Hilton hosts S&M conference

Move over, Ramada Inn and Howard Johnson. Another major hotel chain is about to host a sadomasochist conference – this time, it's Hilton.

In January, the American Family Association of Michigan and Concerned Women for America of Illinois exposed sadomasochistic events at Ramada Inns in those states. Earlier this month, Missouri pro-family activists revealed another sex bash named "Beat Me in St. Louis IV" scheduled to take place April 26-28 at the Howard Johnson St. Louis Airport hotel.

Now, a Hilton hotel is preparing to welcome pain lovers. Tribal Fire Oklahoma, a leather fetish weekend that includes sadomasochistic workshops, is scheduled to be held April 19-21 at the Hilton Oklahoma City Northwest. The event is sponsored by the Oklahoma City chapter of the National Leather Assocation in conjunction with the Sooner State Leather Contest. NLA is described as "a panfetish, pansexual organization committed to the exploration, support and inclusion of all forms of alternative sexual expression and gender orientations" on the group's website.

According to Tribal Fire website pages, which have since been removed, scheduled "seminars" include: "Suturing and Cutting," "Body Punching," "Humiliation and Objectification," "Puppy Play," "Branding," "Pervertables," "Fire Play," "Electrical Play," "Buying the Right Corset" and male and female genital torture workshops.

Another seminar titled "Point of Impact" is described as "a whip workshop for the advanced handler" that will offer "further discussion of the dynamics of whip play in scenes and advanced cracking techniques as well as medical concerns on breaking the skin while breaking the sound barrier."

Presenters include "JailStrap," a man whose "first electrical toy was a cattle prod that he spent time testing on himself to adjust the power output" and "Mistress Nona" who "gave up her day job to become a full-time Domme (female dominant) who makes her living dreaming up devious ways to torment and train her submissives."

A planned "vendor fair" will feature sales of such S&M accoutrements as "underground dungeon music for BDSM (bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism) play" and "Quality bondage and BDSM gear, leather clothing for men and women, low-temp wax play candles, unique floggers and other whipping implements, dungeon furniture ... medical and torture toys, plus custom leather work and more at exceptional prices!!"

The weekend package also includes "After Hours Parties (2 nights)," a "Fetish Ball" and "Military Ball," "Sooner State Leather Contests" and an excursion to the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

In addition, representatives of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, a pro-sadism lobbying and advocacy organization, will host "an open strategy session to focus on issues related to sexual freedom in the South/Central U.S." and a workshop titled "What to do when the Law knocks on YOUR Door."

According to its website, Beverly Hills-based "Hilton Hotels Corporation is recognized internationally as a preeminent hospitality company ... owning, managing and franchising hotels with several of the world's most recognized brand names, including Hilton, Hampton Inn, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Conrad Hotels. …"

Mark Davis, general manager of the Hilton Oklahoma City Northwest, confirmed the Tribal Fire booking.

When asked if he was aware of the content of the seminars, Davis said, "We do not comment on a group. When we qualify a group, we qualify them on the basis of ability to pay and whether their needs meet our space requirements. We do not try to make a judgment about what they are or what they do." Davis said he did not know if Tribal Fire planned to set up a dungeon or conduct live torture demonstrations. "The agenda that they have furnished for us is information only."

Regarding public health concerns for hotel workers or guests who might come into contact with contaminated blood or other body fluids, Davis said, "We consistently train our staff on how to deal with risk factors associated with blood-borne pathogen illnesses. We do not anticipate any problems. We've done our homework on this group and they have received consistently high marks on how they conduct themselves."

"[Any] concern about what the group does needs to be addressed to them. We provide meeting space for groups who contact us," said Davis.

Hilton Vice President of Corporate Communications Kathy Shepard echoed Davis' remarks: "We have a policy that we don't discriminate against anyone. We're a place of public accommodation, as long as they aren't doing anything illegal. We've held events of just about any kind at any of our hotels. As I said – and I'll say it again if you need me to – we don't discriminate."

