Conversio Virium
Encyclopedia
Conversio Virium, the oldest university student-run BDSM
education group in the United States
, is the central Columbia University
student organization that represents the college's collective population who engage in consensual BDSM and related activities. CV is a not-for-profit group that advocates strongly for freedom of sexual self-expression
and is particularly concerned with creating a safe and welcoming environment for young people to explore their interest in alternative sexual practices, especially consensual sexual dominance and submission (D/s)
. CV participates in many of New York City
's sexuality community events alongside similar organizations such as The Eulenspiegel Society
.
group accused CV of violating its own constitution
and as a result the university expelled CV from its grounds. The accusations were eventually proven untrue and CV was reinstated as an official Columbia University student organization. In the process, CV gained many allies from both the BDSM community and elsewhere, including Robert B. Chatelle, Board Member of the National Writers Union
at the time, who wrote to CV offering support.
In 2007, Conversio Virium made national television headlines when Fox News invited Ann Coulter
to comment on an article published in the New York Daily News
about the university's sex clubs called Wild Sex 101, in which the club and the university was criticized.
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...
education group in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is the central Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
student organization that represents the college's collective population who engage in consensual BDSM and related activities. CV is a not-for-profit group that advocates strongly for freedom of sexual self-expression
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
and is particularly concerned with creating a safe and welcoming environment for young people to explore their interest in alternative sexual practices, especially consensual sexual dominance and submission (D/s)
Domination and submission (BDSM)
Dominance and submission is a set of behaviors, customs and rituals involving the giving by one individual to another individual of control over them in an erotic episode or as a lifestyle....
. CV participates in many of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's sexuality community events alongside similar organizations such as The Eulenspiegel Society
The Eulenspiegel Society
The Eulenspiegel Society is the oldest and largest BDSM education and support group in New York City, where it is based, and claims to be the oldest group in the United States...
.
History
In 1994, soon after Conversio Virium's inception, a Columbia University ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
group accused CV of violating its own constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
and as a result the university expelled CV from its grounds. The accusations were eventually proven untrue and CV was reinstated as an official Columbia University student organization. In the process, CV gained many allies from both the BDSM community and elsewhere, including Robert B. Chatelle, Board Member of the National Writers Union
National Writers Union
National Writers Union , founded on November 19, 1981, is the trade union in the United States for freelance and contract writers: journalists, book and short fiction authors, business and technical writers, web content providers, and poets...
at the time, who wrote to CV offering support.
In 2007, Conversio Virium made national television headlines when Fox News invited Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
to comment on an article published in the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
about the university's sex clubs called Wild Sex 101, in which the club and the university was criticized.