User:Juliahonda/sandbox

My content is here for easy reading access:

(1)Anderson, P.M. Gender equity forty years later: a look at Title IX’s impact on American sport.

Int Sports Law J 13, 3–8 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40318-013-0001-9

(2)Title IX 2012. 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a).

(3)Coyne, P. C. (2018). A Huge Win for Equal Pay: Women’s National Teams Grab Their Biggest

Victories Yet in Recent Contract Disputes. 25, 45.

(4)Kosofsky, S. (1993). Toward gender equality in professional sports. Hastings Women's LJ, 4,

209.

(5)Narol, M., & Martin, J. A. (1998). A New Defense to the Old Defenses: The EEOC Equal Pay

Act Guidelines. Marq. Sports LJ, 9, 175.

(6)Rhode, D. L., & Walker, C. J. (2008). Gender equity in college athletics: Women coaches as a case study. Stan. JCR & CL, 4, 1.

(7)Zerunyan, N. (2017). Time’s up: Addressing Gender-Based Wage Discrimination in Professional

Sports. Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review, 38, 229.

(8)Equal Pay Act 29 U.S.C. § 206(d) (1995).

(9)Santhanam, Laura. "Data: How does the U.S. women's soccer team pay compare to the men?". PBS NewsHour. PBS NewsHour. Retrieved 8 November 2020.

(10) 6 Female Athletes Changing the Conversation About Equal Pay. (n.d.). Retrieved December 03, 2020, from https://www.shape.com/celebrities/interviews/6-female-athletes-speak-out-equal-pay-women

(11)Bridging The Gap! These Nations Are Paying Their Men, Women Football Teams Equal Salaries. (2020). Retrieved December 07, 2020, from https://www.indiatimes.com/news/sports/countries-paying-men-women-football-team-equal-salaries-521992.html

History:

For centuries women have struggled to gain the same opportunities, respect, and overall equality as men do. Women are continuously fighting for equal rights from gaining the right to vote to fight for equal pay in all aspects of work. Women entered the workforce in abundance when men had gone off to fight in World War I and II. Even in that case, employers were forced to have women fill those roles and that by 1945 women made up about 37% of the workforce. From then on, the National War Labor Board and men workers and unions began advocating for women's rights of equal pay and opportunity (7). Women are still discriminated against when it comes to work and wages but with the Equal Pay Act of 1963 there has been some improvement but the problem did not completely disappear. It has been narrowing throughout the years but is still not completely terminated but one success is the amount of attention the situation has gained. Women are now able to serve in the military, they hold important CEO titles and strong positions in companies, we had a woman run for president, and now there is an elected woman vice president. Since the EPA was signed women have been paid significantly less than men which makes a difference throughout the years. First, it was 58.9 to every man dollar, then in 2010 it was 77.4 to every dollar, in 2015 it went up to 80 cents. This 20% pay gap that women were experiencing adds up to a median of $10,470 of money not gained compared to men working the same job that year. In a 40 year career that can add up to be $418,800 which can also mean women would have to work the same job as a male for 10 years longer to receive the same amount of earnings, they do (7). At this rate, it won't be until 2059 for women to gain equal pay for the same amount of work as men. In this situation, the EPA helps but like mentioned earlier its narrow language has caused trouble for pay discrimination cases in the field of professional athletes. In terms of professional athletes, the argument fizzles a bit because of the assumption that men's sports are more popular than women's sports and that's why they should be paid more (3). Although the US women's national soccer and hockey team have made very large steps in terms of equal pay by going up against their governing bodies with this issue (3).

Equal pay:

Although the Equal Pay Act (EPA) isn’t a direct connection to women in sports it has a strong impact on the workforce in general. Professional sports is still a job for many people and professional men athletes have been able to live off that pay. Whereas at one point a professional woman athletes’ salary wasn’t even enough to live off of (4). Women used to have fewer opportunities in a professional career in sports and in the number of positions the pay was small and rarely enough to make an actual living (4). The EPA has a strong effect on the opportunity women now receive in the sports industry. Not only playing the sport but coaching and other positions in the sports realm. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which was an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer must abide by the “equal pay for equal work” and the mandate that states "an employer cannot pay an employee of one sex less than is paid to an employee of another sex where both perform equal work under similar working conditions on jobs requiring equal skill, effort and responsibility" (5)(8). Since being a professional athlete is now a successful job this EPA applies and can be brought up in court if some athletes are being paid less although the job is “substantially equal” (5). If it were to be brought to court the employer would need to make a case on why someone is being paid less that is not on the complete basis of sex and that is referenced as the defense “factor-other-than-sex” (5). Overall the Equal Pay Act, Title VII, and Title IX are creating more and more opportunities for women to receive recognition in the world of sports. They’re gaining more opportunities, more screen time, and making headways towards being paid the same amount as the male counterparts in the industry. Although they aren’t without their faults. Title IX has done some harm as stated in its sections above. The Equal Pay Act has also been seen to not do as much good as it should. It contains some restrictive language that excludes desperately owned teams which most men’s and women’s teams are. Therefore, with the restrictive language of the “same establishment,” it’s difficult for players to effectively claim wage-discrimination (7). One situation that has gained the most traction is the Women's Soccer National Team and they're in dispute after the 2011 and 2015 World cup tournaments. In 2011, the USWNT was the runner up to Japan and was awarded $1.8 million to split between the 24 player team. The men's team that won the World cup was kicked out at the round of 16 and was awarded $5 million. In 2015 the Women's team won the World cup and only received 5% of what the men received from FIFA after Germany won the Men's World Cup which was $35 million (9). In 2019, 28 players had filed a gender discrimination lawsuit and more can be found on the U.S. Women’s national soccer team pay discrimination claim. Another situation where the pay gap is prevalent is when in 2014 52 NBA players were each paid individually more than all the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players’ salaries combined (7). The men's PGA winner won five times the amount the women counterpart in the LPGA champion received (7). This issue is widespread throughout the industry.

College Sports+ Title IX:

The Title IX act is part of the Education Amendments of 1972 includes all education; programs but has been scrutinized the most for its impact on university sports (1). Title IX specifically states “No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Although Title IX does not specifically state participation in sports it has been connected and with that, it has had a great impact on participation in women’s sports. Since the enactment of this act female participation in high school sports specifically has increased from 294,000 athletes in 1971 to 2.8 million in 2002 (6). Now compare that to college athletics female participation had increased 16,000 in 1970 to over 180,000 in 2005 and it is still increasing (6). Including the championship medals gained by the individual and team women Olympic participants including gymnastics, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and many more (6). Women have gained around 58 medals and account for 56% of the USA haul compared to 40 years ago when women only won 23% of the Olympic medals (1). Many believe that the use of Title IX as an increase in women’s opportunities in sports and education comes at the expense of men’s opportunities. According to the Title IX Act, universities must spend equal amounts of money on each men’s and women’s sports teams, and comply with that many schools had to cut some men's sports teams to pay for new women teams (1). Some accounts say the same thing that because of the Title IX requirements many women’s athletic opportunities have been cut due to compliance and necessary funds for other men’s teams (1). The scrutinization of the Title IX act has gone both ways. Now, for schools to get a new team of either gender, they will have to spend an equal amount of money on a new sports team for the opposite gender. Under the Title IX Act, colleges and universities must also need to award a proportionate amount of financial aid to each gender’s participation in interscholastic sports. Although it has been shown that about 76% of colleges in 2011 do not provide proportionate funding. About 50% of the colleges awarded more females in the year 2011 but it is possible because they are trying to make up for other disparities although it is a clear violation of the Title IX act (1).

