The world of play parties are vast and varied. For every kind of kink, and every fringe of fetish, there is a community of unapologetic explorers who descend on underground nights to embrace their desires and inclinations with other like-minded, curious characters. While these spaces are liberating – allowing those in attendance to embrace their sexuality without question or query – in some there continue to be outdated social and gender constructs that resemble the heteronormative, archaic, outside world. Whether it be charging women cheaper admission, using the tactic used in nightclubs all over the world, in which women’s looks are used as currency, to fill the venue full of pretty faces to attract high-admission-price-paying men. Or the fact that to many of these events, any advances made in fashion reform in the late nineteenth century are thrown into disrepute, and women aren’t admitted unless they’re wearing a sexy cocktail dress and sky-high heels. It’s as though any advances in gender equality were left at the door.

Here to break the mould, and provide us with their esteemed insight as our next Wickedly Inspirational Women, are Genevieve LeJeune; founder of Skirt Club, and Cassie Hart; Managing Director of Skirt Club. Having attended various play parties in the past with a long-term boyfriend, Genevieve recognised first-hand that her own sexual pleasure was not at the centre of the soiree; “I realised I was doing things for his pleasure, not my own”. Placing women’s confidence and sexual exploration at the forefront of the festivities, Genevieve established Skirt Club in 2014; as a private members club for bi-curious and bisexual women, with over 15,000 members worldwide. As Skirt Club highlights, “women are more interested in each other, than ever”.

Women turning to each other for gratification is not a new concept, although the increasing visibility and acceptance of it is a modern move in progression. For centuries women have relied on each other to satisfy the needs that men have failed to; which would often include emotional support, companionship and (although it was not made explicit to the general public due to the attitudes of the era surrounding homosexual behaviour) more often than not, sex. The term ‘Boston marriage’ was coined in the late nineteenth century for women who cohabitated and pursued these same relationships, although they had been occurring long before a name was given to it. In Pornhub’s annual ‘Year in Review’, in 2019, ‘lesbian’ was ranked as the top, most viewed category for females, whereas it only came in at #8 for males. Dr Karen Gurney – clinical psychologist, psych sexologist and author of ‘Mind the Gap: The Truth about Desire and How to Futureproof your Sex Life’ – explored many reasons why women watch lesbian porn, even if they are predominantly heterosexual, in a recent Instagram post. Some of the key reasons being the basis of equality and power, as ‘straight’ porn is often male-centric, misogynistic and displays abuse of power in a gender dynamic; the sexual act, as people tend to watch acts that turn them on, and same-sex porn features female-centric intimacies far more than ‘straight’ porn; and the fluidity of sexuality; while a lot of people may be in opposite-sex relationships, it is highly possible they may not be 100% ‘straight’, as sexual orientation can be considered on a spectrum (look at the Kinsey scale, for example). Therefore exploring queer porn allows them the opportunity to explore other elements of their sexuality. These reasons emulate the very essence of Skirt Club.