ALCC @ the Montreal Fetish Weekend / CCVA @ Weekend du Fétiche de Montréal – Sept 2-5

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

[La version française est ci-dessous]

So another Montreal Fetish Weekend has come and gone.

I was pleased to be able to greet people at the ALCC information table at the Hotel des Gouverneurs for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday. It was great fun to meet all the people attending the various events and to be able to watch some of the wonderful demonstrations that took place in the reception area of the fourth floor. Maitresse Zyra showed us Her incredibly restrictive bondage and suspension techniques with Her submissive Malcolm. It was quite a sight to see him completely enveloped in leather restraints of of all kinds with only his nipples (clamped of course) visible. Afterwards, Maitress Zyra and Malcolm were kind enough to chat with the audience and answer their questions.

Later the same afternoon, renowned Steffy the Rubber Doll did a partial striptease for us, by incrementally removing all the rubber clothing and contraptions that go into metamorphosing him into a rubber doll. He very kindly explained his particular experiences with this fetish. He also had plenty of tips on how to make rubber clothing and take care of it. Almost all of his costumes are self-made. He was accompanied by Miss Victoria of Calgary.

On Sunday afternoon, Ms V gave impromptu bullwhipping lessons to anyone who wanted to learn. It turned out to be one of the most popular workshops. Furthermore, She was using the very first whip She ever made!

All in all, I had a great time chatting with people, taking pictures and telling them about the ALCC.

Many thanks to Petal for all of his hard work and organising, to Clov, Kay de Monet and Glovedsub for their generous help, and to the Fetish Weekend for providing the space to display our material.

See you all there next year!

– Happy Frank

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Eh bien, voici une autre édition du Weekend du Fétiche de Montréal révolue.

C’éait un vrai plaisir pour moi d’accueillir les gens à la table de renseignements du CCVA à l’Hôtel des Gouverneurs pendant quelques heures samedi et dimanche. J’ai rencontré des fétichistes d’un peu partout dans le monde et j’ai eu la possibilité d’assister à plusieures démonstrations fascinantes au 4ème étage de l’hôtel. Maîtresse Zyra nous a donné une démonstration de sa technique de restriction corporelle et suspension extrême avec son soumis Malcolm. C’était tout un spectacle de voir celui-ci complètement emballé dans le cuir et suspendu. Tout ce que l’on pouvait voir de son corps étaient ses mamelons, pincés bien-entendu! Par la suite Maîtresse Zyra et Malcolm ont eu l’amabilité de nous faire part de leurs expériences personelles dans le domaine du BDSM.

Quelques heures plus tard le célèbre Steffy the Rubber Doll nous a donné une fascinante striptease partielle en enlevant une par une les différentes couches de vêtement et d’accessoires en caoutchouc qu’il portait afin de se métamorphoser en poupée. Il nous a raconté son évolution personelle et nous a donné plusieures conseil sur la fabrications des vêtements en caoutchouc. Il fait la plupart de ses vêtements lui-même.  Il était accompagné de Miss Victoria de Calgary.

Dimanche aprés-midi, Ms V donnait des leçons de fouet improvisées dans la même salle. Il me semblait que c’était l’une des atelier les plus réussis! En plus elle se servait de son tout premier fouet artisanal.

En tout, je me suis beaucoup amusé à bavarder avec les gens et de donner des renseignements à propos du CCVA. Remercions Petal de tout son travail incroyable ansi que Clov, Kay de Monet et Glovedsub de nous avoir aider. Et evidemment il faut remercier Le Weekend du Fétiche de Montreal de nous avoir fourni un éspace et une table pour distribuer des renseignement sur le CCVA et ses activités.

On s’y retrouve l’an prochain!

– Happy Frank

Dunter’s Sexual Bondage Workshop / Ligotage sexuelle – Sept 1

[La version française est ci-dessous]

I must admit, I learned something new this month. That rope bondage can be used for more
sexual and intimate purposes other than just being tied up or suspended. As someone who
enjoys being a rope bottom, learning something new about one thing I enjoy was exhilarating.

