I’ve enjoyed the communication with you about the Bash and hope it continues.
This will be a long one, so let’s get to it.
If you came to this post first about the kink convention, I suggest you start with Part 1.
* ~ Feedback ~ *
Question ~ If I go to a convention, do I have to tell everyone my real name or wear a name badge?
Answer ~ Aside from showing your I.D. to verify your age, the name you tell everyone or what’s on your badge (should you choose to wear one) is what you’d like to be called.
Question ~ I don’t like the pain part or getting naked in front of others. Do I have to do those things at these events? 
Answer ~ I can’t stress this enough: GWNN is all about acceptance. Who you are, what your kink is, how much or how little experience you have; you’re welcomed. There was swag at registration with an assortment of buttons you could display. One of my choices was “Don’t Yuck My Yum”.
As to the level of involvement that’s *required* of you; there are no such requirements. The dungeon parties were open to watch or participate, and there were monitors ensuring safety. Also, you don’t need to go into the dungeons at all. Completely your choice.
Question ~ Are there publicity pictures? What if I’m photographed?
Answer ~ Not only was photography not allowed, but you were required to turn your GPS off. It was to protect the anonymity of attendees. Some people have lives outside of the Bash that do not include kink, and it’s important the two don’t mix.
General Comments ~ Thank you for all of your comments. They were all positive, and many of you thanked me for letting you vicariously attend a kink convention by explaining what happens. I was so happy to hear that you enjoyed learning about the classes and overall acceptance atmosphere. And that you loved reading about Master Eric and Dr. Bob.
Most, if not all, of the comments ended with excitement for the final review… so here we go!
* ~ Meet Stef and Raechel and GWNN History ~ *
Stef is GWNN’s current president, and she and Raechel co-produced the Bash. I had emailed them before the Bash, and they were the first ones I met. (Multiperv had the great idea of seeing if we could dump our stuff in the vending room ahead of schedule–thanks, Multiperv!)
Despite the last-minute flurry of finalizing the details, both of them welcomed me with hugs and graciously permitted an early bag drop. Both also agreed to be interviewed whenever I could catch them.
I’ve talked about the lack of air conditioning in the facility. Stef, on top of her other duties, ran from room to room apologizing for the heat, telling people not to touch the thermostats (it froze the system), and ensuring fans and a/c units were on their way. She also walked around throughout the weekend making sure vendors were comfortable.
Stef and Raechel always had a ready smile and were happy to assist. I was able to interview them both Sunday morning.
Their backgrounds are similar. They knew their whole lives that they were kinky… but they never knew what “kinky” was. Let me break it down.
Stef’s mother wasn’t dominant; she was a good housewife who deferred to her man. Stef was raised accordingly. When she came into her sexuality, though, she found video rentals (in the adult section) with spanking, whipping and nipple clamps. She said she always wanted to be spanked during sex.
Raechel agreed, adding that more knowledge came with the internet where you had the ability to speak openly about otherwise hushed topics.
Stef is owned by GWNN’s first president, and Raechel married a military man (who sat next to her during the interview). After years of marriage, Raechel told him she wanted to try BDSM. He informed me that being in the military taught him that you don’t hit women, and here was his wife requesting that he do just that! 🙂
Both women are happy with their kinky life as subs, and proudly talk about GWNN.
I don’t know the specific year that GWNN started, but it began on Yahoo! and bulletin boards around town. The women state that it’s the heart of the kinky community in Austin… though Stef doesn’t want to diminish the other groups. She said most people think GWNN is the oldest group; however, Bound by Desire is a year older, and she wants to give proper credit.
They spoke about the importance of anonymity. Some members’ families don’t know about their kink. The Bash, specifically, is a place where they can be their true selves. I mentioned the GPS tracker earlier. When it’s on, the location of the picture is embedded, so GWNN takes extra care to protect its members’ anonymity by making a rule to have that feature turned off.