Another Tribal Fire webpage, also removed, describes Hilton's generous group discount rate for fetishists: "This hotel is reserved exclusively for this event so it will be just us and staff. Smoking rooms are already in short supply. Reservations end and the remaining rooms, if any, open to the public April 4th for standard rates. Rooms are $85 per night. The Tribal Fire rate is lower than their standard rate, which begins at $139.99. So take advantage of this great rate by booking your room by April 4, 2002." Complimentary airport shuttle service is also included.

On April 5, telephone calls were placed to Hilton's nationwide reservation system and the event hotel requesting rates for a family of four, consisting of two adults and two children, for the nights of April 19 and 20. In both cases, Hilton agents confirmed that family accommodations are available during the Tribal Fire event. General Manager Davis also confirmed that he is currently accepting reservations from the public.

Asked about Tribal Fire, Lieutenant Doug Kimberlin of the Oklahoma City Police Department special projects unit said, "There was a similar event last year that we obtained information on, and nothing that they were doing or displaying was against state law. The name they went by last year was Leather and Lace. I don't know if it's the same people or a different group, but we did investigate. Last year, we didn't know what to expect when we went in, but they didn't do anything that was remotely close to illegal.

"Just from the descriptions (of the planned seminars)," he continued, "I don't know exactly what's going to go on, but as long as they don't use any adult nude subjects, I don't know that there would be a legal issue involved. Obviously, if you have a nude woman there during the genital torture sessions, that would get into zoning laws pertaining to adult entertainment. We have other requirements governing adult entertainment that certain parts of their bodies have to be covered. If they are showing pictures, as long as they're not showing intercourse, they're not breaching our morality standards and the pornography statutes do not come into play. If they're live and nude, then there are legal requirements that come into play."

When asked if there are any protections for children or other members of the general public who might witness Tribal Fire participants dressed in fetish attire or vendor tables displaying sadomasochistic "toys," Kimberlin said, "It's not the kind of place I would take my children to, but there's nothing in state law that prohibits dungeon furniture from being displayed. That's getting into personal issues, and I can't make an arrest for that."

David Dunn, research director of the Oklahoma Family Policy Council, had this reaction: "In agreeing to be the host hotel for Tribal Fire 2002, Hilton Hotels – like Ramada, Howard Johnson, Disney and so many other major corporations – is unfortunately placing allegiance to the almighty dollar above its responsibility to look out for the best interests of kids, families, business travelers and others in the mainstream of society.

"Our Oklahoma laws allow just about anything. Tribal Fire conventioneers can learn all about torture equipment and attend the Fetish Ball. They can scrupulously follow the city's indecency rules, which require men and women to keep their genitals covered with a 2-inch strip up the back and for women to cover their nipples. Then, with all the Ts crossed and Is dotted, hotel guests apparently aren't supposed to complain, and police can't arrest. What's wrong with this picture?"

Dunn concluded, "How sad that these events – once held underground – are now promoted openly in society. Maybe churches will overcome evil with good and make these emerging sadomasochist conventions nationwide a matter of prayer, action and evangelism."

Maybe churches will overcome evil with good and make these emerging sadomasochist conventions nationwide a matter of prayer, action and evangelism.

HAHA! Yeah, right. The post-modern Church is afloat on the sea of relativism- to cowed, to afraid, to "tolerant" to do or say much of anything. Like so many other social diseases, the Christians and other Conservatives will whine for a few days and then shortly there after, forget about it until the next event comes up, at which point they will whine more, and do nothing substantive. I don't know why they even bother. Evil is running amock and nobody is willing to take the steps necessary to stop it.

Oh geeze....folks...could I yawn ANY louder over this.

Are they endorsing sex with children? Are they breaking any obvious laws? Are they raping people? Not as far as I can see in this article.

Why are you all so fired up about what people do in their own bedrooms, or if they want to get together at a convention and whip each other? What is with this Morality Socialism, playing Big Nanny Brother..the Government gets jealous when you do that sort of thing :) I mean, as long as Person X isn't breaking any laws or forcing this sort of thing on someone...big woop. They can apply live current to their genetalia till the cows come home, far as I care...