Since this workshop came shortly after the restriction bondage workshop and all the same
people were attending; Dunter saw no need to go into the details about safety and parts of the
body. Emphasis, however, was put on making sure the bondage is secure but still comfortable
in order that your partner is able to be in the bondage for longer periods of time during more
intimate settings.

Various ties were shown for sexual usage then we were able to practice as well. With the
help of one person in the workshop Dunter towards the end gave a demonstration of how to
use a chair with rope bondage to make sexual bondage and yet it would still be comfortable.

I would like to thank Dunter for the great workshops that he has given at the ALCC. They are
always informative and fun to participate in. To learn more about Dunter or to speak to him
personally, I recommend visiting his website http://www.kinks.ca

See you at the next workshop!

-Kitty

—————————————————————————————————–

Je dois admettre que j’ai appris quelque chose de nouveau ce mois-ci.
Le ligotage peut être utilisé à des fins sexuelles et intimes autres
que d’être simplement suspendu ou immobilisé. Etant une personne qui
aime jouer avec des cordes, apprendre quelque chose de nouveau à
propos d’une activité que j’aime faire était génial. Puisque cet
atelier s’est produit peu après l’atelier de bondage restrictif et que
les participants étaient les mêmes; Dunter n’a pas jugé utile d’aller
dans les détails à propos de la sécurité et les parties du corps. Le
focus était plutôt sur l’assurance que le ligotage était sécuritaire
mais confortable, pour que notre partenaire puisse être ligoté plus
longtemps lors d’une pratique intime.

Plusieurs noeuds ont été démontrés pour un usage sexuel, et nous avons
également pu les essayer. Avec l’aide d’un participant, Dunter a
démontré vers la fin de l’atelier comment pratiquer le ligotage avec
une chaise pour faire du bondage sexuel. La pratique était toujours
aussi agréable.

J’aimerais remercier Dunter pour les merveilleux ateliers qu’il a
présentés au CCVA. Ils sont toujours informatifs et agréables. Pour en
savoir plus sur Dunter ou pour lui parler personnellement, je vous
recommande de visiter son site web : http://www.kinks.ca

Traduit par: Xavier

Dunter’s Restriction Bondage Workshop / Activité de Ligotage Restrictif par Dunter – Sept 1

[La version française est ci-dessous]

For anyone who really knows me, getting out of rope is a bit of a hobby for me. Try your best
to tie me up and have me not be able to get out of it. I love being tied up as much as I love the
challenge of trying to get out of the bondage. Well I quickly learned in this workshop given by
Dunter that some bondage is impossible to get out of!

As with all of Dunter’s bondage workshops, he explained the health risks that can be involved
with bondage, especially with the type he would be teaching us on the Wednesday evening of
this month. He showed various restrictive ties in order to make sure that your partner will not be
able to move or escape. After each tie was shown, we could then practice on our partner and
have our partner practice on us.

Words cannot express how much I would like to thank Dunter for giving this workshop. I
tremendously enjoy his first Wednesday of the month bondage workshops! To learn more about
Dunter or to speak to him personally, check out his website http://www.kinks.ca

Hope to see the regular bondage students at Dunter’s next workshop and new faces
as well! Until then, I am sure plenty of us will be practicing the ties we have learned!!

-Kitty

—————————————————————————————————————————————
Ceux qui me connaissent bien savent que l’une de mes activités préférées est de tenter de
me libérer d’un ligotage. Je vous mets au défi de non seulement me ligoter, mais aussi de
m’empêcher d’en sortir! J’adore être ligotée ainsi que d’essayer de m’en libérer. Dans son
atelier, Dunter m’a montré qu’il est impossible de se libérer de certains types de ligotages!