Gender Pay Gap in other countries:

The gender pay gap in countries other than the United States exists but they seem to be making more headway towards equal pay. On September 5th, 2020, Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) had announced that their men and women’s team will receive equal salaries and bonuses respectfully (11). They are hoping from Brazil’s actions that other countries will also follow in that direction. Brazil has joined Australia, Norway, and New Zealand in the commitment of paying men’s and women’s teams the same amount for earning cap. The CBF stated they will be paying equal amounts for daily allowances when they are on international duty as well as for their successes in the Olympic games (11). Since January of 2020, England’s Football Association (FA) pays their men’s and women’s national teams the same appearance fee to represent their country. According to the FA, “The FA pays its women's players exactly the same as their male counterparts for representing England, both in terms of match fees and match bonuses,” (11). Australias soccer governing body decided all the way back in November 2019 they were committed to closing the pay gap that appears in sports.

Quotes from Professional Women Athletes about the Gender Pay Gap:

Alana Nichols, three-time Paralympic winner: "I think payment needs to move away from gender. It needs to be about: 'How hard is this athlete—not female—working and how much do they deserve to be paid?'" (10)

Carli Lloyd, U.S. Women's National Team 2015 World Cup Champion: "The pay gap for winning a World Cup is extremely big: $36 million for men versus $2 million for women. It's a tough thing to swallow knowing that we sacrifice just as much, if not more. I'm not saying that the pay has to be the exact same because I understand there are sponsorship levels on the men's side and there are different things that they bring in. But I think if we can get into the $10 to $15 million range that would be good." (10)

Ali Krieger, U.S. Women's National Team 2015 World Cup Champion: "We got $2 million for winning the World Cup and had to split it up amongst the group. Whereas the U.S. men's team got $8 million after losing in round 16. And we actually won the tournament! It just makes no sense. This is why we're doing whatever we can to use our platforms, like coming here to the espnW Summit, to spread the word and get people interested. We want people to pay more attention. We want to put women's football on the map." (10)

Hilary Knight, two-time Olympic silver medalist in ice hockey and forward for the Boston Blades: "Hockey has been around for a while, but women's hockey is very new. We have a small salary cap now just to get the National Women's Hockey League off the ground, but I'm looking for that to expand and grow as the league progresses. Not only are we pursuing our dreams of training for the Olympics, but also we're finally getting paid as professionals. This has never happened before—not until this October."  (10)

Carmelita Jeter, three-time Olympic sprint medalist: "Sometimes you won't reap the benefits, but someone else will. Back in the 70s and 80s, pro female runners weren't getting million dollar contracts. They would get a TV and maybe some granola bars. It was different then. It wasn't your primary job. They are looking at us now and saying, 'Wow, we didn't have it that good.' We might not get what we want, but maybe my younger sister will." (10)

Sue Bird, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist: "I think the biggest mistake that people make is the constant comparison to men. Always getting compared, like 'Oh, she couldn't play in the NBA' or 'She couldn't beat Lebron James one-on-one.' Or even better, 'She couldn't even beat me!' It's annoying. With those comparisons comes the money. We need to keep the focus on the game itself. The NBA is our big brother. They take care of us and they are one of the major reasons why we have a league. But now we are at a point where we do need to separate a little bit. We don't want to be the little sister that the brother is forced to take with him wherever he goes." (10)

My content is added to where I think it should go but the sources aren't correctly numbered to the pages they correspond to my sources above.

Gender pay gap in sports

History

For centuries women have struggled to gain the same opportunities, respect, and overall equality as men do. Women are continuously fighting for equal rights from gaining the right to vote to fight for equal pay in all aspects of work. Women entered the workforce in abundance when men had gone off to fight in World War I and II. Even in that case, employers were forced to have women fill those roles and that by 1945 women made up about 37% of the workforce. From then on, the National War Labor Board and men workers and unions began advocating for women's rights of equal pay and opportunity (7). Women are still discriminated against when it comes to work and wages but with the Equal Pay Act of 1963 there has been some improvement but the problem did not completely disappear. It has been narrowing throughout the years but is still not completely terminated but one success is the amount of attention the situation has gained. Women are now able to serve in the military, they hold important CEO titles and strong positions in companies, we had a woman run for president, and now there is an elected woman vice president. Since the EPA was signed women have been paid significantly less than men which makes a difference throughout the years. First, it was 58.9 to every man dollar, then in 2010 it was 77.4 to every dollar, in 2015 it went up to 80 cents. This 20% pay gap that women were experiencing adds up to a median of $10,470 of money not gained compared to men working the same job that year. In a 40 year career that can add up to be $418,800 which can also mean women would have to work the same job as a male for 10 years longer to receive the same amount of earnings, they do (7). At this rate, it won't be until 2059 for women to gain equal pay for the same amount of work as men. In this situation, the EPA helps but like mentioned earlier its narrow language has caused trouble for pay discrimination cases in the field of professional athletes. In terms of professional athletes, the argument fizzles a bit because of the assumption that men's sports are more popular than women's sports and that's why they should be paid more (3). Although the US women's national soccer and hockey team have made very large steps in terms of equal pay by going up against their governing bodies with this issue (3).

This page specifically discusses the gender pay gap in sports. For other disparities, see Gender pay gap. Murray and Williams Wimbledon 2019 Gender pay gap in sports looks into the persistence of unequal pay in sports, particularly for female athletes who do not receive equal revenue compared to their counterparts, and it differs depending on the sport. According to the research conducted by BBC, "a total of 83% of sports now reward men and women equally". However, it does not mean that the wage gap in sports has narrowed or disappeared. In 2018, Forbes released the list of the top 100 highest-paid athletes, and they are all male athletes. A similar situation also occurred in 2017, where there was only one female athlete — tennis player Serena Williams — who joined the list and ranked No.56. Serena Williams, the highest-paid female athlete in 2017.

