Female Led Relationships
• BDSM , • Gender Studies
(When I knocked off, it was intended for a D/s website. It took a different route than I originally intended. So I post it here. Given that it is sort of split between two different potential audiences it may read a bit oddly. )
Bear with me on this one.
It took a bit but in skimming F/m weblogs the phrase female led relationship finally caught my attention. I had two near simultaneous reponses.
The first was to just shake my head (remember, bear with me).
Secondly I appreciated the open-endedness, flexibility of the phrase.
A new meme usually has a pop culture source. I had a guess. A quick visit to Google confirmed my guess: the phrase comes Venus on Top, a book published early this year.
(Aside from me as a profession bookseller. This is not a judgment about the book. The books current position on Amazon is considerably lower than the traditional female domination books. The number and price of secondhand copies suggest that the book has been bought by people who weren't satisfied with it. Given the recent publication and my impression that it was fairly well publicized the lowish sales rank surprised me. The second hand copies suggest that possibly the book has been bought by people who wanted something either more or less suggestive of 'Femdom.' One other possibility is that the book has been bought by self-help book addicts who whizzed through it, then discarded it as they went on to the next title they hope will improve their lives.)
Back when the book came out I visited the book's site and the author's weblog. Neither made a strong impression of me and dropped from my memory. (I was going to revisit before typing this but can't connect. Doesn't matter, this entry isn't about a book that I haven't read. That'd be silly.
I shook my head at female led relationships because I'm hypersensitive to sexism. In either direction. Keep on bearing with me. I'm just telling you my instant unmediated gut reaction. I was responding to my automatic dislike of any suggestion that some generic class of people have greater or lesser capability.
As a lad when I become aware of sexism I figured it would all just go away. Women's Liberation was in fresh flower. It was only a matter of time before sexist nonsense became part of the past. Later, visiting the homes of my heterosexual friends it was always the girl who did the cooking while the guy sat in the living room. She did the serving as well. Felt a bit creepy.
Thankfully women are more likely to head a major corporation or government office. Given time parity will I (like to) think be approached. Off in the land of pop culture I often admired Madonna. For decades women in music had been ripped off and it was good to see her take control of her career
Still lore persists that women are more nurturing and subjective. Men are - um, a bunch of things I'm not. I'm masculine. That is an erotic coloring my lovers have liked.
I'll reluctantly concede that some of that lore may be true. Not from genetics: social conditioning. Each gender trying to ape the expected norms.
The phrase female led relationship suggested a rich spectrum of possibilities. Not necessarily a hideous Elise Sutton sort of matriarchy. Sure the relationships can include 'Femdom' on a variety of levels. Or not.
Some but not all - I hate people who insist it this applies to everybody - require that one partner be the leader.
In relationships where the woman is better at making decisions, taking the lead it would be better if both partners were able to recognize this. The guy doesn't need to feel ashamed; the woman that she's emasculating her husband or lover.
Though my inner life is very elitist (I have considerable depths of self-respect) as a social and political animal I can only root for complete equalitarianism on every level of life.
But I'm a realist. Billions of people each have their own individual needs. Who they need to be. What they need in another.
In my picture of the world if the idea of female led relationships stirs the pot a bit, knocks down a few norms then it is a good thing. Likewise if it enables the woman on the top and the man on the 'bottom' to become more fully realized.
Just as long as it isn't an ideology. I hate ideologies.
Earlier: Female Supremacy.

Comments
Ms ABERNATHY tries to introduce us to a type of relationship without being explicit and I give her credit for that. The sorry part of today’s culture are pathetic books and blogs like this of Elise Suton.ELISE SUTON should study History instead of psychology to learn how the other supremacist movements ended.In disaster and destruction.The greatest plague in this world are not the disagreements between people but the supremacists of the world.Of course she would tell us that she is a loving dominant.A loving person never believes that one group is superior to the other.SHE IS UNREALISTIC because there is no superior and inferior gender. Thanks God women are those who mostly DO NOT TAKE HER SERIOUSLY at all, thats why most of the questions come from people involved in the BDSM community only and not by the majority of the women and men who try to build healthy relationships based on mutual respect and collaboration.SUTON’S doctrines are simply TRUSH based perhaps on her personal baggage suppressed bias and concealed hatred for men. If she is so confident for what she advocates she can offer a seminar to Learning Annex in NYC. I will be there waiting to ask her some questions and I am sure there will be many more men and ….women.The fact that her book is so low in the list is because it reflects it’s low quality. People still have a good taste and dignity that the book lacks.
