Paula Nogueira Batista

This research examines the experiences of male submissive clients in heterosexual commercial BDSM (bondage/Discipline; Domination/submission, Sadism/masochism) and their interactions with professional dominatrices (pro-dommes) in New York City. Through interviews and participant observation at two professional BDSM dungeons in Manhattan, where the researcher assumes the role of a dominatrix, the study examines how male clients’ pursuit of “liberating” erotic experiences, characterized by feelings of freedom, empowerment, and relief from societal norms, reflects and reshapes gender, economic, and racial hierarchies and privileges in their everyday lives. Utilizing embodiment as a methodological perspective, the study explores the complex navigation of masculinities among clients who perform submission within the dungeon yet often conceal these preferences from monogamous partners and social circles. Additionally, it explores how clients and workers conceptualize liberation amidst the complexities of criminalization and exploitation of sex work. Finally, given that clients frequently derive pleasure from participating in the study, viewing it as an act of submission, the research also reflects on questions of agency, voice, and colonial representation within anthropology, exploring the blurred dichotomy between subject and object of research.