Equal Pay Act

Although the Equal Pay Act (EPA) isn’t a direct connection to women in sports it has a strong impact on the workforce in general. Professional sports is still a job for many people and professional men athletes have been able to live off that pay. Whereas at one point a professional woman athletes’ salary wasn’t even enough to live off of (4). Women used to have fewer opportunities in a professional career in sports and in the number of positions the pay was small and rarely enough to make an actual living (4). The EPA has a strong effect on the opportunity women now receive in the sports industry. Not only playing the sport but coaching and other positions in the sports realm. According to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which was an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, an employer must abide by the “equal pay for equal work” and the mandate that states "an employer cannot pay an employee of one sex less than is paid to an employee of another sex where both perform equal work under similar working conditions on jobs requiring equal skill, effort and responsibility" (5)(8). Since being a professional athlete is now a successful job this EPA applies and can be brought up in court if some athletes are being paid less although the job is “substantially equal” (5). If it were to be brought to court the employer would need to make a case on why someone is being paid less that is not on the complete basis of sex and that is referenced as the defense “factor-other-than-sex” (5). Overall the Equal Pay Act, Title VII, and Title IX are creating more and more opportunities for women to receive recognition in the world of sports. They’re gaining more opportunities, more screen time, and making headways towards being paid the same amount as the male counterparts in the industry. Although they aren’t without their faults. Title IX has done some harm as stated in its sections above. The Equal Pay Act has also been seen to not do as much good as it should. It contains some restrictive language that excludes desperately owned teams which most men’s and women’s teams are. Therefore, with the restrictive language of the “same establishment,” it’s difficult for players to effectively claim wage-discrimination (7). One situation that has gained the most traction is the Women's Soccer National Team and they're in dispute after the 2011 and 2015 World cup tournaments. In 2011, the USWNT was the runner up to Japan and was awarded $1.8 million to split between the 24 player team. The men's team that won the World cup was kicked out at the round of 16 and was awarded $5 million. In 2015 the Women's team won the World cup and only received 5% of what the men received from FIFA after Germany won the Men's World Cup which was $35 million (9). In 2019, 28 players had filed a gender discrimination lawsuit and more can be found on the U.S. Women’s national soccer team pay discrimination claim. Another situation where the pay gap is prevalent is when in 2014 52 NBA players were each paid individually more than all the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players’ salaries combined (7). The men's PGA winner won five times the amount the women counterpart in the LPGA champion received (7). This issue is widespread throughout the industry.

College Sports and Title IX

The Title IX act is part of the Education Amendments of 1972 includes all education; programs but has been scrutinized the most for its impact on university sports (1). Title IX specifically states “No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Although Title IX does not specifically state participation in sports it has been connected and with that, it has had a great impact on participation in women’s sports. Since the enactment of this act female participation in high school sports specifically has increased from 294,000 athletes in 1971 to 2.8 million in 2002 (6). Now compare that to college athletics female participation had increased 16,000 in 1970 to over 180,000 in 2005 and it is still increasing (6). Including the championship medals gained by the individual and team women Olympic participants including gymnastics, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, and many more (6). Women have gained around 58 medals and account for 56% of the USA haul compared to 40 years ago when women only won 23% of the Olympic medals (1). Many believe that the use of Title IX as an increase in women’s opportunities in sports and education comes at the expense of men’s opportunities. According to the Title IX Act, universities must spend equal amounts of money on each men’s and women’s sports teams, and comply with that many schools had to cut some men's sports teams to pay for new women teams (1). Some accounts say the same thing that because of the Title IX requirements many women’s athletic opportunities have been cut due to compliance and necessary funds for other men’s teams (1). The scrutinization of the Title IX act has gone both ways. Now, for schools to get a new team of either gender, they will have to spend an equal amount of money on a new sports team for the opposite gender. Under the Title IX Act, colleges and universities must also need to award a proportionate amount of financial aid to each gender’s participation in interscholastic sports. Although it has been shown that about 76% of colleges in 2011 do not provide proportionate funding. About 50% of the colleges awarded more females in the year 2011 but it is possible because they are trying to make up for other disparities although it is a clear violation of the Title IX act (1).

Gender Pay Gap in other countries

The gender pay gap in countries other than the United States exists but they seem to be making more headway towards equal pay. On September 5th, 2020, Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) had announced that their men and women’s team will receive equal salaries and bonuses respectfully (11). They are hoping from Brazil’s actions that other countries will also follow in that direction. Brazil has joined Australia, Norway, and New Zealand in the commitment of paying men’s and women’s teams the same amount for earning cap. The CBF stated they will be paying equal amounts for daily allowances when they are on international duty as well as for their successes in the Olympic games (11). Since January of 2020, England’s Football Association (FA) pays their men’s and women’s national teams the same appearance fee to represent their country. According to the FA, “The FA pays its women's players exactly the same as their male counterparts for representing England, both in terms of match fees and match bonuses,” (11). Australias soccer governing body decided all the way back in November 2019 they were committed to closing the pay gap that appears in sports.

Factors[edit]

Except for prize money, there are other factors that affect female athletes' income, which include both internal and external factors.

Endorsement deals[edit]

The first factor is the fewer chances for female athletes to negotiate with endorsement deals. Assuming a male and female athlete receives equal prize money, generally speaking, the top male athletes earn more due to better sponsorship and endorsement deals. Research conducted by a United Kingdom's organisation shows that sponsors are more attracted by male athletes as male athletes tend to be more marketable. A study has found that female athletes are rarely employed as the spokesperson by companies. The imbalance of endorsement deals expands the income gap between male and female athletes. Comparison of Roger Federer’s income with Serena Williams' income based on their prize money shows that Williams earned 2 million dollars more than Federer. However, Federer is the most lucrative athlete endorsement and makes $58 million, which is three times than Serena Williams.

Media coverage[edit]

Media coverage of male and female athletes in Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States. Source based on research conducted by experts. Media coverage takes forms such as news reports, television programs, and social media articles. Media coverage does not only enhance the popularity of athletes but also reveals the commercial nature of sports. Male’s sports have higher production values and are going to seem more exciting. Novak Djokovic, the former world No.1 in men's single tennis said that male players deserve to be paid more than female players because "statistics are showing that we have much more spectators on the men’s tennis matches", which means male athletes have gained more interests and attention. The economic logic is, the viewership determines the commercial value of a sport, as the media producers hope to attract more audiences to make profits. This factor may affect the media coverage of female athletes. In Australia, female's sports make up 7% of all sports media coverage, the same as the United Kingdom. Similarly, in the United States, nearly 40% of athletes are female, but they own 2%-4% media coverages. Except for the quantity, the quality of media coverage also matters. The media portrayal of female athletes tends to be less professional, and sometimes involve entertaining or sexualised contents instead of portraying their athletic abilities.

Economic return[edit]

Economic elements also affect the pay equity sports. In 2018, the WNBA team attracted 7,716 fans per game, which is more than 10,000 fans below the audience attracted by NBA teams per game. Female teams attracted fewer fans compares to male teams, indicates female teams sold less ticket and hence generated less revenue. The highest-paid female wrestler Ronda Rousey says she thinks how much female athletes get paid should relate to how much revenue they bring in. The different marketability of athletes affects the corresponding earnings of male and female athletes. The economic benefits will occur as long as female athletes generate outstanding revenue as their male counterparts do.

Biological difference[edit]

Female athletes do not have the same level of athletic performance as male athletes. The study has shown that compared to females, males have more muscle, higher blood volume, and more red blood cells, and those differences can be 30% in individuals. Currently, male athletes have better world records than female athletes. Take the case of running, swimming and skating; each sport reveals the fact that male athletes' world record was about 10% more than female athletes' record. It is difficult for female athletes to compete against male athletes. In 1998, Karsten Braasch — the male tennis player who ranked at No.203 in the world beat Serena Williams 6-1 and Venus Williams 6-2 after the Williams sisters claimed that they are capable of beating any male player ranked outside the world's top 200. This also lead to the winners of the gradslams and named UNBEATABLE when she was just 20 years old.