Posted by: Georg | November 14, 2005 08:51 PM
Elise Sutton is: 1) Ignorant. Pervasively ignorant of culture, history, science and methodologies. 2) Making a living. 2) Making money: she pushes phone sex (aka “counseling), an expensive newsletter. 3) Encouraging men to be happy with women who take advantage of them in ways that aren’t sane at all.
Any female who is under the illusion that her gender makes her in some way better or superior to males has serious self-esteem problems. Of course men who fall for this have even deeper self-esteem problems.
The best relationships usually are those that aren’t led by either partner but are partnerships.
Realistically many marriages and love affairs may require or work best when one member takes charge as it were. But that is a matter of recognizing individual psychology. No need to propagate a line of nonsense like female superiority/supremacy.
For most men I suspect ‘female led relationships’ is just a subtle form of porn.
Posted by: Dr. Sexology | November 18, 2005 05:04 PM
What Ku Klux Klan,Nazis and other extremists have in common with Elise Suton ? they are all call themselves supremacists over some other people. When I see guys asking questions to Elise Suton is like an African American asks questions to the Imperial Wizard of the Klan how to serve his white master !!!
Fortunately I see that women are more disgusted with Elise Suton than men. Men perhaps either do not take her seriously or are BDSM-related sub/slaves who have self-esteem issues. Suton lately announces in her site that due to volume she receives she will give priority to women and she will not answer to men,unless they direct their questions in a certain way.Perhaps she needs psychotherapy herself. She does not suffer only from serious self-esteem issue she suffers from misandry…by the way I would like to see how she looks and how much is her weight.We may figure out why she has so much loving-hatred towards men. And if anyone needs coaching can go to some serious people like Tony Robbins with succesful record and positive attitude towards life and humans rahter than pay those obscure male-haters.
Posted by: loew ijk | December 3, 2005 02:57 AM
Elise Sutton’s looks and weight are immaterial to this. Bringing them in is just the classic view of fat ugly feminist lesbians who hate men, thinly disguised. As for BDSM… Most BDSMers don’t believe one sex is superior or should dominate the other: it’s entirely down to personal choice and what satisfies the individual. Her ideas are as much at odds with most BDSM philosophy as it is with the mainstream.
By the way, the BDSM community does promote “healthy relationships based on mutual respect and collaboration”, and sub/slaves don’t have self-esteem issues any more than the general population do. I don’t want people getting the wrong idea about BDSM, even as they’re right about Elise Sutton. Sexism does suck. Whichever way it goes.
Posted by: Lia | December 4, 2005 12:02 AM
Reverse sexism, how silly and sad in the 21st century.
Posted by: Humane Equality | December 10, 2005 06:54 AM
Has anyone read the Around Her Finger books?
Posted by: Woman Worshipper | December 11, 2005 08:04 PM
Georg, Dr sexology, loew ijk, and lia.
I have read extensively on Elise Sutton’s website and her book and she definitely needs therapy herself.
Too true that she is a female fascist…nothing more.
Nothing more because she isn’t worth it!
The practice of BDSM submission/slavery is a consentual one based on love, trust, discipline, tolerance of one another, respect etc etc.
If there are any of these elements missing in a special relationship like this then it’s time to have a serious re-think because what we practice can be extremely dangerous if not met with SANITY and common sense.
I myself am a consented slave and if I was put through what Elise Sutton preaches then she would sure have a broken neck in many many places.
Just because I’m a slave in this lifestyle doesn’t mean I’m a doormat(apart from when we play, that is!wink).
Elise sutton? Moron? Idiot? Stupid?
Maybe any and all of the above but one thing is for sure is that she needs help. Unfortunately she is the type of person that thinks there’s nothing wrong with what she practices and preaches…and neither did Hitler!
I personally would like to put a gun to her head because this is the type of thing that puts a dark cloak over our lifestyles and makes it extremely awkward to help other people who are not into the lifestyle to understand what it is…safe, sane and consensual being out motto, for one.
Woman worshipper…I too worship women just like women who worship men but please keep your sanity together and understand the difference between loving, caring, nurturing and safe power play and that difference in terms of straight forwrd fascism.
Axeman.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 14, 2005 03:07 PM
Axeman,
I appreciate your comments but would appreciate it if you could resist the urge to write about putting a gun to someone’s head.
Thanks.
