It’s easy to summarise the BDSM community into two parts — dominants and submissives. But what if we told you there are more identities in the community than you know? In this article, we examine eight identities in the BDSM community.
Dom
Or Dominants, as they are called are people who enjoy exerting control on their partners. It could be limited to sexual activities or beyond them. Activities used could include forced orgasms, ruined orgasms, or orgasm denial among others. A dom guides and dictates the experience for all parties involved.
RELATED: 9 Nigerians Talk About Being Into BDSM
Sub (submissive)
Or submissive, as the name implies is someone who enjoys sexual pleasure by serving their partners. A sub may like activities where they’re disciplined, punished, spanked or otherwise dominated by their partner. Where the dom guides the experience, the sub enjoys it as dictated by the dom.
Little
Littles are a type of submissive that use age play in their role play. Littles enjoy playing the role of a younger person who has to be cared for by their partner, usually a daddy dom. The key difference between littles and submissives is the age play involved. It’s also important to note that age play in BDSM is strictly between two consenting adults.
Master
Masters are dominants that exert ultimate control over their submissives. They’re responsible for taking care of their submissives’ needs and also for protecting them. Masters could also be mistresses depending on what they prefer to be called.
RELATED: Sex Life: I Hated Sex Till I Discovered BDSM
Slave
A slave is a submissive that gives total submission to a dominant. A slave is seen as the master’s property and the master can do as they please with the slave. This power exchange relationship is often criticised because of the historical implications of slavery.
Switch
A switch is a person who oscillates between dominant and submissive roles in the world of BDSM. They can decide to be a sub with one partner and a dom with another partner depending on their mood, circumstances and the vibe between the partners.
Brat
A brat is a type of submissive who enjoys being mischievous or disobedient to their partner to get their attention. They could laugh in their partner’s face or deliberately ignore them until they’re getting the kind of attention they desire. Sometimes being a brat can include punishment but it’s important to note that this dynamic involves consenting individuals who understand what’s happening.
Princess
A princess is a type of submissive that wants to be adored, worshipped and pampered in exchange for their submission. For princesses, they’ll only do what they’re told, after they’ve been shown the amount of care they want.
Now you know some of the identities associated with the BDSM community, here’s an article on how to practice aftercare with your partner.