Others[edit]

There are other factors which also affect the earning of female athletes — for example, the lack of women holding governing positions in the sports organisation. In Europe sports foundations, there are 14% of all decision-making positions which are occupied by women. Motherhood also reduces the earning of female athletes as they miss many chances of attending tournaments due to their physical condition. After the labour, it still takes time to train and rebuild the body shape. Pregnancy brings a commercial difference, and this mainly reflects through endorsement deals. Professional beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh once said that she was told to hold off on starting a new family by sponsors. The professional snowboarder Kimmy Fasani also faced the fear of losing her endorsement deals when she found out she is pregnant.

The WNBA and NBA is one of the most prominent examples of the pay gap. In 2018, Aja Wilson was drafted the number one pick and earned a salary of $52,564. DeAndre Ayton, was drafted the number one pick in the NBA and earned a salary of $5,091,500.

The average max salary cap for a player in the WNBA is roughly about $117,500. For an NBA player its about 300 times more than that. For example, Steph Curry sits at $40.2 million.

WNBA's low ticket sales and low salary may be due to marketing, as more resources are devoted to the NBA than the WNBA. Top NBA players are encouraged to appeal to female viewers.

In 2019, the WNBA signed a deal with CBS to broadcast 40 games a year. ESPN will also broadcast an additional 16 games on their network. NBATV will also broadcast more games as well.

Impacts[edit]

Gender pay gap in sports links to the broader world and causes wider imbalance. In the financial point of view, this issue may cause the loss of financial revenue, as the pay gap in sports may lead to the less incentive of the female athletes to push themselves and to actively participate in sports because they feel unsupported. Except for professional athletes, other female participation in sports may also be affected. Ruth Holdaway, the chief executive officer at advocacy group Women in Sport, says if the public aims to close the pay gap in the long term, the public should be working with young girls to let them understand that sports are worth participating. Closing the pay gap in sports helps to create an environment where all female participation can enjoy equal rights as males.

Public response[edit]

Female athletes' actions[edit]

Some professional female athletes take steps forward to oppose the pay gap. One of the most noteworthy cases happens in tennis. In 2006, American tennis player Venus Williams wrote an open letter to the London Times after she won the championship of Wimbledon but received lower prize money compared with her male counterpart. In that letter, Williams questioned that the disparity in prize money disregards female's hard work and Wimbledon conveys a faulty value. Williams' letter had drawn the attention of the public. Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at that time, started to focus on the issue of the pay disparity in sports. In the followed year, Wimbledon adjusted the prize money structure and offered an equal amount of prize money to male and female athletes.

Introducing regulations[edit]

Introducing official regulations also plays an essential role in closing the pay gap in sports. The Male Champions of Change (MCC) is an Australian institute which redefines men's role in "taking action on gender inequality and encourage men of power and influence to contribute to gender equality issues in the communities". In 2019, MCC released the report of Pathway to Pay Equality, which aims to create new systems and cultures which can breed pay equity across all elite sports. The report details the specific actions and supports need to be taken to close the gender pay gap in sports. Pathway to Pay Equality assembles 17 Australian sporting chief executives as the signatories, to ensure female athletes have the same rights and opportunities in sports by evaluating and reporting their performance annually. The report introduced by MCC is considered to be the first time that the sports organisations have united globally to address the issue of unequal pay in sports, this can be a role model for other countries and institutes to emulate.

Statistics[edit]

Some popular and widespread sports still retain a significant pay gap. The following statistics show the income disparities between female athletes and their male counterparts. The income of the top 10 highest-paid female and male athletes based on the statistics released by Forbes in 2017. In football, the United States women's national football team is paid almost four times less than the men's team. The women's team won the 2014 World Cup tournament but was paid $7 million prize money less than their male counterparts who failed in Round 16. In 2016, the two-time Olympic gold medallist, American football player Hope Amelia Solo files lawsuit against the U.S Soccer Federation for disregarding pay equity with her teammates.

The pay gap in basketball also exists. In 2014, 5 teams of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) out of overall 12 made a profit. In 2017, the WNBA's average salary was $71,635, while the minimum salary for the National Basketball Association (NBA) is $838,464. The WNBA player who received the highest income is nearly one-fifth of the income of the lowest-paid NBA player.

The gender pay gap in golf is far from over. According to Golf Support, the prize money disparity between male and female athletes is 83% in professional golf. If a male and female golf player both wins a tournament, the male player can earn 6 times more than the female player. The Professional Golfers Association offers female athletes $50 million of prize money, far less than $256 million which devotes to male athletes.

The income disparity in professional skiing is outstanding, too. The U.S Olympian ski racer Lindsey Vonn points out that to those female ski racers who are not at the top, many of them have to give up their practice time to do part-time jobs to increase their income due to the insufficient prize money they receive. For Vonn, although she has won Olympic medals and World Cup titles, a large part of her income comes from endorsements instead of prize money.

Despite the disparity, statistics also show the equity of income in sports. Global research conducted by BBC Sport found that in the total of 44 sports that have been surveyed, 35 sports reward the same prize money to male and female athletes which shows an improvement compares to previous years. The following examples are sports which offer equal prize money. The Us Open logo Tennis has been considered as the leader of pay equity in sports. In 1973, the American tennis player Billie Jean King moved into areas of pay equity in tennis. Her efforts led to the change of the prize money of the United States Open. Starting with the United States Open, up to now, all of the four Grand Slam tournaments offer the same prize money to female and male athletes. The list of the top 10 highest-paid female athletes in 2018 released by Forbes shows that tennis is the best-paying sports for female athletes as eight tennis player joined that list. In 2019, Serena WIlliams is the highest of all women's tennis players on the Forbes World's Highest-Paid Athletes list. She currently is sitting at number sixty-three. Williams is the highest of all female athletes on the list.

Volleyball is also one of the pioneers of promoting pay equity in sports. The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) rewards the same prize money to both female and male athletes since 2004. Specifically, in 2015, the winning male team and female team were all rewarded the equal prize money of $60,000.

The World Surf League (WSL) has altered the prize money structure and announced that female and males athletes would be paid the same amount of prize money from 2019 season in all the range of events that WSL controlled. This announcement also says that equal prize money campaign will also be managed to introduce to the second-tier surfing matches.

