What is the Kink Scene in Colorado?

In America, kink and BDSM communities exist across the country. BDSM communities have been around in the US for a while; they “started to make [their] way to the States shortly after World War II and may have been in connection with the LGBTQ movement.” (fiftyshadesdenver). Our home state of Colorado has a solid kink scene, and I’m here to share some of the highlights with you! Denver, Colorado, specifically, has been home to a sexual revolution. The “city is home to a growing sex-positive community.” (5280). Over the past few years, Denver has become more inclusive and welcoming toward discourse around sex and active sexuality expression.

“Denver has long been home to a passionate, albeit small, community of kinksters. Recently, though, a sexual awakening has begun to spread through the city, with established kink groups seeing their ranks swell and new organizations—including female-oriented sex shops, an erotica production company, a bondage-focused studio, and a wealth of titillating seminars and workshops—popping up around town over the past half-decade or so.” (5280)

At Respark, frequently attend these events as we host some of our own at Heather’s partner company Sexual Health Alliance! We recently had a conference with the “supernova of kink” (Dan Savage) Midori about kink and BDSM for the professional! The kink scene in Denver has a lot of sexual education elements to it- making it a well-rounded community. The goal of the kink scene in Denver is “to do away with stereotypes, eliminate misconceptions, promote candid dialogue, and engender “sex-positivity”: the idea of being open to and accepting of all sexual proclivities.” (5280)

Thunder in The Mountains

Thunder in the Mountains is the “premiere educational BDSM event in the country.” (thunderinthemountains) It’s located in downtown Denver, making it a relevant part of the kink scene in Colorado. Their classes “range from rope bondage to whipping, to sexual kink play, to Master/slave dynamics and Dominance/submission, to the psychological aspects of BDSM and anything else you can think of.”(thunderinthemountains) The event is welcoming to ALL types of individuals and has events for people into all kinds of sexual kink [while] catering to all experience levels! (thunderinthemountains) Thunder in the Mountains features many great presenters in the sexuality field, including Midori- who I spoke a bit on before! Midori presents at Thunder In the Mountains as well as Sexual Health Alliance. For those who don’t know, Midori is “a renowned educator and writer on sexuality.” (thunderinthemountains) Along with Midori, Thunder in the Mountains features exceptional presenters in the kink community and is an excellent resource on the educational side of the kink scene in CO.

First Friday FÜKD Up Comedy & Kink

First Friday FÜKD Up Comedy & Kink is another excellent element in Colorado’s kink scene. Chris Wellman, a BDSM enthusiast and comedian, is the frontman at “First Friday FÜKD Up Comedy and Kink [where he] presents an uneasy hybrid of standup routines and demonstrations of elaborate erotic fetishes like paddling or rope-suspension play.”(westword) The goal of the show, much like Thunder in the Mountains, is to change “the perception and stigma of kinky people and other sexual minorities.” (Wellman) The show combines comedy and discourse around pleasure in the kink community- what more could you ask for on a Friday night? Overall, Colorado’s kink scene has many opportunities for all members of the kink and BDSM community. If you’re looking to be educated on kink/ BDSM or if you’re just looking for a good time- Colorado’s kink scene has something for you!