Jerith

Jerith is a woman who has only had BDSM relationships in her life. Jerith is both an emotional masochist and a strong-willed slave with a passion for scenes that challenge her physically and emotionally. She was the co-director of Galleria Domain 2 in Chicago but currently no longer lives in that city. In addition, Jerith served as the secretary and programming liaison while on the board of directors of the Leather Leadership Conference. She has been presenting on BDSM and emotional edge play in the alt-sex community for well over 25 years.

Homecoming 2026 Classes

Emotional Masochism and Sadism (3)
Sadism is the condition in which one’s sexual gratification comes from making another person suffer. Its counterpart is masochism, where a person’s sexual pleasure comes from experiencing pain. Most of us can accept the idea that physical pain can enhance a sexual experience, but what about mental anguish? Emotional masochists experience pleasure from feelings that many people would consider negative, among them objectification, humiliation, jealousy, and abandonment. Emotional sadists get off on delivering and observing this torment. I will talk about my experience with this type of play and why it is appealing and fulfilling for me. I will answer questions like: Why are people interested in emotional S&M? Is this type of play abusive and does it permeate an entire relationship? How do you recover from hurt feelings? How can you tell when you are pushing emotional sadism too far? What are some skills emotional masochists and sadists need? In addition, I’ll show you different ways to hurt someone’s feelings, and give examples of emotions that can be made into scenes. I will close the class with a demonstration of what we hope turns out to be an intensely emotional scene and a Q&A.

Suffering: From Discomfort to Anguish (3)
Suffering is a deep and complicated feeling — the prolonged experience of pain. In some situations, it serves as a warning system for danger or a natural deterrent to a potentially harmful stimulus, something to avoid. In other scenarios, suffering is a part of an ordeal path, something to be celebrated, to learn from, and to sit with. But no matter the experience, suffering includes the endurance of complex emotions and feelings. During this class, Jerith will talk about the different levels and types of suffering, from physical pain to mental distress, annoying discomfort to intense anguish. She will cover the reasons that she and others choose to include intense suffering in the scenes, how it enhances different aspects of BDSM, and pain processing techniques that can help you fully endure and experience it. In addition, she will discuss the tangled emotions that arise from wanting to be done with discomfort, torment, and agony but choosing to endure it anyway. The class will close with a demonstration of suffering, during which Jerith will be in intense and visible distress.

Sensory Manipulation (2)
Our senses form the basis for our interactions with the world. A familiar smell can trigger a memory, the sound of a zipper can be incredibly arousing, and having to face a BDSM scene without the ability to see can heighten a bottom’s anticipation and sensitivity. By controlling and manipulating your partner’s senses you can create a world of your choosing for them, leading them to many different emotions, painful and pleasurable experiences. In this class, Jerith will cover the five basics of taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing, and then delve into the more complicated senses. She’ll teach you creative ways to affect your partner’s senses through sensory deprivation and manipulation. Learning how to control someone’s sensory input can give you greater power over your partner, and she’ll show you how to use that power for good (arousing techniques and sensual kinky play) and evil (fear play scenes, mind fucks, etc.).