"Kink of the Jungle," Jenn Wohletz, September 8
I am a pro dominatrix (dominant surrogate) here in the Denver area, and have been for over a decade now. The people who schedule with me are everyday human beings who have very normal lives. They are successful, stable, healthy people who happen to have a fetish or kinky interest — and most of the time, you would never guess it.
Having had thousands of experiences with people in the last decade in the capacity of pro dominatrix, I can honestly say it has been a healthy journey that has been empowering and extremely educational, to say the least. I have found that my fellow human beings are often afraid to admit what they really desire for fear of rejection, and they carry these secrets around like guarded treasure...sometimes for decades. It is very liberating when they are finally able to talk about it without fear of being judged. I have also observed that many people have similar kinky desires that are much more common than many might assume. I happen to believe — based on a great deal of experience — that if everyone who had a kinky desire were to stand up and be counted, it would be a shocking revelation for many.
We live in a very sexually repressed culture even though we are constantly bombarded by sexualized media. People don't open up easily about their sexual secrets. Within the BDSM "realm," people are opening up, and they are finally getting proactive about acknowledging and understanding various aspects of themselves. This is achieved partly through "acting out" in "play" scenarios. This is sexy "play" for adults based on trust and open communication. I wish your article would have touched more on this.
Domina Elle
Denver
This is such a bunch of bullshit, with people going out of their way to act like this is all healthy and fun. It's no different than high-school kids cutting themselves or a deranged person who tries to burn himself and needs to be kept from hurting himself.
Underlying all these "interests" are psychological issues that the person either refuses to or cannot address. If you get off on someone degrading you, it's because you've got a super fucked-up self-image. You need to address that shit, and quit pretending it's "who you are" and letting people take advantage of you. If you're a dom, just because you do it in some controlled environment of "respect" doesn't mean you're not an asshole who gets off on being an asshole. There's loads of these fucks out there humiliating their wives and families, and we call them out for being the assholes they are. Doing it in a club with a willing partner doesn't make YOU any less of a fucked-up asshole. It just means you cause less damage. You're like a sick fuck who joins the military just so he can kill people legally. If you want to inflict pain on anyone, you're a bastard, and just because it might give someone a hard-on doesn't mean it's okay.
You all can do whatever the fuck you want, but don't act like it's some kind of good or great thing.
Troof
Posted at westword.com
Some food for thought: Until 1987, the American Psychological Association (the authority in psychotherapy) regarded homosexuality as a disorder. If you've ever engaged in any sexual activity that wasn't missionary position for the purpose of procreation, then there are very good odds that The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (published by the APA) has something for you. Take care how harshly you judge; you might find it is yourself you are judging.
Duncan
Posted at westword.com
This is the last article I will ever read in Westword. This and other articles are nothing but complete, useless bullshit. Why anyone would give a rat's ass about cross-dressers getting whipped and beaten is beyond me.
There are plenty of worthwhile news stories going on in Denver that people care about and should be written about. Too bad Westword has turned into nothing but gutter trash catering to filthy perverts and people with Jell-O for brains.
Nick
Posted at westword.com
As a nature lover, I appreciated last week's cover story — as much for the clever presentation as for the glimpse of the kind of "wild life" I will never seek out myself. But then, I always appreciate Westword for its willingness to show me sides of life I might never otherwise encounter. Thanks for continuing to provide an alternative.
John Marks
Denver
Editor's note: There's more — lots more — discussion of Jenn Wohletz's "Denver Guide to Wild Life" on westword.com.
"Survivors," Patricia Calhoun, September 8
This may seem insensitive, but is this girl not aware of Planned Parenthood? Is her brother?
Ryan John Smith
Posted at westword.com
Thank you for continuing to cover the case of Kristen and Will Stillman. I have been haunted by their story since I first read it in Westword last year, and wish only the best for them. It is horrifying, and beyond understanding, what harm people can do to innocent children.
Jayne Freeman
Denver
Editor's note: The Stillman story took another twist last week, when Kristen decided to move up her departure date for Milwaukee, where she'll rejoin the father of her seven-month-old child. She and her twin brother, Will, had planned to be together next Tuesday, September 20, for a talk headlined "Survivors," slated for 11 a.m. at the Tivoli Multicultural Lounge, 900 Auraria Parkway.
The talk is still on, but Will Stillman may be speaking on his own. A sample from his account: "The one thing I feel that I missed out on the most is just having a normal family," he writes. "I didn't know a lot at the time about what that meant, but I knew from TV that families ate at the kitchen table together and they were not afraid...." Hear the rest next week.
"Forbidden Fruit," Andy Kopsa, August 11
I am particularly disappointed at the complete disregard — shown by Peggy Littleton (a member of the Colorado State Board of Education acting without board approval), Dwight Jones, Joneen Mackenzie and the Attorney General's Office — for Colorado's HB 1292 and Governor Bill Ritter's decision to reject Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding. The lack of transparency and accountability among elected officials in this case is astounding, and the devious, rapid-fire process of the Littleton/Mackenzie effort is inexcusable. These select individuals (keep in mind the AG and the school board are elected into office) circumvented protocol and used taxpayer funds to forward their ideological-based training. As we move forward into the next election cycle, voters should hold these individuals accountable!
Having our state accept abstinence-only-until-marriage Title V funds is a huge step backwards for Colorado. We made significant progress with HB 1292, which was signed into law in 2007 and requires that wherever offered, sexuality education must be science-based, medically accurate, culturally sensitive and address the topics of abstinence as well as contraception. As correctly stated in the article, "Studies show that abstinence-only programs are ineffective in reducing teen pregnancies and reducing the spread of disease," and they are non-inclusive for GLBT youth. The WAIT Training videos being funded through Title V are completely archaic, deplorable and offensive. Equating a teenage girl to a piece of tape with a Hoover vacuum vagina is inexcusable.
It is irresponsible to give youth inaccurate, biased, incomplete information about sex and sexuality. We cannot let down our youth. Anyone who cares about the health of our children should be deeply disturbed by the actions of these select individuals who circumvented the system to receive a quarter-million dollars a year of taxpayer money to provide inaccurate and misleading sex education in our schools.
Linda Petrie Bunch, board chair Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado
Letters to the Editor, September 1
A letter was published in the September 1 issue regarding pigeon cruelty at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I agree that what's happening is awful and cruel. You think that's bad: The city of Broomfield recently killed seven coyotes, claiming they attack humans. Hey, Broomfield, do your homework. Coyotes do not attack humans. Tell your brat spoiled kids to stop harassing wildlife. They simply are being run out of their homes, the coyotes. Broomfield must be full of rednecks. Pick up your pickups and go back to Arkansas!
Fred Tinnemeyer
Castle Rock
