So you are leather, kinky, fetishist~ Now What???
If you are finding out that you are into the spicier things in life and think that you are alone~ you have quite the another thing coming!
In Albuquerque we are particularly lucky because of the multitude of resources here, we have a group for just about everything, and new groups starting all the time.
My personal favorite for multiple reasons is AEL ~ Alternative Erotic Lifestyles. It is a group that is geared to all lifestyles and all skill levels. It is a safe space for newbies and a great space for those that have tons of experience, and has been active since 1981!
Once a month they have a munch with a dinner and a speaker at the Sandia Casino, they cover a variety of topics from polyamory, to types of play like bondage, pervertables, and chastity, to slavery and service~ every month something new! AEL also organizes Kinks that Care ~ they do food drives, the AIDS walk, and the Tour de Bosque. Also once a year they offer either CPR or First Aid for community members.
Also every month there is a play party at a host house. People from the community step forward and open their homes to all sorts of play. The play parties are geared towards creating a safe environment for all play levels and are a great place to meet someone for the first time.
AEL Kinkskills is were I get to have fun! Every other month I organize a hands on workshop of leather skills, these skills include flogging, bondage, cutting, piercing, fire play, electricity, and more! In January AEL Kinkskills will be kicking off the third year with BDSM and Tantra!
If you are interested in AEL please write to the organizers for more info: aelmailing@gmail.com.
Another much more recent addition to the community has been Fetlife. It is an online community that has a subgroup specific to New Mexico. If you don’t feel that you are ready to come into the community yet, but you still want to see what is going on join Fetlife.com, and if you are interested in finding out what is happening in the local community go to the group New Mexico Fetlifers.
Something to keep in mind though is that there will be places in the community that you fit very well, and places in the community were you don’t fit at all. Not everyone fits everywhere. It certainly took time for me to find my home, and it was hard not feeling welcome or wanted, but when I did find where I belonged the people that I met through AEL have become my family. So if one group doesn’t work out for you keep looking!
