Critical Consciousness and Sex Positivity: Opinions on Race Play within Alternate Sexuality Communities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Race play, the act of making explicit overtures to race, racial differences, or political racial dynamics within the context of a kink or BDSM (bondage dominance/submission, sadism/masochism) can be a contentious topic among scholars and members of alternative sexuality communities. In the current study, we explored how individuals’ ideologies about race and sex are associated with their opinions of race play. Two-hundred thirty-four participants recruited through sex-positive and BDSM community spaces between January and June of 2021 completed measures of color-blind racial ideology and sexual comfort as assessments of critical consciousness and sex-positive values. Additionally, participants provided open-ended responses to a description of race play. Mixed-methods analyses using k-means clusters and crosstabs approaches indicated that the interaction of critical consciousness and sex positive attitudes influenced participants’ views on race play. Among those with strong sex-positive attitudes, those who denied institutional racism were more likely to provide unequivocal support for race play while those who acknowledged institutional racism were more likely to emphasize the nuance of balancing personal sexual freedom with the implications of race for practitioners as well as spectators. Additional research is needed to further determine whether racial group membership has an impact on opinions toward race play.