Quotes from Professional Women Athletes about the Gender Pay Gap:

Alana Nichols, three-time Paralympic winner: "I think payment needs to move away from gender. It needs to be about: 'How hard is this athlete—not female—working and how much do they deserve to be paid?'" (10)

Carli Lloyd, U.S. Women's National Team 2015 World Cup Champion: "The pay gap for winning a World Cup is extremely big: $36 million for men versus $2 million for women. It's a tough thing to swallow knowing that we sacrifice just as much, if not more. I'm not saying that the pay has to be the exact same because I understand there are sponsorship levels on the men's side and there are different things that they bring in. But I think if we can get into the $10 to $15 million range that would be good." (10)

Ali Krieger, U.S. Women's National Team 2015 World Cup Champion: "We got $2 million for winning the World Cup and had to split it up amongst the group. Whereas the U.S. men's team got $8 million after losing in round 16. And we actually won the tournament! It just makes no sense. This is why we're doing whatever we can to use our platforms, like coming here to the espnW Summit, to spread the word and get people interested. We want people to pay more attention. We want to put women's football on the map." (10)

Hilary Knight, two-time Olympic silver medalist in ice hockey and forward for the Boston Blades: "Hockey has been around for a while, but women's hockey is very new. We have a small salary cap now just to get the National Women's Hockey League off the ground, but I'm looking for that to expand and grow as the league progresses. Not only are we pursuing our dreams of training for the Olympics, but also we're finally getting paid as professionals. This has never happened before—not until this October."  (10)

Carmelita Jeter, three-time Olympic sprint medalist: "Sometimes you won't reap the benefits, but someone else will. Back in the 70s and 80s, pro female runners weren't getting million dollar contracts. They would get a TV and maybe some granola bars. It was different then. It wasn't your primary job. They are looking at us now and saying, 'Wow, we didn't have it that good.' We might not get what we want, but maybe my younger sister will." (10)

Sue Bird, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist: "I think the biggest mistake that people make is the constant comparison to men. Always getting compared, like 'Oh, she couldn't play in the NBA' or 'She couldn't beat Lebron James one-on-one.' Or even better, 'She couldn't even beat me!' It's annoying. With those comparisons comes the money. We need to keep the focus on the game itself. The NBA is our big brother. They take care of us and they are one of the major reasons why we have a league. But now we are at a point where we do need to separate a little bit. We don't want to be the little sister that the brother is forced to take with him wherever he goes." (10)

LAST CLASS WIKI PAGE- HUMAN SEXUALITY:

• What is the topic?

My topic of choice is the relationship between sexual partners known as dominant and submissive.

• Why is this topic important or meaningful?

This topic is meaningful because it is usually a well known sexual topic by name but no one can really say anything about the history or why people are interested in it. I think it’s fascinating how people can associate pleasure and pain and therefore are so intrigued by this style of sexual activity. I believe that the media and movie entertainment has really romanticized this type of sexual activity and what would be interesting is seeing the statistics of how it has increased and became popular since these types of movies and shows have been airing. It is more common to see it in entertainment and therefore I think this topic is becoming more well known and people have grown curious so I think it would be a great topic to educate on.

• Does it already have a Wiki page covering it?

Yes, it has a wiki page on it and it has been ranked as a “Start” so it is perfect for this project. The information on it seems very surface level. Here is the link to the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominance_and_submission

If so, what gaps in content do you see?

The gaps in content I see is really getting deeper into the topics of this widely known sexual partnership. For example, there is no history of this wiki page how this had started and has become widely more popular. The terminology is all very bland and non specific because assuming there is much more terms in this sexual partnership than dominant, submissive, switch, and vanilla. Also the definitions could be better explained with fuller examples. There aren’t many references so that part could be updated as well. The D/s relationship styles portion is very surface level even when its the main topic. The accessories only reference one when there is an array of tools and fantasies that can play apart. The literature/music/ and film portion of the wiki is simple listing off and doesn't actually tell the reader what part these have played in the increase of D/s relationships. There is nothing on romanticizing it and it becomes more popular from the media. Also I would say the pictures added to the wiki aren’t very tasteful and doesn’t depict the relationship well enough.

How do you plan on addressing those gaps?

I plan on doing research on the topics already outlined to hopefully dig deeper into the actual relationship and the psychology behind the two partners. Planning to go into more personality types and how it relates to D/s and BDSM relationships in general. I plan to add more of a history on this page and show the growth over time. I want to meet with Andrea again to see if she can help me navigate through some websites and find specific statistics on this topic if possible. I plan to add more to the safety potion and make sure to add more to the accessories itself since that is a huge part to playing out a D/s fantasy. I also play on talking about the media and its influence on the D/s relationship for example, how Fifty Shades of Gray became so popular they made 3 movies and it was romanticizing this fantasy but as well as educating the audience on the relationship itself. I plan to find references that can help show the growth in media. I also just want to make this wiki more presentable because with the pictures on it now it looks very distasteful with all the humiliation pieces to it, especially because humiliation of the submissive partner isn’t all that matters.

• What are the main points you will be making in your page?

The main points I will be making on this page will be: the history and growth of the relationship, updating the terminology, the psychology behind the partners, the personality traits of the partners, the accessories and fantasies, the consent and abuse of it, and finally the media and its influence on the relationship. Maybe add a section about same sex parterns in a D/s relationship. Of course all of this depends on the credible secondary sources I am able to find.

• What sources do you have to back up your points? For this assignment, provide at least 3 sources for points you’d like to make (remember, you’ll need at least 5 sources for the final project).

Source 1:

Newmahr, S. (2011). Playing on the edge: Sadomasochism, risk, and intimacy. Bloomington:

Indiana University Press.

Link: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/iit/reader.action?docID=670270&ppg=218

-Glossary of terms could update all the terminology and add more to that section of the wiki

-insight to the culture of sadomasochism with respect to dominant and submissive partners

-tell the norms about what you can do without consent and what you need consent for in a community where sadomasochism is the norm

-explains how romance and intimacy to other people compared to BDSM partcipants is different but the emotions and feelings are the same, play= erotic = romance for D/s partners

Source 2:

Dunkley, C. R., & Brotto, L. A. (2019). The Role of Consent in the Context of BDSM. Sexual

Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1177/1079063219842847

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1079063219842847

-talks about consent (defines, BDSM consent, safewords, safety measure)

-statistics on abuse of consent (coercion)

Source 3:

Richters J., de Visser R., Rissel C., Grulich A., Smith A. (2008). Demographic and psychosocial

features of participants in bondage and discipline, “Sadomasochism” or dominance and

submission (BDSM): Data from a National Survey. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5,

1660-1668. Crossref. PubMed.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00795.x

-meta-analysis describing a study that includes demographics of participants in BDSM

-some information of same sex relationships

Maybe a source 4:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1743609517313188

Maybe a source (requested through myILL) 5:

Zanna, M. P. (1998). Advances in experimental social psychology, Vol 30. (M. P. Zanna, Ed.).

