexually before starting, i.e. safe, sane and consensual.
Finally, I’m really struck by how fearful people seem to be of sexuality, as if it is dangerous, something to be controlled and reined in. People are trying to shame me for being sexual, and for making money doing it. I reject that shame.”

For those unfamiliar with BDSM, it should be noted that it is not solely about sexual gratification, at least not in the traditionally understood sense of the term. While I've merely dabbled in BDSM, I know many people for whom it is an integral part of their lifestyle. While it may be difficult for those unfamiliar with BDSM to believe, the BDSM lifestyle can provide a healing and empowering experience. Everyone I’ve known who cultivates said lifestyle has more respect and trust for their partners than is typical in our culture. This makes perfect sense, even to a novice like me. A primary facet of BDSM activities is relinquishing control to a dominant partner; feeling confident that boundaries set by partners prior to sessions will be honored is essential to the practice. Most professional dominatrixes, often known as pro-dommes, and non-professional dominants follow the twin codas of BDSM -- Safe, Sane, and Consensual (SSC) and Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK).

I have close female friends who make their living as pro-dommes. These women are extremely intelligent, cultured, and compassionate individuals. It is a cardinal rule of all the pro-dommes I've known that they will not have sex with their clients; however, this doesn't mean that their clients don't experience sexual pleasure or release during sessions. But their clients respect that their relationship with their dom is a nonsexual one. When employing the services of a pro-domme, clients don’t pay for sex. They pay for skills that a professional dominatrix cultivates. In addition to the psychological and theatrical skills that a pro-domme must cultivate, knowledge of anatomy and physics, fine motor skills, and mastery of equipment are the other skill sets that allow pro-dommes to command their lucrative fees.

The taboo and misunderstood nature of BDSM coupled with the campaign of a conservative professor has convinced more than a dozen UNM English faculty members that the photos are explicitly sexual and, as such, necessitate repercussions from the woman’s employer.

American sexuality is paradoxical. While sexual imagery is used to sell everything from automobiles to liquor to computers to soda, Americans are still extremely uncomfortable with images of realistic and unconventional sex. In an even stranger twist, some radical feminists share the fundamentalist Christian belief that all pornography should be illegal; granted, the two divergent groups differ in their reasoning but their opinion that pornography (imagery that causes sexual thought and has no artistic merit) should be outlawed is ludicrous. Sure, Rocco Siffreddi hasn’t inspired the male sex to embrace their softer, gentler side; but claims made by feminists such as Andrea Dworkin that all penetrative intercourse is by its nature violent is as ridiculous as any premise or scenario in John Stagliano's “Buttman” series. Sex is an important part of the human experience. A satisfying sex life should be accessible by all people, whether their sexual tastes involves the missionary position and a strong procreative belief system or P.O.W. psychodrama and a cat o' nine tails.

This local "scandal" isn't merely a manifestation of niche fundamentalism or academic politics. This case reflects the intellectual fascism regarding difference, sex, and class that has increasingly crept into academia at UNM and other campuses across the country, in the wake of post-9/11 blind patriotism, neo-conservatism, and war-torn civil liberties.

I’m curious how other UNM alumni, staff, students, and faculty and the community feel about this issue. Please discuss.

Edit 4-9-08: This blog was edited to remove a sentence which unintentionally asserted that domination work was somehow in a higher ethical category than other sex work. My intention was to distinguish the nature of domination from other sex workers' methodologies, but it ended up sounding rather judgmental. One of the dangers of blogging about a subject you're passionate about (without editors) is that, on occasion, one's prose doesn't accurately serve to convey one's meaning. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Matie. For edit context, see comment #19.