The BDSM Community - It's Not That Scary After All

One very common theme that I hear across many new attendees to our munches is an expression of anxiety or uncertainty about joining the community. I am commonly asked if it is appropriate for a new or curious person to just show up, or if it is acceptable to just walk up to others at the event and introduce yourself. The answer to both of those question is emphatically yes.

One of the primary purposes of our munches is to help others meet and connect with new friends. When you walk into Roland’s, James Street Pub, or any other of our events – remember that every person in that room has had to at some point or other come out to a community event for the first time. Nobody is going to demand your resume, qualifications, or references before they will to talk to you. We are all here to make friends, so as a new attendee keep in mind that the social interactions that you’re anxious about aren’t just acceptable, they’re literally the point.

Another common question that I hear is “What do people talk about? I’m brand new so I won’t really have anything to contribute to kink related discussions.” This, too, is perfectly okay! While it is quite normal for newer folks to simply ask questions and learn from others about their areas of interest, many other new attendees aren’t comfortable walking in the door and divulging their fantasies and desires to strangers. If that’s the case, please come anyway! Pittsburgh Bridge is a non-judgmental, open community for a diverse swath of alternative lifestyles – and if this sounds like an environment that is desirable to you, there’s no requirement to take the discussion about your own sexuality any further.

In fact, take a walk around our munches on a busy night and you will hear discussions about upcoming movies, television, theater, hair styles, the most desirable breed of dog, which local bar makes their drinks the strongest, iPhone vs. Android, upcoming concerts, The Pittsburgh Penguins, video games, and everything else under the sun that “regular people” talk about.

The BDSM community is in many ways no different than any other group of people that get together from time to time to enjoy each others’ company. We all have our lives, our jobs, and our families to think about when we go out into the real world. But we also all have one thing in common, we enjoy getting together to share our interests with our friends in a space where we won’t be judged for who we are and what we like to do. If this sounds like an experience that you’d like in your own unique life, than we’d love to have you.

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