There are other kink-specific groups, but GWNN is the hub, and the only one in the area to do a bash. In 2019 they had 140 attendees, and they considered that a success, usually only seeing 50-100 in ticket sales. This year, though, that number soared to 452! *The asterisk there being COVID, with no bash held in the past two years.
It was a great year to become a vendor at the Bash, and I’m grateful to Stef and Raechel, who were the first to show me how open and welcoming GWNN is.
To Stef and Raechel ~ Thank you so much… and I hope you’ve been sleeping since the Bash ended; you deserve it!
* ~ Whips ~ *
I attended two classes: “Introduction to Whips, Dispelling Myths and Fears” and “Intermediate Whips, How to Play and How to Improve Yourself”, taught by Ritz Cracker. He “has been an avid whip collector and performer for over 25 years.” He joined the kink community eight years ago and has taught and learned around the world.
He’s an engaging speaker, incorporating personal stories with historical context… emphasizing key points with the crack of a [neon pink] whip. His demonstrations got my blood pumping, and the precision of his throws were like art.
I have been afraid yet mesmerized by whips. They require practice before using them on someone, so I was eager for these classes about what to do and what not to do. I also appreciated Ritz sharing his mistakes with us. He effectively communicated risks, clean-up, practice exercises, along with an intro demonstration–both for someone throwing and someone receiving.
Ritz taught the person to throw in a couple of simple moves. The second class was an intermediary class, where Ritz told us and showed us how we can practice throwing.
It’s easy to see how one can learn… but mastery requires practice. Ritz hates being referred to as a “Master of the Whip”, because whips have a mind of their own. Instead, he listens to what the whip wants to do. While I understand the distinction, seeing him in action would make anyone mistakenly call Ritz a master.
After the first class, I was revved up. I returned to Claire and Multiperv and declared, “I want a whip!”
If you’re able to take a class from Ritz, do it! …as to the whip… more in the last segment.
* ~ What Happens at the Parties Stay at the Parties ~ *
Therefore, I won’t tell you details but give you an overview. There was a playroom open during the day and several at night. I went into the pansexual room first, which was the largest.
The room was dark with some colorful DJ-type lights. Around the perimeter of the room, and one center aisle, were St. Andrew’s Crosses and other sturdy structures from which you could affix rope or chains. There were also a few tables. Each station had cleaning supplies, and monitors patrolled the area to ensure safety and compliance with rules.
Many of the stations had a Dom(me) and sub, others had groups of three, and a few had a “squad”, mentioned in a previous post.
The atmosphere was almost reverent, and it was relatively quiet, aside from the sound of toys hitting skin and the occasional moan or subdued cry.
I didn’t feel out of place–and I probably wouldn’t have, even if I hadn’t been in domme attire. Multiperv accompanied me, carrying a bag of goodies, and also my flogger, which is my avatar. I brought it just in case, though I didn’t plan on participating.
Multiperv explained that many people attend the parties early to ensure there’s a unit to play on. And Ritz Cracker said he never threw a whip before midnight, due to the amount of space it requires.
There were smaller, specialty rooms, which I visited briefly. There was a lesbian room, a gay room, and another, general room. I was not allowed into the gay room. The lesbian room had a mini whip demonstration with an avid audience.
Overall, subs were naked or nearly naked. There was total acceptance and zero shaming.
If you have any qualms about attending a party, don’t. It doesn’t matter if you’re fit or not, experienced or a beginner. All bodies type welcome; all experience and skill levels welcome. Because if you’re a kinkster, the party is where you belong… just remember to bring your great attitude and manners.
* ~ Meet Christopher ~ *
And now we come full circle. In the first blog post, I told you about the fiasco with my banner and how I elicited the help of Christopher. Let me tell you more about him.
Christopher’s presence is gregarious and formidable. He’s tall, blonde and has a septum piercing. But the best thing about him is his ever-present grin. It’s shit-eating and snarky, which I love.