San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2004-00008-000&si

e=ehost-live

-Abstract showed insight of personality types with dominant and submissive partners, not necessarily in a sexual setting but still insight on the more common personality features

source 6:

Nitschke, J., Mokros, A., Osterheider, M., & Marshall, W. L. (2013). Sexual sadism: Current

diagnostic vagueness and the benefit of behavioral definitions. International Journal of

Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 57(12), 1441–1453.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X12465923

http://journals.sagepub.com/share/Y43GF5QSQTBUHHYSHNVM?target=10.1177/0306624X12465923

-very brief history of D/s relationship

-talks about violent and sadistic fantasies

Source 7:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

Source 8:

Bauer, R. (2014). Queer BDSM intimacies: Critical consent and pushing boundaries. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

-lgbtq BDSM

source 9: https://www.kinkly.com/dictionary/tags/bdsm

Words in bold= mine

Dominance and submission (also called D/s) is a set of behaviors, customs, and rituals involving the submission of one person to another in an erotic episode or lifestyle. It is a subset of BDSM. This form of sexual contact and pleasure has been shown to only please a certain minority of people. (source 9 on wiki)

Physical contact is not necessary, and D/s can be conducted anonymously over the telephone, email, or other messaging systems. In other cases, it can be intensely physical, sometimes crossing into sadomasochism. In D/s, both parties take pleasure or erotic enjoyment from either dominating or being dominated. Those who take the superior position are called "dominants"—Doms (male) or Dommes (female)—while those who take the subordinate position are called "submissive"—or subs (male or female). A switch is an individual who plays either role. Two switches together may negotiate and exchange roles several times in a session. The term dominatrix usually refers to a female sex worker who dominates others for pay.

It is common for writers to capitalize the "D" in Dominant but leave the "s" in lowercase for the submissive. Many extend this to His/Hers, Him/Her, He/She, etc., to make it clear when they are referring to a Dominant.

History[edit]

The act of a dominant and submissive relationship has been branched off the overarching term of BDSM and the lifestyle. Many misconceptions of this activity can come from the fact that early theorist conceptualized that sadomasochists and BDSM behavior was a symptom of psychopathology. It was thought that people who participated in sexual play disregarded safety and consent which all influenced the diagnosis, classification, and perception of this relationship. These misconceptions of all participants of BDSM having psychopathic tendencies have related to the definition and criteria for sadomasochism in the DSM-5 (add a hyperlink to wiki). Therefore, many practitioners of the BDSM community do not fit the criteria. (source 2)

It is possible that this community of BDSM participants was formed in the early 18th century and maybe even before. For example, the dominant and submissive partnership has been shown in early versions of the Kamasutra (add a hyperlink to wiki). Not only is it shown in literature but also in the actions of ancient rulers that would participate in sexually sadistic torture, role play, and finally the assertion of their dominance over subjects. Their actions show severe sadomasochism as well as the early onset behaviors of the community. (source 6)

Nowadays the relationship between a dominant and submissive is revolved around consent and guidelines. Within the world of BDSM, consent has prevailed as a core focus and requirement because it is what separates sexual sadism from coercive sexual sadism disorder in the DSM-5. Sexual Sadism Disorder and Sexual Masochism Disorder have been changed in order to show the differentiation of consensual vs. non-consensual partners. As well as showing the new criteria to be classified as one or the other, for example, the person being diagnosed must be experiencing personal distress about their paraphilia rather than distress coming from society’s disapproval. (source 2)(source 7) The growth of dominant and submissive behavior, sadomasochism, and all other pathways under BDSM are evident through its history coming from ancient times all the way to the separation from disorder to consensual community participant.  

Overview[edit]

The inner conflict and surrender connected with dominance and submission are enduring themes in human culture and civilization. In human sexuality, this has broadened to include mutual exploration of roles, emotions, and activities that would be difficult or impossible to act out without a willing partner taking an opposing role.

A 1985 study suggests that only about 30% of participants in BDSM activities are females. A 1995 study indicates that 89% of heterosexual females who are active in BDSM expressed a preference for the submissive-recipient role in sexual bondage, expressing also a preference for a dominant male and that 71% of heterosexual males preferred a dominant-initiator role.

Recent research shows that a minority of the population engages or fantasizes about BDSM activity. A national study with 2,800 participants showed that about 14% of men and 11% of women had participated in some sort of BDSM related activity and from those results it was concluded that approximately 10% of adults have joined in some part of the sexual behavior. A separate study of 1,040 participants discovered 19.2% of men and 27.8% of women express a desire to attempt in masochistic behavior, while 13.9% of the men and 23.7% of the women of the sample reported participating in an act of masochism. (source 2)

A safeword is usually given to the submissive partner to prevent the dominant from overstepping physical and emotional boundaries. It is usually a code word, series of code words or other signals used to communicate physical or emotional state, typically when approaching, or crossing, a boundary. Safewords can have differing levels of urgency - some may bring a scene to an outright stop, whereas others may indicate that a boundary is being approached. A safeword may be used by the Dominant as well as the Submissive if they feel things have gone too far and are uncomfortable continuing.

D/s may be ritualized or freeform. It is usually a negotiated lifestyle, with people discussing their wishes, limits, and needs in order to find commonality. A D/s relationship may be sexual or non-sexual, long- or short-term, and intimate or anonymous. Most adherents search for the essential intensity, trust, and intimacy that are required to make any deep relationship possible.

Based on gender (of the dominant or submissive), D/s can be divided into the following sub-types:-

• Male dominance
• Male submission
• Female dominance
• Female submission

Terminology[edit]

Main article: Glossary of BDSM

The term “BDSM” is used as an umbrella term describing the sexual practices of bondage and torture, dominant and submissive, as well as sadomasochism. (insert source 2)

D/s participants often refer to their activity as "play", with an individual play session being called a "scene". In addition to "dominant" and "submissive", a "switch" is a person who can take either role. The dominant and submissive relations pertain to two people who play with psychological, emotional, and/or physical dominance. Most of the time in sexual relationships like this there is some sort of power exchange through their physical interaction.(insert reference 1) A scene between two switches can involve trading off the dominant and submissive roles, possibly several times. In contrast, the terms "top" and "bottom" refer to the active (agent) and passive (patient) roles, respectively. In a given scene, there is no requirement that the dominant also be the top, or that the submissive be the bottom, although this is often the case.

The term "vanilla" refers to normative ("non-kinky") sex and relationships, the vanilla world being mainstream society outside of the BDSM subculture. The term comes from vanilla ice cream being considered the "default"  and “bland” flavor.