Posted by: Richard | December 15, 2005 11:59 AM
The around Her finger book is a good way for a male with interest in D/s lifestyle to subtly or if you want softly introduce his spouse or partner into Dominance. There is another book for new-wed brides how to dominate their husbands. They are smart books and a good way to break the ice with a partner if you are into this lifestyle. I believe that regardless what Barbara Wright Abernathy says about female-led relationships nearly all the men who are looking for such type of relationship are submissive openly or subtly. There is nothing wrong about that and I believe that she makes an honest effort to bring a new type of marriage to the world. Many people perhaps would like such type of arrangement. I would like to hear opinions from other people in this blog about Paige Harisson.I would appreciate other”s opinions or experiences…now about Elise Sutton. I agree with the people above who label her sex-Nazi. I find her absolutely pathetic and perhaps even dangerous. These types of experts give a bad name to people who are involved in the BDSM community or those who want to explore deeper sides of themeselves. Elise Sutton makes great harm not to men but to women as well.
Most of the decent people men and women regardless of their agenda are looking for a loving compatible partner.
Nobody likes male-abusers but also male-bashing has become a sport in our days.
And something else.Have you seen American greetings? Not only make a mockery of men they suggest in a comical way violence against men. When business prostitute themselves the whole society goes under.
Posted by: NorseFjord | December 17, 2005 12:44 AM
Sutton is a jerk with wimp as a husband. Wimp men/boys like sutton because they can’t come to grips to be a man. What a joke!
Posted by: JIM | December 19, 2005 04:03 PM
I recently received a letter from a fan of my Venus On Top book. He expresses the message of the book so well, I’d rather quote him than try to explain it myself:
“There are millions of women and men for whom a female led relationship would be profoundly liberating, but they can barely imagine such a possibility. Venus On Top gives them a language to describe their desires and a detailed model of what a female led relationship looks like. Most of all, it lets them know they are not alone.”
I am definitely not a female supremacist. I believe that the world will be a better place when gender does not limit the roles we can play in relationships. Some people are just not cut out for traditional marriage and I’m one of them.
What we are trying to do through the book and the Venus On Top Society is to educate people that there is more than one path to Happily Ever After. Every one deserves to be seen and loved as their true and authentic self. That’s the foundation for a great partnership.
We don’t claim that this is the way everyone should live. We want to help people who are drawn to the female led lifestyle realize that they are not alone and not abnormal. It’s just another facet of normal that the close-minded fear and ridicule.
Barbara Wright Abernathy
Posted by: Barbara Wright Abernathy | January 14, 2006 02:11 PM
I certainly don’t take Elsie Sutton seriously but find some of the stuff on her website um stimulating. There is an erotic side to humiliation but I for one would want to limit it to the bedroom. As important as our sexuality is, it is only part of us.
Posted by: haj | January 29, 2006 06:01 PM
Elsie Sutton, Barbara Wright Abernathy and all the other female extremists of this type, share one thing in common. That is they make money selling there sexist rhetoric to some low esteem men. The only thing that most women have have over men is there ability to con men. Ask yourself what have women invented in this world or for that matter accomplished for the betterment of Man? Computers, Xray, telephone, you name it man have invented it. I read both of these books and I find nothing, but female rhetoric designed to make man feel inferior and allow women to take over a man’s place in a marrige as a slave. While at the same time they get all the benifets from fucking anyone they choose, to making a man do all the house work, while she lays on your lazy ass and does nothing. Men don’t buy into this shit.
Posted by: RE | February 5, 2006 10:17 PM
Barbara Wright Abernathy in Venus on Top seems one of the least sexist proponents of famale authority. She presents it as an alternative that will appeal to a minority of women, but for those, a real alternative that should be considered.
Elise Sutton I have mixed feelings about. I have heard indirectly from those who have dealt with her that she is honest and genuine. Her web site has been around for a long time and seems far more oriented to promoting a philosophy than to making money, which makes her a bit of an exception here.
Her brand of “loving famale authority” is too extreme for my taste. However her insight into submissive male psychology is quite good, and the techniques she outlines for a woman to dominate and control a man do in fact work quite effectively.
I wouldn’t trust her judgement on how far it is healthy to take the D/s aspect in a relationship, but I think her site is worthwhile reading for those with an interest in this dynamic.
Posted by: Derek | February 16, 2006 12:55 PM
As Margaret Mead admitted, there has never, ever beeen a matriarchal society recorded anywhere in the world. With men as leaders society has always had a firm foundation. Cartainly in the UK it has only been since the advent of feminism that fathers have been excluded from families which has led to an explosion of crime, poorer health, more suicide and general unhappiness.
In Wales, where we have equal representation of men and women in the Welsh Assembly, men are being neglected and women given preference in so many fields not least that of health.