Comme d’habitude, Dunter nous a expliqué les risques de santé associés au ligotage, en
particulier le type de ligotage qu’il allait nous enseigner mercredi soir. Il nous a montré
plusieurs noeuds qui sont efficaces pour empêcher notre partenaire de bouger ou de
s’échapper. Après la théorie, nous avons pu les essayer avec notre partenaire.

Merci beaucoup Dunter pour ce superbe atelier! J’aime vraiment ses ateliers de ligotage le
premier mercredi de chaque mois! Pour en savoir plus ou pour parler à Dunter, visitez son site
web : http://www.kinks.ca

– Kitty

Fabulous Polyamory Workshop!!! – Sept 11

A surprisingly BIG group for this workshop, with 11 people!

What great questions, great feedback.

Something I particularly enjoyed about this group was that everyone was coming from different perspectives. There were a few simply curious, others whom had pervious poly relationships that hadn’t worked out and who were there to seek advice or strategies for the future, and ohers still were questionsing from a D/s (dominant/submissive) perspective.

One person in particular spoke about a some of his own experiences and that started a great opening up and sharing in the room and encouraging other people to offer their stories.

I really appreciated ho everyone was involved in some way or another, it was really just great!

It was asked by many that we offer a more advanced Poly workshop to help answer specific questions that could not be addressed in a basic and informational workshop such as this one. We covered mostly terminology and an introduction to Polyamory. It seems there is more knowledge about the subject than I thought.

I know this wonderful triad (three person poly relationship) that is very close and living happily together that I hope they will agree to come and share their experiences with us. And then I just met this awesome quad (four person poly relationship) from Edmonton that would be great at offering a workshop… we shall have to see what will happen. It would be great to have a panel of people who can take questions and answer them from direct experience, especially if they are actively making their relationships work and doing well. I feel others would benefit from that kind of knowledge.

You’ll have to stay posted!

P.S. We were very fortunate that one of the attendees from this workshop decided to join our team as an official translator. We welcome Xavier aboard!!!

– Contessa Alura

BDSM Literature Group / Groupe de Littérature BDSM – Aug 30

[La version française est ci-dessous]

This is a brand new group that we were trying out.

Only two persons attended the first meeting of this proposed group. Topics were: preferred genres of literature (fiction, poetry, drama) most suited to BDSM topics, and preferred types of BDSM activity to be discussed in any literature which might be produced. Also discussed were sources and forms of inspiration, and how to recognize them when they arise.

This group will not be continuing after Septemeber since I am unable to predict my availabilities due to weather. Perhaps we will pick this up again in the spring.

– Clov Saffron

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Nous avons essayé de créer un nouveau Groupe de Littérature BDSM.

Pour notre première rencontre, nous avions que deux participants. Nous avons parlé des
activités BDSM que nous préférons voir dans la littérature et quels genres de littérature sont
les plus appropriés selon nous pour parler de BDSM. Nous avons aussi parlé de nos sources
d’inspiration, et comment les utiliser lorsqu’elles se manifestent.

Les rencontres de ce groupe ne se poursuivront plus dès le mois de septembre, puisque la
météo m’empêche de déterminer quelles seront mes disponibilités. Nous allons peut-être nous
réunir à nouveau le printemps prochain.

– Clov

Another D.I.D. Drop-in Day / Une autre Journée Portes Ouvertes– Aug 29

[La version française est ci-dessous]

I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who came to the August drop in day at the ALCC!

A hot muggy Sunday was spent in the relatively cool ALCC sitting on the couch and just talking about everything and anything. And we got a new person who popped in too! I am so happy that more and more people are getting to know the ALCC and where we are!

Although I do admit; even though I had my laptop with me I did not get any work done at all! Oops!

-Kitty

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

J’aimerais remercier tous ceux et celles qui ont assisté à la Journée Portes Ouvertes du CCVA
du mois d’août!
Nous avons passé la journée sur les divans à parler de tout et de rien, loin du temps chaud et
humide. En plus, nous avons accueilli un nouveaux membre dans nos rangs! Je suis vraiment
contente que de plus en plus de gens commencent à entendre parler du CCVA et viennent
nous rencontrer!