The terms top/bottom is used as a verb or noun to describe the physical play of sm but with less of a focus of the “sadist” and “masochist” part of the activity. It can be used as a synonym to dominant and submissive. (insert reference 1)

The term “dungeon” is used as a reference to a space/ room designated for sadomasochism play. It can also be used to describe a club where these activities take place. (insert reference 1)

The term “flogger” is used to describe a tool or whip used in sexual scenes. Usually made of leather with a hard handle and multiple long flat strands attached. The term can also be used to describe the person holding the specialized whip. (insert reference 1)

The term “Total Power Exchange” (TPE) is a relationship dynamic that occurs where the dominant partner has total power over the submissive in everything. TPE always applies in sexual situations, but generally also refers to the dominant having power over all other elements of the submissive's life. (source 9)

The term “kinky-sex” refers to any sexual act that is generally considered to be unconventional. (source 9)

The term “Power Exchange” refers to the empowerment of the dominant by the submissive’s surrender to his/ her control. Power exchange is consensual and in reality, it’s the submissive that has the underlying control during the relationship exchange. The dominant is attempting to satisfy the submissive’s kinks and desires. (source 8 + 9)

The term “BDSM munch” refers to an informal social gathering of people who are interested in BDSM. It is simply used for gathering with like-minded people and not for actual scenes or play. They are usually held in restaurants or private banquet rooms, and they are heavily advertised on the internet. (source 9)

The term “Squick” describes the uncomfortable feeling someone may get when they hear or see certain kinky activities. It can also refer to someone who has no interest in the activity it “squicks them out” but no prejudice towards the play or people who participate. It is also believed that the word is a combination of “squirm” and “icky” which implies an uncomfortable feeling mixed with disgust. Although it is used instead of disgust because that word implies moral repugnance to the act. (source 9)

The term “Erotic Humiliation” involves humiliating someone during a sexual act. This act could be either verbal or physical for example, insulting a partner, making a partner display their private parts to a group of people, or even urinating or defecating on a partner. It can be a great source of pleasure for some people. There must be boundaries, safe words, and limits because without caution this play can destroy a relationship or a partner’s self-esteem. (source 9)

The term “Breath Control” is the restriction of oxygen to heighten sexual arousal and orgasm. Methods of this could be strangulation, suffocation, and smothering. (source 9)

All the terms I cited with this info sex blog- https://www.kinkly.com/dictionary/tags/bdsm got kicked off.

Linguistic conventions[edit]

Some people in the D/s world capitalize words and names that refer to dominants, and do not capitalize those that refer to submissives, hence the capitalization of D/s; others do not. It was popularized in internet chatrooms, to make it easier to identify the orientation of the writer or the person being written about.

Also, some submissives eschew personal pronouns, instead referring to themselves as "this slave" or "Master Bob's girl". This is sometimes considered an expression of modesty, but it is an entirely optional method of depersonalizing a submissive during "play". It may have roots in the military, where new recruits are required to refer to themselves as "this recruit", rather than "I" or "me".

D/s relationship styles[edit]\

There can be any number of partners in a D/s relationship: one dominant may have several submissives, who may, in turn, dominate others, or a submissive may have multiple dominants. Relationships may be monogamous or polyamorous. Romantic love is not necessarily a feature in D/s: partners might be very much in love or have no romantic relationship at all. Some D/s relationships are sexual, others completely chaste.

Fantasy role play can be an element, with partners taking classic dominant or submissive roles, or classic authority-figure roles such as teacher and student, a police officer and suspect, or parent and child. Animal play, where one partner takes the role of owner or caretaker and the other takes the part of a pet or animal, can also be D/s play.

A classic example of a D/s role is the "sissy" maid, where an adult male dresses in cartoonish female clothing and performs stereotypical female chores such as housecleaning or serving tea. Cross-dressing in D/s does not always involve a desire to be sissified or made into caricatures of women or to serve: for example, others may desire to be made as beautiful as possible and interact on a "girlfriend-to-girlfriend" non-sexual basis.

Variation in D/s is virtually limitless and the activities take many forms and may be combined with other forms of BDSM. These variations may include:

Professional- Dominatrix (wiki link)

Resistance Play- forcing the submissive to do something against their will as an intense form of power play

• domestic servitude or consensual slavery
• enforced chastity of the submissive
• sexual slavery
• verbal humiliation
• fetishes—such as shoe or boot worship, uniforms, smoking, latex, and heavy rubber—are, among other activities, considered part of BDSM
• dehumanization (pony or animal roleplay)
• objectification (human furniture): ex. submissive's body used as a footstool, or sub's mouth used as spitting bowl and cigarette ashtray
• cross-dressing
• whipping
• corporal punishment
• trampling
• human toilet - golden showers
• feminization
• cuckold
• bondage (sexual)
• public humiliation

LGBTQ POWER DYNAMICS

Source 8:

Bauer, R. (2014). Queer BDSM intimacies: Critical consent and pushing boundaries. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

-lgbtq BDSM

Dominant and submissive partnerships occur in every type of relationship including the people of the LGBTQ community. Just as there are BDSM clubs for cisgender and heterosexual partners, there are similar playgroups in the LGBTQ-BDSM community. Not all D/s relationships should be looked at or restricted to simply occurring between a male and female. There is a special bond between the partners and their power dynamics. Power is extremely eroticized in these activities, therefore, social power dynamics, as well as structural power inequalities, have an effect on intimacy and touch towards a partner. It can be stated that there is no powerless sex, even when it’s vanilla. In LGBTQ D/s relationships look at power as more of a celebration of life, passion, each other, and their identities instead of the typical thought of it being from an individual, within oneself, or overpowering another. It is said to be that prejudice and hatred are what fuel negative power and then are both metaphorically and physically sexualized. In the LGBTQ community within the D/s relationships, it is common to turn that negative contaminated power into good by deflecting its original hatred from gender. Instead, it is shown that the power is turned into an erotic tool that helps intimacy between two people flourish.

There are many forms of power but some include power as a contract, as setting parameters, as control, and as denying rights or privileges. Power as a contract is all completely voluntary while setting parameters is more about establishing guidelines, control is all about dominance, and finally, denial of rights contains the factor of delayed gratification.

In consenting LGBTQ D/s relationships, the “power-with” rather than the “power-over” dynamic views the partnership as the Bottom giving the Top the power. Instead of the Top claiming dominance over the Bottom, it’s more realistic to see it as the Bottom having some power in the activity because their partner is doing all they can to really turn them on. The Bottom doesn’t give up all their power they have this underlying control in the scene and for that reason its a “power-with” relationship. This is proven more common through interviews done with LGBTQ and D/s participants.

There are some risks commonly associated with D/s. Because it is mostly a mental activity, many of the risks associated with D/s involve mental health. Others involve abuses of the trust inherent in a D/s relationship. Some examples are:

• Physically or mentally abusive dominant partner
• Self-hating subs
• Dominant partners who violate the trust relationship by attempting to isolate the sub from society or monetarily exploit the sub

Consent and contracts[edit]

Further information on when consent can be a defense to criminal liability for any injuries caused, and when, for these purposes, non-physical injuries are included in the definition of grievous bodily harm: Consent (BDSM) and Legal consent

See also: Contract (BDSM)

Consent is a vital element in all psychological play, and consent can be granted in many ways. Some employ a written form known as a "Dungeon negotiation form", for others a simple verbal commitment is sufficient. Consent can be limited both in duration and content. There are many versions of consent but mainly it is the knowledge between the partnership of who plays the dominant role and who plays the submissive. The commitment of knowing who afflicts and receives the pain, bondage, torture, and/or humiliation. As well as the fact that all erotic experiences are performed in a safe, legal, and consensual practice as well as benefiting both parties. The consensual practice is what helps distinguish BDSM participants from a psychiatric diagnosis of a sexual disorder. The community of BDSM has adopted the saying “Safe, Sane, Consensual” (SSC) and “Risk-Aware Consensual Kink” (RACK) and a new addition “Caring, Communication, Consent, and Caution” (4Cs). Consent has also been categorized into three groups: surface, scene, and deep consent. Surface consent has been defined as a simple yes or no. Scene consent has been described as including parameters of a top/ bottom negotiation and agreement of a play scene. While deep consent involves the mental capacity of the bottom (submissive) and the awareness of the top that the bottom is able to use a safeword. The BDSM community have a simple code of conduct concerning the boundaries of safety and negotiation to ensure consensual BDSM (source 2)

