Master/slave (BDSM)

This article is about consensual power exchange. For non-consensual slavery for the purpose of sexual exploitation, see sexual slavery.
A maledom dripping hot wax onto a woman's buttocks, whose breast is already covered in wax, at Eros Pyramide 2009

In BDSM, Master/slave, M/s or sexual slavery is a relationship in which one individual serves another in a consensual authority-exchange structured relationship. Unlike Dominant/submissive structures found in BDSM in which love is often the core value, service and obedience are often the core values in Master/slave structures.[1] The participants may be of any gender or sexual orientation. The relationship uses the term "slave" because of the association of the term with ownership rights of a master to their slave's body, as property or chattel. While male "masters" will usually be referred to as "Master", whether or not female Masters are referred to as "Master" or "Mistress" may depend upon whether they identify as following the leather subculture or BDSM path, or simply preference.[1]: 27–30 

Sexual slavery in a BDSM context is both a sexual fantasy and sexual roleplay.[2] The slave master or mistress might be any person or group, though the majority of such relationships are usually either one dominant, or a committed dominant couple, owning one or more slaves. A slave and the owner, and others involved in the relationship, can be of any gender, sexual identity, or orientation.[3]

The Master/slave (or Owner/property) relationship is consensual, without the legal force of historical or modern non-consensual slavery, which is forbidden by the laws of most countries.

  1. ^ a b Rubel 2015.
  2. ^ Addington, Deborah (1993), Fantasy Made Flesh: The Essential Guide to Erotic Roleplay (1st ed.), Greenery Press, ISBN 978-1-890159-47-4
  3. ^ Snitow, Ann Barr; Stansell, Christine; Thompson, Sharon (1983), Powers of desire : the politics of sexuality, New feminist library, Monthly Review Press, ISBN 978-0-85345-610-0