Is this what walking the dog means now?

[SophoclesTheFox]

I was out yesterday with some friends and we were standing outside the venue we’d been to, on the Mall, so central London at about 3pm.

A group of about 30 or so men, accompanied by a couple of police officers walked by, and I was extremely taken aback to realise that it was some sort of pup fetish walk. In masks, with tails, on leads. Some of them were being walked “roughly” for want of a better word - let’s just say I would never yank my dog’s lead like that.

I was really uncomfortable, knowing what I know about this particular fetish. Is this now OK, to literally parade your fetish down the high street in broad daylight? Does the fact that no one was naked make it ok? What is the point of the march ? Because I can only see it as an attempt to normalise sexual behaviour in public places, and I’m not ok with that.

My friends thought it was kind of harmless fun, and that I’m a joyless old prude. I’m actually starting to get really concerned about the pressure for people to be welcoming of any old sexual behaviour in any context. Cui bono- who benefits when we break down the barriers of public and private behaviour? (Or in this case, cui bonio I suppose).

Thoughts?

Central London is absolutely heaving with large school groups at the moment, U.K. and many foreign. There are always so many in the Mall that I wonder if the location was deliberately chosen. Great impression of England they will take back to their families.

The Men's Sexual Rights Movement is gathering pace and more and more men feel empowered to parade their fetishes and kinks and even paedophilic leanings (see Aimee Challenors boyfriend and all the MAPS on twitter) out in public, all aided by the 'kind', 'progressive' and 'woke'. Thanks, Queer Theory!

What about this then? This man goes out after dark dressed in a rubber suit including face mask, and jumps out at people (while rubbing himself suggestively). There must be a law against it, surely?

I know a woman that works with a pup. He's generally okay, but almost changes personality when he comes in wearing his dog collar.

The boss had to have a word.

That word wasn't woof

Why did you boss have to have a word? Was he bringing his pupness into the workplace?

Can’t we have a women’s prude communal mansion and grounds somewhere?!

It's called "womyn's lands" and it's been done before in the States. I also would welcome it over here.

The boss had to have a word.

That word wasn't woof

Was it GGRRRR ?

Poor woman. Fancy having to put up with that at work. Doesn't anyone bother with being professional any more?

twitter.com/RadFemK/status/1152607408411353088?s=19

"Unlike the main pride event, transpride is very much geared towards young people in the daytime, many of whom identify as trans and enjoy meeting each other. Why this group of adult fetishists thought this would be appropriate or welcomed is beyond me."

twitter.com/fetishalliance/status/1152574424597565442?s=19

"The UK Fetish Alliance was out at #TransPrideBrighton today showing support to our trans family and friends. Glad to see the turnout and happy to show how the fetish community comes together for a worthy cause. t.co/TckexYZkv3"

Note that the picture accompanying the article uses rainbow colours. The conflation of kink with LGBT continues...

"Gimps want people to know they’re not creeps"

metro.co.uk/2019/07/19/gimps-want-people-know-not-creeps-10426768/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

He hopes the incident wouldn’t lead the public to be overly suspicious of rubber fetishists

Should there be any rubber fetishists in my circle of family, friends and colleagues I can assure them I'm not in least bit suspicious of them as they haven't sought to tell me about it.

Well that’s just a bit ick now isn’t it? By all means people should be able to whatever they want behind closed doors (so long as they aren’t hurting anyone) but no one normal wants to think about that kind of thing

Pride festival declared 'unwelcoming' by Labour MP after ban on bondage costumes' | via @telegraph t.co/tXjPqCn8OO

"Historically leathermen were at the front and centre of the movement to fight against oppression and for equal rights," Mr Leather Wales 2018 told PinkNews. t.co/gBfC4b5Obb

twitter.com/RhonddaBryant/status/1156233282662608896?s=19

Look folks, it's simple, Pride doesn't cast shame or exclude anyone. I am determined to make sure we have a colourful, inclusive, joyful Rhondda Pride, welcoming the whole LGBTQ+ community, even if I have to organise it myself. And it'll be Fa-bu-Rhondda-lous. #RhonddaWelcomesAll

The following will be welcome: families, singletons, grandmas, grampies, drag queens, butch dykes, lipstick lesbians, bears, otters, bi curious, celibates, LGBTQ+ allies, academic libertarians, non-binary, colliers, former colliers, the flamboyant and the shy and yes, leathermen.

twitter.com/LeatherMarkUK/status/1156243693571059713?s=19

Well.... I have the reply, I'm in that pic and a 5 year old girl actually approached us as asked to take the lead and walk with us, her mother was totally overjoyed when we said yes. Every year that little girl makes a bee-line to us and walls with us....

In Newcastle "walking the dog" means going to the local pub and drinking Newcastle Brown Ale.

So when a Geordie man tells his wife he's going to walk the dog, or "see a man about a dog" that's what he really means.