Je dois toutefois dire que même si j’avais mon ordinateur portable avec moi, je n’ai pas du tout
travaillé. Oups!

– Kitty

Teddy Bear Picnic / Pique-nique aux animaux en peluche! – Aug 28

[La version française est ci-dessous]

Despite scheduling problems due to St. Laurent being closed and free concerts, the ALCC still managed to have their monthly Potluck in the Park! Beautiful weather throughout the early afternoon with us being able to sit on picnic tables provided by the city of Montreal gave us the perfect setting for our TeddyBear Picnic!

We were a small group but that does not matter! Bigger is not always better.

Almost everyone who showed up arrived with a teddy bear or a stuffed animal which made it all the more fun. Perhaps in a couple months time we will have another teddy bear picnic! Just wish I had a camera so we could have had pictures of this past potluck.

It is a shame that the colder weather will be arriving to us in Montreal and soon we will not be able to enjoy the little green park across from the building which houses the ALCC. I do hope that for the next potluck or two that it will still be nice enough out to have it outdoors before having to be indoors all winter!

Hope to see everyone at the next potluck!

-Kitty 

——————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Le CCVA a réussi à organiser son repas-partage mensuel dans le parc, malgré des problèmes
d’horaire causés par des concerts gratuits et la fermeture de la rue Saint-Laurent. La météo
était excellente et nous avons pu nous asseoir sur des bancs de pique-nique fournies par la
Ville de Montréal. Notre pique-nique au thématique d’animaux en peluche ne pouvait pas jouir
d’un meilleur encadrement!

Nous n’étions pas nombreux, mais ceci n’a pas d’importance. Etre nombreux n’est pas
forcément l’essentiel.
Nous avons atteint notre objectif, puisque pratiquement tous les participants ont apporté
un ours ou un animal en peluche. Peut-être referrons-nous un pique-nique semblable dans
quelques mois! J’aurais cependant souhaité avoir un appareil-photo pour prendre quelques
photos de l’évènement.

Il est dommage que le temps plus froid s’amène à grands pas à Montréal. Bientôt,
nous ne pourrons plus profiter du petit parc en face du bâtiment qui héberge le CCVA.
J’espère par contre qu’il fera suffisament beau dans les mois qui arrivent pour que nous
puissions faire notre prochain repas-partage dehors avant de devoir rentrer pour l’hiver!

J’espère vous revoir au prochain repas-partage!

– Kitty

D/s Relationships Workshop / D/s relations atelier – Aug 25

[La version française est ci-dessous]

The workshop had great attendance which told me this was a subject of interest in the public.

We covered as many types of D/s relationships and discussed the roles and responsibilities of each. There were good questions about how to get someone to know and express their interests if they are somewhat uncomfortable or uncertain. There were also some great suggestions, such as having the person seek out things of interest on the internet watching videos or reading stories to help understand their fantasies.

We talked a lot about sex in D/s relationships or lack thereof.

The group consisted of some already in D/s relationships, others who had recently ended one, one person who was curious, and a few others that were looking to really start one. One couple was interested in exploring D/s in the regular relationship and that gave me the opportunity to use their situation as a beginning relationship exploring the steps they might take and things they would need to discuss and agree on. That provided the rest of the group a better understanding by being able to ask them questions and also myself.

Thanks to everyone who attended and for your great questions and comments!

– Contessa Alura

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Plusieurs personnes ont assisté à l’atelier! Ce qui veut dire que les relations de Domination /
soumission (D/s) intéressent beaucoup de gens.

Nous avons discuté de plusieurs types de relations D/s, ainsi que des rôles et responsabilités
de leurs adeptes. Plusieurs bonnes questions ont été posées, dont: comment connaître
quelqu’un; comment connaître ses objectifs; comment rassurer une personne incertaine ou
inconfortable, et ainsi de suite.

