The term “fetish” is today as widely spread in mainstream culture as the word “veggie.” Originally, it referred to a material or object fetish—a kind of religious-sensual sense. Today, brands like H&M make billions from it every year. News anchors wear fetish clothing as a matter of course, something that would have been unthinkable twenty years ago. Estimates put the number of women in Germany who earn their living from it at about a million, and even the cityscape today is shaped by fetish fashion. How would you define fetish?
Claude Kolz-Boehm: Within sexuality, fetish refers to certain objects, often clothing, that arouse someone sexually or erotically. How one handles that arousal once it appears is another question: you can use it in various ways—wear particular clothing during sex, watch others use their fetish, or choose to do nothing with it if you discover it in yourself.
Fetish, or fetishism, can also refer to specific sexual practices. Often the objects and the practices are interconnected. The word “object” is, of course, a very theoretical one, but it helps to show how broad fetish can be.
What motivated you to found the Fetish Project Eisensteig? Did you feel something was missing in the existing fetish scene?
From a casual barbecue in fetish clothing with a friend in Brandenburg, the idea grew to meet up with more men outdoors and celebrate. Up to that point, there hadn’t been outdoor fetish parties for gay men in Berlin and Brandenburg.
The audience at fetish parties has changed a lot in recent years, right? It’s not just the KitKat Club that attracts tourists… What share of attendees at fetish parties would you call genuine fetishists nowadays?
First you have to answer what counts as a “real” fetishist. And that’s basically impossible, because everyone has to define it for themselves. Most people we would count as fetishists probably wouldn’t describe themselves that way, since the word still feels somewhat “non-normative” to many. The same goes for the practices.
Men and the traditional gay scene tend to be fairly relaxed about particular erotic preferences. Is it the same outside the traditional gay scene? And are there actually any real fetishists?
As gay men, we can’t say a lot on that. But from what we’ve observed in our non-gay friends’ circle, outside the gay scene people are much more relaxed nowadays than they used to be, especially among younger generations.
In both the queer community and the gay scene there are frequent, sometimes heated debates about how openly the fetish scene, such as the puppy community, should present itself to the public. There are fears that the visibility of the puppy community could negatively affect the acceptance of the queer community in society at large. Are these concerns warranted?
From our viewpoint, the fetish scene should be allowed to reveal itself publicly to a certain extent—and that means there should be boundaries. Walking through the streets in chaps with a rigid erection bulging at the front, in our view, crosses a line.
Money seems to be a crucial factor in the fetish world. For “normal” sex you basically need only two bodies. In fetish erotica, it’s usually expensive materials, objects, gear, and settings. Is the sensual pleasure of fetishism reserved only for people from the mainstream?
Not only for the wealthy among the mainstream, but also for the affluent within the gay or queer community. That’s a problem that shows up in many other areas as well. Sometimes you can snag bargains at flea markets, but the problem persists. Additionally, many people can’t even afford the entry prices for fetish parties.
What exciting plans does Eisensteig have for the future?
Primarily, we want to keep offering outdoor parties. Recently we’ve started organizing indoor events as well, with the help of the Böse Buben. By the way, our outdoor parties remain open to everyone.
