The Capital of Kink
Washington, D.C. is consistently ranked one of the nation’s kinkiest cities. What does the BDSM community have to say about that?
I’m not quite sure how to say this, so I’ll just come right out with it.
Fellow Washingtonians, we’re kinky.
Based on a 2014 report, more than 11,000 residents in D.C., Maryland and Virginia participate in BDSM. Based on population size, this makes Washington, D.C. the kinkiest place in the nation.
Ana (“no last name please”) is in her fifties, and wears the age well. She is petite, fit, and has a big, warm smile. I ask her why she thinks BDSM — often referred to as kink — is so popular in the District. She looks down at her expensive shoes and tucks a thick strand of long, brown hair behind her ear as she considers my question.
“They can pretty much put their hands on anything they want in life. I’m something they can never have and that’s something that’s very arousing to them,” she says. “I think when you’re constantly told yes, there’s something very naughty about no.”
Ana lives and works in Washington, D.C. She is a professional dominatrix.
