Go back home
The Vanilla Club is, most simply, an adult-themed social club. Without dragging all the other claims, accusations, and implications into the matter, that is what it was originally made for. However, in setting aside the club as a kind of retreat from the various kinks and oddities that prevail on the MUCK, I generated an unprecedented level of controversy. What I'd intended was to create a kind of "safety zone" - a place where someone could come to escape from the noise, crazyness, and overt kinks of many other parts of the MUCK. Because quite frankly, it can be a little disconcerting to have a 5-foot "vixen" with 38HHH breasts and an enormous crotch bulge rubbing up against you in the park! Some of us just aren't into that sort of thing. So I began talking with people all across the MUCK. I traveled to anywhere there was a crowd, and I began to ask, in essense, "Where do you go when you DON'T want to play with "Miss Hyper-Herm Vixen" over there?" And universally, the answer was a shrug, and "There isn't anyplace." So I made one. And now, whenever I log in, I nearly always have page #mail waiting for me from someone who has questions or concerns about my club. To give you an idea of how those conversations usually go, I have included below an interview I had online after I found one of those types of messages waiting for me. I have altered the name of the other participant to protect their online identity, but aside from that change this is a transcript of the conversation that I had with them. (My apologies in advance to anyone named "Dixie" that might take offense. I just pulled that name off the top of my head.) From FurryMUCK Dixie asks, "What do you have against hermaphrodites? I want to believe that you have a valid reason for not allowing them into your bar, but it's difficult for me to believe that it's anything more than simple bigotry. Yes, I understand that your VC is 'vanilla,' but you see, herms /can/ have vanilla sex. You don't want weirdos, pedos, gors, vores, babyfurs, shifters and S&Mers, sure. But you seem to be lumping all herms in with that group, and I'd like to know your reasoning. I am asking, because /I/ am a herm, and I feel that your ruling in this manner is unfair. And I just heard this from a friend: "But... Danna -does- allow gors, vores, babyfurs and weirdos. When those can walk in sans challenge, a ban on herms is on very shaky ground, yes?" D'anna shakes her head gently. "And that's what happens when you rely on information given to you 'by a friend' rather than getting it from the source. Actually I do not permit gores, vores, babyfurs, and weirdos in my club. I state this in the official theme plaque and rules sign in the entry foyer. Furs must be adults, described as at least late teens ot older. The theme plaque clearly states that one of the things you will -not- find in the club is D-rings for attaching slaves, areas for underage sex, or strangeness." "My club is a small pocket of normalcy amid a sea of strange and sometimes bizzare or extreme kinks and fetishes. Anyone with bizzare sexual biology of any sort, from hyper-endowed furs (Think Winger) to those with extra sexual organs are not permitted entry. Overt BDSM is not permitted. Nor is violence. Children are not allowed. And so on." "Bear in mind, however, that it is only the -character- I am concerned with. It's something like an IC dress code. I will never discriminate against the RL player, so even in those cases where I have been told that the player is transgendered they will be permitted entry...provided that their -character- takes on the appearance of a normal member of either gender for the duration of their visit." "The basic function and purpose of the Vanilla Club is to serve as a kind of oasis, a place where people can take a break from all the assorted fetishes and extremes that are so prevelant in virtually all other areas of the MUCK. People will stop by when they're tired of the Giant Club, or the Willing Victim's Guild, or the Herm Haven, or wherever. It gives them the chance to participate in good, relativly clean conversation, and social or sexual encounters with people who's biology and physiology are mundane. There's a lot to be said for experementation and exploration, for pushing one's boundries and trying new things, but the fact is, all kink all the time gets tiring. -Anything- gets old if you have too much of it all the time." "And truthfully, there is a significant number of people on the MUCK who are not comfortable with unusual sexual biology, like hermaphrodism, shemales, sex-tentacle beasts, and so on. Having such a character making advances to them would make them ill at ease. Until my club was created, there wasn't anywhere on the MUCK where they could go to be completly comfortable, because chances are, someone with unusual biology would come along sooner or later. However, in my club, such encounters are impossible." Dixie nods. "And that's all understandable, but still does not clear the issue of why herms are not allowed, even though they are able to have vanilla sex. Perhaps they have an extra set of sexual organs, but also consider that those organs are 'normal' sized, in relation to their body size and they're in the place where they're supposed to be. It's not for the kink. I do enjoy good conversation, but I'm not going to change my description for it. I'd ask that you let chakats and other herms in, so long as they fall within all your other guidelines. And if no one wants to, as an example, participate in sexual activity, at least we would know that we were accepted, otherwise. I don't think a strict ban is the way to go. But I'm only stating my opinion. When I first read your sign, I was affronted and felt alienated." D'anna nods. "The ban on hermaphrodites is simply an extension of the club's 'normal' theme. All characters with non-standard, modified, unusual, improbable, or impossible sexual biology are asked to change to conform to the standard male or female model, or are not permitted entry. Or, at the very least, are asked to have a description that -appears- that way. A good example is a shemale character who frequents my club. Her sex is listed as female, and her description appears entirely female. She uses the terms 'her' and 'she' and never uses transgendered pronouns like 'sie' or 'hir' and even though I know she's a shemale...as she explained it to me herself...since she -appears- entirely normal, she's allowed in." Dixie asks, "So if I