The University of Chicago’s Student Wellness division is planning to host a “kink and consent” workshop for students, in which the practice of sexual play with ropes will be taught.
A flyer touting the event and posted on campus states the workshop is designed to teach students “an introduction to exploring kink safely” and that a “kink-friendly student wellness therapist” will be on hand.
The workshop will be held in collaboration with the Chicago-based Heartland Kinbaku, which describes itself as focused on “traditional Japanese rope bondage.”
“We explore rope as a medium of intimacy, vulnerability, trust, altered states of consciousness, aesthetic expression, and deep connection,” its website states.
The workshop was first reported on by the Chicago Thinker, an independent student news outlet, which noted the event “offers students the opportunity to learn about tying up sexual partners for satisfaction – and raises questions about UChicago’s ethical standards.”
“The event is directly sponsored by UChicago, not by any student group,” the Thinker reported.
A representative from Heartland Kinbaku told the outlet: “Several students and university staff reached out to us about the possibility of collaborating on skills-based education events to support student kink clubs on campus.”
The online sign up sheet for the workshop states it aims to help students understand “how to take care of yourself and others while engaging in safe practices is a crucial aspect of sexual health” and added “there will be no hands-on learning or demonstrations of any specific kink practice.”
The workshop, originally scheduled for Feb. 27, according to the flyer, has been postponed to a yet-to-be-determined date during the spring quarter, a campus spokesman told the Thinker.
The University of Chicago is no stranger to hosting sexual tutorials.
In 2016, for example, the student-led “Sex Week” observance included workshops on BDSM as well as on enchanting love candles, talking dirty, and “sexual pain.” In 2017 it featured an “Introduction to Rope Bondage” class and a “Taste of Kink” workshop.
It’s also not unheard of for Chicago-based campuses to partner with local establishments to teach students fringe sexual proclivities. In 2018, for example, Northwestern University’s student-run sex week featured a Chicago dungeon master who taught students BDSM.
MORE: UChicago Sex Week includes love enchantments, ‘sexual pain’ workshop, BDSM tutorials
IMAGE: Courtesy of the Chicago Thinker
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