Taking the Knife

On kink in queer spaces

Illustration by Carmen Johns

I found a dungeon that hosts events that are exclusively queer. Most attendees are people of color, and I walked in to the sounds of slaps, moans, and laughter. Leo, the “doorboi,” was dressed in slacks, a dress shirt, and a black tie. They told me I could walk right in, but to be prepared that Mx. Cele “was being fucked with knives.” Leo is biracial and has a side shave, roots dark and curls…