entered the club 'disguised' as a female felitaur...?" D'anna smiles. "Then you'd be fine. If you appeared entirely female, with no transgendered pronouns, and nothing in your WI/WIXXX/Pinfo/Etc to give it away, you could enter, visit, and stay." Dixie says, "I wish there was another way, but I can do that." D'anna says, "The parallel I drew to it being like an IC dress code is a good one. I full well know that a lot of the people who come to my club have interests and partake in activities elsewhere that are -not- vanilla, and would not be allowed in the club. But they come by to take a break from all that for a while, and as long as they don't come in and then start acting strange (transforming into a prohibited form, engaging in overt BDSM or violence, etc) then they're welcome to stay. You'd be surprised, I think, at how many people stop by after coming from the Willing Victim's Guild, or the Herm Haven, or someplace else that's not 'vanilla' like my club." "They relax, visit, have good conversations and perhaps a plain-vanilla 'romp' in one of the back rooms, and then they head back out to perform a macro vore scene, or some such thing. *grin* It's a place to relax, it's a place that in it's simple, plain normalcy, is unlike any other place on the MUCK." Dixie asks, "Does vanilla include same-sex pairings?" D'anna nods. "Yes. Due to the fact that homosexuality is more-or-less permitted and considered acceptable IRL, it is also permitted in the Vanilla Club. True, there are still bigots who don't like it. However, it's mainstream, it's well-known, and for the most part, it's legal and accepted. However, things like zoophilia, pedophilia, necrophilia, corprophilia, and other non-mainstream and/or illegal activities are not allowed. In many ways, I draw from contemporary culture and Real Life standards to determine what's allowed in the club and what's not." Dixie says, "I'm still a bit upset, but I'm sure that'll pass. At least I understand why, now. And as I said, I wish it were otherwise, considering my point about vanilla activity and hermaphrodites not being mutually exclusive. But I guess that's my only argument." "Then... I guess, may I ask you a personal question?" D'anna smiles softly. "I apologize for making you feel upset or uncomfortable. It is not my desire to make people unhappy, and I honestly feel bad that you felt excluded. No one likes to feel that way. And yes, you may ask me anything that you like. I reserve the right not to answer some personal RL questions at my discretion, however. *smile*" Dixie says, "I wouldn't have expected otherwise. My question is, do you participate in any activities, outside of the club, that aren't allowed within? I apologize if I asked something too personal." D'anna smiles. "No, that's an IC question, and it's also fair to ask, considering the situation. You're fine. In answer, I used to, but not anymore. I've been on the MUCK for many, many years, as this and other characters. In the past, I too have experemented and explored. I've done a macro unbirthing scene. I've done various BDSM scenes, as the domme, up to and including blood and pain and once, a snuff scene. I've done orgies and groups, and I've done play-zoophilia. However, as the years passed, I mellowed. I discovered that none of those things held my interest, and truthfully, I just grew to a point where the most appealing thing is a nice, intelligent conversation, and perhaps a good roll in the hay with a close friend and lover." "It is those past experiences that give me the respect for other people's kinks and interests. I will never insult, flame, or demean someone for enjoying or experimenting with something that I don't care for or understand. I simply don't permit anything that's extreme or unusual in my club, that's all. *smile*" Dixie smiles back. "I see. That's interesting to hear." D'anna says, "For example, I don't like watersports. Being urinated on holds absolutly -zero- appeal to me. But if that's what gets someone's rocks off, well, okay. Go ahead. Just don't expect me to participate or permit it within my club. But I won't stand for anyone insulting them within my club either. It is a safe, neutral zone, -never- a platform for personal attacks or flames." "Everyone has a right to experiment and expand themselves. They have a right to try new things, and a right to enjoy things that I don't. But people -also- have a right to get -away- from things that they don't like sometimes! Think about it...it -has- to go both ways to be fair! And until I built my club, that didn't exist. There wasn't anywhere that people could go to be safe from all the various kinks for a while. It was all out in the open, in your face (sometimes literally, ugh!) and non-stop. Now, people have someplace that they can go to sigh, let out the tension, and just relax. Kink-free, for as long as they wish to stay." Dixie says, "I withdraw my previous opinion of you and VC, embarrassedly." D'anna smiles. "I'm glad you contacted me and asked the questions that you did. I'm always happy to provide information, explanations, and aid where I can. And the offer still stands...feel free to ask me about anything, from this point forward. I'll always answer if I can." Dixie nodnods. "I will. I'm glad you didn't lash back out at me. I think I might have put a little bit of a bite into my original pages." D'anna smiles. "I didn't lash out because A: I've been doing this for a long time, and I really have mellowed over the years. And B: Because I understand and respect your frustration. I meant what I said...I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But to make the kind of place that I have, some form of confrontation or disagreement is unavoidable, I'm afraid. It's the nature of the place." Our conversation continued for a short time after this, but it mostly consisted of us making friends, and chatting about when we might talk next. Really, nearly all of the conversations I've had about the club go like this - a sane, rational person contacts me with some concern, I explain myself and the club for a while, and they listen. Now I don't want to seem as though I'm claiming magical powers of persuasion or something - I guess what I want to stress is that they're almost always intelligent, polite, rational, GOOD people - I've rarely ever been cursed or screamed at, or not been able to talk with them. I think a grand total of two people have ever been outright banned from my club in all it's years of operation!
