It became more clear to me as I continue to read about “The Rope Community” on Instagram. The social media platform is the powerhouse of all media places to share and now information and tutorials so it is natural for me to reference Insta.

A post was made by a Kink advocate on how consent absconded with true exploration in kink, that is if we all must consent to the action, nothing new could really be explored. The author advocated that it never allowed for the true findings of what kink can provide due to consent, as a consent decision was almost always based on previous play sessions, the partners would never grow. Needless to say, one must always have a new experience at one time when they first tried kink, so that in itself was consensual. The post created a roar in the “Community.’

Aside from their post, I conjured the meaning of The Rope Community and how they tried to oust me, extricate me from the broad unity of online support in my rope endeavors and failed, because I used AI.

The Rope Community is tethered together for one reason, we tie (no pun intended). We tie or get tied and it is a specific sub-realm of Kink. We share similar values of practice and tend to say that we embrace a collective inclusionary view point to tie for all and leave no one out (but not really). We are a card carrier of the equity blanket for kink spaces that involve Shibari and all forms of bondage, but reality, the Community is by and for the Japanese style of tying.

What the Community is demographically and socio-economically is quite left open to interpretation. One may see that the broad base is Anglo-Saxion (white persons), esp, those that teach in the United States and in Europe (east and west). To drill down to the Community, it is a hodgepodge of persons living all over the US and EU countries that have vastly different cultures, family styles, religious bases and political ideologies.

If we observe the vast space of the United States land mass as compared to the EU, an entire continent of countries with 20 or more different manners of language fits in the U.S., more so each state in the Union is different in religion, work force, terrane, but with one strong connection, the inside is quite conservative while the margins of the U.S. is very liberal.

Now let’s fit (overlie) the Rope Community in this region or regions, where each tying practioner grew up in or lives in. Let’s look at how they lived, who they grew up with, and the wealth profiles of the states.

It becomes quite apparent that the Rope Community is very broad and that we have one common base, we tie, but from that realm, we vary substantially. I find myself quite intrigued by this revelation. I am a rope practioner, and in no way am I like you or all of you, for instance if you are a white person, who came from Ohio and had a Presbyterian upbringing, yet never went to college or did, or are trades person or self made millionaire, or professional. I may over lap in some of your life socio-economic up-bringing or current lifestyle; however, let’s be clear just because I tie does not make me like you.

The Rope Community seems to think collectively this is the case or rather the outspoken and morally compassed think this. The practioners in EU are in fact mostly white persons living in great first world countries. They do not worry about running water, except oil wars that disrupt their jet setting freeloading lifestyles and defend nothing but their own rights which do not affect my rights. Here in lies the deep rub. The Rope Community is not a community at all it is a alliance of various humans from all walks of life, but mostly the privileged, yes I do attest this, but who grew up and live in vastly different worlds day to day.

The Rope Community is very much into one thing, defending the way of life for rope and if it is not to the liking of the gatekeepers, the person at odds may be denied their exclusivity card, i.e., the inclusive scarlet, AAA status. The Rope Community needs to look inside and then outside, and see that they are quite the special club who get to claim unity when only it fits the values of the most elite and open who practice rope while all others follow.

Thankfully the U.S. is quite broad based and many new persons are questioning standards of the Rope Community, even the acronyms. Namely we are hearing the voices of the BIPOC and LGBTQIA, but even they have bias. Who doesn’t?

Overall, the Rope Community is an online Instagram supported forum of individuals that share only value in truth, to practice tying, after that, throw the baby out with the bath water because if you share a different view or lifestyle, better stay silent if you differ or be ready to defend yourself.