Negotiation in terms of the sexual scenes is required to ensure that the BDSM play is enjoyable and safe for both parties involved. The discussion of what activities are available and the mutual definition of the play is the only way both the dominant and submissive will be able to comfortably perform. There is a complexity to negotiation depending on the trust and emotional attachment the partners have towards each other, the more familiarity between the two the less negotiation needed. The extent of negotiation depends on the partner’s involvement, for example, less risk behavior the less negotiation needed. (source 2)

Safewords are verbal codes both partners can recognize as the end or altering of activities done in a BDSM scene. It is an important asset to continue the consent through the relationship and scene itself. The use of a safeword at any time, regardless of the intensity of the scene, usually signifies the end to a scene, or activity and possible withdrawal of consent completely. Within the community of BDSM, there are universal safewords used according to traffic lights and known as “house safewords”. Red means stop everything, yellow means slow down and to not go any further, and green meaning go and continue with more intensity. There are also possibilities where speaking isn’t an option and so there are “silent safewords” that are simply gestures that represent stopping an activity, for example, clapping hands, snapping fingers, or any action showing the scene must end. The use of safewords and the abode of them go hand and hand with consent and negotiation. All of it ensures a safe space where both participants are able to enjoy the sexual play. (source 2)

Consensual non-consensuality is a mutual agreement to act as if consent has been waived within safe, sane limits. It is an agreement that consent is given in advance, sometimes without foreknowledge of the exact actions planned, though within defined limits subject to a safeword, reasonable care, common sense, or other restrictions. The consent is given with the intent of its being irrevocable under normal circumstances. As such, it is a show of extreme trust and understanding and is usually undertaken only by partners who know each other well or otherwise agree to set clear, safe limits on their activities.

It is not unusual to grant consent only for an hour or for an evening. When a scene lasts for more than a few hours, it is common to draft a "scene contract" that defines what will happen and who is responsible for what. It is a good way to work out what all the parties want and usually improves the experience. Some contracts can become quite detailed and run for many pages, especially if a scene is to last a weekend or more.

For long term consent, a "slave contract" may be drawn up. BDSM "contracts" are only an agreement between consenting people and are usually not legally binding; in fact, the possession of one may be considered illegal in some areas. Slave contracts are simply a way of defining the nature and limits of the relationship and are not intended to carry legal force.

After a slave contract is drafted, some celebrate the event with a "collaring ceremony", in which the local D/s community is invited to witness the commitment made in the document. Some ceremonies become quite elaborate and can be as involved as a wedding or any similar ritual.

Equipment and accessories[edit]See also: List of BDSM equipment and Sex machine

Some people maintain a special room or area, called a dungeon, which contains special equipment (shackles, handcuffs, whips, queening stools, and spanking benches or a Berkley horse, for example) used for play scenes, or they may visit a BDSM club that maintains such facilities.

Collars[edit]

Main article: Collar (BDSM)

Many submissives wear a collar to denote their status and commitment. It can be much like a wedding band, except that only the submissive partner wears one. The traditional collar is a neckband in leather or metal, chosen, designed, and even crafted by the dominant partner. Some subs wear a "symbolic collar", often a bracelet or ankle chain, which is more subdued than the traditional collar and can pass in non-BDSM situations. It is not uncommon for a sub to have several collars for special occasions. Dog collars are integral for K-9 roleplaying—pup-play.

Many people—for example, some in the punk rock and goth subcultures—wear collars for other reasons, such as fashion. So, one cannot assume that all people wearing collars are involved in BDSM. Members of the furry fandom may also wear collars as a part of costuming or as fashion. The use of collars in the sexual aspects of furry lifestyle may or may not be connected to BDSM, depending on the individual's preferences.

Art and culture[edit]

See also: BDSM in culture and media

One of the most famous works in this area is Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's Venus im Pelz (Venus in Furs, 1869), in which the protagonist, Severin, persuades a woman, Wanda, to take him on as her slave, serves her, and allows her to degrade him. The book has elements of both social and physical submission and is the genesis of the term "masochism" coined by the 19th-century psychiatrist Krafft-Ebing.

Classic writers[edit]

• Marquis de Sade
• Leopold von Sacher-Masoch

Fiction writers[edit]

• Arthur Adamov
• Laura Antoniou
• Jacqueline Carey
• E.L. James
• Elfriede Jelinek
• John Norman
• Pauline Réage
• Anne Rice
• Cecilia Tan
• Larry Townsend

Non-fiction writers[edit]

• Gloria G. Brame
• Patrick Califia
• Dossie Easton
• Janet Hardy
• Jay Wiseman

Music[edit]

The Velvet Underground's song "Venus in Furs" is based on Sacher-Masoch's novel and discusses sadomasochism, the character Severin, and common bondage practices in a detached, objective, and non-judgmental manner.

The Rolling Stones song "Under my Thumb" (Mick Jagger, 1966) is supposedly about a D/s relationship.

The Green Day song "All By Myself/Dominated Love Slave" (written and sung by Tré Cool) describes Cool's feelings for female dominance.

Dwele's "Obey" is a neo-soul song based on the mind of a Dominant in a D/s relationship.

The Run The Jewels song "Love Again (Akinyele Back)" is a 2014 hip-hop release with verses about sexual dominance by Killer Mike, El-P, and Gangsta Boo.

The Rihanna song "S&M" denotes the artist's arousal in BDSM play.

The DNCE song "Be Mean" is written about the artist's desire to be dominated.

Films[edit]

• Venus in Furs - (1967) Directed by Joseph Marzano (written by Joseph Marzano, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch). A submissive (masochist) discovers (or creates) a reluctant Sadist. Long, examining scenes depicting what is for the submissive to wait in solitude or in transitory. Sadist gives the masochist the "ultimate gift" in the end.
• The Night Porter - (1974) Directed by Liliana Cavani. Thirteen years after WWII a concentration camp survivor and her tormentor, currently the night porter at a Vienna hotel, meet again and fall back into their sadomasochistic relationship.
• 9½ Weeks (1986) Directed by Adrian Lyne. Based on a book by the same name. Popular for its "You Can Leave Your Hat On" scene.
• Preaching to the Perverted (1997) Directed by Stuart Urban. A female dominant/Dominatrix movie depicting the London S&M scene.
• Secretary (2002) Directed by Steven Shainberg. Widely regarded as the first mainstream film to depict D/s relationship issues.
• The Duke of Burgundy - (2014) Directed by Peter Strickland. A woman who studies butterflies and moths tests the limits of her relationship with her lover.

Fifty Shades of Grey (film) - (2015) Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson with a screenplay by Kelly Marcel, based on the novel of the same name by E. L. James.