Plusieurs bonnes idées ont également été suggérées, dont l’utilisation de l’internet afin de
trouver des ressources ou de s’inspirer de la littérature pour ses fantasmes.

Nous avons aussi beaucoup parlé de sexe et de carences dans les relations D/s.

Parmi notre groupe, il y avait quelques personnes qui étaient déjà impliquées dans des
relations D/s, quelques autres qui avaient cessé de l’être, une personne qui était là par
curiosité et quelques autres qui souhaitaient développer une relation D/s. Un couple en
particulier souhaitait intégrer le concept D/s dans leur relation. Je me suis servi de leur
situation en tant qu’exemple d’une relation qui vient de commencer. J’ai présenté les étapes
qu’ils allaient franchir de toute probabilité et des discussions qui en suivraient surement.
C’était une discussion générale impliquant tous les membres du groupe.

Merci à tous et à toutes de vos questions et commentaires pértinents!

– Contessa Alura

Am I Queer?

X-posted from Lady Evyl

After watching and reviewing Billy Castro does the Mission I started asking myself….what is queer today? I knew it was nowhere near the original definition of it but this movie really had me asking myself that definition of queer seems quite larger than I remembered. Let’s investigate with Wikipedia…

A little history…
Since its emergence in the English language in the 16th century (related to the German quer, meaning “across, at right angle, diagonally or transverse”), queer has generally meant “strange,” “unusual,” or “out of alignment.” At this time it was still not associated with anything sexual. Only in the 19th century does the term start to gain its implication of sexual deviance, especially that of homosexual and/or effeminate males. Subsequently, for most of the 20th Century, “queer” was frequently used as a derogatory term for effeminate gay males who were believed to engage in receptive or passive anal/oral sex with men, and others exhibiting untraditional gender behavior.

Contemporary usage
Some use queer as an inclusive, unifying sociopolitical umbrella term for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, transsexual, intersexual, genderqueer, or of any other non-heterosexual sexuality, sexual anatomy, or gender identity. It can also include asexual, autosexual people and those doing activities placing them outside of the heterosexual-defined mainstream such  BDSM practitioners or polyamorous persons. In this usage it retains the historical connotation of “outside the bounds of normal society” and can be construed as “breaking the rules for sex and gender.” It can be preferred because of its ambiguity, which allows “queer”-identifying people to avoid the sometimes strict boundaries that surround other labels. In this context, “queer” is not a synonym for LGBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) as it creates a space for “queer” heterosexuals as well as “non-queer” homosexuals.

I consider myself heterosexual, maybe borderline heteroflexible. I have dommed women in sexual and non-sexual scenes. The sexual ones where not a sexual stimulus for me…the dominating part was. that ‘high’ comes from the shared energy of a scene with another human being, regardless of their sex. I have kissed maybe 3 women a bit more passionately only 1 made me a bit more curious, my mouth touched maybe 2 female breasts.

With my sexuality just now somewhat defined I never in my life thought I would qualify as queer, at least not before my new discoveries above. I am a BSDM practitioner and I practice activities outside of the heterosexual-defined mainstream. Me, queer? I am open and welcoming of anyone who tries anything sexually as long as it is of legal age and consensual. I have many queer friends. But for me, my personal sexuality, I can be old fashion. Me, queer. It is a weird pill to swallow at first but it is going down.

Some say fetishism and BDSM lifestylers are the next ones up on the sociological chopping block, joining the ranks of gays and lesbians to fight for our rights and be recognized by the government. In Montreal the A.L.C.C. is trying to do just that: get a public voice for alternative lifestylers that are described above as queer. It is the only organization of it’s kind in Canada that we know of and I am proud to be part of the team trying to get it off the ground. I guess the term queer will change some more as the decades go by and new people will be welcomed under this umbrella, even unexpectant members such as I. I AM QUEER!