Posted by: David | March 28, 2006 01:02 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie
Funny, Haj mentioned X-rays whilst raving on about women not contributing much to humanity- guess he should brush up on science history when he gets his breath…
Posted by: MacGoddess | June 28, 2006 12:00 AM
BDSM people come from all walks of life.But the culture of these organizations is more engalitarian and pansexual rather than Feminazism. I heard lately that E.Sutton is not a specific person but a group of women who maket products, thats why supposedly E.Sutton directs people to her associates and women rarely have a reply.We have never seen Sutton in public.In reality very few women show any interest to this non-sense.Abernathy who tries to play the no-lether domme has 98% of her subscribers males and also there another fruitcake Paige-harrison who makes her money from males and advocates Christian and loving matriarchy…she has a blog with 3 women and 5000 guys. She guides them to surrender to their true nature and shave themselves and never talk back to their wives and be always humble to women…these ridiculous online-dommes are not taken seriously neither by the female population nor by most of the BDSM commuity.Very few people can tollerate any form of supremacy either it is religious, either is KKK,apartheid, Nazism or Sutton’s-Feminazism.The sorry part of the whole process is not that there are some neurotic women but they have followers a lot of …..men !!! Can you believe male-supporters of female-supremacy ?? You bet.It is the same like saying an African American who is sympathetic to KKK. How disguisting. Are you familiar with the David and Goliath company who sold T-shrts “boys are stupid throw stones at them ?” instead this bastard to be in Terre Hote jail right now, he sold T-shirts worth 100 million dollars.But thigs go around come around.
Posted by: French Marine | August 19, 2006 07:25 PM
It is sad how many men and women can’t tell that Sutton is just a profiteer.
Posted by: Richard | August 19, 2006 08:10 PM
Venus On Top is not all together bad, but they are very kink-phobic on her site and beginners when it comes to female led relationships. I believe BDSM is for those intelligent enough to understand that for some foreplay is a kiss, and for others it’s a pinch. A pinch creates the same reaction to those so inclined as does a kiss to the more vanilla of our society. A relationship based on two adults in a consenting relationship where no one is hurt emotionally should be acceptable to all. But to actually believe one gender is dominant over another is just another generalization that doesn’t help, so I can’t get down with Elise’s ideas much.
Posted by: BDSM Mistress | September 7, 2006 07:54 PM
First id like to say there is no difference between elise sutton and and racist claiming supermacy but although im into playing bdsm as a submissive i find all here site rubbish men go there just for sexual amusement nothing more , most men dont discuss her superiority ideas , id like to add that these women should be taken seriously since they are practicing racism, if a man writes such things against women it would be taken seriously there must be no difference, there are many dangerous women like her more than we think. some of female supermacist made their own castle in czech rebublic called owk ( other world kingdom),lets imagine this place after 100 years wont it be a holy place who sick women wil be visiting?!!
Posted by: Guess | October 29, 2006 05:58 PM
Don’t be daft,GUESS,the Owk is all actors and actresses who take money from men for domination.It’s all paint,grease and effects.How do you imagine an insurance company would view an ACCIDENT. There are a lot of men that like to be dominated sexually,myself included but I view 24/7 femdom as ridiculous.There are very few women who could maintain this charade,let alone want it in the first place. The people you should worry about are those engaged in decision making who have decided that nobody needs men anymore. These people are both male and female although not necessarily heterosexual. In about 2 months it is doubtful that anyone will be allowed to watch these kind of sites,under the new act coming out,that is without getting a knock on the door at 5am in the morning-this is the real domination,as for elise sutton,she is more likely a tranny.
Posted by: mike.s | March 13, 2007 03:19 PM
I do think highly of Barbara Abernathy. She’s very astute —-but I see nothing wrong with Elise Sutton. She’s extreme, but then that’s just another aspect of the femdom world. Some submissive men need the extreme subduing of their male egos. They need to be taken in hand, lovingly but firmly. They need corporal punishment, feminization and even cuckolding — until the complete fact of their submission is ingrained at the cellular level. Elise is very interesting. Of course I don’t agree that women or men are superior. God didn’t make it that way. HE made male and female to complement one another. But certainly among the Dom/submissive set there can be a chosen status for either of the sexes. In our community we elevate femaleness and aspire to it and submit to it.
Posted by: bridgette | March 28, 2007 12:39 AM
“In our community we elevate femaleness and aspire to it and submit to it.”
Most people I know don’t submit to femaleness, but rather to an individual, regardless of gender. For many people, submission has much more to do with love and/or lust than with gender.
Posted by: roo-roo | March 28, 2007 09:58 AM