Black Rose is a contemporary BDSM organization based in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

. It was founded in June 1987 as a support group for the BD/SM, TS and other alternative sexuality communities in the Washington, DC area. The Black Rose hosts, among other things, educational classes addressing BDSM

BDSM

BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...

activities, issues, and safety. The Black Rose is a place where alternative sexual expression is welcomed and accepted. The organization also hosts monthly socials and, beginning with BR10 in 1997,an annual national convention for the BDSM community.

Special interest groups

Black Rose includes several special interest groups:

• Bondage Group
• CATS (Cultural, Arts & Theatre Social)
• D/s Discussion Group
• Edge Play
• Queer
• Spirituality (spiritual concepts related to BDSM activities, relationships and lifestyles)
• Teathers and Feathers (tickling)
• The Next Generation (age 19–35)

Awards

Among its other activities Black Rose annually grants several awards:

• Community Elder Award
• Community Service Award
• Membership Service Award
• Vaughan Keith National Educator Award