Wicked Grounds

ONLINE: Why We Don't Speak Up with John Pendal
2026-07-26 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
A lot of discussion about consent relies on being able to speak up. For example:
• Standing up for yourself in negotiations
• Being able to clearly state your needs, wants, desires and limits
• Agreeing to AND BEING ABLE TO USE a safe word during the scene
But there are occasions when our voices may leave us, e.g. feeling that everyone has invested too much in the scene and we don’t want to let others down, flooded with endorphins or adrenaline, reliving past trauma, falling in love with your play partner, autistic shutdown – and that’s what this workshop covers.
We examine the many reasons why anyone may stay silent during a kink scene – whether they are a novice or experienced player. What to do if someone is triggered, and different strategies to help people communicate – even if they’ve had a lifetime of ‘people pleasing’ or don’t know who they are.
PRESENTER:
Experienced BDSM educator and comedian John Pendal joins us all the way from London, England.
In 2003, John became the 25th person (and only Brit) to win the annual International Mr Leather contest in Chicago. Since then, he has traveled worldwide teaching SM education, giving speeches, acting as a master of ceremonies, or doing stand-up comedy.
He has taught workshops at Down and Dirty (Melbourne), Inferno, Lupercalia (Edmonton), Minnesota Leather Pride, Mr. Leatherman Toronto, Palm Springs Leather Pride, Rome BDSM Conference (Italy), SINSations in Leather, Spring in the South (Atlanta), Tribal Fire (Oklahoma), and Thunder in the Mountains (Denver).
www.johnpendal.com
TICKETING
https://forbiddentickets.com/events/wicked-grounds/c4ac822ab2