Christopher is from Bermuda and attended boarding school and college in Toronto. He’s been in the kink community for 30 years and identifies as an extreme sub/slave. Citing drummer magazines as his intro into kink, he learned at a young age that he wasn’t alone. His advice is to follow a progression and continue learning, and, above all, “Get comfortable with yourself.”
He was soon classified as “pig” by others, and he agrees that the term encompasses his kink. He finds it annoying to be called a “puppy”. There is a difference–look it up. *grin*
I had the honor of signing a copy of “14-Day Lockdown with Goddess Serena” for Christopher, who read it that night and outlined the mini-series of what happens next in the lives of the characters. I nodded through his narration, which he ended with “I want royalties!”
He was a vendor for his store, Vark and Company, which sells upscale kink toys of art. He showed me the detail in the woodwork and leather implements. He wishes people could see the quality of craftsmanship and not just label it a “naughty toy”.
By the way, “Vark” is Afrikaans for “pig”.
The “whip” story ends here: After I told Claire and Multiperv that I wanted a whip, they both pointed to Christopher’s booth and told me that he’s got a purple and black one. I saw it hanging on a rack–or did it see me? I was drawn to it. And, picking it up, I excitedly told Christopher about the class I had attended and how I had to have a whip.
He motioned to the space in front of him, inviting me to throw. I told him I’d never done it before, and he backed up a half-step. I failed on my first attempt–Christopher was in no danger.
There was a vendor next to us who had been in class and reminded me of Ritz’s tip: “Try the ‘Oh yeah’ method.” You say “Ohhh” as you pull up, followed immediately by “yeah!” to throw it before the cracker and fall lose momentum.
I said it on the second attempt, and I heard the crack! Omigod was that amazing!
“I did it!” I said to Christopher, who raised his eyebrows and nodded.
I told him I had misgivings about buying a whip from him when I’d just been in class with Ritz Cracker. It didn’t feel right. Christopher informed me that he sold whips for Ritz! What a happy coincidence.
Ritz doesn’t have a picture of a purple and black whip on his site (and mine is still in its bag–but I’m going to practice, I swear!), so I’m showing you a picture of Ritz’s favorite whip. Neon pink, because he can see it when he’s throwing in a dark dungeon.
Back to Christopher, and the conclusion of the GWNN Bash review.
His greatest achievement in life is his nephew. Christopher stepped out of the kink culture and returned to Bermuda for several years to help his sister raise her son.
The importance of family is huge in Christopher’s life… and he extends the same to GWNN. He shared with me a health scare he had several years ago while vending at a GWNN Bash. It landed him in the hospital. While he was incapacitated, members of GWNN and other vendors stepped up. They ran his booth in his absence.
There’s no better example of family than that. It gives me goosebumps.
To Christopher ~ So glad to meet you and get to know you, Dahlin’! …and I see you’ll be in New Orleans for Halloween?
* ~ Final Thoughts ~ *
I am so happy that Multiperv suggested this convention three years ago, that we’ve communicated for that long, and for his help at every turn. I probably would not have ventured into this if you hadn’t guided me, Multiperv!
Another mantra Multiperv has used with me for quite some time is how I need to get on FetLife. “Another forum?!” I’d whine. I actually put up a profile awhile back but didn’t do anything with it.
After being at the convention and meeting people who gave their FL handles as the first mode of communication, I broke down. I’m still learning “the ropes” and am not on frequently, but if you’re there, friend me. I don’t know how to get the link to my profile page, so search for me b-j-frazier <–and apparently I can’t be found with uppercase letters; has to be lowercase.
To the GWNN Family ~ Thank you for welcoming me and providing me with the *hottest* weekend around! I look forward to keeping in touch.
I’ll leave you with one final quote from Christopher: “Kink is a part of who we are, but it doesn’t define us.”
Do you have a kinky question you’d like answered? Use the contact form to submit your question. All questions will be kept anonymous unless you’d prefer to be named.
For other kinky advice, check my blog archives.
Happy reading,
~B.J.
