CARAS Reading Group: History and Theory of Kink and BDSM

Overview: 2026 Modern Semester

CARAS is excited to announce the 2026 Modern semester of the CARAS history and theory reading group focused on Kink and BDSM. A cross between a literary salon and a graduate seminar, the CARAS reading group focuses on texts and ideas relevant to the study of Kink/BDSM/Leather communities from a unique angle in the study of sexualities.

The CARAS reading group is conducted in two complementary “semesters” that run from August through December in alternating years: the Classics semester and the Modern semester. Each semester of the reading group has a separate reading list and registration.

The Modern semester is organized topically and will focus on issues that have gained prominence in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The Modern semester monthly topics for 2026 are listed below.

The Classics semester’s focus is on classic and canonical readings relevant to the history of Kink and modern scholarship addressing Kink/BDSM. The next iteration of the Classics semester will be in 2027.

CARAS Reading Group Modern Semester Monthly Topics (2026):

Sex Wars (August 30, 2026)

Consent (September 27, 2026

Intersections (October 25, 2026)

Dominatrix (November 22, 2026)

Community (December 13, 2026)

To register, please visit: https://forms.gle/wjSnbGah6rfJh9nZA

Please register by Friday, August 28, 2026

Some DEtails

Learn more about the Reading Group - Meet & Greet, Sunday, August 16, 2026!

Please join us to meet the facilitators and other reading group participants, and discuss and learn more about the CARAS History and Theory of Kink and BDSM Reading Group! The Meet & Greet for the Reading Group Modern Semester 2026 will be held on Sunday, August 16, 2026, 12:30-1:30 (Pacific)/3:30-4:30pm (Eastern). Open to everyone! Sign-up for the Reading Group Meet & Greet here: https://forms.gle/nb2CDuzKcvY2YHMv9

What’s New for 2026?

We refine and update the content of the Reading Group each year. For 2026 we continue our focus on the Dominatrix, an important topic in kink history and culture facilitated by Leonora Weston, also known by her professional pseudonym Anne O Nomis (see bio below). We also expand our discussion of historical and current kink communities during our month focused on Community in December, 2026.

If you’ve participated in the Reading Group in the past, returning to reengage these important and challenging texts can be rewarding. For many participants - academics, clinicians, and community members - the experience of the CARAS Reading Group is like a college course/graduate seminar that we never had in school!

Meeting Times

There will be one section of the 2026 Modern Semester reading group. The reading group will meet once per month from August though December 2026, meeting a total of five times. The group will generally meet from 10am-noon (Pacific); 11am - 1pm (Mountain); noon-2pm (Central); 1-3 pm (Eastern) - reference time zone to verify local times; 6-8 pm (London); 7-9pm (Prague, Stockholm, Berlin). On November 22, 2026, the Reading Group will start two hours later at 3:30 pm (Eastern).

Meeting Location

The group will meet virtually via Google Meet. The facilitators will send out Google Meet information to participants prior to the meeting.

Meeting Expectations

Reading group members are expected to complete designated readings before each meeting and to attend meetings. Our vision of the reading group is of a group of people who will, over the five month period of the reading group, work together and support each other while engaging these significant and challenging texts. Thus, regular attendance is important.

Members

Any current subscriber to the Community-Academic Consortium for Research on Alternative Sexualities (CARAS) is welcome to join the reading group!

To become a CARAS subscriber, please visit: https://carasresearch.org/subscribe

Topics, Readings

Readings are designated for each monthly topic. Readings are in one of two categories: primary readings for each month (approximately 200 pages), and additional recommended readings that are relevant to the monthly topic. Recommended readings are optional. The Reading Group Schedule and Reading List is posted via Google Docs, and may be updated. Please note that a number of these readings require access to a library or purchase.

Cost

For CARAS Subscribers, participation in the reading group is free.

There may be additional costs for reading materials.

Information Sheet

A Reading Group Information Sheet that addresses various topics and policies is available. For any additional questions, please contact CARAS at education@carasresearch.org.

How do I Join?

Register for the 2026 Modern Reading Group here: https://forms.gle/wjSnbGah6rfJh9nZA

Please note that the deadline for registration is Friday, August 28, 2026.

Stay in Touch

Please join the CARAS announcements listserv for notifications and information about future iterations of the CARAS Reading Group.

Reading Group Facilitators

The primary facilitators for the 2025 CARAS Reading Group Modern Semester are Mel Leverich, MAS, Gayle Rubin, Ph.D., Leonora Weston, MA., and Alexandra Fanghanel, Ph.D. Please see the bios for Mel, Mike, Leonora, and Alexandra below.

history and theory of kink and bdsm Reading Group CO-Facilitator: Mel Leverich

Mel Leverich (they/them) has been the Archivist and Collections Librarian for the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago since 2017. Mel has a Masters of Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia. Mel is a member of the CARAS Institutional Review Board (IRB).

history and theory of kink AND bdsm Reading Group Co-Facilitator: Gayle Rubin

Gayle Rubin, Ph.D., is a noted scholar of the histories, social constituents, and politics of sexuality, with a special focus on leather histories and social life. She was a founding member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society, and was involved in the establishment of the Leather Archives & Museum, on whose Board of Directors she currently serves. She is the official historian of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District in San Francisco. She has taught at the University of California Santa Cruz, the University of California Berkeley, the San Francisco Art Institute, and Harvard University, where she was the F.O. Matthiessen Visiting Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She is Associate Professor of Anthropology, and Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Michigan. Her book of essays, Deviations, was published by Duke University Press in 2011.