Cuffs is a student group at Iowa State University that was formed in 2000 to discuss issues related to bondage, discipline, domination and sadomasochism.
The group made national headlines when in 2003, then-Cuffs president Harlan (Duane) Long requested $94 in funding from the student government in order to print fliers. Many people complained that student funds shouldn't be used for such a "deviant" group. However, the funding request was eventually approved by a vote of 21–9. [1]
Cuffs again was the subject of national attention when the group was disciplined by ISU for allegedly committing assault during a BDSM-related demonstration at one of their meetings (on November 10, 2003). [2] [3] Cuffs unsuccessfully appealed the disciplinary ruling to the Iowa Board of Regents, which refused to hear the case. [3] The end result of the disciplinary action was that Cuffs was prohibited from performing any type of demonstrations at future meetings.
As of September 2020, Cuffs is no longer an active student organization at Iowa State University.[ citation needed ]
BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or roleplaying involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in by people who do not consider themselves to be practising BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community or subculture often is said to depend on self-identification and shared experience.
A dominatrix or femdom is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily limit the genders of her submissive partners. Dominatrices are known for inflicting physical pain on their submissive subjects, but this is not done in every case. In some instances erotic humiliation is used, such as verbal humiliation or the assignment of humiliating tasks. Dominatrices also make use of other forms of servitude. A dominatrix is typically a paid professional (pro-domme) as the term dominatrix is little-used within the non-professional BDSM scene.
Bondage, in the BDSM subculture, is the practice of consensually tying, binding, or restraining a partner for erotic, aesthetic, or somatosensory stimulation. A partner may be physically restrained in a variety of ways, including the use of rope, cuffs, bondage tape, or self-adhering bandage.
School discipline relates to actions taken by teachers or school organizations toward students when their behavior disrupts the ongoing educational activity or breaks a rule created by the school. Discipline can guide the children's behavior or set limits to help them learn to take better care of themselves, other people and the world around them.
Bondage in BDSM, is the activity of tying or restraining people using equipment such as chains, cuffs, or collars for mutual erotic pleasure. According to the Kinsey Institute, 12% of females and 22% of males respond erotically to BDSM.
VEISHEA was an annual week-long celebration held each spring on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The celebration featured a parade and many open-house demonstrations of the university facilities and departments. Campus organizations exhibited products and technologies and held fund raisers for various charity groups. In addition, VEISHEA brought speakers, lecturers, and entertainers to Iowa State. Throughout its over eight-decade history it hosted such guests as Bob Hope, John Wayne, Presidents Harry Truman, Ronald Reagan, and Lyndon Johnson, and performers Diana Ross, Mike Jones (rapper), Billy Joel, Sonny and Cher, the Goo Goo Dolls, and The Black Eyed Peas. VEISHEA was the largest student run festival in the nation, bringing in tens of thousands of visitors to the campus each year.
This glossary of BDSM terms defines terms commonly used in the BDSM community.
Bobcat Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. It is the home of the Montana State Bobcats college football team of the Big Sky Conference.
The Main Building is a structure at the center of the University of Texas at Austin campus in Downtown Austin, Texas, United States. The Main Building's 307-foot (94 m) tower has 27 floors and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the university and the city.
Guillermo Gonzalez is an astronomer, a proponent of the pseudoscientific principle of intelligent design, and a research scientist at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. He is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, considered the hub of the intelligent design movement, and a fellow with the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design, which also promotes intelligent design.
A cuff is the lower edge of a sleeve or pant leg.
The Oxford University Police, or Oxford University Constables, was the private police force of the University of Oxford between 1829 and 2003. They carried warrant cards and were empowered to act as police officers within the University precincts and within areas of Oxford within four miles of any University building. As of 2001 the force existed as a private constabulary with 40 sworn constables. They were widely recognised for the bowler hats which formed part of their uniform, and formerly had the duty of patrolling outside the Examination Schools alongside the University Proctors, the officials responsible for discipline in the University. They were abolished by the University Council in 2003.
The Caledonian-Record is a daily newspaper published in St. Johnsbury, Vermont and primarily circulates throughout Caledonia County. It was established in 1837. It employed a total staff of 36 as of 2007.
Conversio Virium (CV), one of the oldest university student-run BDSM education groups in the United States, is the central Columbia University student organization that represents the college's collective population who engage in consensual BDSM and related activities. CV is a not-for-profit group that advocates strongly for freedom of sexual self-expression and is particularly concerned with creating a safe and welcoming environment for young people to explore their interest in alternative sexual practices, especially consensual sexual dominance and submission (D/s). CV participates in many of New York City's sexuality community events alongside similar organizations such as The Eulenspiegel Society.
Breast torture is a BDSM activity in which sexual stimulation is provided through the intentional application of physical pain or constriction to the breasts, areolae or nipples of a submissive. It is a popular activity among the kink community. The recipient of such activities may wish to receive them as a result of masochism or they may have a desire to please a dominant who is sadistic. Those involved may also be motivated by breast fetishism. Mild breast torture such as light impact play on the breasts is also occasionally used outside of the BDSM context to provide stimulation and pleasure during conventional sex.
BDSM is a frequent theme in culture and media, including in books, films, television, music, magazines, public performances and online media.
Kink.com is a San Francisco-based bondage internet pornography company that runs a group of websites devoted to BDSM and related fetishes. Kink.com, along with Kink Studios, LLC, Hogtied.com and Behindkink.com are DBAs for Cybernet Entertainment LLC, the parent company that operates the studio.
A sex machine is a mechanical device used to simulate human sexual intercourse or other sexual activity.
Criminalization of consensual BDSM practices is usually not with explicit reference to BDSM, but results from the fact that such behavior as spanking or cuffing someone could be considered a breach of personal rights, which in principle constitutes a criminal offense. In Germany, Netherlands, Japan and Scandinavia, such behavior is legal in principle. In Austria the legal status is not clear, while in Switzerland some BDSM practices can be considered criminal.