Did I say I was going? Buzz off, CS. And please bear in mind, not everything that's legal is right and moral. I wouldn't be caught within a mile of that place, and along with some other Freepers, I will not be making reservations with that hotel chain in the future. I don't think I care for the company, and now that I think of it, the company on this thread leaves a lot to be desired too. People who make excuses for that kind of lifestyle are not exactly what I'd call "decent society."

Who's asking for laws? It'd be nice if the corporate leaders of Hilton, had a little backbone to stand up and say, this is not what we consider normal and healthy and would prefer not to have this gathering in our facility. But instead they have taken the stand of 'non-dicrimination and tollerence' which amounts to promotion to me.

Ridiculous. The Hilton Corporation (or whomever their corporate parent is) renting space to a particular group is not an endorsement of those views that a convention might be about. The Hilton no more endorses Scientology when those crazy bastards hold a convention than they endorse Christianity when the Southern Baptists come to town.

Hilton, like any corporation, is in the business of making money, and as long as someone isn't doing anything patently illegal at said convention, more power to them. Now of course, you are free to vote with your dollars, and I support and encourage you in this pursuit. I think yelling at people who spank or whip each other is INCREDIBLY silly and hilarious, but as long as we aren't talking about trying to pass LAWS to regulate bedroom behavior, it's all cool.

For the first part, I think those "Anti-BDSM" assault laws are ridiculous. If it can be proven that both parties were adults who consented to the act, and it wasn't breaking any public indency laws (Ie It was in their bedroom, or approved private space) then it's really none of your damn business what they do, is it?

They don't endorse Christianity buy letting them use the facility. But suppose they say they do want 'fundamentalist religous nut cakes' to gather there. They have the right to do that, and would be voicing their view that is Christians are wacko. That is what I think they should do to people who cut themselves up for pleasure. By not doing that they are saying this is OK, its just an 'alternative' livestyle. Too PC.

Noooo..all they are saying is "Hell, your money is just as green as anyone elses. As long as you don't cause any problems, come on in." And that is ALL they are saying. That's all they SHOULD be saying, frankly. You don't like it, great fine, boycott the hotel. As I said before, I think your bias on this is horrendously silly, but you have every right to your opinion, and to your efforts, via economic boycott, to steer the behavior of companies. As long as you aren't out there trying to pass LAWS that intrude on peoples bedroom behavior, you and me really don't have much of a problem...

Nooo... what they SHOULD be saying is they find this practice unhealthy and prefer if they find another location to hold their gathering, reguardless of monetary gain. In fact I think they may find in the long run this will be a monetary loss, if people stay away because of this. Just because someone throws money your way does not mean you have to accept them. (like what democrates do)

Well, thats your opinion, and if you ever own, or do currently own a hotel chain, you are completely justified in refusing service to people. As I've said a bunch of times before, I honestly don't think there is anything for us to debate. We both agree that people are justified in boycotting these hotels. I just think that the reasons are silly. You don't. That's about all we can debate on.

I also disagree with the UK law that jailed the men in that article. What they are doing may be wrong, but it is also wrong for us to tell them they can't do with their bodies in their homes what they want. Two wrongs don't make a right.

I'm with you all the way on that, friend. That guy knew what he was getting into, he consented to being smashed with a spanner. Personal Responsibility needs to be the watchwords of the 21st Century...

I'm confused what you think my silly bias is though.

Because I happen to know some of these "kinky people", and most of them are tax-paying, hard working citizens with families and kids, etc. The ones I know are all very good at keeping their private sex lives completely and utterly away from their kids. And yes, sometimes they go to these conventions, and make sure that the kids are with a babysitter for the weekend.

I mean...big woop, they like to dress up in little costumes, or spank each other, or whatever. Sexual variation is not a sin. I think we have MUCH greater problems in the world, like the pederasty infecting the Catholic Church, or the Palestinians who have made it their lives mission to destroy the peaceful nation of Israel. God forbid Jane Q. Public likes to dress up as a French maid and let her husband spank her a bit in the bedroom. La de dah.

Again..this is all personal bias and preference. If you feel the Hilton is wrong, then I completely support your right to boycott them...I think it's silly, but don't let that stop you, if you really believe in this cause...

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