Kitty Pride
By Lazarus Redmayne
(Why, yes, that is an X-Men reference ... we kind of need superheroes right now ...)
In June of 2024, Blue and I flew out to San Francisco for their Pride celebration. The trip itself didn’t go according to plan, unfortunately, but we did have a nice time touring around the area and people watching at Dolores Park. Blue was particularly keen on sampling some San Francisco sourdough, which we found at Boudin Bakery while looking for California sea lions.
Long a hub of LGBTQ+ culture and community, San Francisco also has a vibrant kink and leather scene. At Pride we caught a few performances put on by Twisted Windows, the rope performance troupe fronted by Shay Tiziano (of Tying and Flying fame). If you’re particularly voyeuristic, or exhibitionistic for that matter, the Folsom Street Fair might be of interest to you.
There’s a complex history underpinning San Francisco, fetish, everything really. While it would be so much easier if everything was black or white, good or bad, it just isn’t. I’m feeling a bit pensive these days what with the political and social discord boiling over in the USA. There are so many things to say, and yet no combination of words feels like they are “enough”. So I will continue supporting my community locally, the rope community, and this little corner of the rope community that we have built together. <3
Risk Management and Safety
Blue is not only contorting her body in some delightfully stressful ways, but she is also checking her sensory function in her hands! This elbow harness pulls the arms back quite far and can be high risk when it comes to nerve impingement. This is due to both the position of the arms behind the back as well as the bands of rope running across the upper arms to hold them in place. Because of this, it is important for the rope bottom to maintain constant awareness of their bodily sensations in their hands. Here Blue is demonstrating some sensory checks using her fingernails. You can read more about nerve compression, blood flow, and nerve tests on our detailed Nerves & Circulation page.
To ensure she can sustain this position, I have tied Blue on a bench with a squishy surface and placed a rolled-up towel under her head. This reduces the pressure on her knees and provides a comfortable place for her to rest her head if needed. If I had tied her in this position on a harder surface, I might have placed similar cushioning under her knees to make the position more sustainable. This bench was also relatively narrow, so I was always close at hand in case Blue lost her balance. With how she is tied in this picture, she could easily wiggle onto the floor leaving only her ankles still attached to the bench.
Hi everyone! Blue here. This day was so much fun because it was the first time in a while that I could sustain an elbow harness this extreme. A few years before, I had a non-rope-related nerve injury in my left shoulder which prevented me from having my arms tied behind my back. Major bummer for someone with my proclivities … But with several months of rest, physical therapy stretches and exercises (with oversight from a professional) I was able to recover a lot of my strength and flexibility. However, I’m still weaker on my left side and need to be careful about behind the back ties. Before attempting this elbow harness, I did some light warmups including shoulder circles, arm circles, cat cow stretches, and thread the needle stretches.
Rope Needed
- Arms: Two 30’ (~9m) ropes
- Hips: One 30’ (~9m)
- Ankles: Two 15’ (~4.5m) ropes
- Wrists: One 6' (~1.8m) rope
Scene Credits
Prerequisites
Scene
- (1 & 2 are easiest if your partner is still standing.) Add a Heavy Elbow Harness to the chest and arms.
- Add a Wrap & Cinch Double Column to the wrists.
- Be conscientious. If your partner is wearing makeup, be cool and protect the furniture from being stained.
- Bend your partner over (!) and add a Doggy Style Harness.
- Add a Somerville Bowline to each ankle and tied them off or connect them together under the bench using a Square Knot or Surgeon’s Knot.
